Understanding The Delta BrainwavesMay 24, 2013 at 5:46pmI was writing, after the 9 days Silent Retreat with Rune Heivang, in 19.09.2012:

Rune Heivang and Delta Brainwaves

"It is very interesting. I have reached Rune's teachings by chance.

Last year (May 2011), after 43 years of life, I have founded, for the first time, answers about myself. And I understood for the first time in my life, WHO AM I! And since then, my stress disappeared. Then in workshops and in retreats, I've deepened my understanding. And I found that everything I heard from Rune, was already known. Nevertheless, never understood. So, after so many days Ive spent close to Rune, Arne , Karina,Tone, Morten, Marte, Hege I succeeded to cut off all my stress.

I was talking with many coaches, therapists, theta-healers, reiki healers (which attended Runes classes, too) about the fact that in many meditations I have reached the awaken delta brainwaves mood. And their answers were: oh, no Cristian, you are confusing the delta mood with the theta mood. Since then I was thinking all the time to their remarks, even somewhere deep in my soul I knew that I am right.

This summer, after a very deep meditation, in one of the Runes workshops, I realized that I am in a delta mood. And I am very happy that I have had the privilege to understand this state, too.

I am sure that, after reading my words, Rune will smile and will say: this guys still in the mind; he wants to name the state, instead to enjoy, (without judging me, of course)

But, thats me, I love to share to the others the fact that Rune gave me the opportunity to understand in a few days what the Tibetan monks or other spiritual masters have understood after many years of hard and long meditations.

What is funny is that at the end of the articles posted below, the author is saying that you can reach the delta mood buying his products. It is funny because I bought some electronic products in 2010. Ive used them for only 2-3 weeks, half hour per day. I gave up in using electronic tools for meditation. I was lucky that life led me to Rune.And when you think that I was a guy who I always said that I will never meditate because I have ADHD.

One of the best music to be listen in order to reach "Delta State" is in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA-B6v46auw&list=PLf850uqjQiW3YpgJlRgr-Y0NYoJHO7xzn&index=1 P.S. Sorry for my English."

Understanding The Delta Brainwaves

Article taken from http://4mind4life.com/blog/2008/04/07/understanding-the-delta-brainwave/What are delta brainwaves?

Delta brainwaves are considered the most relaxing brainwave frequency range. Delta-brainwaves are commonly associated with the deepest sleep [stages 3 & 4] and a state of unconscious awareness. Delta brainwaves are the lowest in brainwave frequency: ranging from 0 4 Hz, but are the highest in amplitude. Delta brainwaves, like other slower brainwave patterns, are generated in the right hemisphere, though they may be observed in widespread patterns throughout various parts of the brain. The delta brainwave range is associated with empathy, the unconscious mind, and a decreased sense of awareness.

