Consciousness & Psychic Abilities

By Peter Shepherd

The frequency of brain waves in the cortex has a lot to do with the state of consciousness that is being experienced. There are four main frequency ranges and corresponding states:

During normal waking consciousness, with focused thinking going on, the dominant frequency is Beta, from 14-30 Hz. This state is associated with concentration and alertness, and at times with anxiety. It's usually at least a bit left-brain dominant.

As we become more relaxed, the brain wave activity slows into the Alpha range, from 8-13 Hz. At the higher end, thought remains focused and at the lower end it moves into a more reflective, 'day dreaming' state. In Alpha the mind is quieter and the left and right brain hemispheres are in more balanced and open communication - so it is easier to recognize intuitive feelings and images and memories from the Subconscious that would normally be out of the focus of attention. So it is a more open focus.

Slower still are Theta waves, between 4-7 Hz, as we relax our mind further and detach even more from our external reality. This is a mind state that we all enter just before falling asleep and immediately after waking, whilst we still remember our dreams, after which the brain soon awakens to a higher frequency and the memory vanishes. Theta is also the frequency of dreaming sleep and the left and right brains become highly synchronised, acting as one. Often solutions to problems just 'magically' appear. When we are in deep Alpha or high Theta - the 'twilight state' between waking and sleep - the brain is very receptive to learning, and there is a reduction of ego defenses. If we obtain this state through deep meditation, it is easier to have self-less or 'integrative' experiences.

The slowest brain wave pattern is Delta, that of dreamless sleep, below 4Hz. When we relax even further the mind enters the domain of the unconscious so we normally fall asleep. However with appropriate training it becomes possible to remain alert in this state - a very trance-like, non-physical state, sometimes called 'mind awake/body asleep' - and experience one's spiritual self and its connection and oneness with universal consciousness and its source, God.

Gerald O'Donnell was one of the first researchers to reveal the connection between the universal mind and the Delta/Sleep (1-4 Hz) brain wave state. His courses teach how to access this source of our being. For many people, connecting up in this way this stimulates an inate psychic ability to view remotely through space and even through time.

We all have psychic abilities, like we all have the ability to drive a car. But if we don't learn to drive, the car stays in the garage. Psychic abilities are skills and don't automatically result from handling conflicts of belief and identity and so on - though such handlings may be necessary to release blocks to our abilities, which we may have brought into this life and affect our 'natural talent.' However, the required skills still need to be learned and practiced through to competence.

One of the things people expect to get from their work on the spiritual path is psychic abilities. They expect them to magically switch on and for most people, this doesn't happen. For some it does, just as there are infants born with fantastic musical or math skills. For some it never will, as their brains and genes are just not lined up appropriately or they have deep-seated personal case issues to handle first. To assist in changing the mindset that is necessary to perceive spiritually, i.e. with a wider viewpoint than the body's senses, we suggest daily use of the tools at Love is All You Need, as it opens up new dimensions of experience and so introduces many questions can be answered by recourse to one's inner knowing.

Raise Your Vibration This is something Peter put together that is close to his heart. It's a free daily meditation program to help you make the state of unconditional love an integrated part of your life, which is key to lasting joy and fulfillment. Plus check out Your Inner Truth, a phenomenal range of journaling tools to help you find the truth of your situation. You may feel stressed, or confused, there may be a lot going on and choices to make that seem a bit overwhelming. Or you may simply need time with yourself, to decide what is it you really want... and just who are you, really?