Brainwave Frequency Ranges : The Big Five (Delta/Theta/Alpha/Beta/Gamma)

When it comes to Brainwave Entrainment, I guess the best place to start is at the beginning.

I had mentioned in a previous post that there are different 'ranges' of brainwaves generated by the brain, corresponding with different mental states.

These are the most common brainwave frequency ranges you'll encounter :

Delta Range (under 4 HZ) : Associated with deep sleep.

Theta Range (4 HZ to 8 HZ) : Associated with dreaming sleep.

Alpha Range (8 HZ to 13 HZ) : Associated with awake but relaxed states.

Beta Range (14 HZ to 35 HZ) : Associated with wide awake states. (Things head into the land of hyper vigilance as you reach the higher end of this range.)

Gamma Range (35 HZ to 45 HZ) : The borders of this range are kind of ill-defined. The center is generally thought to be around 40 HZ. This frequency range is associated with consciousness. When somebody is put under general anesthesia, brainwaves in the gamma range typically disappear.

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While I could oversimplify and say that your brain is 'tuned' to a certain brainwave frequency at any point in time, that's not entirely accurate. There are brainwaves in all the different ranges simultaneously happening - the ratio of these brainwaves is what changes over time. (For instance, when you're in deep sleep, the most dominant brainwave frequencies are in the delta range.)

Another thing to point out is that there's a lot of variation as to where different sources say the various brainwave frequency ranges begin and end. It seems like there is more agreement for the Delta and Theta ranges, but once you start to get to the upper limit of the Alpha range, that's where there's more disagreement.

You may also see some other brainwave frequency ranges get thrown into the mix (Epsilon/Lambda), but I'm leaving them out of the equation for now. (They're not as commonly used.)