Benefits of increasing delta-brainwaves: Release of Anti-Aging hormones One of the associated benefits of increasing your delta brainwaves is the release of anti-aging hormones. The delta brainwave pattern stimulates the release of melatonin and DHEA, 2 powerful anti-aging hormones. The delta brainwaves are also associated with decreased levels of cortisol a hormone linked to stress that has been scientifically proven to speed up the aging process. State of empathy Delta brainwaves can provide you with the ability to read other peoples emotions and determine their feelings at unconscious levels. In healthy amounts, delta brainwaves cause a person to have an advanced state of empathy, understanding, and compassion for others. If you are always able to relate to others and can read other peoples minds, you probably have more delta than the average person. If you find yourself getting into trouble for not being considerate enough or for stepping on other peoples toes, you may have less overall delta brainwave activity. Extreme bliss Advanced meditation practices and yogic traditions have associated the delta brainwave frequency range with a feeling of all-encompassing bliss. Since most people arent able to consciously experience the delta brainwave state, it may be tough to feel extreme bliss from the delta waves like the yogis, monks, or advanced meditators. With that said, there have been people that have testified to feeling the bliss associated with the delta brainwave while performing extremely deep meditation. Advanced healing of body and mind The delta brainwave rhythm is known to completely rejuvenate, replenish, and heal the entire body and brain. The delta brainwave revives the body after a hard day by regenerating necessary chemicals while a person is asleep. Due to the deepest levels of relaxation that the delta brainwave provides, the body and mind are easily able to restore themselves after minor stress, a rigorous workout, or after boosting your brain power. Human Growth Hormone (H.G.H.) Release The delta brainwave is associated with the stimulation of the pituitary gland, which in-turn, is able to release human-growth-hormone commonly referred to as H.G.H. It doesnt release enough for you to skyrocket in height and weight. The delta brainwave will not provide adults with a second version of puberty. With that said, there is evidence that it does release slight amounts of H.G.H. in certain individuals. If you are looking to increase your H.G.H., you should definitely consider using delta brainwave entrainment and evaluate how it works out for you! Connection with unconscious mind Though the alpha and theta brainwaves are capable of bridging the gap between conscious thoughts and the subconscious mind, the delta brainwave allows us to connect deeper: it allows us to connect with the deepest possible level of our consciousness. The goal of many meditation practices is to experience and consciously control the unconscious mind. The subconscious mind, or our brains right-hemisphere, becomes activated when slower brainwaves like alpha, theta, and delta waves kick in. If you spend too much time in beta, it may feel incredible to finally relax and give yourself a chance to connect with your deepest sense of awareness. Deepest possible level of mind / body relaxation Delta brainwaves while a person is conscious or awake, are extremely rare. However, advanced meditators and infants, are 2 groups of people that are able to enjoy the deeply relaxing benefits of the delta brainwave. Remember what you felt like when you were an infant? Probably not the delta brainwave is associated with extreme relaxation, yet completely unconscious mental processes. Perfect intuition - Ever have a powerful gut-instinct that helped you make a good decision? Or a gut-instinct that you shouldve followed? If we get ourselves too caught up in the upper brainwave patterns of beta, our intuitiveness becomes severely damaged. As you increase your theta brainwaves and your delta brainwaves, your intuition will increase and so will your ability to recognize the feelings in your gut. There are some disagreements as to whether or not the theta brainwave patterns are better for intuition vs. the delta brainwave patterns, but most research suggests that if you can become consciously aware in the delta brainwave state, you will have a nearly perfect sense of intuition. Connecting with the spiritual body Many consider the delta brainwave to bridge the conscious mind with higher planes of reality, the subconscious mind, and / or the unconscious mind. Advanced spiritual gurus have considered the lowest brainwave pattern, delta, one that connects their spirit and their body to a universal life energy. Becoming consciously aware of experiencing the delta brainwave frequencies has been associated with the deepest sense of spirituality, highest sense of internal awareness, and feeling directly connected to a Higher Power. Paranormal Experiences People are especially open to O.O.B.E.s (Out Of Body Experiences), astral travel, connecting with spiritual beings (i.e. spirit guides, angels, etc.), E.S.P., and other phenomenon in the delta brainwave range. Though most paranormal and psychic experiences can be argued to be real or fake, there is evidence that most people tend to have them when their brain is producing higher than average amounts of delta, and /or theta brainwaves. Though spiritual experiences and phenomena are commonly experienced in the theta brainwave state, the delta brainwave state has been associated with many too! Boosted immune system - Increasing your delta brainwaves can lead to a boosted immune system due to the fact that delta brainwaves are associated with age-reversal or slowing, the production of healthy hormones, and significantly decreased amounts of stress. Increasing your delta brainwaves can lead to a boosted immune system due to the fact that delta brainwaves are associated with healing and rejuvenation of the body. Stress and too much anxiety can do harm to the immune system by releasing harmful chemicals such as epinephrine (adrenaline) and too much of the hormone: cortisol, associated with the adrenaline release. The delta brainwave releases pleasant chemicals and neurotransmitters to help keep your immune system at arguably its highest rate of performance.Who has high amounts of delta-brainwaves? Advanced Meditators The goal of many meditation practices is to increase the amount of slower brainwave patterns. Usually, after practice, meditators are able to become consciously aware in the alpha, and possibly the theta brainwave ranges. It takes a rigorous amount of meditation and dedication to become consciously aware during the delta brainwave state. After you gain a lot of meditation experience, you can eventually learn how to shift your brainwaves from the beta range, through the pleasant calmness of alpha, into the extraordinary theta range. If you get lucky, youll eventually cultivate awareness in the delta range. Experienced meditators are able to recognize and control their state of awareness and brainwaves. Like any practice, the more you do it, the better your chances of passing through the alpha brainwave range, into theta, and from theta into the delta brainwave rhythm. Infants The delta brainwave is the dominant rhythm in infants up to 1 year of age. It would be extremely rare for an infant to display any of the upper range brainwave frequencies like beta. The delta brainwave really promotes great neural development and molding of the brain formation. Young Children Younger children tend to have extremely high levels of theta and delta brainwaves compared to adults. Most young kids display very low amounts of higher brainwave frequencies like beta brainwaves, yet display a lot of lower frequency brainwaves in the alpha, theta, and delta ranges. Though most children with A.D.D. have abnormally high amounts of theta brainwave activity, some have large amounts of delta making it nearly impossible for them to concentrate. Individuals With A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. - The majority of individuals with ADD or ADHD tend to have brains that produce too much theta brainwave activity. With that said, it is not uncommon to find an individual with ADD or ADHD that cannot concentrate because they have too much delta brainwave activity and not nearly enough beta brainwave activity. Individuals with ADD can exhibit a number of different brainwave combinations. Some people have: high amounts of delta brainwave activity or a combination of theta and delta brainwaves with virtually zero beta activity. Having too much of the delta brainwave activity explains why ADD people arent able to concentrate well and find it impossible to stay on task. (On a personal note, I have been able to cure my ADD by staying disciplined to a set of 5 daily steps). People with brain damage People with head trauma, concussions, and other forms of brain damage, tend to have much higher amounts of delta brainwaves than other people. People in a coma, with brain tumors, or any other problem that can cause brain injury or damage usually produces many of the slower delta brainwaves or theta range brainwaves. When people say they got knocked out, they really were knocked out due to the increased production of delta brainwaves as a consequence of their injury. Allowing things to kill your brain cells will not help promote a healthy delta brainwave. People whove had N.D.E.s (Near-Death Experiences) People who have had a Near-Death Experience, tapped into their delta brainwave activity during their experience. Many times people often report a disconnection from their body, getting a glimpse of the afterlife, and / or floating sensations. Though this topic is highly controversial, most agree that the person with the N.D.E. was in the delta brainwave range.Just like any of the other brainwave patterns, too much of a dominant rhythm can cause problems. By nomeans would it be recommended to increase a brainwave that you already have high levels of. In fact, you may experience some negative affects from too many delta brainwaves.Problems associated with too many delta brainwaves: Packing on excess emotional baggage If youve ever been told that you worry too much about the emotions of others or literally feel what others are feeling, chances are good that you have too much delta. While some people may enjoy increased empathy, others may feel like they are too caught up in other peoples emotional lives. The delta brainwave can definitely make you pack on too many extra emotions if you arent prepared. Extremely unfocused mind - Not everyone may particularly enjoy an increased amount of delta brainwaves in their waking E.E.G. The delta brainwave range has been linked to extremely unfocused, unconscious thinking, and ADD. The delta brainwave range can increase mental fogginess, dreaming, and forgetfulness. If you are already extremely unfocused, increasing your delta brainwaves isnt recommended. Extreme sleepiness - Since the delta brainwave pattern has been linked to the deepest stages of dreamless sleep, increasing this brainwave may make you feel more sleepy than you normally do. The delta brainwave is found in individuals that are sound asleep. Drowsiness and extreme sleepiness will occur if the delta brainwave is displayed while a person is awake. When increasing your delta brainwaves, it is extremely common to fall asleep as your brain is being trained. You will wake up feeling refreshed though. It is very difficult to stay aware in the delta state of consciousness unless you are advanced in the practice of meditation. Hyperactivity Because the brain is functioning at the slowest possible brainwave pattern, the central nervous system uses up virtually zero energy. All of the energy that youve accumulated throughout the day from eating food needs to be put to use somehow. Having too much delta brainwave activity allows your brain and CNS to get by with very little energy. Since the brain and CNS use less overall energy, the excess energy is expressed in some people through hyperactivity.Healthy ways to increase delta-brainwaves: Brainwave entrainment - As I mention a lot, brainwave entrainment is great for fine tuning your state of consciousness and awareness. If you want to easily and naturally experience delta brainwaves, I recommend trying any of the programs in my recommended products section. Brainwave entrainment is an easy process that involves simply listening to a tone (stimulus) and your brainwaves will automatically, naturally shift in order to match the desired frequency associated with the acoustic tone. While delta brainwave states usually occur in deep sleep, it is possible to train yourself to remain awake while experiencing the delta brainwave. Getting a good nights sleep Delta activity is present in stages 3 and 4 of sleep. Getting a good nights sleep is important for staying healthy, keeping a healthy, powerful brain. Though delta brainwaves will not increase when you wake up the next day, they are highly prevalent in your brain while you are deeply asleep. Most non-dream, deep sleep is linked to an increase in delta brainwave activity, whereas dream-sleep is mostly linked to theta brainwave activity. Meditation The goal of most types of meditation is to lower the brainwaves into the alpha-theta brainwave range. A very safe, healthy way to attempt to increase your delta brainwaves is to make the act of meditation a daily habit or start up a meditation routine. If you are already meditating, great youll naturally increase your flexibility to travel through the alpha brainwave range, possibly through the theta brainwave range, and into the depths of the delta brainwave range. Hypnosis / Self-hypnosis The goal of all hypnosis and self-hypnosis programs is to target the lower brainwave ranges (i.e. alpha and theta) and implant new beliefs. If you practice frequent enough, and long enough, you may find that you are able to tap into your inner delta brainwave awareness. Yoga Like meditation, yoga is yet another activity that promotes relaxation and wellbeing by shifting your brainwaves to the calming patterns of alpha, theta, and sometimes delta. The yogic phenomenon of suspended animation has been claimed to only take place in the delta brainwave range. Though there are many different types of yoga, if they are practiced correctly, they can be utilized to slow brainwaves to tap the delta awareness and insight from within.Unhealthy ways to increase delta brainwaves: Skipping sleep Depriving yourself of a good nights sleep or completely skipping sleep will increase the amount of cortisol (a hormone associated with stress and aging) and will flood your brain with a combination of unfocused brainwaves: mostly theta, some delta and in some cases high-beta. If you have ever pulled an all nighter, youll know that skipping sleep makes you feel extremely unfocused, dizzy, and confused. This is due to to a combination of unbalanced chemicals, hormones, and brainwaves. Not a wise idea to skip sleep to increase your delta brainwaves.Final evaluation of delta brainwaves:I personally think that delta brainwaves are very unique to experience and everyone has different reaction. The deep spaced-out connection associated with delta activity can feel great. You should be the judge as to whether or not increasing delta is the brainwave you want to experiment with. If you are already experiencing many of the listed benefits, your delta brainwave could be within its healthiest range. Are you already a mentally fogged person? If so, chances are good that your brain could be naturally producing some delta brainwave activity. However, most people do not have large amounts of the delta brainwave unless they are in the deepest sleep stages. If you are experiencing too many of the listed negative effects,you may want to consider speeding up your brainwaves into the beta range. I personally recommend entraining the delta brainwave to see how you react. Most people dont produce large amounts of delta naturally.

