Thread: theta brainwave wild advice

In Zen masters achieving greater theta activity is still a process that occurs while awake, and the limited time spent there is unlikely to be beneficial to lucid dreaming in someone who hasn't spent 20+ years meditating.

As for theta while sleeping, or entering dream states, it will occur and pass naturally, and with few effects.


I was hard-pressed to find something decent on theta and Zen monks. What I found, published in the Journal Of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, suggests that they receive many health benefits from their deep relaxation techniques (as would be expected) but indicates nothing for the world of dreaming.

Zen meditation: an integration of cu... [J Altern Complement Med. 2009] - PubMed - NCBI

J Altern Complement Med. 2009 May;15(5):585-92.

Zen meditation: an integration of current evidence.

Chiesa A.


Source

Institute of Psychiatry, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. [email protected]


Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Despite the growing interest in the neurobiological and clinical correlates of many meditative practices, in particular mindfulness meditations, no review has specifically focused on current evidence on electroencephalographic, neuroimaging, biological, and clinical evidence about an important traditional practice, Zen meditation.

METHODS:

A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE, the ISI Web of Knowledge, the Cochrane collaboration database, and references of selected articles. Randomized controlled and cross-sectional studies with controls published in English prior to May 2008 were included.

RESULTS:

Electroencephalographic studies on Zen meditation found increased alpha and theta activity, generally related to relaxation, in many brain regions, including the frontal cortex. Theta activity in particular seemed to be related to the degree of experience, being greater in expert practitioners and advanced masters. Moreover, Zen meditation practice could protect from cognitive decline usually associated with age and enhance antioxidant activity. From a clinical point of view, Zen meditation was found to reduce stress and blood pressure, and be efficacious for a variety of conditions, as suggested by positive findings in therapists and musicians.

CONCLUSION:

To date, actual evidence about Zen meditation is scarce and highlights the necessity of further investigations. Comparison with further active treatments, explanation of possible mechanisms of action, and the limitations of current evidence are discussed

So, as I said above,

It's unlikely you will get to spend time in "theta" but your efforts are very good for relaxing your body and reducing stress prior to sleeping. This in itself may help you achieve WILD more easily, and if nothing else will make for healthy and restorative sleep. Can't go wrong with that.

Thank you guys for your helpful posts. For some odd reason, my browser keeps blocking certain pieces of your posts with a 404 error. Only certain parts though, so I can still get the gist and info. If yall know anything thats up with that, it'd be nice to know. lol. Yes. I realize it may be difficult, but I've never felt closer to reaching my goal. And if it isn't specifically Theta, I'd like to get to MABA at least, which should serve the same purpose. I've also had the good habit of leaving helpfull self suggestions and anchors whenever I'm in this deep state as well so hopefully that will help me get deeper and deeper continuously. lol Either way, I'm so close I can practically taste it. And I'm going to find this state of mind and achieve my goal no matter what. I appreciate the help and I know now(as if I DIDN'T know before. lol) that this community is probably going to be the tipping point to get me there quicker and more efficiently than ever.

And I also assumed that if you were in MABA, that you were automatically in Theta. This seems to be the majority view among things I have seen and read, but I suppose that since our brains constantly shuffle between all waves, that this might not be true. lol




-Merged by Sivason-

Originally Posted by jbtaylor

......The partial sp didn't last long at all, and as quickly as it came, it had left. I don't KNOW FOR SURE if it was really sp or not because I didn't try to move because I didn't wanna screw up everything. lol. but I definitely had that lead blanket feeling, and the rest of my body was numb or very heavy. D

Good for you! Here is a point I often make about SP. For most people SP while aware in WILD feels exactly like you describe. It is no more complex than that! You can and will be able to break the SP state by trying to move, so do not move! SP is not something you test to make sure. Get that lead blanket feeling, know you are in SP and move on to other things. If you decided to try and move you would be setting yourself back, so good job, keep it up!