Hideyuki Kokubo

A study of α waves on the frontal area

Abstract EEGs of Japanese martial artists were measured. A martial artist has to detect qi energy emitted by an attacker even from behind. During such peculiar concentration and also during deep meditation, large α waves often appear on the frontal area and these frontal α waves tend to synchronize with the occipital waves regarding phase. In this experiment, two practitioners were placed in separate rooms and at a time set randomly during 80 s of one trial, one practitioner (sender) emitted qi. The other one (receiver) made a sign with a switch when he sensed the qi. A total of 45 trials were done and the receivers EEGs were analyzed for each 5.12 s of four periods; they were (a) before the receivers switch marker, (b) before sending qi, (c) during sending, and (d) after sending. At the time of actually receiving qi (c), the α waves appeared diffusely toward the frontal area. The α ratio of the frontal midline (Fz) to the occipital region (O 2 ) was larger in period (c) than in (a). The lag time of α phase of Fz to O 2 was smaller in (c) than in (a), which means, the α waves became synchronous while actually receiving qi.