Delta Brain Waves: Slowest,Most Confusing Brainwaves

Article taken from: http://4mind4life.com/blog/2008/08/05/delta-brain-waves-slowest-most-confusing-brainwaves/

Delta brainwaves are the slowest of all your brainwaves.

They usually fall within the frequency range of 0 4 Hz. When your brain waves reach levels below 0.1 Hz,you will literally be brain dead. Unlike theta brainwaves,which are commonly associated with the subconscious mind delta brain waves are associated with the unconscious mind. Due to delta brainwaves being the least understood amongst brain waves [besides gamma] Ive decided to provide you with some quality information and hopefully clear up any misunderstandings.Delta brainwaves have long been linked to stages 3 and 4 of sleep. The delta brainwave range is considered the lowest brainwave frequency. A decreased sense of awareness, increased empathy, and access to the unconscious mind are common. It is extremely rare to have conscious awareness of delta brainwaves. Only certain highly spiritual individuals, gurus, yogis, monks, and avid meditators usually are able to consciously access this brainwave range.Being in delta is like being in the most deeply relaxing trance or non-physical awareness. Usually, when individuals are asleep in the delta range, their other brainwave patterns shut down and delta takes over. If youve ever woken up and felt irritable, unconscious,confused, or disorientated, you likely woke up during your delta stage of sleep.

Boosted intuition and psychic skills

The slower,delta brain wave frequencies have long been linked to boosted intuition and even the cultivation of psychic skills in certain individuals. Whats interesting is the fact that in some individuals, delta brain waves are present [show up in the E.E.G.] of people while they are awake along with the other basic brainwave patterns [beta, alpha, theta]. They will never be found as the only brainwave pattern while someone is awake! There usually needs to be some beta, alpha, and theta if delta is displayed while awake.

Anyways, researchers have found that individuals who usually have an uncanny intuition and possibly psychic abilities, usually have delta brainwaves appearing in their waking E.E.G.s. Think of delta brain waves as a radar system that help sour intuition sense when any form of danger is lurking. Though we dont always need to sense danger via gut instinct or intuition, delta brain waves can be a great form of help. Delta brain waves are a very indigenous, anamalistic, primal-type brainwave rhythm that give us a deeper sense of instinct. Basically, the delta brainwaves allow us to be more aware of information that isnt available to our conscious, beta-brainwavefueled, brains.

Healing the mind and body

Frequencies in the delta range have been linked to healing the mind and body of a wide-variety of aliments and illnesses. Researchers have even discovered that within the delta brainwave range, some frequencies are even able to produce healthy substances such as: DHEA, melatonin, and H.G.H. (Human Growth Hormone). When the delta rhythms run through our brain, it naturally produces a different set of neurotransmitters and substances. (...)The melatonin, H.G.H. (human growth hormone), and DHEA that delta brain waves are able to slow and or reverse the effects of aging. Another benefit of increasing the amount of delta brainwaves is the reduced production of the stress hormone called cortisol. Reducing cortisol is great for the body and brain! Why? Because increased levels of cortisol can and will actually kill brain cells,plus speed up the process of physical and mental aging.

In the bookThe High-Performance Mind[written by Anna Wise], Anna Wise writes that individuals who are therapists, guides, teachers and those into professions which involve helping otherst end to have delta brain waves while awake. She also notes that spiritually advanced individuals and healers tend to display plenty of delta brainwaves. It has been said that these unconscious brain waves give them more understanding and access to other individuals mental and emotional state.

Delta brain waves to master the brain?

The rhythms of delta brain waves allow us to tap into universal knowledge, or the mind beyond our own. This universal knowledge has been referred to as the collective unconscious which is comparable to one large pool of the collective knowledge and understanding all of humanity. The delta brain waves give our minds the opportunity to enter the gateway which connects our intuition with the collective unconscious.

How are delta waves compared to theta brain waves?

Theta brain waves give us insights from our subconscious mind our deepest being and deepest internal spirituality. Theta brain waves look internally and are much more personally meaningful to each individual.

Delta waves provide us with access to external unconscious material.

From theta and delta, we will never be consciously aware of the information we have access to unless it gets transferred through our subconscious via the alpha brain waves.

Alpha brainwaves are able to pass insights and messages from the deeper, theta and delta brainwaves. Usually, they add specific pictures and imagery around the messages in order for our conscious beta-brainwave geared mind is able to understand the messages. After the messages from the theta brain waves and delta brain waves get transferred through the alpha range to the beta range, they can be understood and acted upon.

It is important to realize that there is no single brainwave pattern that is optimal to have at all times. Each of the four main types of brain waves come with benefits and drawbacks.

Beta brain waves are great for communication and thinking logically, while delta brain waves are great for intuition and accessing universal knowledge.

After reading this article, I hope that you understand that in order to take full control of your mind and maximize your brain power,you must learn to take control of each of the four brain waves!

Brain, Mind, and Altered States of Consciousness

By Norman D. Livergood

The conspiracy to reduce consciousness to intellectual awareness of the physical world has been in evidence for at least five thousand years. Over the centuries the mental and psychic powers that only mystics and seers now possess have been filtered out of most people. So we now assume that our narrow, tightly-bound consciousness is normal and natural. "Ordinary consciousness" is "normal" only in the strict sense of "statistically most frequent," not inherently "good" or "natural" as the term is sometimes misconstrued to mean. When contrasted with supernormal consciousness experienced by certain people in specific instances, our current rigid, intellect-based awareness is highly abnormal and unnatural.Reports of Supernormal Consciousness"The boundary between my physical self and my surroundings seemed to dissolve and my feeling of separation vanished. . . . I felt as if I had suddenly come alive for the first time--as if I were awakening from a long deep sleep into the real world." (Wendy Rose-Neill)"I saw that the universe is not composed of dead matter, but is, on the contrary, a living Presence; I became conscious in myself of eternal life. It was not a conviction that I would have eternal life, but a consciousness that I possessed eternal life then; I saw that all men are immortal." (Richard Maurice Bucke)"I seemed to comprehend the nature of things. I understood that the scheme of the universe was good, not evil as our Western society had taught me as a child; all people were intrinsically good. Neither time nor space existed on this plane." (Claire Myers Owen)Reported in Colin Wilson. Beyond the Occult

Human beings possess a whole range of dormant powers of which they are usually unaware. Experience of these latent powers occurs accidentally or to those who learn the necessary procedures. These powers include inspiration, clairaudience, clairvoyance, psychometry, precognition, and telepathy. In his book Beyond the Occult, Colin Wilson conjectures that we have gradually lost these powers ". . . because we no longer need them." On the contrary, we have needed and continue to need such powers--for the completion of our human potential and for participating in human evolution.The Conspiracy to Debase Human Consciousness

Our psychic powers have become forgotten and atrophied from neglect because the vast conspiracy of the ideologies of Materialism (there is nothing but matter in space) and Mammon (material wealth as the highest value) have conditioned untold generations to believe that mind-bound consciousness of the physical world is all there is and all that is needed for humankind's wellbeing. Non-ordinary states were said to be psychotic, evil, abnormal or merely debilitating. Persons who even spoke of spiritual or psychic powers were classed as weird, insane, or perverse. We have very little understanding of "consciousness," since it is by definition a nonmaterial quality or state of being aware. Scientists study only the physical correlates of consciousness, such as brain waves, not consciousness itself.The Human Brain and MindNeurologists and psychologists for decades agreed that there were specific facts about the brain and intelligence that were unchanging: Intelligence is genetically determined People with high intelligence are born that way Experience can't increase or decrease innate intelligence; experience can't change the structure of the brain

Growth in the total number of brain cells we have is completed by age two; neurons cannot reproduce themselves

However, psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley, conducted studies 1 which were to turn the world of brain and intelligence research upside down. They discovered that:

Rats showed higher levels of AChE (the brain enzyme related to learning and memory) when placed in "enriched environments" (well-lit, multilevel cages filled with swings, slides, ladders, bridges, an assortment of frequently changing stimuli, and a variety of challenges)This meant that intelligence could be increased. The brains of rats placed in "enriched environments" increased in weightStimulating experiences had caused the rats' brains to grow.

