Alpha Wave Music Boosts Brain Power

Alpha brain waves have many benefits, and learning to take your brain waves to alpha state can have a positive impact on your creativity, problem solving ability, intellectual achievement, and physical well-being. Alpha wave music has been shown as an effective and easy way to get your brain waves to the alpha state.

Your brain waves fluctuate throughout the day as you engage in various activities, but you can also purposely speed up or slow down your brain waves to achieve different objectives. For example, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath are two common ways to slow down your brain waves. You can't close your eyes while you work, of course, but you can listen to alpha wave music that slows down your brain waves, so that you can access the highest part of your intellect.

There are four kinds of brain waves, indicated by the frequency of the waves. Here they are from fastest to slowest.

Beta brain waves - A state of heightened activity. This is the brain frequency you operate at when your out and about or doing your daily tasks. It's the frequency of rational and analytical thought.

Alpha brain waves - Awake, but relaxed. Also where you dream when asleep and daydream. You also experience this right as you fall asleep and right as you wake up naturally (without an alarm clock). If you've ever remembered something really important, or experienced a Eureka! moment as you fell asleep or woke up, then you've experienced the benefits of being in alpha state.

Theta brain waves - REM sleep, where we experience emotion

Delta brain waves - Deep sleep or unconsciousness

Benefits of Alpha Brain Waves (brain photo beside it)
So what are the benefits Alpha waves and being in Alpha state?

You learn faster and are more receptive to information in alpha state, (which is great for studying or concentrating).

Alpha state is ideal for problem-solving, because you can see the grand scheme of things, which allows for big-picture thinking.

Your creativity increases in alpha state.

Alpha waves are great for your health, because being in alpha state means you are relaxed.

Alpha brain waves increases your intuition, which helps you not only with making decisions, but also can keep you from harm and can even lead you to unforeseen opportunities.

Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder's breakthrough book Superlearning popularized alpha wave music, the idea that music at 60 bpms (beats per minute) can induce alpha waves.

Certain movements of Baroque Classical music have been shown to induce Alpha state, particularly pieces from Bach's Cello Suites, the Largo from "Winter" from Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," and music by Handel and George PhilippTelemann.

The music tempo of these pieces relaxes you and slows your brain down to the optimal frequency to reach alpha state. It stimulates alpha waves in both the left and right hemisphere of brain, which allows you to access intellect and creativity together.

Try listening to some CD's while you work, to stimulate alpha waves.

The so-called "Mozart Effect" refers to research from the 1990's that shows listening to Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major K448 can improve cognitive performance. As a result, a whole industry cropped up around classical music for babies.

A more recent study shows that same Mozart composition increased the alpha wave activity changes in brain wave activity that linked to intelligence, memory cognition, and problem solving in older adults.