siffert at shell. (Curt Siffert) writes:
>Can anyone tell me why alpha waves are considered a good thing? I'm
>trying to do some serious research on alpha waves (as well as delta,
>theta, beta, sre, and high beta), and everything that turns up on the
>web just keeps on talking about "peak performance" and how you can never
>have enough alpha. It's annoying. I am in an extremely high alpha
>state all the time and it makes it very hard to concentrate and focus,
>and it also contributes to anxiety and problems with sleep, as well
>as being a major mental block in creativity. Now I'm concerned because
>I'm going through EEG Biofeedback to calm the alpha waves down and I
>feel like I don't understand what is going on. Can anyone tell me more
>about alpha waves and how (when) it can be too much of a good thing?
>And/or direct me to some *good* resources about this sort of thing
>(that I don't need a degree in neuroscience to understand)? Should
>I consider seeing a neurologist about this?
Oh boy. Alpha waves are alpha waves, and no value judgments should be
associated with them or any other type of brain activity. :)
But seriously, I think you have confused your brain states and brain
waves. Alpha is only enhanced when you are awake but "resting". I find
it difficult to believe that you are having anxiety and sleep problems
and are in a "high alpha" state. It sounds like you have gotten involved
with mental practices that are very harmful to yourself. My non-medical,
un-professional, but hopefully practical advice is to stop and go see a
good therapist.
Kevin
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Kevin Spencer
Cognitive Psychophysiology Laboratory and Beckman Institute
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
kspencer at s.psych.uiuc.edu
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