Neuroanatomist Marian Diamond proved that rats raised in "enriched environments" showed:

Increased thickness of the cerebral cortex or "gray matter" A 15 percent increase in the actual size of individual neurons in the cortex Increases in protein in the brain paralleling the increases in cortical weight, proving that the growth effect was on tissue and not just on fluid content of the brain An increase in the amount of dendritic branching (dendrites are the hairy branching fibers which project in large numbers from the body of each neuron and which receive inputs from other neurons and conduct them to the cell body, thus, an increase in branching means a greater amount of potential information available to each neuron) An increased number of dendritic spines per unit length of dendrite (spines are the small projections that cover the surface of dendrites) Increases in the number of synapses and in the size of synaptic contact areas (synapses are the spots where different neurons are connected and by means of which communication among neurons takes place) An increase in the ratio between the weight of the cortex and the weight of the rest of the brain (thus the enriched environment does not simply stimulate and trigger generalized growth throughout the entire brain, but is specifically beneficial to that area of the brain devoted to thinking, learning, and memory) A 15 percent increase in the number of glial cells, the "glue" cells that are the most numerous cells in the brain and which hold together, support, and nourish the brain neurons, act as guides for neural growth, assist in learning, and seem to form some mysterious communicating network of their own

Later studies 2 showed that significant structural changes in the brains of rats in "enriched environments" can take place almost instantaneously.

The human brain is about five times as large as that of a chimpanzee, yet contains only about 30 to 50 percent more neurons. The difference between humans and chimps comes from the development of the cerebral cortex and the larger number of glial cells. 3 The cerebral cortex is a layer of nerve cells forming a convoluted outer shell over the brain, the "thinking cap" or "gray matter" atop the brain, in which much of the thinking or higher intellectual activity of the brain takes place. All these studies focused on one conclusion: increased brain stimulation in an enriched environment produces not only a growth in size and weight of the cortex but completely alters and enriches the quality of the entire cerebral cortex.Brain Stimulation and Neurofeedback Human performance in all areas can be deliberately improved through environmental, biochemical, and psychophysiological manipulation of the brain and mind. One way this takes place is through the use of machines designed by researchers to stimulate the human neocortex through exposure to experiences which are novel, changing, and challenging, and which provide the brain and mind an opportunity to exercise themselves by means of self-observation and self-transformation.The brain is an electrically powered and electricity-generating organ. Composed of an estimated one hundred billion neurons, each neuron produces and transmits electrical impulses which travel from the cell body down long fibers called axons until they reach a junction, or synapse, with another neuron. At the junction point the electrical impulses fire chemical messengers, called neurotransmitters, across the synaptic gap to receptors on the next cell. Having received the message, that neuron then generates its own electrical impulse and sends it to other neurons to which it is connected. Each neuron can be connected to thousands of other neurons, each simultaneously sending and receiving impulses to and from thousands of other neurons--so one neuron can electrically alter millions of other neurons.To get an idea of how complex this electrical system is, the National Academy of Sciences estimates that "a single human brain has a greater number of possible connections among its nerve cells than the total number of atomic particles in the universe."The brain is part of the overall human nervous system, composed of the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system. The central nervous system is comprised of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system includes the sensory neurons that link the brain and spinal cord to sensory receptors and efferent neurons connected to the muscles, glands, and organs. The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It is surrounded by three protective layers of tissue called the meninges, and bathed in liquid called the cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid also protects the brain from injury and provides nourishment to its surrounding tissues.

Let's take a look at various parts of the brain: The brainstem The cerebellum The cerebrum Brainstem: the oldest part of the brain

The brainstem regulates things like heartrate, breathing, swallowing, blinking, digesting, and more. It controls the basic functions of the brain.

Cerebellum:Your cerebellum is a busy switching station. It receives messages from most of the muscles in your body. It communicates with the other parts of the brain, and then sends messages about movement and balance back to your body.

Cerebrum: Thinking and learning Creativity Five senses Memory and emotion Problem-solving Decisions

The cerebrum is composed of four lobes: Frontal lobe Parietal lobe Occipital lobe Temporal lobe

The cerebrum represents 85% of the total weight of the human brain. It has a highly convoluted surface. Neurologists have mapped the various areas of the cerebral cortex that control specific sensory and motor activities of the human body. Like the cerebellum, the cerebrum is divided into symmetrical hemispheres. Each hemisphere is divided into four "lobes," the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes. These lobes have special functions. The frontal lobe is involved with planning and movement; the parietal lobe with sensation; the occipital lobe with vision; and the temporal lobe with learning, memory, and emotion.

The cerebral hemispheres surround an area called the diencephalon, which consists of the thalamus and the hypothalamus. The thalamus is a key structure of the cerebrum. It acts as a gateway for sensory information coming from the major systems -- vision, hearing and balance, taste and smell -- to the corresponding sensory area of the cerebral cortex. The hypothalamus regulates the autonomic nervous system, reproduction and homeostasis. Homeostasis is the process by which our bodies maintain a stable internal environment in the face of changing conditions. Hippocampus:

Stores and processes memories Helps find memories Affects emotions

The hippocampus helps to encode memories, and then helps to find them when you want to remember something.

Around 1908 an Austrian Psychiatrist named Hans Berger announced that it was possible to record the feeble electric currents (brain waves) generated on the brain, without opening the skull, and to depict them graphically onto a strip of paper. Berger named this new form of recording the electroencephalogram (EEG, for short): electro = electrical; encephalon = head; graph = drawing/picture. Berger determined that this activity of the brain waves changed according to the functional status of the brain, such as in sleep, anesthesia, hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and in certain nervous diseases, such as in epilepsy. The first brain waves Berger discovered he called "Alpha." Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, like our "a." Quantitative EEG (QEEG) is digital recording of the EEG. For decades it was only possible to record the various brain waves on paper with the traditional polygraph. The EEG rhythms were amplified and used to drive pens, one for each recording electrode. As the pens fluctuated from the EEG rhythms, a long piece of graph paper was dragged under the pens by a motor, creating the graph of the electrical activity on the outer surface of the brain.

Over the last several decades, advances in signal processing have made is possible to sample the EEG waves many times per second (usually 128 or 256 samples per second) and to analyze and depict them in a variety of ways. Using quantitative EEG we can now precisely measure the amplitude and frequency of waves of interest, determining the distribution of the waves on various areas of the scalp, and even compare a subject's QEEG to a normative reference database.In our ordinary waking state, we primarily experience beta brain waves (which vibrate at a frequency ranging from about 13 to 30 hertz or cycles per second). During deep relaxation, we move to alpha waves (8-13 Hz) and we ordinarily only experience theta waves (4-7 Hz) in those brief moments between waking and sleeping. The ultra slow delta waves (0.5-4 Hz) occur during sleep.Scientists have found that when meditators reach a state of deep awareness and internal mental serenity the two hemispheres of their brain--which ordinarily generate brain waves of different frequencies and amplitudes--become synchronized, both hemispheres generating the same brain waves.

