Brain Waves and the Stimulation of Motivation/Creativity
November 1st, 2007 | Posted in blog 13 Comments »
I listened to virtual rain fall for several hours today, trying to determine whether the pitter-patter of the falling rain is, as the Writer’s Mind CD says, stimulating the Alpha waves of my brain and causing my motivation and creative synapses to fire with extra pep as I write.
Honestly, I can’t tell. The Writer’s Mind CD is supposed to stimulate your brain waves to give you both creativity (by selecting Track 1) or motivation (by selecting Track 2), but it just sounds like rain to me. But even the falling rain seems to focus my attention. It tricks me into really thinking it’s raining outside, which makes me feel cozy inside my safe shelter.
To be fair, the falling rain is just a mask over the frequencies that would probably otherwise be intolerable to listen to. In a nutshell, here’s how the technology is supposed to work. Your brain emits different wave patterns (Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta) based on moods. The Delta frequencies you emit during sleep contrast with the Alpha frequencies you emit during more creative states. So if you can refocus those Delta waves into Alpha waves, maybe you’ll stop falling asleep at your desk and instead feel motivated to write.
Someone just sent me the CD for free. Check out their site — Writers Mind — if you’re interested. It seems a bit gimmicky to me, and if were really true that you could transport yourself into a creative state through these practically inaudible frequencies, then there would also be CDs out there to remove anger, help you sleep, motivate you to exercise, compel you spend money, etc. (actually, there probably already are these CDs).
I think that if this technology works, it has a 10 percent or less effect on my actual thoughts. The human mind is complex. We may emit certain frequencies based on our moods, but it doesn’t mean that hearing those frequencies will have the reverse effect of changing our moods.
However, despite my skepticism, I have to admit that I keep playing the CD whenever I don’t feel like writing, and it seems to help a little, if nothing more than to provide white noise to blanket out other talk going on. I prefer music when I write, and this soundtrack (a rain downpour) provides the audible without any distracting words.
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Tags: brain waves, Creativity, motivation, music, Technical Writing, the zone, Writers Mind
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I wish there was something to make me feel less sleepy when i work or study.
Things can be so damn boring.
This is a long reply but at least I feel it’s worth it.
I have been writing for a living for so long, always have listened to something in the background to control & satisfy my mind’s need to collect unnecessary sounds and inspire unnecessary thoughts to interfere with my writing. Music has always soothed me and left me free to create.
I write on deadline and not. I’m sharing in the spirit of the holidays so read on my fellow writers…. This is a gift from heaven as far as I am concerned and how does that saying go… ‘Tis better to give than receive… Here’s my share, my gift to all of you. Really. Take it as you may, I am very sincere here.
I have found something I actually can say I am excited about which I know will assist many of you if it is available to share to the public, so I do hope you will read my little story. IT WILL HELP, I swear on my fingers and my paychecks…
Since so many people right here on this lovely site have been speaking about a very specific something I can actually be of help with.
Hear Me On This Everybody…. I am not fooling around here. I am a writer as are we all and recently I suffered a broken back. Stopped me in my tracks. Life is so strange and yet wonderful as well we all know.
I have done so much research due to my physical state at present, trying to find that magic bullet to open the doorway to any productive thoughts past the pain and inconvenience of this condition and here’s what I found… It’s an answer to what ails the ‘blank paper syndrome’! Not kidding.. read on fellow writers, please — in an effort to open your creativity and save yourself….
There IS an actual, physical tool for help with what ails your non-productive hand/mind!
There is a CD called Michel’s MindWaveScapes, or just MindWaveScapes. I hope the folks have not changed that title, but I know I can get some of these things if I call my friend who gave them to me.
I have what my friend called ‘prototype copies’, created by a brilliant composer and a researcher/neuroscientist. Imagine that now. These are a FANTASTIC tool for giving your brain the uummph to go go go and write; Without the mind chatter in the background or anything else for that matter.
There are two cd’s they have done I know of, so far. One for what I have called the morning, (their #2cd) when I need to get clear and produce and the other for settling down and relaxing into whatever the thought pattern is I have going or to be able to ‘turn it off’ and sleep/meditate (their #1cd).
