There is a common belief that we only use 10% of our brain, leaving room for our imaginations to go wild with the possibilities (Ever seen the 90’s John Travolta flick, Phenomenon?). However, research confirms this use-percentage is just a myth. Barry Gordon, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, states that actually, the opposite is true, the majority of ourbrain is almost always active. Indeed, within a 24- hour period, imaging technology would likely reveal you used 100 percent of your brain, although not all at once. No wonder we are so tired after a long day!

The point of this is to say, our brains are incredibly powerful creatures. Even though it only represents 3% of our body’s weight, the brain consumes 20% of our body’s energy. It’s quite complicated and perhaps more philosophical than scientific. Ultimately researchers’ fascination with the brain is not so focused on the amount of brain power we use, but on the fact that modern science only understands 10% of how our brain functions.

The complex nature of our brain supports the benefits and positive impact of wellness practices such as Theta Chamber Therapy. This form of therapy uses neuroscience to target our brain functionality and restore a healthier mental state. When we experience difficulty or particularly challenging circumstances, our brain demands more energy to perform. If we try to process too much, we feel the strain of brain overload. Theta Chamber Therapy helps us achieve a deep sense of calm and essentially works to reprogram our neuropathways to more neutral levels (which means feeling less stress and anxiety, and finding calm, emotional stability).

What is Theta Chamber Therapy?

A Theta Chamber is an FDA approved technology, over 30 years in the making, which helps temporarily ease a patient’s brain into a “theta state.” You know that remarkable feeling you have right as you start to drift off to sleep? That’s the sensation of the theta state!

Once inside the Theta Chamber (a capsule-type machine resembling a space pod), patients are exposed to binaural audio beats, visual pattern light stimulation, microcurrent signaling, and vestibular stimulation. In layman’s terms, patients receive external stimuli, like sounds/beats, patterned lighting, gentle movement, and simulated

weightlessness. These elements all work together to synergistically provide maximum impact on the brain, essentially recalibrating brain chemistry.

How does this work?

The brain is composed of billions of cells, including neurons. Neuron activity emits an electrical energy that can be captured through EEG (electroencephalograph) and special sensors. The EEG measures the different frequencies in our brain as waves through these mental electrical impulses. This technology has revealed five (5) main brain waves: Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta, and Gamma. Everything we do, say, or experience, is reflected in our brain waves. For example, when we are active and alert, working through daily tasks and dealing with high stress situations, our mind is in a Beta state.

Conversely, Theta brain waves are considered the subconscious–kind of what we feel when we are not fully asleep, nor fully awake. Theta state is often associated with meditation, creativity, spiritual connection, daydreaming, and fantasy. Interestingly, these brain waves have also been found to be connected to memory function and cognitive mapping.

The Theta Chamber induces a theta state in which your brain becomes more receptive to change and repair. Through sessions in this theta state, your brain develops fresh, new neural pathways which promote healing (mentally and physically). In this atmosphere of ultimate relaxation and subconsciousness, the Theta Chamber signals the brain to produce serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters. This is part of the scientific explanation as to why this therapy treatment improves the effects of anxiety, depression, and other mental health related issues.

How does Theta Chamber Therapy improve Mental Health?

Science confirms that many mental health conditions occur due to chemical imbalances within the brain, despite genetic, biological, or environmental factors. New Research indicates amplifying theta brain waves can decrease symptoms of general anxiety disorder. In fact, many researchers confirm that theta related therapies show reduced symptoms of anxiety and proves that this sort of intervention is a valuable option for improving mental health conditions.

Ongoing research suggests Theta brain wave frequencies might result in:

• Reduced feelings of stress and anxiety

• Deep physical relaxation

• Mental clarity

• Increased verbal abilities

• Strong mental recall

• Increased imaginative and creative thinking

• Reduced pain

• Sense of euphoria

In short, all these benefits greatly improve our mental health. In moments of deep relaxation, our body’s ability to recover, rejuvenate, and restore improves because energy is no longer spent on functions of your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight). Instead, this deep relaxation regulates cortisol levels (those pesky stress hormones), which lowers feelings of anxiety, and helps your body to find mental stability in an often chaotic world. Whether you suffer from chronic anxiety or depression, or just feel a little “down in the dumps,” Theta Chamber therapy might offer the mental relief and clarity you need.

Conclusion

Emerson Pugh, physicist, once said, “If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.”

This seems like an impossible riddle, but the truth is there. Our brains are incredibly complex. Ironically, there might just be one relatively simple solution to improving our mental health. Scientists are still learning and exploring the amazing features of our brain, but neurologists have confirmed the immense power of our brain. Therefore, the incredible healing power of enhanced theta wave frequencies, a phenomenon of pure relaxation and calm, and improved mental health, can be achieved in the Theta Chamber.

References:

Biriukova E. V., Timofeev I. V., Mosolov S. N. (2005). Clinical and neurophysiological efficacy of neurofeedback in the combined therapy of anxiety disorders resistant to psychopharmacotherapy. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 15 (2), 162– 163.

Boyd, R. (2008, February 7). Do people only use 10 percent of their brains? Scientific American. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-people-only-use-10-percent-of-their-brains/

Dadashi, M., Birashk, B., Taremian, F., Asgarnejad, A. A., & Momtazi, S. (2015). Effects of Increase in Amplitude of Occipital Alpha & Theta Brain Waves on Global Functioning Level of Patients with GAD. Basic and clinical neuroscience, 6(1), 14–20.

Herrold, A. A., Kletzel, S. L., Harton, B. C., Chambers, R. A., Jordan, N., & Pape, T. L. (2014). Transcranial magnetic stimulation: potential treatment for co-occurring alcohol, traumatic brain

injury and posttraumatic stress disorders. Neural regeneration research, 9(19), 1712–1730. https://doi.org/10.4103/1673-5374.143408

Holczer, A., Németh, V. L., Vékony, T., Kocsis, K., Király, A., Kincses, Z. T., Vécsei, L., Klivényi, P., & Must, A. (2021). The effects of bilateral theta-burst stimulation on executive functions and affective symptoms in major depressive disorder. Neuroscience, 461, 130–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.03.001

Aghajan,M., Schuette, Z., Fields, P., Tran, T.A., Siddiqui, M.E., Hasulak, S.M., Tcheng, N.R., Eliashiv, T.K., Mankin, D., Stern, E.A., Fried, & Suthana, (2017). Theta oscillations in the human medial temporal lobe during real-world ambulatory movement. Current Biology, 27(24). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2017.10.062

What is the function of the various brainwaves? Scientific American. 1997. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-function-of-t-1997-12-22/