Beta: 12 – 30 Hz
BETA BRAINWAVE:
ALERTNESS CONCENTRATION COGNITION
We are in this frequency when we are wide-awake and this is normally the state we live day-to-day from the time we wake up until the time we go to sleep. This frequency range predominantly focuses our attention on the external physical reality.
Chemicals stimulating this brainwave activity include nicotine, caffeine and amphetamines. In Beta we don’t often think about future consequences and we most probably react in the now.
This is often the state in which most Western cultures operate and the increase in mental, emotional and physical disorders not seen so much in the East could be the effect.
Although this state is most often uneventful it can be very helpful when working with mental/emotional disorders including depression and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) as well as increasing our IQ.
Within this band there is SMR (sensorimotor rhythm 12 –15 Hz) that relates specifically to body motion and increasing this can result in relaxed focus, improved attentive abilities.
Beta 1 which is 15 – 20 Hz can help to increase our mental abilities, IQ and increase our focus and Beta 2 which is 20 – about 30 Hz is when we are highly alert, but also anxious