The left and right hemispheres of our brains appear to produce different brain functions. The left hemisphere is active in linear, logical, practical, and time orientated activities while the right hemisphere seems to be much more non-linear, abstract, creative, wholistic, and non-logical.

Logic:Drawingconclusionsbasedonlogic:one thing following another in logical order.Intuitive:Makingleapsofinsight,oftenbasedon incomplete patterns, hunches, feelings and visual images.

Linear:Thinking in terms of linked ideas, one thought directly following another, often leading to a convergent conclusion.Holistic:Seeing whole things at once, perceiving the overall patterns and structures, often leading to divergent conclusions.

Verbal:Using words to name, describe, define.Nonverbal:Awareness of things, but minimal connection with words.

Temporal:Keeping track of time, sequencing one thing after another.Nontemporal:Without sense of time.

Rational:Drawing conclusions based on reason and facts.Nonrational:Not requiring a basis of reason or facts;willingness to suspend judgment.

Analytic:Figuring things out step-by-step and part-by-part.Synthetic:Putting things together to form wholes.

Abstract:Taking out a small bit of information and using it to represent the whole thing.Analogic:Seeing relationship between things, understanding metaphoric relationships.

Symbolic:Using a symbol to stand for something. Concrete:Relating to things as they are at thepresent moment

Digital:Using numbers as in counting.Spatial:Seeing where things are in relation to other things, and how parts go together to form a whole

We tend to focus on particular hemispheres depending on what we're doing. If we're solving a math problem, our left hemisphere is probably most active. Composing a piece of music would involve right hemispheric activity. Both hemispheres are constantly interacting and both can be in use at the same time. The two hemispheres are connected by the corpus callosum, which serves as a conduit between the two sides. This bridging activity can be strengthened so that increased transmission of data, thoughts and feedback between hemispheres occurs. We can also develop an increased merging of the hemispheres, allowing them to work together so we can increase our mental creativity.Because of the complexity of our brains there are often several brainwave types interacting at the same time. The particular brainwave frequency which dominates at any given time determines our state of mind. As an example, while in a beta state, there might be trace levels of alpha and theta, but they would be minimal compared to the dominating amount of beta present.In 1956, James Olds reported on research in which he had electrically stimulated the brains of rats. Implanting electrodes in rats' pleasure center of the brain, he attached a device that allowed the rats to activate the electrical impulse. He found that the rats would become so obsessed with self-stimulation that they would literally starve themselves to death. The human body has its own chemical self-stimulants. Naturally produced in our bodies and brains, this group of molecules called endorphins reduces pain, alleviates stress, gives pleasure, enhances or suppresses memories, and determines what information we allow into our brains. Dr. Robert Heath, head of the neurology/psychiatry department at Tulane University School of Medicine was the first to implant electrodes in the human brain. He found that each brain stimulus--pleasure or pain--is capable of overwhelming or inhibiting other stimuli. Thus, pleasure can overcome depression or pain and vice versa.Biofeedback

Biofeedback is the use of mechanical means to amplify certain internal cues, make us aware of them, and make it possible to control mental and brain states. Extensive research has shown that what were thought to be "involuntary" psychophysiological states, such as blood pressure, body temperature, etc., are in fact controllable through the use of biofeedback.

"Biofeedback means getting immediate ongoing information about one's own biological processes or conditions, such as heart behavior, temperature, brain-wave activity, blood pressure, or muscle tension. Information is usually fed back by a meter, by a light or sound, or subjects simply watch the physiological record as it emerges from the monitoring equipment. Biofeedback training means using the information to change and control voluntarily the specific process or response being monitored."Elmer Green, Beyond Biofeedback

In 1958, Joe Kamiya, a psychologist teaching at the University of Chicago, began experiments on brain wave frequencies. Kamiya attached a sensing electrode to the left side of the back of the subjects's head--the left occiput, where alpha brain waves are more evident. When a tone sounded, the subject was to guess whether he was in alpha. Kamiya was able to tell if the subject's guess was correct from the EEG (electroencephalograph) readings and answered "correct" or "wrong." The first subject Kamiya worked with, Richard Bach, reported correctly 65% on the second day of testing, and on the fourth day was able to report correctly 100% of the time. In a second experiment, the subject was able to enter the alpha state or not enter the state on a specific cue. It was thus established that people could control brain waves which had been thought to be involuntary states. This was the beginning of brain wave biofeedback. Psychology Today did an article on Kamiya in 1968 and the field exploded."The introduction of feedback to any system will elevate that system to a higher level of functioning."Biocybernaut Institute

The first meeting of biofeedback professionals occurred as part of the 1968 International Brain and Behavior Conference in Colorado. The following year the first specific meeting of biofeedback researchers was held in Santa Monica, California, with 142 persons attending. It was at this meeting that the group decided to name their group the Biofeedback Research Society, later changed to Biofeedback Society of America and then to the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback.One of the early researchers, Elmer Green of the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, used biofeedback instruments to study Eastern yogis. He discovered that certain yogis could control their internal states merely through meditation and thought. Maurice "Barry" Sterman, a professor emeritus in the departments of Neurobiology and Psychiatry at UCLA, began an experiment in 1965 on brain wave states in cats. He accidentally discovered a specific EEG rhythm state during which the cat, waiting for a reward of food, became absolutely still, though extremely alert. Sterman named this frequency "sensorimotor rhythm" (SMR). He isolated the 12 to 15 hertz frequencies (SMR) in the EEG of the experimental cats and operantly conditioned them to create this state. Sterman then worked with a human subject, a woman who suffered from epileptic seizures two or more times per month.Epilepsy is accompanied by an invasion of unwanted theta wave frequency in the brain. The subject was connected to the EEG equipment and was tasked with keeping a green light on (presence of SMR) and a red light off (presence of theta waves). The subject was able to create SMR for long periods and her seizures reduced in number and intensity. She remained seizure-free after the experiment for a number of months. Other researchers replicated Sterman's results with epilepsy and in 1982 Sterman received a research grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). However, the disparity between biofeedback and ordinary medical procedures was becoming a major issue in the health care field and NIH pulled Sterman's funding. Ordinary medical procedures involve something being done to the "patient," the application of a drug, the use of surgery, etc. Biofeedback involves persons taking responsibility for their own conditions and actively participating in their therapy. Plus, biofeedback had arisen within psychology, not medicine. "Occassionally I had heard half-joking remarks about researchers in biofeedback sounding like snake-oil salesmen. It didn't bother me until one of our own doctors cautioned against the concept of biofeedback as a panacea. Then I gave it serious thought. Why did biofeedback prove helpful in the treatment of so many and varied disorders? Suddenly I realized that it isn't biofeedback that is the 'panacea'--it is the power within the human being to self-regulate, self-heal, re-balance. Biofeedback does nothing to the person; it is a tool for releasing that potential."Alyce Green, Beyond Biofeedback

