Hello!
Seiiti Arata.
If you feel as though you have difficulty learning, it could be that your brain is operating
with the wrong brain waves, in a way that is not ideal for studying.
Today, I'm going to teach you a small adjustment to get you into the state of mind where you
can learn more and better.
There are five categories of brain waves: alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and theta.
You spend most of your time in the beta state.
But it is in the alpha wave that will get your brain in the ideal state for reading
and studying.
The electrical activity emanating from the brain is displayed in the form of brain waves.
You must learn to tune them.
Your brain works with synapses between billions of neurons in your head.
The scientific sources and the entire context of the information I will summarise here for
you are within the Intelligence Arata Academy training, which you can learn about at https://arata.se/intelligence.
When your synapses are firing in sync, they create unified combinations of neurons, marching
like a harmonised neural network.
This neural network is linked to a specific state of consciousness, corresponding to your
thoughts and your emotional state.
It is this combination of synchronised electrical activity in the brain that scientists call
a brain wave.
It is named this because of its cyclical nature, resembling an ocean wave.
This wave movement was observed thanks to medical equipment such as the electroencephalogram,
which measures the fluctuation of electricity levels in different areas of the head.
With this equipment and much study, scientists discovered the five categories of brain waves
and found the one that is best for you to study and learn more.
Each brain wave category corresponds to a mental state.
The secret of learning is to put yourself in the right frame of mind to study.
The five categories of brain waves were classified according to their frequencies.
For example, gamma waves oscillate around forty cycles per second.
They are related to a higher state of conscious awareness, when you are processing information
from different areas of the brain simultaneously.
Beta waves happen when your brain is stimulated, creating an agitated state of mind.
For example, if you are giving a presentation or speaking in public.
The beta frequency ranges from fifteen to forty cycles per second.
The next category is alpha brain waves.
You can understand alpha waves as those opposed to beta waves.
If beta waves represent excitation, alpha waves represent non-excitation.
Alpha brain waves are slower and wider.
You know when you finish a job and sit down to rest and relax?
Or when you take a day off and go for a walk?
In these situations, your brain is in alpha.
This is the state of mind you should be in when studying.
After the alpha waves, there are the theta waves, which are very slow and associated
with an even more positive state of mind.
Then there are delta waves, which occur when you are in a deep sleep state.
Just to be clear: When you read before bed, chances are you're in low beta.
When you put your book down, turn off the lights, and close your eyes, your brain waves
will descend from beta to alpha to theta.
Finally, when you fall asleep, you will reach delta.
You spend most of your time in a beta state.
But when studying, it is ideal to enter an alpha state.
Your brain operates in a beta state during most of your waking time: when you're moving
around, doing tasks, or dealing with everyday life.
In the beta state, your brain is super engaged, with rapid mental activity to complete everything.
You are also operating in beta when you start to worry, unable to get out of a negative
state of mind.
The problem is, we can't learn as well when our brain is using beta waves.
If you sit down to study and your brain is operating at full speed, your learning is
not going to be optimised.
Before starting your studies, you should ideally put yourself in an alpha state.
You know when you get that feeling of peace and well-being?
This is the alpha state: when you are calm, lucid, and fully aware of the present moment.
The alpha state is the best state for reading, studying, and learning.
As brain activity is slower, you have fewer thoughts to distract you.
This makes your study more productive and enjoyable.
If in this moment you're studying for a test, try to remain in an alpha state when you’re
actually taking the test, as well.
After all, it is always easier to remember the information you have studied when you
are in the same context in which you learned it.
To get into an alpha state, you need to slow down and focus on the present moment.
Okay, now you understand that the alpha state is the ideal state for you to study and learn.
The question that arises is: How do I put myself in an alpha state?
It's all a matter of practice to reduce speed and increase attention.
Remember that you want to avoid the beta state, that state of fast, distracted, sometimes
pessimistic brain activity, thinking about a thousand things at once.
The alpha state, which you want to achieve, is the state of slower, focused, light brain
activity.
Any activity that gets you into that more positive state of mind will help you get into
the alpha state.
For some people, what works is walking outside, listening to relaxing music, drinking a cup
of caffeine-free tea, doing yoga, or breathing calmly.
Among all activities, the one that has the most benefits proven by science is meditation.
However, meditation does not work its magic overnight.
You need to maintain a long-term practice to reap the benefits.
The truth is that there is no one rule that works for everyone.
To enter the alpha state, the important thing is to avoid stimuli that speed up your brain
and seek stimuli that slow down your brain waves.
For example, avoid coffee and soda.
Opt for non-caffeinated tea or another beverage with theanine.
Avoid loud music and noisy places.
Choose calmer music and a quiet place.
Right before studying, avoid vigorous physical activity and prefer something more relaxing.
That doesn't mean you should eliminate coffee, running, and intense music from your life.
Just leave these stimulating activities for moments that are further away from your study
time.
By doing so, you put yourself in a more conducive frame of mind for study and can finally absorb
that subject you have so much trouble learning about.
Our brain operates in five different wave categories.
We spend most of our time with beta waves, but when studying and learning, it is ideal
to enter an alpha state.
In the alpha state, your thoughts are slower and you are more attentive.
Thus, you can absorb what you are studying much better, making you a smarter person.
But this is not the only way to increase your intelligence levels.
To learn other proven techniques, I invite you to try the Intelligence course by accessing
https://arata.se/intelligence.