The work day is finally over- you return to your home and sit down on your couch to watch television.  You feel relaxed, separate, and meditative.  Little did you know, your brain waves have just shifted from beta waves to alpha waves.

Brain waves are the representation of electrical activity of the brain. As many know, the brain is an electrochemical organ; it is estimated that a normally functional brain can generate up to 10 watts of electrical power.  There are 4 types of brain waves, all of which will be explained in greater detail later on in the article.

In recent news, however, researchers have found that boosting beta brain waves, the most common form of brain wave, may cause movement to slow down in humans.  At the University College London, researcher Peter Brown conducted a study to measure the effect of boosted beta brain waves on healthy volunteers.  He generated small electrical currents in the volunteers’ brains and measured the effect by asking the participants to use a joystick to move a spot on a computer screen.  The measures showed that the increase in beta brain waves caused the participants’ movements to slow by 10%.  These discoveries offer a new insight on the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, or chorea, diseases that cause uncontrolled movement.  The idea that electrical currents placed in the brain can slow human movement is a new way of thinking that has the industry buzzing.  As Brown said himself, “An electrode could be inserted under the skull to boost brain activity and slow down uncontrolled movement.”

The average person does not know much about the different types of brain waves that the brain is capable of producing.  The rest of this article focuses on the 4 types of electrical activity that the brain emanates:

1. Beta Waves

Beta brain waves are emanated when a person’s brain is aroused and active.  Mentally stimulating events will cause beta brain waives.  Brain waves are also admitted during agitation, fright, and sensual arousal.  Beta brain waves have a frequency that ranges from 13 to 60 pulses per second.  This is the most common type of brain wave.

2. Alpha Waves

Alpha waves are a representation of physical and mental relaxation in the brain.  For example, when one takes time to “relax” or “take a break,” they are emitting alpha waves.  Meditation also induces alpha waves.  It is a slower wave, with a frequency of 7 to 13 pulses per second.

3.  Theta Waves

In a state of reduced consciousness, the brain emits theta waves.  Even slower than alpha waves, theta waves are emitted during everyday tasks such as driving and brushing your teeth.  During these times, your brain may be in theta state, causing a sense of “daydreaming” or a positive mental state.  Theta waves have an average frequency between 4 to 8 pulses per second.

4.  Delta Waves

Delta waves, then, are the waves of slowest frequency that are emitted during sleep.  Their frequency is typically 1-4 pulses per second.