No, I am not talking about learning to be your dog’s pack leader. The alpha state, is a relaxed, yet alert state of mind, that is ideal for guided visualizations.
When we are in the alpha state, our mental chatter gets slower and quieter and we pay more attention to mental imagery. And the imagery has a greater power to influence our health and emotions.
In the alpha state we are more suggestible than in the beta state, or normal waking consciousness. In this case, being suggestible is a good thing. We can ask our subconscious minds and our bodies to make certain changes, and they are more likely to carry out those suggestions.
When doing healing imagery, we always spend a few moments to relax our bodies, calm our minds, and turn our focus inward. That is all there is to getting into the alpha state.
Most people who write scripts for guided imagery, use some combination of breathing, counting, and/or imaging, to lead you into the alpha state. Some people also use some form of progressive relaxation. Most of us respond well to the standard instructions, though it may take practice to get good at it.
If you use the same technique, over and over again, then like Pavlov’s dog, you will get conditioned to go into the alpha state very easily with that technique.
My Alpha State Technique
I like to spend a few moments just settling into my body, letting go of any obvious tension, then bringing my awareness to my breath. Then for a few slightly deeper than normal breaths, I exhale twice as long as I inhale. This seems to relax the body and calm the mind nicely.
Next, I go through a visualization. I imagine I am in a room filled with red light. I cross the room, then go down an escalator to a room filled with orange light. I go through all seven colors of the rainbow that way.
I like going down an escalator, because it makes me feel like I am going deeper; deeper relaxation, deeper state of mind. The escalator makes it effortless, as opposed to a flight of stairs. I just let go and I am taken into deeper states of consciousness.
I like to go through the colors of the rainbow, because I associate the brighter colors at the beginning with a wakeful state, and the deeper indigo and violet at the end with a deeper state of consciousness.
Now that I am more practiced, I don’t need to go through all of that, every time. For short sessions I may just watch my breath for three to five breaths. For longer sessions, I spend more time with this exercise, but may just walk from one room to the next. If my mind is particularly active I need to spend more time to get it to calm down.
Practice getting into the alpha state using these techniques, or ones that you are already comfortable with, for the more you practice, the easier it becomes to quickly and effortlessly glide into the alpha state. The most important thing is to relax and enjoy.
Click here (or right click and choose save link as) for a free alpha state mp3. This mp3 gets you there. You have to decide what to do after that.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for this post, Ed! The escalator visualization is terrific and I will use it when I have difficulty settling down.
As you say, I can usually get into the Alpha state by using breathwork; yet there are still those days where I am too involved in problems or troubles. The escalator will work wonderfully, I think…especially when used with the colours. Colours are a terrific tool for me.
Hi Marion,
Glad you like it. And I’m glad you found my new blog. If you like working with colors, you’ll like the five element meditation I’ll be putting up soon. I was going to sell it, but I’ve decided to give it away instead.
Thanks, Edward, excellent post. I’d love to share it on my blog!
Hi Ned, I would be happy to have you share my post. Thanks.
Hey thanks! i usually go into alpha state by counting down on the screen in my head and stuff using the colors. I wanna check out the escalator version though and see where that gets me. i actually learned about going into alpha state from this book i’m reading called “Power of the Witch” by Laurie Cabot (great book ) but this seems good too. whichever way gets me there is good to me
Hi Gem,
Yes there a lot of ways to get there. What ever works best for you, is the way to go. With practice, you can just will yourself into alpha state in a few seconds.
Hi Marion,
Yes it is wonderful to read this article. The method is simple and can be practiced with ease. Also we wish that it would be great if you could possibly think of adding the benefits one could derive by entering Alpha state. This perhaps might motivate new comers.
With love
Hi Ed,
Ed kindly excuse us. Instead of addressing You we mistakenly addressed Marion.
with love
I just found this article
Very good idea, with the colors. I could try it for diversity.
I just relax, laying on my back, arms next to body in a comfortable position. Then I state my intention and then just apply it. Like: “I will count from 5 to 1 and enter the alpha state, where I will order my thoughts for tomorrow’s exam”. And then just count slowly while breathing deep. Or when I was having problems falling asleep I was saying “I will count from 5 to 1 and then fall asleep after a short mind cleanup: 5…4…zzz….zzz
Thank you for your suggestions. As for your tape, it is similar to what I am doing, though I find your musical background distracting. The ocean wave is OK.
Hi Stan,
Thanks so much for your feedback. I’ve been working on less distracting music. I like to have something in the background, because I get startled when there is a voice in silence, after a long pause.
I was wondering how does one know when he is in the alpha state .How exactly do you feel.Also how long does it take to get into that state?.
Thank you
When you are in the alpha state, you feel relaxed, yet alert. The mind is not busy running around or judging things; it is simply paying attention to what is at hand.
How long it takes to get into the state varies, due to many factors. The more you practice the faster it gets. Most people, with practice, can learn to get into the alpha state in 6 breaths.