Reiki and Brain Waves

Article by Ranjini Rao

How exactly does Reiki work with respect to the different brain waves? Let’s start with what these different brain waves are and what they do.

There are five different brain waves: Alpha, Beta, Delta, Theta, and Gamma

Alpha waves occur in our brain when the brain is in a resting state or dormant state, such as when we are sitting still with thoughts in our head, or when we are sleeping with little to no dreaming. Alpha is related to as the “Power of Now”, meaning being in the present. These waves are very useful in aiding the overall mental coordination, calmness, alertness, mind/body integration, and learning. It helps us stay calm and collected in order to perform whatever task required or just relax.

Beta waves are always present in a being’s normal waking state of consciousness, i.e., when he/she is just waking up from a deep slumber and is gaining slow consciousness and is alert about the world around them. Beta is a ‘fast’ activity, which is present when we are alert, attentive, engaged in problem-solving, judgment, decision making, and in general just focused on high thinking required activities. It is also usually experienced when one is anxious, excited, or while experiencing new experiences. Continuous high frequency in the brain is not a very good or healthy way to run the brain as it can wear out the functions, because it uses a high amount of energy.

Delta waves are the slowest of the brain waves, but also the loudest. They are generated in one’s brain when they are in the deepest form of meditation or when they are in a dreamless slumber. These waves release an external awareness and are the core source of empathy anyone feels. Healing and regeneration of the mind occurs in this state, which is why restorative sleep is said to be essential for those needing healing.

Theta waves also occur when one is sleeping, but also during a deep form of meditation. It acts as a gateway to learning something new and storing it in memory. In theta, our senses are often found to be withdrawn from the external world and are more focused on the signals from within our bodies. It is that state we experience between sleeping and just waking up. During theta, we are in a dream: imagery, intuition, and information are beyond our awareness. It’s where we hold on to our fears, nightmares, and troubled histories.

Gamma waves are the fastest of brain waves among all five. They relate to simultaneous processing of information from different areas of the brain. It passes information at a very high speed in the form of subtle brain frequencies. Gamma rhythms also often tend to disappear under the influence of anesthesia. How such fast waves are generated remains a mystery, and hence is related to ‘expanded’ consciousness and a ‘spiritual emergence’.

Now how are these different brain waves related to Reiki?

What happens when Reiki is performed on a person?

When someone performs Reiki, they are pulsing the magnetic fields of the brain of the person in focus, which is said to jumpstart the healing of tissues, bones, and/or other body parts. And in this process, the brain waves of energy therapists synchronize with the earth’s magnetic field. When the therapist is channeling Reiki, it is important for them to be conscious of their brain wavelengths because when the brain waves are slower, more healing can be achieved. An alpha state is said to aimed for. In this state, one is able to let go of the junk that resides in the mind, and as this is not required to be passed on, it is better to let go of it. The Delta state is said to be the best for a ‘deep healing’.

Hence, it is vital for a healer to sit in a meditative state before starting a healing process on anyone, so as to shift the brain waves from Beta to Alpha, Theta, or even better, Delta. This information was discovered while I was learning Silva Life System Meditation practice and knowing Reiki from a long time, I could see the connectedness & common aspect in both the systems -‘the brain waves’ have a critical role to play in calming the mind and inducing stillness in the body.

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Ranjini Rao is an independent wellness counselor, who imparts Reiki knowledge and other self-empowerment techniques to individuals looking for serving their life’s purpose and to unlock the potential of their mind. She coaches on mindfulness practices through NLP, meditation, and mandala art painting. Prior to this, she was serving as a Marketing strategy Consultant @ IBM Interactive Experience & Mobile, Global Delivery Services. She has served in several roles within IBM India over 15 years and has over 20+ years of Industry experience and her specialization is Digital & Social Media Marketing Strategy coaching and consulting. Her personal experiences around Reiki have been life-changing and transformational in nature.
She has been a pious person and spiritually inclined soul since a young age. She was an intuitive channel since 1995 even before she realized it. She has been associated with various philanthropy community activities and developed her interests in holistic healing since 2008. She is a Usui and Karuna® Reiki Certified Master, Certified Holistic Well-being Counsellor, TA101 Certified by ITAA, Angel therapy practitioner, Certified NLP practitioner, self-taught artist, and Silva Method Practitioner.

You can reach her at www.srishtivataarts.blogspot.com and on Twitter @iampositive2k, Facebook page Srishti Vataa Healing & Art Studio and by email to srishtivataarts@gmail.com.