Before I go into Dream Interpretation I thought it was more important to talk about making use of the 4 Alpha levels. In this post I will discuss a good use for the Alpha 1 level. The Alpha 1 level can be difficult to achieve and hold at will, but it can be mastered with practice.

The best time to begin learning to use the power of the Alpha 1 level is when you find yourself faced with a problem that has been difficult for you to solve. Sit down in a chair, close your eyes and immerse your mind in the details of your problem. This should be easy considering the amount of thought that you have already given to it.

Next, try to visualize your problem in your mind’s eye on a large television screen and then begin to see the solutions on the screen that you have come up with so far even though they may have failed to solve your problem. This helps you to double-check your prior solutions and to immerse yourself in the problem solving process. When you have done that without reaching a viable solution, concentrate on visualizing other possible solutions from beginning to end on your television screen. At some point, you will not have to exercise any control over this part of the process. It will take on a life of its own.

All of this may occur at an amazing speed if you are a natural at maintaining the Alpha 1 level. Everyone else can achieve the same results by practicing this method over and over again until you become very proficient at it. I believe that we all have the ability to use the altered states of consciousness at will. Your belief that you can achieve and hold the Alpha 1 level opens the way for you to master it and to use it to better your life.

When you believe that you have solved the problem, return to the Beta State by opening your eyes. Have pen and paper at hand when you practice this exercise so that you can immediately record it on paper. Another great way to record your solution is to have a digital recorder on hand and record your solution verbally onto it. When you get good at using the Alpha 1 level you will be amazed at the information that you receive in such a short time.

After a while you will no longer need to sit and relax to enter the Alpha 1 level. You can do it standing up in the office, at school while taking an exam and even while you’re participating in a sport. Athletes call this “Being in the Zone”. The only difference there is that you do it with your eyes open. The Alpha 1 level is all about focus on a desired solution by blocking out unneeded sensory input. This unleashes the hidden power in our brain.

I will discuss a use for the Alpha 2 level in my next post.

When we transition from the Theta State to the Delta State there is a significant change in the functioning level of the brain. The Delta State is the Sleep State. You are unconscious whenever you are in Delta. Here the brain has slowed almost to a complete stop. This is the state where the body makes necessary repairs and assimilates the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that have been consumed during the day. Our bodies are rebuilt a little at a time from the atomic level on up. We replace every atom and cell in our body with new ones every 5 to 7 years. We are not physically who we were 5-7 years ago. Again, I believe that is due to the natural cycle of our universe. That is, nothing stays the same and is in a constant state of flux. It is vital for our good health and longevity that we get enough time in Delta sleep each day so that this process of regeneration is not stalled or interrupted.

When we first drop into the Delta State we stay there for about 90 minutes. We then transition back to the Alpha 1 level in the REM State and transition down through to Delta again. We spend less time in Delta and more time in Alpha each time we re-enter those states during the night. We can conclude from this process that spending enough time in the Alpha State is as equally important for us as the time we spend regenerating in Delta. Nature does not waste time or energy doing things that produce no benefit.

The exception to the slowing of the brain in altered states of consciousness occurs in the state I talked about in my last post, the Gamma State. The following is a list of the different wave and their rate of oscillation. Notice the huge difference with the brain activity in the Gamma wave.

• Beta wave – (16 – 31 Hz)
• Alpha wave – (8 – 15 Hz)
• Theta wave – (4 – 7 Hz)
• Gamma wave – (32 – 100 Hz)
• Delta wave – (0.1 – 3 Hz)

Looking at the startling difference in brain activity I am struck with one theory. I think that the Gamma Wave State is similar to our Beta State in the Spirit World. It indicates high brain activity at a rate that is 2-3 times the speed of the Beta State in the physical realm. We have believed for a long time that the Spirit World vibrates at a much higher frequency than we do in our realm. So, it looks like we connect with the Spirit World for short periods of time every night and we need to vibrate at a higher frequency when we do.

I believe that the Gamma State is a state where we receive messages from Spirit and that message plays out like a video when we re-enter the Alpha levels 1-4 in the Dream State. Therefore, accurate Dream Interpretation becomes very important. We need to know what those messages from our Spirit Guides are all about.

