Have you ever considered at what time you are the most creative or when your mind is highly productive? For some people it is when they just wake up in the morning or when they are about to go to sleep. Others find that they are most creative in the shower or when relaxing in the bath. I have also found that people are creative when they are driving along the highway or going for a relaxing walk. Interestingly, not many people actually state that they are most creative when at work, which could be the reason why our abilities to solve problems and create new opportunities are usually stifled by our work environments.
The key to achieving a highly creative and productive mind is to move into a relaxed state of being, that is, when your mind enters the Alpha state. The Alpha state occurs when your brainwaves run at about 8 to 12 cycles per second or hertz. It is defined as the borderline between conscious and subconscious activity – the period when we are just about to fall asleep or when we slowly and naturally wake up. The Alpha state is associated with deep relaxation, heightened intuition and creative flow.
The normal conscious state of 13 to 25 hertz is called the Beta state. The beta state is when we are awake as we go about our daily lives. Just below the Alpha level, is the Theta state which is even slower than Alpha at 3.5 to 7 hertz, and an even deeper sense of relaxation. Slower still is the state of sleep which is called the Delta state at 0.5 to 3.5 hertz.
By inducing the Alpha state and maintaining this state for long periods without falling asleep, we can become highly creative and productive in our minds. During this heightened state of awareness, the mind is clear and calm, receptive to information, and therefore able to rapidly make connections that result in new ideas and thoughts. The Alpha brainwave state induces higher intelligence and enhanced memory retrieval, increasing brain processing power. The mind also becomes focused and able to solve problems almost effortlessly.
A number of methods exist that allow you to enter and remain in the Alpha state of mind. Following are two of the most common methods that I have used to induce the Alpha state that allows you to begin to generate new ideas, solve problems and make new connections.
Relaxation Through Breathing (Dr Benson’s Relaxation Response)
- Seated in a comfortable chair with feet on the floor close your eyes and relax your body
- Take deep breaths using the 4-7-8 method (breathe in from your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and breathe out slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds)
- Mentally focus on a single item or stimulus, while continuing to breathe deeply for 5-10 minutes
- Move into a meditative state letting go of your thoughts and clearing your mind
- New ideas, solutions and connections will emerge (record your thoughts immediately)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
- Relax each part of your body from the top of your head to your toes, progressively relaxing each of your muscles
- With your eyes closed, count backwards from 21 to 1 breathing slowly
- Clear your mind of active thoughts and relax
- New thoughts will begin to emerge (record your thoughts immediately)
Try the two techniques above and see what emerges. By frequently practicing the lost art of inducing the Alpha state we will strengthen our ability to use our heightened state of mind and begin to generate new ideas, productive thoughts and creative inspiration.
Dr John Kapeleris
