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.
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