you.'
'Let's hold off on that. I still need to sort all this out.'
He smiled.
'I thought we had done that.' He waved at their mutual lack of clothes
under the sheet.
'No, we resolved the personal issue. I'm still working on the business
stuff.'
'Come along as a visitor, then.'
'No, you go ahead. I think I'm going to sleep in.'
'Be here when I get back?'
'Maybe.'
They both grinned.
Quantico, Virginia
Michaels leaned back.
'Okay, you got me down here.
Speak.'
Jay said, 'Well, I can tell you the theory. Still doesn't prove that
it works.'
'I left a warm bed to come hear this. Jay. I take your point. Go.'
'All right. Background stuff: Generally speaking, the human brain
operates over a fairly small bioelectrical frequency range, and while
there is some overlap, these are usually divided into four parts:
'The mental state Beta, sometimes called 'beta waves,' is from 13 to 30
Hz. This is the so-called 'normal' level of awareness. At the top
end, at around 30 Hz or a bit higher, you have states of
agitation--anger, fear, stress, etc.--but most conscious human thinking
is done in this range.
'Below Beta is the Alpha state, from 8 to 13 Hz, and this is normally
associated with a relaxed, mellow state of mind, kind of daydreamy, but
with an increased ability to concentrate. This frequency is easily
achieved by such things as meditation or self-hypnosis. For more than
forty years there have been devices--biofeedback, or 'brain wave
synthesizers'--that help produce Alpha, and you can pick up one in any
large electronic or new age store.
Some people supposedly can do it just by rolling their eyes back in
their sockets.'
Michaels nodded. He'd read about this stuff somewhere along the way.
It sounded vaguely familiar.
'I'm still awake.'
Jay continued: 'Beneath Alpha is Theta, at 4 to 7 Hz, and this is
generally a state of very deep concentration, such as advanced
meditation or devoted prayer, and it includes intense waking memories,
and lucid dreaming.
'Under Theta, we have Delta waves, from 0.5 to 7 Hz, and these
frequencies were once thought to occur only in deep sleep. Certain
people, however, such as Indian yogi adepts or Tibetan priests, have
been able to produce Delta states on demand, and while appearing to be
asleep, fully participate in and recall conversations later when they
are jawake.'
