#brain #neurotech #neuroscience Created at 110723 # [Anonymous feedback](https://www.admonymous.co/louis030195) # [[Epistemic status]] #shower-thought Last modified date: 110723 Commit: 0 # Related - [[Gamma waves]] # Brain waves Brain waves are patterns of electrical activity occurring in the brain. They are produced by the synchronised activity of thousands or millions of neurons in the brain that communicate with each other. Brain waves can be detected using an electroencephalogram (EEG) and are usually divided into five different categories, depending on their frequency: Alpha, Beta, Theta, Delta and [[Gamma waves]]. | Brain Wave | Frequency Range | Associated States | |------------|-----------------|-------------------| | Delta | 0.5 - 4 Hz | Deep sleep, healing, and regeneration | | Theta | 4 - 8 Hz | Light sleep, meditation, creativity, and REM sleep | | Alpha | 8 - 12 Hz | Relaxation, calmness, and not actively focusing | | Beta | 12 - 30 Hz | Active thinking, focus, alertness, and problem solving | | Gamma | 30 - 100 Hz | High-level information processing, learning, memory, and perception | Brain waves occur throughout the entire brain, not just in one specific part. They are produced by synchronized electrical pulses from masses of neurons communicating with each other. Different types of brain waves can be more prominent or less prominent in certain areas of the brain depending on what the person is doing. For example, alpha waves are typically detected in the posterior regions of the brain during relaxed and calm states, theta waves are often associated with the hippocampus area during memory tasks, beta waves are typically detected in the frontal regions of the brain when we are focusing our attention or thinking actively, and delta waves are often associated with deep sleep stages. Gamma waves, the fastest frequency, are thought to involve virtually all parts of the brain in the process of binding or integrating different sets of information. They are associated with tasks requiring higher cognitive functioning and processing.