Sleep/Wake/Wake (article)

Post by **Владимир Никонов 2** » Sun Mar 27, 2011 2:06

[html]<div id="goforum">Introduction
Sleep is an active process, not merely as the opposite of wakefulness. A state of brain waves related to different levels of sleep, occur also in the waking state. Levels of awakened consciousness associated with the waking consciousness the same as waking consciousness is associated with sleep.
 Beta Usually in a state of waking consciousness of the human eye opened, and the brain tends to process external information concerning world events, conversations, thoughts, appearance, person, travel, driving cars and generally any action. EEG electrical activity of the brain during this period shows a rapid, rhythmic discharges of electrical activity coming from neurons in the brain.
 These discharges are not random, they show the regularity and rhythm. In the case of the usual focus on external events as mentioned above, the pulsating rhythm of these electrical discharges coming from the brain, is characterized by fast and low amplitude electric charge. In other words, the electrical pattern that occurs as a result of increased attention directed to the external environment, is fast charge low power. 
The speed of these discharge tends to decrease within a specific pulse frequency: 30 electrical discharges per second to about 13 of electrical discharges per second or cycles per second (cps) or, as often they say, Hertz (Hz). 
 so, this first level of human consciousness, which we may call "waking" consciousness, is characterized by the electrical discharges of brain cells pulsating in a rhythmic, smooth brain activity across the brain surface in the range between 13 and 30 Hz (or cycles per second). This is an electric dance of the brain, covering the whole brain electric waves. We call these rhythmic electrical waves in the brain "brain waves."
 Scientists who have studied this interesting dance of brain waves circulating throughout the brain, found that different States of brain activity are characterized by a specific pattern of electrical brain waves circulating along the surface of the brain. Gradually, scientists created the directory surge of electric waves in four categories: beta, alpha, theta, and Delta.
 Scientists like to choose names to Greek letters, etc. – sounds more, well, scientific. It would sound quite different if it was called in English- A, B, C and D. it was impossible even to give the name directly in the form of Greek letters B, A, T and D for Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta. As we will see later, several researchers have observed other types of brain waves (I'm one of those researchers!), showing even more slow activity than even the slowest detectable brain waves (this was my job); and more rapid than the fastest of detectable brain waves, and called them Greek letters (I'm afraid this is my fault).
 so, brain waves, faster than the waves of 13-30 Hz range, determining a direct, linear thinking characteristic of a state of "wakefulness" fall into the category of "beta" enclosed in the framework of the range of 13-30 Hz.
 alpha
When a person draws the attention inward, or closes his eyes, the electrical activity of the brain immediately changes. Electric discharges immediately slow down and become places of greater amplitude, or more power. The mind slows down, calms down and becomes more reflective, prone to reflection. The rhythmic discharges of brain cells slow down and increase the amplitude – to acquire more power.
 a Ripple of brain waves during this period falls to the range of 13 - 7 Hz, these brain waves called "alpha". This state of consciousness can be described as inward, non-linear thinking. It is also a mental state, the activity of the mental body, but inward - a "thinking" function of consciousness. We can say that the beta state is when we look at trees and the alpha state – when we look at the forest.
 This is a type of electrical activity we see when I go to bed and just close our eyes, then submerge myself, and gradually to sleep. The sleep researchers noted that the volunteers involved in the experiments, waking from a state of alpha, reported condition, which cannot be called sleep, but don't quite Wake. They were in a "twilight" state of consciousness in which it is more open and focused on the broader picture of perception, so to speak – sees the "forest" instead of "trees".
 it is Interesting to note that the practice of Zen meditation demonstrate the powerful pattern of alpha brain waves. In this case, with open eyes or with closed, consciousness is in a state of "not-seing" things that look eye – focus applies to all simultaneously. If your eyes are open and you long time staring at one point, the eyes get used to the object that you see, and soon lose sight of it - the consciousness and attention are diverted.
 during this period, even if the eyes are open, the consciousness shifts from beta to alpha. Since consciousness is no longer confined to the image on the information from the outside world, the brain behaves exactly as if the eyes were closed, the function of beta brainwaves is broken, and gaining strength alpha brain waves. This is what happens in meditation is "eyes closed". 
There is an important, although very brief moment, which usually remain unnoticed when the brain waves from the beta slow speed moving into the alpha state: this is a beta/alpha bridge.
 the Beta/alpha bridge 
This condition is not described in the standard literature on EEG, but I noticed, began to work with him and eventually gave him the name.