The medical establishment began deriding biofeedback as an unproven, unscientific fad. The research of Sterman and others followed the most rigorous experimental requirements, but the medical mafia was intent on destroying this upstart phenomenon. In the 1970s and 1980s, biofeedback research languished, though a few brave persons pushed forward and today there is a resurgence in the field. Margaret Ayers, whose graduate training was in clinical neuropsychology, uses biofeedback therapy with different kinds of medical problems: drug addiction, alcoholism, head injury, stroke, cerebral palsy, and coma. Coma is the condition of a brain which is accompanied by dominant theta wave activity. The biofeedback equipment used with coma patients trains them to inhibit theta wave frequencies. A number of Ayer's coma clients have regained a great deal of their normal functioning. Siegfried and Sue Othmer, Ross Quackenbush, Eugene Peniston, Roger Werholtz, Lester Fehmi, Bob DeBoer, and others are using similar biofeedback procedures on clients with a diversity of medical or psychological problems.Altering States of Consciousness

From their early experiments with LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline at Harvard, Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert discovered the importance of set and setting: "Set is a person's expectations of what a drug will do to him, considered in the context of his whole life." 4 "Setting is the environment, both physical and social, in which a drug is taken." 5

Without the concepts of "set" and "setting" we're unable to explain why drugs vary so unpredictably in their physiological and psychological effects on various users."...the combined effects of set and setting can easily overshadow the pharmacological effects of a drug as stated in a pharmacology text. One can arrange set and setting so that a dose of an amphetamine will produce sedation or a dose of a barbiturate stimulation." 6 Thus it's absurd to speak of "the effect of marijuana," "the effect of meditation," and so on. The "effect" depends on what users expect and on the expectations of the social setting in which they take the psychedelic drug or carry out specific procedures. But federal and state governments have continued to oppose any use of psychedelic drugs, claiming that they're all bad under all circumstances. Our nation's leaders continue to push the mind-and body-destroying "official" drugs of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine, among many others created by a pharmaceutical industry which buys politicians in large economy quantities. What positive elements 7 assist us to break through to a positive 8 non-ordinary consciousness?1) Meditation 2) Dreams 3) Hypnosis 4) Sex

5)Contemplationofart (music, painting, prose,poetry, drama) 6)Contemplation of nature 7)Psychedelic drugs 8) Brain stimulation andbio-feedback

MeditationMeditation has been used for centuries by spiritual practitioners to achieve non-ordinary states of consciousness. Dreaming, especially lucid dreaming in which the dreamer controls the dream activity, is a particularly powerful means of entering an altered state of consciousness. Hypnosis induced by an informed hypnotist or by oneself can enable us to enter into non-ordinary states of consciousness wherein we are able to gain enhanced control of our mental and physiological activities. Sex, within the proper context, enables us to achieve altered states. ContemplationContemplation of art or nature can lead to epiphanies. The meaning of "epiphany" has expanded beyond its Greek origins--the manifestation of a god--to include special and sudden raptures. In this article I'm using the term epiphany to refer to an episodic mystical experience. These raptures occur to men and women from virtually every nation and culture. Throughout the ages, humans have undergone harrowing experiences, braved drug intoxication and risked madness to experience intense altered states of consciousness.The Mystical LightOne of Nasrudin's students told him one day that he had learned that the human brain creates about as much electrical current as a flashlight battery. Wishing to convince Nasrudin of his erudition, the student announced that he now conceived of the brain as a flashlight. He asked Nasrudin how he might use this brain-flashlight to produce the experience of mystical light."From my vast experience with flashlights, I can produce in you an immediate experience of a mystical flare of light," Nasrudin told the student. He performed the operation and the student was overjoyed when he experienced a sudden gleam of light.The student was later bragging to his fellow-students about this experience of illumination from the Higher Reality."But how did Nasrudin produce this mystical flash of light in you?" they asked eagerly. "He said he used his esoteric knowledge of flashlights and gave me a sound whack on the head."

Until recently, only mystics have described these encounters with another order of reality. If they talk about their experiences at all, mystics use words like ecstasy, illumination, and exaltation--after confessing that words fail them. Protesting all the while that their sensations cannot be explained, mystics, psychedelic explorers, meditators, and contemplatives of all stripes describe experiences of inspiration, peace, serenity, and all-rightness with the universe; of moving into another order or dimension of consciousness; of fusing in oneness with God, the universe, others, everything, eternity; of transcending time, space, and ego; of being infused with knowledge, recognition, awareness, insight, certainty, illumination; of having a sense of endowment, of gaining more from the experience than they can intellectually understand.Mind-Altering SubstancesWith the proper set and setting, psychedelic drugs can produce an altered sense of reality. Such experiences of altered consciousness usually last from one hour to several days. Though alcohol is often used in a negative "setting" such as at a bar or a party, where the expectation is aggressive behavior, with the proper set and setting alcohol can promote a heightened state of awareness.

One of the great mysteries of human life, as Michael Pollan explains, is that "there are plants in the garden that manufacture molecules with the power to change the subjective experience of reality we call consciousness." 9

"In ancient times, people all over the world grew or gathered sacred plants (and fungi) with the power to inspire visions or conduct them on journeys to other worlds; some of these people, who are sometimes called shamans, returned with the kind of spiritual knowledge that underwrites whole religions."At the beginning of most of the world's religions we find some kind of psychoactive plant or fungus: the peyote cactus, the Amanita muscaria and psilocybin mushrooms, the ergot fungus, the fermented grape, ayahuasca, and cannabis. Ancient people experimented with these psychotropic (mind-altering) substances to achieve a heightened state of consciousness.Some of the most important Greek thinkers--Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Aeschylus, Euripides, and others--participated in the Mysteries of Eleusis. The Mysteries consisted of initiation rituals in which the participants ingested a powerful mind-altering potion--probably hashish or psilocybin mushrooms--or, less likely, an alkaloid produced by a fungus (ergot) that closely resembles LSD in its chemical makeup and effects. The ecstatic ritual was so powerful that those who participated kept their vow never to reveal its nature.Under the influence of psychotropic substances, humankind has invented or evolved new ideas and paradigms--new ways of viewing the world. The human mind, we have now discovered, has a built-in receptivity to a particular plant: marijuana. The evolution of this discovery is fascinating.In the 1960s an Israeli neuroscientist named Raphael Mechoulam identified the chemical compound responsible for the mind-altering effects of marijuana. He named it delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, a module with a structure unlike any found in nature before or since.Then in 1988 Allyn Howlett, a researcher at the St. Louis University Medical School, discovered a specific receptor for THC in the human brain--a kind of nerve cell that THC binds to as if it were a molecular key fitting into a lock. When this binding takes place, the nerve cell is activated. The brain has a number of neuronal networks involving compounds such as dopamine, serotonin, and the endorphins, among others. Howlett discovered a new cannabinoid receptor network in the human brain which triggers mind-altering effects when THC is present.Thirty years after his discovery of THC, Raphael Mechoulam--working with collaborator William Devane--found that the brain produces its own THC-like substance which he named anandimide, from the Sanskrit word for "inner bliss."We have to wonder why a plant such as marijuana evolved in exactly the way it has so that it produces an altered state of consciousness in humans. Among many other reasons is surely that this has resulted in humans having an intense and abiding interest in it, to make sure that it evolves in the direction of enhanced power to alter human mind states. The U.S. government's hysterical, criminal warfare against marijuana involves taking away civil liberties through property confiscation, incarceration resulting from suspicion only, and using military personnel in contravention of the posse commitatus act. Along with its struggle to keep marijuana an illegal drug--so the power elite can reap huge profits from its sale on the black market--there may also be a subliminal realization of the strange and powerful connection the human brain has to THC. As the number of people using marijuana continues to grow, the old, violence-prone ways of thinking may be challenged and replaced by more positive ways of viewing the world.The important factor in all of these approaches is whether or not the techniques or substances assist us in achieving a positive altered state of consciousness which provides an insight into deeper spiritual dimensions within us. The insights William James gained from his experiments with psychedelics provide an illustrative case. "Some years ago I myself made some observations on this aspect of nitrous oxide intoxication, and reported them in print. One conclusion was forced upon my mind at that time, and my impression of its truth has ever since remained unshaken. It is that our normal waking consciousness, rational consciousness as we call it, is but one special type of consciousness, whilst all about it, parted from it by the filmiest of screens, there lie potential forms of consciousness entirely different. We may go through life without suspecting their existence; but apply the requisite stimulus, and at a touch they are there in all their completeness, definite types of mentality which probably somewhere have their field of application and adaptation. No account of the universe in its totality can be final which leaves these other forms of consciousness quite disregarded. How to regard them is the question,--for they are so discontinuous with ordinary consciousness. Yet they may determine attitudes though they fail to give a map. At any rate, they forbid a premature closing of our accounts with reality. Looking back on my own experiences, they all converge towards a kind of insight to which I cannot help ascribing some metaphysical significance. The keynote of it is invariably a reconciliation. It is as if the opposites of the world whose contradictoriness and conflict make all our difficulties and troubles, were melted into unity. Not only do they, as contrasted species, belong to one and the same genus, but one of the species, the nobler and better one, is itself the genus, and so soaks up and absorbs its opposite into itself." William James. The Varieties of Religious Experience

