The brain makes for one of the most researched, yet still drastically unknown, organs of the body. What scientific research has come to establish, however, is the range of brainwaves that operate and the ways in which they act as everything from our critical reasoning to our ability to relax. Here we take a look at each, covering the alpha, beta, theta, delta and gamma waves.

Alpha waves – (7.5-14Hz) – The brainwaves of relaxation

Have you ever caught yourself staring out of the office window one sunny day, conjuring up images of the upcoming weekend? We pretty much all have, right? And this is the perfect example of alpha waves in action.

You see, alpha waves are the brainwaves of daydreaming, of relaxation and of mindfulness and meditation. They’re also found to occur at the opposite scale of relaxation – whilst undertaking aerobic exercise, no less.

Beta waves – (14-40Hz) – The awake and aware conscience and the wave responsible for reasoning

Beta waves are the waves of the awake – they are the level that we operate at when undertaking any thinking activity. It is the wave of critical reasoning and it is responsible for our day-to-day functioning. When operating at this frequency we are observant, concentrated and absorbed within whatever problem solving task that we may be facing, or whatever decision we may be processing.

That all said however this wave is also often responsible for a person’s stress and anxiety and what’s more the mental illness of depression has today been scientifically linked to negative thinking patterns that may be both repetitive, as well as difficult to break.

Theta waves – (4-7.5Hz) – The brainwaves of light meditation and REM sleep 

Theta waves are experienced during light sleep stages, however our experience of this is only fleeting, as we move from conscious to unconscious as we fall asleep.

Interestingly enough this wave has been observed within light meditation, and when transitioning from Alpha to Theta we are said to experience the most effective state of mind for creative thinking, visualisations and re-programming the very ways in which our minds work.

At this frequency, when experienced during light meditation, we are always aware of our surroundings – despite being incredibly relaxed. For this reason it is often considered to be the healing wave, and is used beyond meditation to also be the wave of hypnosis.

Perhaps the most striking of examples for the Theta wave in action whilst waking is seen in those who train their mind state to allow them to walk over hot coals without feeling pain. 

Delta waves – (0.5-4Hz) – The wave of deep sleep

The delta wave moves at a relative snail’s pace compared to the remainder of our brainwaves, which would explain the fact that delta comes along whilst we are within our deepest sleep. It can then be thought of as the brainwave frequency of both our sleeping yet dreamless state, as well as our unconscious minds. 

Most pointedly the information that is accessible at this level is otherwise unavailable when operating at any other frequency, and for this reason it is very often referred to as the gateway to the ‘universal’ mind.

Fascinatingly enough, there are gender differences when it comes to Delta waves, as women have been found to have more activity of this brain wave frequency, and it isn’t just humans that this applies to, but also to the majority of mammals. What’s more, men additionally suffer greater delta wave reductions as they age.

Gamma Brainwaves – (over 40Hz) – The relatively little known brainwaves for insight

Gamma waves are the new kid on the block, having only been recently discovered compared to Gamma’s brainwave counterparts that we’ve already spoken about. 

Operating at in excess of 40Hz it’s also the fastest frequency, which reflects the fact that it is responsible for super-fast, insightful thoughts as well as the demanding, high level processing of information. Specifically when operating at this brainwave frequency we are capable of processing copious amounts of simultaneous data, drawing from various parts of the brain. It is at this frequency that we refer when we talk about higher levels of consciousness and perception. 

This brainwave is, however, still as yet one of the least understood, and so it may be that in just a few years’ time we get to appreciate, understand and harness this brainwave much more than we’re able to today.