This finishes my posts on the Sleep and Dream States. I will begin a new short series of posts on Dram Interpretation in my next post.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

The purpose of the Theta State is unclear to us at this time. Some scientists believe that it originates in the hippocampus which is deeply embedded in our brains. Other scientists believe that theta waves originate in the cortex which is an outer layer of neural tissue in brain. We do know that the mysterious Theta state is where brain activity slows almost to the point of sleep. Therefore, it must be a bridge state between the Alpha and Delta states.

Scientists theorize that the Theta State plays a role in learning and short term memory. Perhaps then, the purpose of the Theta State is to remember what has been dreamed by placing it into short term memory. That would explain why many of us forget our dreams so quickly. Dreams may not be intended to be stored as long term memory. That is why I always stress that the best time to record your dreams is immediately after awakening in the morning.

In metaphysical circles the Theta State is believed to be the state where lucid dreaming occurs. A lot of work is being done in this field today. A lucid dream is like dreaming on steroids. You are dreaming but you are in complete control of the dream. Your conscious thoughts are guiding and creating it. The hope is that we can heal psychological wounds in this state by applying our own form of psychotherapy.

Researchers believe that at some point during the time we spend in the Theta State we begin to transition to another state. They call it the Gamma State because they believe that the brain is emitting gamma waves when it is in that state of consciousness. Tests on meditating Buddhist monks that were performed for several decades indicate the presence of gamma waves emitting from their brains as they enter and hold the Theta State. The monks enter this state as they believe that it is state where we can communicate with our creator.

The Theta State can be entered through deep relaxation techniques that result in achieving deep meditation. Unless you have an inborn talent for it,  achieving and maintaining the Theta State requires many hours of meditation.

I believe that I am in the Theta State when I “tune in” to get information at night from my guides to help solve missing person, missing pet or homicide cases. I sleep with a picture of the person or animal under my pillow so that my guides will know what information I need and for whom. It is the best time for me to communicate with Spirit.

When we drop through the Theta State we move into the last state in my discussion. The Delta State will be the topic of my next post.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

In our journey through the Alpha State the frequency of our brain waves has gradually dropped. In the Beta State the waves vary in frequency due primarily to the brain’s response to stimulation by input from the 5 senses. In the Alpha State the brain waves become more synchronized with far less variation as the brain is subjected to little or no input from the 5 senses. The control that the physical world has on the brain is significantly reduced.  As a result, we come into contact with our internal world. We have begun to contact ourselves and we can also achieve contact with a higher intelligence whenever we operate within the Alpha State.

When we enter Alpha level 4 we have reached the true dream state. This is where we experience Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Our eyes begin to flutter rapidly beneath our  closed eyelids. When REM occurs it indicates that we are dreaming.

Interestingly, we do not remain in Alpha level 4 for very long. Once REM is achieved, we return to Alpha level 1 and cycle back through to Alpha level 4. When we reach Alpha level 4 again, we drop through two other states, Theta and Delta. After a lengthy period of time in the Delta State we repeat the process by re- entering Alpha level 1 in the REM State and drop back through to Delta again. This cycle is repeated many times during the sleep period and the time we spend in the REM State increases with each cycle and decreases in the other 2 states until we awaken.

As I have discussed in other posts, we live in a universe that is cyclical and here we see that cycle being played out once again. The cycle of beginning-to-end and back-to-the-beginning-again is a very important one. This cycle is germinal as everything in our universe arises from this cycle and is subject to it. When we dream we are making positive use of this cycle.

Researchers have found that if a person is wakened during the REM State their dream recall is astounding. The sleeper is able to process the symbolism of the dream as it applies to themselves. Sometimes, however, the dream isn’t about us. We can envision things for others in the REM state. We are able to contact Spirit in REM State and this is the best place for it to have lengthy contact with us.

Communication with spirit comes in the form of symbols. Knowing how to decode these symbols in order to discover their message opens us up to different world. It opens us to to a world of personal and  spiritual advancement. Our dreams are very important.

In my next post I will discuss the Theta State.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

When we move from Alpha level 2 to Alpha level 3 an interesting phenomenon occurs. The sense of sound returns to us and it can cause us to awaken if the ambient sound is loud enough or indicates the presence of danger.

This new Alpha level has slowed the brain activity much further. The brain waves are very long and lazy. They have slowed down significantly in occurrence. This altered state of consciousness is very deep. This is where the Eastern Yogi goes when he or she meditates. The Yogi believes that by holding this deep altered state of consciousness for extended periods of time he or she can discover the secrets of the universe. They base this theory on the zero. That is, in nothing there is everything.