 Technically, this is the first stage of sleep, when the eyes are closed, the function of beta brainwaves is broken, and gaining strength alpha brain waves. When an external, linear, mental activity gives way to internal non-linear mental activity. Brain waves slow down, how slow the pulse and respiration, blood pressure and the whole metabolism of the body.
 how these processes slow down more and more, the alpha brain activity shows slow brain electrical discharges increased amplitude.
 In a state close to sleep state, this beta/alpha bridge is a point at which the brain is most effective for problem solving because it is at one and the same time focused both on details and on the problem or task as a whole.
 In a meditative state of beta/alpha bridge brand consciousness is balanced between the inner and outer worlds.
 Theta
At the point where brainwaves are slowed the most – to the lower end of the range of alpha frequency brain cells, about 7 - 8 Hz, the brain enters a different state: theta. 
In the theta state brain waves oscillate in the range of 7 - 3.5 Hz, is a state in which occurs the dream. When brain waves move from the low alpha frequency to the upper theta frequencies – this is the moment when begins the real dream. At this point, there are really unique things as in the brain and Central nervous system and throughout the body. 
The theta state of sleep – the place where dreams come. 
during this period, a large part of the brain stem activating reticular system (ARS) will use a special function in which it literally blocks the muscular control signals sent to the body by the brain. The body becomes essentially paralyzed. Some electric shocks still leak, resulting in the slight quiver of the fingers and toes. Also in the state of dreaming eyes make rapid movements in different directions under closed eyelids, this stage of sleep is called REM sleep – the stage of rapid eye movements. 
When the brain enters a state of dreams, the doors of ARS in the brain stem is not yet fully closed, the main signal of the brain goes throughout the body, resulting in instant convulsive twitching of the body. So, during the theta period, the state of dreaming, body paralyzed and makes no movements. On the other hand, during the alpha cycle, the body produces a variety of movements: we beat pillows, tossing and turning from side to side to get comfortable, correct sheets, etc.
 the Reason why the body deliberately included in this paralyzed during dream sleep, is the need to protect the body, abiding in an unconscious state, from damage to physical actions in a dream. What we call "somnambulism", there are symptoms of the disorder region ARS of the brain stem, when the proverbial door is not completely closed and the brain sends signals to the body. Because the brain stem starts from the skull and goes to the second cervical vertebra, the discrepancy between the axes of the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae can cause the rotary pressure to the ARS region of the brain stem and cause of somnambulism.
 on the other hand, the discrepancy between the axes of the upper cervical vertebrae, which puts pressure on the ARS region of the brain stem, initiates nerve signals in the brain that will run the sleep program in the cortex, while the ARS region of the brain stem plays a significant role in coordination of sleep. This condition is known as narcolepsy or abnormal sleep at the wrong time during the day. Other factors that influence the occurrence of narcolepsy is fatigue cellular energy system of the body especially the mitochondria of cells.
 In the theta stage of sleep the energy body is healed, restored and "adjusted" for the coming day. There are different levels of dream material which is processed during sleep; some dreams – this is a superficial treatment of the events of the day, and deepen their understanding; whereas the deeper theta state promotes awareness of the deep emotional trauma – sometimes Dating back to childhood. In dreams people speak a little, but the emotional scenario, part of which is a person who determines the theta state is a state of emotional.
 a Dream is a very creative exercise. You create the entire world with the participation of all the senses, get used to this world so convincingly that not even realize that it was only a dream. This is real creativity!
 awake theta mode is determined by the intensive creative process, the ability to visualize, imagination and problem solving. Some celebrities have experienced their most creative moments, insight discovery and solution of problems that night, in the middle of dreaming, they woke up, having in mind a fully formed answer. 
In meditation, the theta state is characterized by a classic state of "out of body". The person no longer feels his body. People tolerated in a place where there is "Creator." In Christianity is the Holy Abode, conversation with angels, encounters with the saints, etc. In the shamanistic tradition is the realm of shamanic "Journeys."
 go back a little: in our journey to theta we overcome the second important point in mind, alpha/theta bridge.
the alpha/theta bridge 
This is the balance point between the mental and emotional bodies. This is the point where our mental belief systems and our emotional States feed one another. It is here we receive the possibility of independent emotional awareness on the physical level. When the king and Queen ruled hand in hand in full harmony, the Kingdom flourishes in harmony.
