A Study To Examine The Effects of Creative Silence on Brainwave Frequencies With Respect To Yoga

Abstract

An experimental examination was conducted for this study, to determine the effects of creative silence on brainwave frequencies. The focus of this experiment entailed the subjects producing an increase in alpha brainwave frequency, during combined yogic practices which focused on bringing relaxation to the mind and body. The subjects age ranged between twenty (20) to thirty (30) years, were placed into two groups of thirty (30) subjects each with 15 males and 15 females, one group became the control group while the other experimental. The experiment was carried out once per week for a duration of three months. The electroencephalography (EEG) 32 channel machine and laptop were primary tools used for data collection, in terms of detecting and recording alpha brainwave pattern as an image. Matlab (matrix laboratory) and EEGlab (an interactive Matlab toolbox) were applied to analyse and compute EEG raw data images into statistical data. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was applied to complete statistical computations and paired T-Test. Both groups, brainwave frequencies were recorded twice, once before the experiment and once after the completion of the experiment. Hence, the experimental design, Before and After with Control Design . The periodic rhythms of, alpha, beta, theta, delta and gamma waves are detected and defined according to its amplitude and frequencies. The EEG machine detects the fluctuations in electrical voltage in the brain and represent it as a wave oscillation. Twenty-two (22) of these 32 channels were used to acquire EEG data with an impedance kept below 10. The yogic experiment conducted included practices such as diaphragmatic breathing in makarasana, shavasana for yoga nidra mindful relaxation, a guided meditation into silence practice and reflection.