Higher States

Dr. Gerald Oster, a biophysicist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City discovered that pulsations called binaural beats occurred in the brain when tones of different frequency were presented separately to each ear. Robert Monroe claimed to have developed tapes which send signals separately to each ear--signals of 400 and 404 hertz, for example--resulting in the sounds blending inside the brain and setting up a binaural beat frequency of 4 Hz (theta waves), producing a state of brain hemisphere equilibrium and altered states. At his Institute of Applied Sciences in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of central Virginia, institute employees claim to train people in achieving altered states using Hemi-Sync tapes. Some of the trainees feel they achieve out-of-body experiences, but this may very well be fantasy. At present, a week's training session costs $1695 at the Institute, plus, of course, transportation to the Institute and back. Some brain state researchers are critical of Monroe's methods. Dr. Lester Fehmi, director of the Princeton Behavioral Medicine and Biofeedback Clinic, says that Monroe's effect is real, "but it doesn't teach you how to get there." Dr. Elmer Green of the Menninger Foundation agrees. "It's only when the volition is involved, and you want to do something, either to escape or to accomplish something, that you really learn something." The hypnogogic image states which Green discovered in his research sometime involve extra-sensory perception (ESP) and precognition. It may be that these states are the same as those which Monroe clients experience, which Monroe trainers interpret as out-of-body states but Green interprets as hypnogogic imagery.The Monroe Institute demands (yes, demands, not merely recommends) that a person purchase its seven different training CDs in sequence. This allows them to force a person interested in their training material to buy each of the CDs for a total of over $800--an exorbitant amount. I personally know two persons who were hired as trainers in the Monroe techniques--and it's clear that neither of them received any lasting beneficial effect from their training and their work with clients. Because of these factors, it's an open question if serious seekers would waste their money if they purchased Monroe Institute training sessions or products.There is a thriving biofeedback industry, with pricey training programs and pricey machines. Some of the machines run as high as $10,000 and one wonders why someone doesn't produce a reasonably-priced biofeedback machine for the average consumer who is also a serious student of altered states of consciousness.States of Consciousness

Reality Dimension State of Consciousness Activities Leadingto the State

Higher Dimension of Reality Higher State of Consciousness Spiritual contact

Non-Ordinary Dimension of Reality Non-ordinary State of Consciousness Meditation Dreaming Psychedelic Drugs Sex Hypnosis Contemplation of Art Contemplation of Nature

Consensus Reality Ordinary State of Consciousness Physical activity, mental activity

The state of ordinary consciousness, wherein we assume the physical world is the only reality and have no interest in deeper aspects of reality, is the norm in the United States and the world. In the early days of our history, American citizens were interested in understanding what was happening in the world. As a nation of informed citizens, we were able to maintain a form of government which followed the ideal of democracy. That situation continued through the middle part of the twentieth century. Beginning even as early as the 1910s, the rulers of the United States began to change our educational systems so that citizens were no longer capable of or interested in understanding what was happening about them. Ordinary State of Consciousness: American Citizen

Time PeriodMajorParadigmsMajorActivitiesPoliticalStructure

1750 to 1950Attempting to understand the real nature of the physical world and the spiritual worldInformed reading and listeningAppreciation of higher values (art and nature)Some features ofrepublicandemocracy within the general structure of plutocracy(rule bythewealthy)

1950 to 1990No genuine attempt to understand the real nature of the physical world or the spiritual worldNon-education leading to incapacity to read or listenPlutocracy: rule by the wealthy buyingpoliticians

1990 to 2003No interest in understanding the real nature of the physical world or the spiritual world Splatter "reality"IncoherenceConditioning leading to incapacity to read, write, listen, understand, appreciate higher values Splattering of images and sounds Creating incoherent pastiches: e.g. TV commercials with incoherent image flashes Movies with superimposing dialogue, music, and images: e.g. Magnolia Globalism: imperialistic plutocracyTwo distinct economic classes: the rich and the poorAnti-nationalism:fostered by the highestrate of immigration inU.S. history, resulting in ethnic and religious "balkanization"(splintering of the population into divisive, competing units)

The majority of U.S. citizens are currently devolving to lower states of consciousness. The best way to "hear" this devolution is to listen carefully to the atavistic tone of the laughter of American audiences as they watch movies and TV sitcoms involving characters who are murderers but are made to appear sympathetic, persons who delight in mindlessness and brute savagery. Even so, it is possible for interested persons to learn to use advanced procedures which can lead to higher states of consciousness as described in this article. Counterfeit States of "Religious Consciousness"