 Theta/Delta bridge
When the theta brainwave activity slows down to the low theta frequency in the range of 3.5 Hz, dreaming stops and the brainwaves are transferred to the Delta – the slowest and has the largest amplitude electrical activity of neurons of the cerebral cortex. In this transition to brainwave frequency point is the area where emotional imbalance manifesting in the physical body, balanced and healed.
 In the waking state this is the point where open access long-term memory. Usually, when you remembered, you are more concentrated, but that only increases the speed of brain waves to the level of beta. To obtain this information from the memory, the brain waves need to be reduced to theta/Delta bridge.
 Delta
When the sleep cycle reaches Delta, the ARS region of the brain stem activates the interaction between the muscles of the brain and body. However, the body still remained calm and motionless during the whole period of Delta sleep. It's not because the body is paralyzed ARS, and because the body now resides in a stationary, relaxed, not stressed.
 With the penetration of brain waves deeper into the slower range of Delta, your blood pressure drops, breathing, heart rate, metabolism slows, and body temperature also decreases. This is the period of the night, when the body recovers, heals and reconfigured in preparation for the new day. There are no mental and emotional processes, as well as a sense of time. At this time, a sleeping person is especially hard to rouse.
 In meditation, this state is called as "Emptiness" or "White light" – pause of timelessness. 
Euphoric and extraordinary status
the <ul>
the <li>Lambda </li>
<li>Hypergamy </li>
the <li>Gamma </li>
the <li>Epsilon </li>
</ul>
Until recently, the classical neurophysiology recognized only the four already mentioned state of brain waves: beta, alpha, theta, and Delta. Recently received new information about the state of brain waves, namely the frequency of brain wave that exceeds the upper limit of the previously known frequencies of beta (30 Hz). These frequencies exceeding the frequency of beta called gamma brainwave frequencies. Gamma brainwave frequency resonate at a frequency of about 40 Hz and is determined by the function of the brain which holographically synthesizes all the nuances of individual data from different areas of the brain and unites them on a higher level.
 I began to understand this several years ago when some of my patients began to show the activity of brain waves, slower than Delta. This brain activity is, apparently, gave a state of self-reflection, higher-level vision, information processing, physical abilities, the opportunity of gaining experience of out-of-body, etc. 
Many EEG devices are not configured to measure frequencies outside the classical range of beta-alpha-theta-Delta. When I began more carefully to deal with this phenomenon, I began to receive more and more evidence that it exists. Gradually I have identified and named this newly discovered area of brain wave activity: EPSILON (because it's the next letter of the Greek alphabet after Delta – and it sounds cool).
 Later, I studied the materials for the studies of EEG on the Internet, describing extremely high frequencies of brain waves, gamma above about 100 Hz. Interestingly, the condition caused by these frequencies was defined as a state of introspection, higher-level vision, information processing, physical abilities, the opportunity of gaining experience of out-of-body, etc. – word for word my description of the status of Epsilon, which occurs at frequencies much slower Delta (below 0.5 Hz). 
I thought that this in itself is an extraordinary phenomenon: that frequency range polar opposites – on the one hand 100 Hz and the other is less than 0.5 Hz – the same as cause. Because these scientists don't seem to agree on the name for these States of brain waves of high frequency, I gave them a name: HyperGamma. Later information showed the existence of an even higher frequency of almost 200 Hz. I gave them the following name: lambda brainwave frequencies and States of consciousness.
 My more recent discoveries: HyperGamma/my lambda and Epsilon frequencies should be connected together in a circular dependency, in which, if you look to the naked eye at an extremely low Epsilon brain frequency, you'll see hidden in this range, the modulation frequency 100 - 200 Hz. This being so, if you are a long time watched from the extremely fast wave with a frequency of 200 Hz, you would notice that these waves cross with waves slow Epsilon modulation.
 I'm sure that in the state of Epsilon includes yoga, when you reach the state of "temporary cessation of vital functions" – when the doctors of Western medicine have concluded the absence of heartbeat, respiration and pulse. I think that state of consciousness HyperGamma and lambda, perhaps, are the conditions that determine the ability of certain sects of Tibetan monks from the Himalayan mountains who can meditate in freezing temperatures, in snow and in skimpy clothes. 

But how can we know that the feelings that we experience in the moment, we don't have? To pinch my arm to Wake up? I'm afraid that you will sting the hand that you dream of fingers that you have, and the pain from the pinch, too, you will dream. We might even dream that we woke up...
Source: Jeffrey Thompson
<a href="http://www.neuroacoustic.com/sleep.html ... ep.html</a>
Translation: Vladimir Nikonov</div>[/html]<