Brain and Brain waves
In scientific terms, our brains elicit four types of electrical brain-wave- frequencies: alpha, beta, theta, and delta. The slowest brain waves are delta (deep sleep). Rapid brain-wave frequencies are beta (rational, detail-oriented thinking). Stress and negative thinking or emotions can appear while the brain is in the beta state. Most adults live and work at the beta-wave frequency or typical working condition. At beta (brain alert and logical) inspiration or creative activity cannot occur.
Next to delta, slow theta waves appear before sleep. They are associated with drowsiness and rapid assimilation of new information. Theta brain-wave frequencies appear in deeply relaxed or daydreaming states. When meditating or practicing yoga people can control their mental states, and manipulate their brain waves producing a memory-triggering creative theta state. Mental phenomena such as hypnagogic imagery, creative thoughts, integrative experiences, and spontaneous memories may be brought with theta state. In theta state, the physical body is deeply relaxed but mind is extremely alert and lucid. Inspiration or insight appears while in theta state of mind.
Alpha frequencies are higher than theta, and less than beta. Alpha produces relaxation. The alpha state occurs when people enter meditative states (theta replaces alpha activity). The meditative state can also be named alpha and theta state. At first mind goes empty, and then the feeling is replaced by creative imagination or day dreaming. Inner healing of the physical body is accelerated in alpha and theta state. And healing by bio-energy can be done while the healer and healee appear to be in this state.
Alpha and theta state brings harmonious balance between left hemisphere activity (rational thinking), and right hemisphere activity of the brain (creativity) and a balanced state of whole-brain integration while physical body is deeply relaxed. This is extremely beneficial to reach a higher level of mental powers and reorientation toward life. In this state the mind works at high intellectual levels, and it is accompanied with creativity, euphoria, intuition, and feeling of being oneness with the universe.
Source:http://www.bioenergy-services.com/Meditation.htm
Brain waves and Meditation
What, specifically, do the terms beta, alpha, theta, and delta mean for the contemporary meditator? What type of changes actually occur in brain-wave frequencies as one progressively experiences a more holistic awareness? Current technology, including the one-of-a-kind “Brain Monitor” developed by Synchronicity Foundation’s research team, enables us to answer these questions with precision.
Alpha brain waves
When brain wave activity is focused primarily within the 8-13 Hz. (cycles per second) range, one experiences what is termed an “alpha” state of awareness. Alpha brain-waves are produced in most people when they concentrate or focus the mind, or relax by sitting or reclining with their eyes closed. Alpha brain-waves are very often produced in bursts (trains of waves) or pulses (single waves), but some people, and especially Synchronicity Contemporary meditators, tend to produce continuous trains of alpha waves. When your brain is producing alpha frequencies, you experience a pleasant, comfortable, mildly relaxed yet wakeful state of awareness. This experience represents a relatively stress-free and euphoric state of being. The general understanding is that the more that alpha is produced in ordinary states of awareness, the easier it is to access deeper meditative states.
Practically speaking, individuals such as artists or photographers, who more often than usual, use the visual and spatial abilities characteristic of the right-brain, seem to produce alpha more easily than linear, left-brain thinkers. In the same way, experienced Synchronicity Contemporary meditators, who have repetitively patterned and become familiar with alpha brain-wave production, can more easily produce alpha frequencies.
In fact, by looking at an individual’s alpha brain-wave production, it is possible to determine not only whether the person is a meditator, but also the length of time the individual has been practicing meditation. Beginning meditators tend to produce alpha in the 10 to12 Hz. range. As meditative experience deepens, so does the dominant frequency at which alpha is produced. Therefore, we find that meditators with ten plus years of experience consistently produce low frequency alpha in the region of 7 to 9 Hz.
Theta brain waves
Theta brain-waves are produced in the frequency range from 3.5-7 Hz., which are more decelerated brain waves than alpha. Like alpha, theta is characterized by a blissful sense of well-being. However, in theta, the experience of holistic awareness increases. Theta represents the synchronized state of awareness in which creativity and imagery predominate. Experienced meditators are accustomed to a wide variety of “inner” images and visions, and these images do indeed seem to correlate with increased theta activity.
Delta brain waves
Delta brain waves are traditionally associated with deep sleep and are the slowest of the brain waves, occurring from 0-3.5 Hertz. Usually, only the most advanced meditators can remain wakeful while producing delta brain waves. The experiences typical of subtle dimensional actualization occur in the deepest levels of the delta brain-wave frequencies.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Brain-Waves-and-Meditation&id=355059