Before Social Media, Every Day
Taking advantage of our mind’s slower brain waves upon waking, and before falling asleep.
The human mind functions in a variety of brain waves throughout the day. One’s present speed and frequency of brain waves have much to do with the time of day and their present state of energy. In short, our brain waves match up with how “awake” we are at that moment.
The level of consciousness we are most familiar with is when our brains are producing Beta Waves. At Beta, the mind is running between 15-30 hz and is what we would call “wide awake.” In Beta, we work, talk, and stay alert. You are probably reading these words from a Beta state of mind right now.
On the opposite side of the spectrum are Delta Waves. Our brains produce Delta Waves when we are in deep sleep. Delta waves run between 1-3 hz, a far cry from the 15-30 hz we produce when we’re moving and shaking. In between the two extremes are Theta and Alpha waves.
The complete range of brain waves is as such:
Beta: normal, waking consciousness
Alpha: relaxed, meditative, creative visualization
Theta: Deep relaxation and problem-solving
Delta: Deep dreamless sleep
The opportunity lies in the fact that we are most susceptible, the most open to receiving new information and influences, in Alpha and Theta, the in-between states. One of the reasons people meditate in the first place is to bring their minds from the fast-moving Beta state down to the meditative Alpha state. Slower brain waves are also relaxing. They feel good.
Of the two middle states, Alpha is easier to access because we usually occupy the Theta state when we’re sleeping. When we sleep, we alternate between Theta and Delta states, going deeper into sleep and then cycling up to a more awake state before moving back down to the deepest levels. While the Alpha state is usually experienced when we first wake up and when we are falling asleep. Alpha waves are when you’re in between asleep and awake. Some would call this state ‘half awake.”
This is why I suggest that we use our time in an Alpha state to purposely influence and nurture our minds. Meaning that, if we expose ourselves to frightening or violent content while in an Alpha state, that type of content will have a strong effect on our consciousness and our subconscious. Conversely, if we marinate our Alpha brain in positive or calming material, we will receive the benefits of those subjects.
What makes the difference? Your cell phone, the news, and social media.
When you open the gates for news outlets or the average person, you are agreeing to accept their input into your life, specifically, your mind. One’s social media feed contains the posts of many different people in different moods and states of mind. Anyone can post content of any kind. I’m sure that, some days the first post you see will be heartwarming, and other days it will be a rant about the injustices of the world. The point is that, if you are open to just anyone’s thoughts, you are open to receiving anything, both good and bad. We do not have control over what all of the people we know post on social media. We also don’t control which stories are featured by news outlets.
If you are concerned about the influences on your mind, social media, and the news are your villains, especially when your mind is in the susceptible Alpha brain wave state.
This is why I have been maintaining a code: “Only the Weather until Meditation”
This means that I only use my cell phone to check the day’s weather until I have meditated. This ensures that my own, hand-selected meditation enters my mind before anyone else has a chance to introduce their own, hand-selected content.
“Ease and Gratitude” is the theme, not getting “pumped up”
When I first wake up, I try to instill a mood of ease. I think about how life is easy. I think about how I am lucky (fortunate) to have such a nice life. I think about how today will also be easy. This is very different from some people who like to get excited and motivated to start the day. I have done that as well, in the past. For myself, introducing aggressive, high-energy content into my early Alpha Waves made me more anxious. I have had much more success and contentment by focusing on ease and gratitude over “rise and grind.”
Morning meditation:
Part 1: Find calm, and visualize a goal in detail.
When I start to meditate I first establish a feeling of calm relaxation, total relaxation. Once in this state, I will imagine a scene from my future. Following the instructions of Neville Goddard, I create and visualize a scene that implies that I have accomplished one of my goals.
For example, if your goal is to get a promotion at work, you might imagine one of your friends congratulating you on your promotion. That conversation would imply that you got your raise, your goal. It’s also important to see every detail of your imagined scene and to visualize it often, over and over again. I will write more about this process in the future.
Part 2: Gratitude into your heart
The second phase of my meditation is focused on feeling gratitude for all of my blessings. I try to feel gratitude in my heart. I visualize the feeling as if my heart was breathing it in like a balloon.
Other activities can also be very beneficial during the Alpha brain wave stage:
- Morning Journal: focus points, goals, daily thoughts and intentions
- Short writing segment of morning thoughts: thought flush
- Exercise with musical affirmations in EarPods
- Deep work tasks
Regardless of how to set your state, as long as your process is purposeful, it will yield better results than the crapshoot of influences that can pour in through social media or the news. Give it a try. I promise you that improvements will be noticeable.
Burak Uzun is an award-winning writer and a Certified Meditation Teacher.
Burak Uzun also co-wrote a feature film called Team Marco, which was featured in over fifty film festivals around the globe and was distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Please feel free to reach out to Burak here.
Learn more about SOCA LLC and Burak’s classes here.