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Understanding Brainwaves

Your brain produces electrical activity that we can measure and train with neurofeedback. This guide explains each brainwave type, what it does, and how it relates to your training.

Why Brainwaves Matter

Different brainwave frequencies correspond to different mental states. By training your brain to produce more (or less) of certain frequencies at specific locations, we can help optimize:

  • Sleep quality
  • Focus and attention
  • Stress resilience
  • Emotional regulation
  • Mental clarity
  • Peak performance

Understanding brainwaves helps you make sense of your QEEG brain map and why we choose specific protocols for you

What is a QEEG?

EEG (Electroencephalography) measures electrical activity of the brain using sensors on the scalp.

QEEG (Quantitative EEG) processes raw EEG data across 19 sites and compares it to a normative database of thousands of healthy brains, highlighting deviations.

  • Creates color-coded brain maps for each brainwave type
  • Colors correspond to Z-scores (standard deviations from normal)
  • QEEG characteristics are generally stable across time — while your daily state changes, your brain's baseline doesn't change much compared to population norms

Brainwave Summary

Wave Frequency State Training Goal
Delta 0.5-4 Hz Deep sleep, repair Usually inhibit
Theta 4-7 Hz Daydream, creativity Inhibit (or reward in AT)
Alpha 8-12 Hz Relaxed alertness Reward for calm
SMR 12-15 Hz Calm focus Primary reward for most
Beta 15-20 Hz Active thinking Reward for focus
High Beta 20-35 Hz Intense processing Usually inhibit
Gamma 35+ Hz Integration Advanced training

Delta Waves (0.5-4 Hz)

The slowest brainwaves.

Characteristics

  • Associated with cerebral spinal fluid pulsing, autonomic functions (heartbeat, breathing)
  • Brain defaults to delta when there's tissue damage
  • Shows up in deep meditation or dreamless sleep
  • During prominent delta, brain best able to heal and regenerate body

Distribution

  • Broad, diffused, bilateral

Associated States

Normal Pathological
Deep dreamless sleep Trauma
Trance state Toxicity
Unconscious Neuropathy
Deep meditation Brain injury

In Training

Delta is typically inhibited in neurofeedback (we want less of it during waking training). Exception: Some deep state work.

Theta Waves (4-7 Hz)

The second slowest brainwave.

Characteristics

  • Involved with memory retrieval, receptive attention, deep meditation, subconscious thought, creativity
  • High clinical significance — often produced in excess by those with attention regulation issues (ADHD)
  • Present in meditation and sleep
  • Edison's "creativity" state — he would hold ball bearings and doze until they dropped, waking him with theta insights

Distribution

  • Regional, can involve many lobes

Associated States

Normal Excess
Intuitive, creative Distracted, unfocused
Recall, fantasy "Spacey"
Dreamlike, reverie ADHD-like symptoms
Flow state access Attention problems

In Training

  • Usually inhibited (4-7 Hz low inhibit band) in SMR training
  • Rewarded in Alpha-Theta for deep state work, trauma processing, creativity
  • Excess theta at central sites = common ADHD signature

Alpha Waves (8-12 Hz)

The "idling" frequency.

Characteristics

  • Produced when awake and conscious, but not processing anything in particular
  • Associated with being in present moment, calmness, alertness, awareness
  • Resting rhythm of visual system — increases when eyes closed
  • Largest at occipital sites (O1, O2)
  • Characteristic waxing and waning pattern

Peak Alpha Frequency

Age Peak
Adults ~10 Hz
7-year-olds Below 9 Hz
Elderly Slightly slower

Children and elders produce slightly slower brainwaves than adults.

In Training

  • Rewarded at Fz-Pz (6.5-9.5 Hz) for anxiety, downshift
  • Rewarded in Alpha-Theta (8-11 Hz) for deep relaxation
  • Alpha at Pz supports relaxation and processing speed

SMR - Sensory Motor Rhythm (12-15 Hz)

Unique brainwave produced ONLY by the sensorimotor strip.

