We all know that meditation has several benefits. A few of these are being more relaxed, a heightened feeling of wellbeing, improved focus, and increased happiness. With all of these benefits, one question comes to mind. Why does meditation work? To begin answering this question we have to understand how our consciousness works. The human mind has five different states of consciousness that our brain waves travel through. These states are Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta. The higher our brain wave frequencies are the more alert and active our minds are. We are going to take a look at each of these states and how they affect us.
Gamma State
This state of consciousness is the most active. Our brain wave frequency is between 30-100Hz. This state of hyperactivity is when active learning is done the easiest. The gamma state is the best time to retain information. This is why some teachers have their students jumping and dancing around – to increase the chances of permanently retaining the information they are teaching.
Beta State
The beta state is where most of us function on a daily basis. The frequency is between 13-30Hz. It is also thought of as the “working” or “thinking mind”. This state allows our prefrontal cortex to generate an alert state of mind. This is the best time to do analytical thinking, planning, assessing, and categorizing.
Alpha State
Here is where our brain waves start to slow down, and we exit our “thinking mind”. The frequency is between 9-13Hz. The alpha state is when we start to feel calm, peaceful, and relaxed. Some might even call this feeling being grounded. It is relatively easy to achieve the alpha state. Doing pleasurable activities such as taking a walk in the woods will transition our minds to this state of consciousness very quickly. It is one of the main reasons why people start to meditate to begin with. They like the calm feeling it brings.
Theta State
The theta state is when we are able to truly start meditating. Its frequency is between 4-8Hz. We transition from the verbal/thinking mind to the meditative/visual mind. This is why the theta state is associated with visualization. Moving into this deeper state of awareness can often make us feel drowsy. Reaching the theta state allows you to have stronger intuition, a greater capacity for wholeness, and even perform complicated problem solving.
Delta State
Finally, we come to the delta state. Its frequency is between 1-3Hz. Those who have had a lifetime of practicing meditation, such as Tibetan monks, and reach the delta state while they are awake. However, most of us are only able to reach it when we are asleep or unconscious. It is the gateway to the subconscious mind. This is why we have dreams processing the day or something that is weighing heavily on our minds. The delta state allows our minds to heal while we sleep.
Learning how to consciously transition to these states of consciousness allows us to develop strength of mind. Slowing our brain waves down gives us time between our thoughts to wisely choose which thoughts we invest in and what actions we take. Developing mental strength allows us to be more resilient, effective, and emotionally intelligent. Mindfulness is a great meditation tool for cultivating these qualities. Training our brains is crucial to thrive and cultivate peak performance in any endeavor.