Yes,I too meditate but these things are a step beyond simple meditation and they don’t interfere with whatever you have going on. They increase the ‘potency’ of it, for lack of a better term.
The people who have created the cd’s have done so, I am told, to assist with healing various diseases and reprogram the brain to work effectively in medical cases involving brain trauma and “orphan diseases” where not much study has been done but where the part of the brain affected by the disease or trauma can be identified and re-patterned. Like Alzheimer’s, Myasthenia Gravis, Parkinson’s and addictions.
It just so happens that the parts of the brain they are dealing with are also the same ones used by everybody to relax, be in control of your thoughts and the creative thought process. BINGO!
I figured if the thing works on brain damaged people then how far off could it be? I was right and I am thrilled with the results I have gotten from the listening.
You use the thing with stereo earphones. Let me tell you something… It WORKS. Plain and simple. I am NOT a neuro physician, I’m a writer/journalist, my work having been published/used since 1981 in major media outlets worldwide (mags and journals) as well as News Media such as UPITN, Voice of America, BBC & Fox. I have written for all of the major NYC papers as well as countlesss local pieces all over the world. I write. I create. I am.
Since I broke my back, yes I did silly me, I have been rather limited to where I am able to travel and what, therefore I am able to write about.
Although I have written/published fiction, I really prefer to do at least fact based pieces. We write what our audience will pay for and then some… You all know what I mean.
So here I am, sitting going crazy with the mind chatter and this wonderful friend hands me these two cd’s.
No formal cover and only the name and copywrite on them.
He told me to experiment with them and get back to him. Well… I certainly did.
I am thrilled with the results I have achieved in just clearing my mind and being able to write as if I had nothing burdening me. I am also able to sleep and remember my dreams, as before I had a bit of trouble with that.
I have looked for a “program” or a cd to do this all over the internet and all of the ‘demos’ I have paid ‘shipping and handling’ for to get to my ears, have been a load of manure. There are a bunch of companies who have jumped on the bandwagon for meditation and “joyous living” etc. but these cd’s are unlike anything I have experienced.
The cd’s they have done, so far as I know, are hard to get but will soon be available all over the place. I know the person who gave them to me was concerned with my health, as I said I have a broken back (I’m healing well, thank you) but he knows I am not a person to sit on my duff and not do anything.
I’m a writer/journalist/traveler and now being confined to mostly sitting, he was afraid I would go and do more damage to myself.
He gave me the two cd’s he said were available now and I am forever grateful.
The first one is used to relax and really regenerate. I understand it helps with high blood pressure and what so many of the other cd’s out there call “deep meditation”. (Phooey on the others. As I said, I have tried quite a few with so much PR and have a pile of them to prove it).
One of the cd’s from this MindWaveScapes creation my friend gave me has increased my capacity to enter the ‘zone’ so significantly I am amazed.
I used one #1cd of their cds at first, when I had an extremely hard day and could not turn it off. WHAM.. I was peaceful!!!! Peaceful, I did say that. I got my assignment in way before deadline and kept going to rewrite and finish another. Money. Money, Money. Yeah!
More importantly… I feel better and I am not hesitant to put my proper name on a testimonial for these folks if they are looking for that sort of thing. Where is their website already???
No one has yet phoned me about PR so I’m wondering myself about the status of their work. As I said, I will be writing an exclusive on them if and when they decide they want to publicize their work. The world could use some clearing out of the clutter it is currently experiencing.
Politics is not new to me. I would love to send a copy of one of these (maybe cd#2 would help) to our “Leader of the Free (for now) World”. I just may do this if NIH as not put any restrictions on the dissemination or sale of the things.
Back to the cds from “Michael’s MindWaveScapes”.. (again, website needed for these folks, Have to make that call…I’ll find out soon..)
OK. Back to my first time listening: At first, after listening to cd#1, I felt like either just relaxing or going to sleep, but remembering I had that deadline in three days for that rather large piece, I suddenly had no trouble writing that night, as I was not bothered by the laundry list of things I had been thinking about which had made me extremely upset and distracted.
The other #2cd I found causes me to be so focused and aware it’s not funny. I use it when I have to make an important call, meeting, or just be absolutely on point about whatever comes out of my mouth/mind/fingers. Organizational ability plus clarity about whatever it is I need to be speaking/writing about.