A good example of this occurs in the human body billions of times each and everyday. Neurons in our body produce a electrochemical wave that oozes  down through its body and exits through an appendage called a dendrite and is released to another Neuron. The electrochemical communicates something to the other Neuron. Although this synaptic process is extremely quick, there is a very small period of time when nothing is being communicated between the 2 Neurons. This is known as a synaptic pause. This is where the Yogi wants to go. He or she wants to be present in the nothingness of that moment and believe that they will  be connected to all universal knowledge.

In addition to deep meditation, the Alpha level 3 state is also where the medium goes when he or she is in the trance state. Only the accomplished and very talented medium can go into this state at will and hold it for an extended period of time. In this state he or she is in communication with the spirit of those who have passed on. In rare instances, the spirit can overtake the medium’s body and act and speak as if it were in physical realm again. This is a very dangerous task to perform as it requires an enormous amount of energy from the medium. It can be physically and mentally debilitating. I am a medium but I do not enjoy going into the trance state. I drop in and out of this state quickly when I ask to communicate with my clients’ loved ones. I do not allow them to overtake my body. That has been an exhausting experience for me in the past.

Lastly, the Alpha level three is the hypnotic state. This explains how the hypnotist implants strong suggestions into the mind of those who are in the hypnotic state by voice command. Communication by voice is highly suggestive here and causes me to believe that we are able to communicate with our subconscious in this state. The hypnotist implants these suggestions into the hypnotized person’s subconscious by voice command. These suggestions are so powerful that they control the behavior of a person completely without their conscious knowledge. Again, this is what the Yogi believes will occur if they can enter the state of nothingness. They believe that the knowledge they seek will be implanted instantly into their subconscious mind and can be retrieved whenever they acheive the Alpha level 3 state.

We have one more Alpha level to discuss. I will discuss the Alpha level 4 in my next post.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

In the Alpha 2 level the mind is in a delicate balance between being awake and asleep. All outer sensory input has been cut-off or muted. The mind in this level is highly alert and extremely receptive. The brain waves in this Apha level have slowed down and are more rounded than than they were in Alpha level 1.

The Alpha level 2 state is very hard to hold for long periods of time without extensive training. This level is an extremely useful level, especially if it can be sustained.

This is the state of:

• Light Meditation
• Intuitive Knowing
• Cosmic Consciousness
• Extra Sensory Perception
• Flashes of Insight
• Envisionment
• Out of Body Experience
• Astral Travel

This is the state where the psychic goes to retrieve information for his or her client. I move in and out of this state very quickly when I am “tuning in” for my clients. I usually look heavenward, close my eyes and ask my spirit guides to give me the information that my client requests. In a flash, they send me symbolic images that I interpret as quickly as they fly by on a television-like screen that I see in my mind’s eye. Then I return to the Beta State and explain what I have been shown. It sounds easy, but I assure you that it is not easy at all. The hardest part for me, at first, was interpreting the symbols that were sent to me via spirit guides. Also, it was hard me for to turn this state off at night. I received some excellent training from a metaphysical teacher that helped me to gain control over my psychic gift.

Many people who report that they dreamed about flying through the air and visiting someone in a far away place did so in the Alpha level 2. They were Astral Traveling. This is accomplished by lengthening the silver cord that binds the soul to the physical body. The silver cord can be expanded to any length, even as far as other planets in our universe!

When some people dream they have spoken with an angel, a spirit guide or a holy person they have done it in this state. They have gone out of body and traveled to the realm where the entity resides, conversed with them and then returned to their body in much the same manner as Astral Traveling. The only difference is that they traveled to another plane of existence.

In my next post I will discuss Alpha level 3. It is also a very useful state of altered consciousness.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

As I discussed in my last post, the Alpha State is divided into four different levels. When we lay down on the couch for a nap or for the night in bed we move from the Beta State to the Alpha State, level 1. This is an altered state of consciousness and it is one that some of us drop in and out of often during the Beta State in the daytime. This is level where daydreaming occurs.

In Alpha level 1, the brain wave has changed. It is a little slower and the wave is beginning to round off. Both sides of the brain are balancing. All sensory input is intact but muted. When the brain is balanced, this state is known as the “Rhythm of Genius”. This is where we go to solve complicated problems. Albert Einstein was known to pause, drop his head briefly and then return to a calculation with a possible solution. He was using the power of the Alpha level 1 whenever he did this.

