The Power of Dreaming
I’m sure there have been times in each of our lives when a particular dream has stood out to us, where we have, the next morning, tried to recall it and then analyse it. There are countless books that can help us interpret what we experienced, in the hope that it can give us some insight into our ‘awake self’ lives.
But strip back the obvious interpretations of a dream where you can’t physically move, you’re endlessly falling, or a giant spider is chasing you, and you will find a lot more noteworthy and powerful benefits of reaching a dreamy sleep state.
We know that theta brain frequencies are the gateway to our subconscious mind via scientific research using EEG machines. A theta brain state is strongly connected to dreams, deep relaxation, and meditative states of consciousness.
So apart from giving us dreams, what other benefits are there for us experiencing a theta brain state?
What are Theta Brain Waves?
Each of our brain states corresponds with a different state of awareness.
Each brain wave type has a separate function, and impacts/controls / manages a specific outcome for our state of mind and level of consciousness.
- Beta waves = Awake, Alert, Consciousness – used during alert mental activity
- Delta wave = Deep, Dreamless State
- Alpha wave = Relaxed, Lucid, Calm and not thinking
- Theta wave = Deep relaxation, Mediation, Mental Imagery
The benefits of a theta brain wave state include:
- Creating a deeper, more refreshing sleep
- Allowing us to relax more deeply and unwind
- Enhances our ability to learn and memorise
- Stimulates lucid dreaming
- Effortlessly entering deep meditation
During meditation and when drifting off to sleep, our brain activity slows down. This natural process calms our bodies and disengages our conscious minds from our active thoughts and feelings.
Theta wave fluctuations bring on lucid visualisations or images and a surge of deep insight from our subconscious. This may be why the term ‘sleep on it’ was coined, as we often find insights overnight as our brains process the events of the day and gain more detailed understandings that evaded us in our awake state. This type of insight is also possible during deep meditation, as our brains move in the same theta brain frequency.
For those of us managing prolonged periods of stress and anxiety or those dealing with trauma, our brains can become stuck in a beta frequency. Once stuck, it can be hard for us to sleep well and, therefore, for us to reach rejuvenating theta and delta brain states. This, unfortunately, increases our anxiety levels, drives poor-quality sleep, and stops us from being able to relax.
How Do We Reach Theta Brain State?
Our brains naturally enter the slow waves of theta during:
- the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep
- deep meditation
- the initial stages of sleep
As you begin falling asleep, your brain wave frequencies pass through a theta state as you move towards deep delta sleep. Throughout the night, this process is repeated, seeing you enter a REM dream state of sleep several times. Each time you experience theta waves, dreams are fuelled and created from unprocessed memories.
You don’t only experience theta brain waves when asleep. If you have ever been driving and suddenly realised you lost track of time and can’t remember the last 5 minutes of the journey, then you probably encountered a theta state. This is when your conscious mind is still in control, but your awareness moves into a peaceful and relaxed inner world.
Another common experience of theta brain frequencies can occur when we are engaged in a repetitive task, like relaxing in the shower or brushing our teeth. Suddenly, without even trying, our attention arrives at a helpful insight, a new idea, or a memory of something important. These examples show how the theta wave state of mind allows your conscious mind to go on auto-pilot while allowing your subconscious to problem-solve.
How Do We Reach Theta Brain State?
Our brains naturally enter the slow waves of theta during:
- the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep
- deep meditation
- the initial stages of sleep
As you begin falling asleep, your brain wave frequencies pass through a theta state as you move towards deep delta sleep. Throughout the night, this process is repeated, seeing you enter a REM dream state of sleep several times. Each time you experience theta waves, dreams are fuelled and created from unprocessed memories.
You don’t only experience theta brain waves when asleep. If you have ever been driving and suddenly realised you lost track of time and can’t remember the last 5 minutes of the journey, then you probably encountered a theta state. This is when your conscious mind is still in control, but your awareness moves into a peaceful and relaxed inner world.
Another common experience of theta brain frequencies can occur when we are engaged in a repetitive task, like relaxing in the shower or brushing our teeth. Suddenly, without even trying, our attention arrives at a helpful insight, a new idea, or a memory of something important. These examples show how the theta wave state of mind allows your conscious mind to go on auto-pilot while allowing your subconscious to problem-solve.
What Are The Benefits of Theta Brain Waves?
The experience of theta brain waves is similar to the ‘flow state,’ which frequently occurs during alpha brain waves when you become completely engaged in a creative task. However, theta waves are slower and more relaxing than alpha wave frequencies.
Research into theta brain waves has shown several positive effects from activating these brainwave frequencies:
- Improving memory recall and learning ability.
- Increase in positive thinking
- Rejuvenating relaxation
- Satisfying deep sleep
- Improved and effective meditation practice
- Increased mental and creativity performance
- Improving overall mental health, lowering of depression and anxiety
Simply put, the activation of theta brain waves turns off the hyper-aware beta brain and moves you into a peaceful and calm place of relaxation, creativity and inner awareness.
How to Activate and Increase Theta Frequency
The easiest and most effective methods for the activation of Theta brainwaves include:
- Engaging in simple, repetitive tasks like walking/jogging, housework and gardening, or driving.
- Practising mindfulness, meditation, and yoga techniques
You can also experience synchronising your brain to theta frequencies via DeepWave Brainwave Entrainment. A non-invasive, gentle way to involve different brain frequencies, including theta.
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