Enough here. I hope these things are available to the public, not just the medical profession and I’m going to take a leap here and hope I don’t regret it: If anyone is really interested in trying these cd’s, drop me a line to a gmail address I have had for sometime but has recently gone unused. Maybe it will serve a purpose again: Please don’t spam me with all sorts of nonsense. I am doing this in the spirit of this community, to assist other writers as I have been assisted. OK? If I get a lot of garbage I will have to make it go away… drop a line or two to:
keplafn@gmail.com.
I will gather more info as to what the status of the cd’s are and write a little something I can send back to you if you do write to me.
It’s a good excuse to phone my friend and have that “how are you doing” talk, ask about his work and “have a great year” yadda yadda.
I’m not offering this because I intend to make any money from the offering, although that is a thought right about now
, but rather because I am sick and tired of the productive and creative community of writers/artists being misled by garbage merchandise promising all sorts of help and delivering NOTHING.
I am a long, long time writers, newspaper and other guild(s) member and would genuinely like to assist others who are attempting to contribute to the knowledge base of information out there our world desperately needs to be aware of from good writers, professionals like me, contributing to the swiftly changing face of our economy, our world, topical issues and overall fun reads so many of us are actively a part of.
I’m off to listen to one of the pieces and finish my last article for the year.
Maybe we’ll “talk” soon. All the Best to All of you. May Inspiration & Prosperity Rain Down on All of You!
Hi there,
There is something called Audio Visual Entrainment which I believe can be of great benefit to you. Visit http://www.mindalive.com to see their products. I think it’s worth giving it a try.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the tip. I’ll check it out.
I’m writing an article for my site about creativity and the myths about it. I’m not completely sold on the waves patterns yet but I have to admit that listening to certain music does help my writters block sometimes. I also think atmosphere is a big contributor to how creative the mind is. Great post!
I’d be interested to read your article when you’re finished with it. I also usually need music to get in the creative mood. If you want, I can send you the writer’s mind CD (I’m pretty much done with it). Just send me your address (via email). See the About page of my blog for contact info.
Thanks for your comment.
Cool. I’ll send you a link and the info soon.
up to now i do know the environment plays a great deal to our creativity. starting with the colors that surrounds us, the background noise, the state of mind… not to mention the day-by-day problems we are all compelled to have. it’s hard to influence all the above.
“I prefer music when I write” There are definitely certain of music that will help get you into a creative mood. And those that won’t. Music is a classic way to foster creativity – no gimmicks needed.
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I would be a little skeptical of this type of technology. I would always worry that just creating a specific type of brain wave may not necessarily be a good thing. But it probably does nothing, your better off just listening to music that you enjoy. That way your at least activating the reward regions of your brain.
As someone who writes for a living sometimes, there are rarely times when I’d choose to compose in silence.
There are lots of these “alpha state” cds out there, however, and I must say I agree with the author. Are you supposed to listen while you write? Or listen and then write?
Makes you wonder how folks like Shakespeare ever managed without ‘em!
I’ve just stuck with old fashioned trusting in my own abilities – my mind seems to know how to put itself into a creative state, just as my fingernails know how to grow without me having to “train” them.
I do meditate though.
Hmmm….
This is in reference to Suzanne M’s publication about information regarding Michaels “Mindwavescapes” CD project. These CD’s really work. There’s 2 different CD’s available. If you or anyone has any questions or want more information about us, Please Contact Michael at Mindwavescapes@aol.com. (Currently working on the website).
Listen, Achieve and Believe
This is an updated response in reference to Suzanne M’s publication about information regarding
Michaels “Mindwavescapes” CD project. These CD’s have helped heal people that have: Cerebal Palsy, High blood pressure, Insomnia, Alzheimer’s and much more. There’s 2 different CD’s available. If you or anyone have any questions you can email us at Mindwavescapes@aol.com. If you would like more information about us, check us out at: http://Mindwavescapes.webs.com (Currently working on the website), You can join in with us @twitter: https://twitter.com/Mindwavescapes and you also can post a blog about your experiences after listening to Mindwavescapes Music audio cds at: http://Mindwavescapes.blogspot.com
Hear it, feel it, Be it, Live it.
Listen, Achieve and Believe!