Characteristics

  • Produced ONLY at Cx sites (C3, Cz, C4) in the 10-20 system
  • If measuring 12-15 Hz elsewhere, it is NOT SMR
  • Highly regulatory for other brain regions
  • SMR state is like a "cat at window watching a bird" — still, liquid body, laser-like focus
  • Only produced when still and not physically moving — opposite of ADHD state

Also Called

  • "14 Hz rhythm"
  • "Tansey rhythm"

Research

Much neurofeedback literature covers training up SMR for:

  • ADHD
  • Seizure reduction
  • Sleep improvement
  • Emotional regulation

In Training

SMR is the primary reward band for most neurofeedback protocols.

Site Typical Reward
C4-A1 12-15 Hz
Cz-A1 11.5-14.5 Hz

Beta Waves (12-32 Hz)

The second fastest brainwave range.

Characteristics

  • Involved in higher-ordered thinking, processing, planning, decision making
  • Dominant in wakefulness, consciousness directed toward outside world
  • High energy waves

Sub-bands

Band Frequency State
Low Beta / SMR 12-15 Hz Fast idle, relaxed focus
Beta 15-20 Hz Intense engagement, problem solving
High Beta 20-35 Hz Complex thought, may indicate alertness OR agitation

In Training

  • Low beta (12-15): Rewarded for calm focus
  • Beta (15-18): Rewarded at C3 for attention, energy
  • High beta (20+): Usually inhibited — excess indicates overarousal

Gamma Waves (35+ Hz)

The fastest brainwave, least understood.

Characteristics

  • As frequency increases, amplitude decreases — gamma is smallest
  • Extremely difficult to measure accurately (attenuates through skull/skin/hair)
  • No commercially available hardware measures it accurately — requires expensive research-grade equipment

Associated With

  • Multiple brain areas communicating, consolidating information
  • Very present in states of love and compassion
  • May be implicated in consciousness
  • Can study via coupling with Theta

In Training

Gamma is rarely directly trained. Advanced protocols may address it through other means.

Arousal Patterns

Over-Arousal

Corresponds to:

  • Anxiety
  • Sleep issues
  • Nightmares
  • Aggression
  • Impulsivity
  • Nerve pain

Under-Arousal

Associated with:

  • Depression
  • Attention issues
  • Insomnia (paradoxically)
  • Low energy

How Neurofeedback Works

Various mood disorders and physical ailments have common brainwave profiles. Through neurofeedback:

  1. Desirable brainwaves are rewarded
  2. Brain learns to produce more balanced profile
  3. Alteration of brainwaves leads to alteration of symptoms

Neurofeedback Timeline

Milestone What to Expect
5-6 sessions Start noticing changes. Often vivid/detailed/story-driven dreams (sign of neuroplasticity)
~13 sessions (1 month) More noticeable effects — sleep architecture, clarity of thinking, energy, reduced anxiety
20 sessions (1.5 months) Early gains reaching stability. Common to see 1+ standard deviation change in QEEG data
40+ sessions Gains likely stable/long-lasting. Noticeable shift toward initial goals

Recommended: 3x/week for 3-4 months (40-52 sessions) for long-lasting results.

Same Protocol, Different Effects

Individual Variation

The same protocol given to two different people can produce completely different effects, depending on their baseline brain activity.

This is why:

  • QEEG data is essential for guiding protocol selection
  • Client's subjective experiences matter
  • Goals inform protocol choice
  • We iterate and adjust based on response

Goal: Create the most desired change in fewest sessions — but it still takes time.

Frequency Band Quick Reference

Typical Rewards (65% rate)

Band Frequency State
Alpha 6.5-9.5 or 8-11 Hz Idling, flow, relaxing, meditative
Beta-SMR 11-14 or 12-15 Hz Calm focus, soft body sharp mind, attuned
Beta 15-18 Hz Attentive focus, actively engaged

Typical Low Inhibits (25-30%)

Band Frequency What It Means
Theta 4-7 Hz Daydreaming, spaciness, early sleep, creativity. Focusing lowers this.
Mid-Beta 12-20 Hz Busy mind, ruminating, anxiety hum

Typical High Inhibit (15%)

Band Frequency What It Means
High Beta 20-32 or 22-34 or 24-36 Hz Racing thoughts, overarousal, tension. Relaxing lowers this.

No Truly 'Bad' Brainwave

We're in and out of all brainwaves all the time. Context matters — theta during creativity is good; theta when trying to focus is not.

This guide compiled from Peak Brain's clinical knowledge base and 10 years of neurofeedback experience.