What is allowing you to feel blissful, bored, or rapt with attention in any given moment? These are all emotional states available to us by accessing different state of consciousness.
Walt Whitman wrote, “There is, in sanest hours, a consciousness, a thought that rises, independent, lifted out from all else, calm, like the stars, shining eternal. This is the thought of identity.” [1]
Another poet wrote that when we observe ourselves we are always observing someone else – that “someone else’ is what experiences consciousness, or the ability know that you are observing. More importantly, you can change your observation and perception of reality – your experience – by simply altering your state.
What it Means to Change Your State?
If you’re reading this article right now, your brain is most likely in a “beta” brain wave state. The “beta” brain is usually our active, waking consciousness. It is when we are alert, problem-solving, analytical, and logic-driven. Beta is necessary to survive, but it is nearly impossible to be in a creative or relaxed state of consciousness while your brainwaves are predominately oscillating at a 13 – 30 Hz frequency.
Moreover, being in a constant state of beta can induce anxiety, depression, poor cognition, sleeplessness, and an amped-up “monkey mind,” that has difficulty concentrating. [2]
For example:
Low beta waves (12–15 Hz): associated with quiet, focused, introverted concentration.
Mid-range beta waves (15–20 Hz): associated with increased energy, anxiety, and performance.
High beta waves (18–40 Hz): associated with significant stress, anxiety, paranoia, high energy, and high arousal. [3]
By moving into theta, delta, alpha or even gamma brain wave states, you can immediately shift your consciousness, and thus your emotional and cognitive experience. Here’s why:
Theta brain waves (3 – 8 Hz) are our gateway into our intuitive wisdom. We make them naturally right before we fall asleep and right before we wake up in the morning. In this brain wave state we start to withdraw our sense perceptions (which keep us mentally active and logical) and begin to withdraw our awareness into the Self. Meditation is also an easy way to induce theta brain waves.
Delta brain waves (.5 – 3 Hz) are deep waves that are created when we are meditating or in deep, restorative sleep. While in the delta state our minds do some major house-cleaning and remove physical and emotional detritus. You can also tap into very deep levels of consciousness while in the delta state. This makes it ideal for subconscious reprogramming. Aside from sleep, meditation can also induce delta brainwave patterns.
Alpha brain waves (7 – 13 Hz) are helpful for quieting a busy mind, inducing creativity, a daydreaming state of mind, or the “flow state” referenced by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. [4] [5] When you create alpha waves, you can more easily stay present – these are the brainwaves of the “now” moment.
Gamma brain waves (38 – 42 Hz) are brainwaves that oscillate at the highest frequency and indicate that the whole brain is lit up with cross-communication across many different neural pathways. Gamma brain waves were originally overlooked by researchers and just called the “white noise of the brain” until further inspection revealed that gamma waves give way to feelings of universal love, altruism and higher states of consciousness and bliss. Researchers still don’t know exactly how the brain manages to make gamma waves, but it is known that experienced meditators make gamma waves with ease. [6]
How Can You Alter Your State Right Now?
There are several ways to immediately alter your state of consciousness, I’ve shared many practical methods to reach the state of awareness in my books, Soul Restructuring, Cellular Activation, True Self Perception and also in How to Break Your Identification with Emotional Trauma in 10 Days.
This is a video from the online class based on techniques from How to Break Your Identification with Emotional Trauma in 10 Days, it’s part of a 10 day program to develop more self awareness, which I have experienced to be the best antidote to break away from traumatic identification.
Enjoy the video!
To take the full class, you can go here: https://healersofthelight.com/collections/classes/products/940178
Additionally, you can try one of these options:
- Close your eyes (remove stimulation from sense organs)
- Go somewhere quiet
- Breathe more deeply (slow your respiratory rate)
- Spend time in nature (it slows your brain waves) [7]
- Do slow yoga
- Meditate
- Be in the moment
[1] Popova, Maria. “Altered States of Consciousness: The Neuropsychology of How Time Perception Modulates Our Experience of Self, from Depression to Boredom to Creative Flow.” Brain Pickings, 19 July 2019, www.brainpickings.org/2019/07/19/altered-states-of-consciousness-marc-wittmann/.
[2] “Beta Wave.” ScienceDirect.com | Science, Health and Medical Journals, Full Text Articles and Books, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/beta-wave.
[3] Roohi-Azizi, M., Azimi, L., Heysieattalab, S., & Aamidfar, M. (2017). Changes of the brain’s bioelectrical activity in cognition, consciousness, and some mental disorders. Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 31(1), 307-312. doi:10.14196/mjiri.31.53
[4] The 5 Brain waves and its Connection with Flow State. (2019, February 21). Retrieved from https://www.cwilsonmeloncelli.com/the-5-brain-waves-and-its-connection-with-flow-state/
[5] Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. (2005, March 1). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihaly_Csikszentmihalyi
[6] What are Brainwaves ? Types of Brain waves | EEG sensor and brain wave – UK. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://brainworksneurotherapy.com/what-are-brainwaves
[7] This Is Your Brain on Nature. (2017, July 25). Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/01/call-to-wild/