This Alpha level is where you go when you are driving down the road and are thinking deeply about something. Before you know it, you’re driving without being aware of your surroundings or of your control of your vehicle. All of a sudden some sensory input like a loud noise causes you to snap out of that state and you are shocked to realize that you have no idea how long you were driving the car unaware. You were daydreaming in the Alpha level 1.

This is a hard state to control consciously. If you are able to control it, as Einstein obviously was, you are able to solve complex problems quickly. This may be due to the temporary suspension of reaction to sensory input. The brain is most likely now able to allocate all of it’s processing power to a single task by ignoring normal sensory input that is taking place around it.

When we enter into the Alpha level 1 as we lay down to sleep, it is the beginning of the entry into the Dream State. The brain is quieting down and the body is relaxed. A loud noise or a sudden cold breeze is capable of returning us instantly to the Beta State. We are far from asleep and far from dreaming. We have more Alpha levels to pass through before we reach the Dream State.

In my next post I will discuss the Alpha level 2.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

The Sleep State is a very important state of altered consciousness. It is reached by  moving through several distinctly different states of consciousness. Right now we are all in the Beta State of Consciousness. All of our 5 senses are functioning and our brain is highly alert as it constantly processes sensory input. If we were to look at this state as a brain wave it would be sharply spiked and fairly rapid. We are awake.

If we lay down right now, close our eyes and prepare to sleep or meditate we slip into another state of consciousness fairly rapidly. This state is known as the Alpha State. This state is divided into 4 levels of consciousness. They are Alpha 1, 2, 3, and 4. Each of these levels are distinct from one another and function differently . These levels are very hard to consciously maintain and hold for extended periods of time. The last of these levels is the actual Dream State. Alpha waves are produced by the Thalmus which is buried deep within our brain.

We all dream to some extent but not all us of remember our dreams.  Although many people would swear that they never dream, that is not the case. We know this to be true because there is a very small group of people who cannot go through the Alpha Dream State and as a result, do not sleep. This is a genetic disorder called Fatal Familial Insomnia. The victim of this genetic disorder gradually loses the ability to enter the sleep state by dropping through the Alpha State. Eventually, the victim exhibits dementia, falls into a coma and dies. Through this, we know that everyone must pass through the dream state every night or they would suffer the same fate.

In my next post we will begin to explore the 4 Alpha Levels and their functions.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

Now that you have the basics of the symbology of numbers and colors we can get into some practical application of those symbols and more. There is no better place to start doing just that than in dream interpretation.

Dreams are very important. They offer us a window into our unconscious mind and provide an opportunity for our Spirit Guides to communicate with us. I receive many psychic visions in the form of dreams at night when I sleep. Whenever I am trying to find a missing person or pet I place their picture under my pillow before I go to sleep. I do this because I know that my Spirit Guides will know that I am looking for information as to their whereabouts. This works because the photo has some of the missing person or pet’s vibration in it. This lets my guides know who or what I am trying to locate.

Dreams serve two important functions. They are either self-communicative or they are messages from Spirit Guides. When it comes to interpreting the messages from Spirit Guides you need to break down the symbols that they are sending to you. Here, everything is symbolic. Colors, numbers, people, animals, plants and objects become symbols that convey an important message from your Spirit Guides. Many times things and events don’t make sense. For example, you might dream that your father is dancing in a pink tutu which is something he would never do.

I believe that symbols are sent from Spirit Guides and function like shorthand. For some reason that is unknown to me, Spirit needs to be be frugal with the energy required to send us messages. Symbols are a great way to do that because one symbol can communicate a lot to us. My guides communicate with me by sending me images that appear rapidly on a screen that resembles a television screen.

When our sub-conscious is trying to communicate with our conscious mind the dream plays out like a movie. Here we try to face or fix our fears or perhaps our self-doubts and more. Usually, we feel some very strong emotions when we communicate with ourselves in a dream.

Our personal symbology becomes the decoder of self-communicative dreams. Your life experience has built a catalog of symbols for you. As a result, you are the only one who has the final say in the interpretation of a self-communicative dream

With practice you can easily distinguish the difference between these two types of dreams. My partner, John Scarano, and I teach Dream Interpretation in our Psychic Development course. We teach our clients how to interpret symbols and how to tell the two different types of dreams apart from one another.

In my next post I will discuss the Dream State and other altered states of consciousness.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.