There have always been persons who pretended to be participants in the mystic tradition who were decidedly not. The same is true in regard to Higher States of consciousness: there are people who experience counterfeit states and try to fool themselves and others that these are genuine. Occurring within all religions, the phenomenon called "conversion" is actually nothing more than mind-control, programming, or brainwashing-- frightening a repentant, submissive person or group into a state of terror and subsequent release. Counterfeit "conversion" experiences were, for example, widely experienced in nineteenth century America, especially in what were called "revivals." Even today, "revivals" of one form or another are used by all so-called Christian faiths in manipulating obedient followers."Conversion" is an artificial, deleterious state induced in a submissive person by a self-serving religious leader. As the basis of his 1914 book entitled The Psychology of Religion, Dr. Edwin D. Starbuck examined a significant number of persons who had undergone the "conversion" experience. He found that"conversion does not occur with the same frequency at all periods in life. It belongs almost exclusively to the years between 10 and 25. The number of instances outside that range appear few and scattered. That is, conversion is a distinctively adolescent phenomenon." Starbuck also discovered that imagination and social pressure were the two dominant factors in "conversion," and he was able to determine what "a small part rational considerations play in conversion as compared with instinctive." Surrender to the religious authority figure (minister or priest) is necessary for "conversion" to occur and results in the subject's ego being "lifted up into new significance." The essence of "conversion" is the induction of a state of mere feeling which, when it has passed, leaves no spiritual improvement and often results in the subject feeling like a victim. Frequently the experience is so humiliating after the fact that the subject rejects not only the "conversion," but anything having to do with religion.Starbuck discovered that the forces working in revivals are identical to suggestion and hypnosis--what we today would call brainwashing. The negative aspects of "conversion" are primarily caused by the self-serving religious leaders."An unwise and unfortunate use of revivals is that they take certain social standards and attempt to force them indiscriminately on all persons alike. The notion is formed, and, doubtless, rightly, that the only means of escape for one whose evil habits are deeply ingrained is through repentance, a definite regeneration and conversion. There seems to be practical ignorance of the other type of conversion, i.e., sudden awakening following the sense of imperfection, and still greater disregard of the fact that it is not natural for certain temperaments to develop spasmodically, or even to exhibit marked stadia in their growth. Consequently, the normal means of regeneration for the wayward and for hardened sinners becomes a dogma, and is held up as the only means of escape for children, for natures spiritually immature, for the virtuous, and for those temperamentally unfit. A certain competition for supremacy among churches, and for success among individual workers, exaggerates the evil. Each new convert is sometimes vulgarly called by revivalists another star in the crowns which they will wear in the future life. If there were only power of discrimination, they would see that their success in dragging many so-called converts into the whirl of excitement, hypnotising them, and leaving them empty afterward, is more fitly likened to the triumph of a man of prowess who wears scalps of victims as trophies."The psychological manipulation of Christian believers has a long history. Leaving aside the peculiar mind manipulation practiced by Roman Catholicism, we can see that the basic tenets of Protestantism, from the time of Luther, were particularly well-suited to inducing terror in a submissive penitent."God," says Luther "is the God of the humble, the miserable, the oppressed, and the desperate, and of those that are brought even to nothing; and his nature is to give sight to the blind, to comfort the broken-hearted, to justify sinners, to save the very desperate and damned. Now that pernicious and pestilent opinion of man's own righteousness, which will not be a sinner, unclean, miserable, and damnable, but righteous and holy, suffereth not God to come to his own natural and proper work. Therefore God must take this maul to hand (the law, I mean) to beat in pieces and bring to nothing this beast with her vain confidence, that she may so learn at length by her own misery that she is utterly forlorn and damned. But here lieth the difficulty, that when a man is terrified and cast down, he is so little able to raise himself up again and say, 'Now I am bruised and afflicted enough; now is the time of grace; now is the time to hear Christ.' The foolishness of man's heart is so great that then he rather seeketh to himself more laws to justify his conscience. 'If I live,' saith he, 'I will amend my life: I will do this, I will do that.' But here, except thou do the quite contrary, except thou send Moses away with his law, and in these terrors and this anguish lay hold upon Christ who died for thy sins, look for no salvation. Thy cowl, thy shaven crown, thy chastity, thy obedience, thy poverty, thy works, thy merits? what shall all these do? what shall the law of Moses avail? If I, wretched and damnable sinner, through works of merits could have loved the Son of God, and so come to him, what needed he to deliver himself for me? If I, being a wretch and damned sinner, could be redeemed by any other price, what needed the Son of God to be given? But because there was no other price, therefore he delivered neither sheep, ox, gold, nor silver, but even God himself, entirely and wholly 'for me,' even 'for me,' I say a miserable, wretched sinner. Now therefore, I take comfort and apply this to myself. And this manner of applying is the very true force and power of faith. For he died not to justify the righteous, but the un-righteous, and to make them the children of God.'"Commentary on GalatiansIn the nineteenth century this Protestant dogma so suitable to psychological manipulation was refashioned by revivalists such as Jonathan Edwards. His tormented parishioners left their nail marks as they gripped the church pews in paroxysms of terror while listing to Edwards rail about "Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God."In the genuine mystical tradition, regeneration is the genuine state of higher consciousness achieved by the sincere seeker, of which "conversion" is the counterfeit."Hermetism. . . was in its primary intention and office the philosophic and exact science of the regeneration of the human soul from its present sense-immersed state into the perfection and nobility of that divine condition in which it was originally created." M. A. Atwood, Hermetic Philosophy and Alchemy, 1850

Starbuck, Coe, and other researchers into the phenomenon of "conversion" discovered that it was essentially an experience of compliant adolescents, men and women who had not yet developed the ability to think and act for themselves. In the mystical tradition, candidates for "regeneration" must be mature philosophers--lovers of wisdom--in the sense that Pythagoras and Plato would have understood the term."Candidates for the regenerate life, moreover, were such as were prepared, as how few of to-day are?, to renounce and transvalue all the world's values, to step entirely out of the world-stream by the current of which the majority are content to be borne along, to negate the affirmations of the senses and natural reason which for the multitude provide the criterion of the desirable and the true, and generally to adopt towards phenomenal existence an attitude incomprehensible to the average man to whom that existence is of paramount moment. They were animated by no motives of merely personal salvation or of spiritual superiority over their fellows; on the contrary they will be found to have been the humblest, as they were the wisest, of men. They had advanced far beyond that complacent stage where religion consists in fidelity to certain credal propositions and in 'being good' or as good as one can, and where sufficiency and robustness of faith are represented by the facile optimism of 'God's in His heaven; all's right with the world.' Their philosophic basis was rather that 'the world is out of joint' and all men with it, and in a condition sorely needing saviours and co-operators with God to reduce and adjust the dislocation."M. A. Atwood, Hermetic Philosophy and Alchemy, 1850

We must understand that "regeneration" is an actual fact within the mystical tradition, no mere allegory or metaphor. As we have been "generated" in the physical world, so we can--through the proper preparation and knowledge--experience "regeneration" into a Higher Consciousness. Even though we have become entranced by the physical world, there still abides in us, though in a state of atrophy, a residual germ of the divine principle which can be stimulated into activity to raise the personal consciousness to the point of unity and identity with the Universal Mind.

The Evolutionary Function of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness

A number of modern mystical teachers have pointed out that the next phase of human evolution will involve higher states of consciousness involving superseding of the old structures of time, space, and false consciousness. If this vision of human evolution is true--and other authentic spiritual leaders posit similar views--then the achievement of non-ordinary, higher states of consciousness becomes a necessity, not merely a pleasant option. Though ordinary humans are rapidly losing the ability to understand reality, a small contemporary group is developing supernormal powers through revitalizing the Perennial Tradition.There is now present an entirely new factor in human evolution which began about ten thousand years ago. Whereas up to that time, human evolution had been primarily powered by unconscious physical and social stimuli, it is now possible for human evolution to be advanced through conscious effort.Perennialists are a race of adventurers, dwelling invisibly among mankind, who have evolved to the point of being able to deliberately and actively return to the divine Fount of Reality. They have attained Being, union with the One, and teach these mysteries to authentic seekers. Because of this, they have a unique importance for the human race in revealing humankind's full potential and how this potential can be realized.

Notes:1 Rosenzweig, Mark R. "Experience, Memory, and the Brain." American Psychologist, April 19842 Ferchmin, P.A., and V.A. Eterovic. "Four Hours of Enriched Experience Are Sufficient to Increase Cortical Weight of Rats." Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, Vol. 6, p. 8573 Diamond's study of the brain of Albert Einstein showed that his brain contained more glial cells per neuron in all four of the brain areas compared with samples from brains of eleven normal males ranging from age forty-seven to eighty.Marian Diamond. "A Love Affair With the Brain." Discover, May, 1984 4 Weil, Andrew. (1972). The Natural Mind, p. 295 Ibid., p. 29 6 Ibid., p. 297 Non-positive elements such as physiological injury or fasting sometimes produce positive non-ordinary consciousness: e.g. near-death experiences, hallucinations8 Alcohol, nicotine, and "hard drugs" (drugs shown by authentic research to produce physiological harm or addiction) produce negative non-ordinary consciousness: aggression, motor disfunction, mental illness, etc. 9 Pollan, Michael. (2001). The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World