Hi Pik,
Welcome to the forum!
I wouldn't worry one bit about not being able to stay awake. Level 1 and 2 are all about entering alpha brainwave frequencies and deep alpha. Be sure to look at the introductory videos so you know what is happening. It is no coincidence that 10 minutes into session sees you nodding off - the video will be self-explanatory. Alpha is the state we go into before sleep, it is obviously relaxing, brainwaves slow right down.... and tip you into snooze state!
Remember everyone is different. Many users are so wired up, they cannot relax. So I think you can congratulate yourself on being so open to relaxation at this early stage.
By the way, it is beneficial to write this up on the forum. My guess is that within a few days, you will habituate somewhat, and find you are still super relaxed but more awake. That is the effect of the brain gymnastics - you gain resiliance.
If you want to stay awake, I have seen meditation teachers recommend holding a glass of water in your hand - keeps the focus a bit. Still there is no harm in sleeping a wee bit at the outset.
Happy journey and let me know if you are more awake in a few days!
Pure Bliss

I've noticed that I can't stay awake, either, dozing off between the 5- and 10-minutes marks. I did notice, though, that today's doze was quite short (this is my fourth day on disk 1), so maybe I'm acclimating to it.

This brings up a different question, though. After I wake up, I am incredibly bored for the rest of the 30 minutes. What are we supposed to be doing? If I day-dream or think more seriously, does that negate or lessen the value of the experience? If so, I could really use some suggestions. I've always had a very low threshold for boredom,, although it's less now (at 61) than it was 30-40 years ago.

Any help would be appreciated.

I have yet to overcome the falling asleep because I have taken a break from BrainEv.  Have been very ill for weeks now (incessant cough, etc) so am waiting to get well & get on.  I have woken up like Tewald and I find it really boring too.  I've been told about falling asleep as my brain's way of escaping.  So I shall try to lose the burden.  Not sure how (please keep posting, tewald!) but hope to recover and start again.

Btw, I did try listening in the morning - that's when I managed to wake up after a while!

This brings up a different question, though. After I wake up, I am incredibly bored for the rest of the 30 minutes. What are we supposed to be doing? If I day-dream or think more seriously, does that negate or lessen the value of the experience? If so, I could really use some suggestions. I've always had a very low threshold for boredom,, although it's less now (at 61) than it was 30-40 years ago.

Hi Tewald,

The best answer I can give you is "it depends". Just as meditation cannot be defined even by masters because, although it can be all these things, it is usually something different to everybody--relaxing, philosophical, light, serious, religious, etc.  Similarly, BWE users do BrainEv for various reasons--meditation, creative brainstorming, rejuvenation, gym for your brain, etc. Are you trying to still the mind or creatively come up with an answer? Therefore, the reason for doing BrainEv will determine whether or not you should daydream, as daydreaming is purposefully stirring up thoughts, ideas, activity. If you are not trying to come up with ideas, then yes, it is counterproductive. That doesn't mean you won't see results.

I can appreciate the boredom factor. Like anything, it takes getting used to. Some folks will find just sitting with your eyes closed difficult--time, practice and the right attitude/perspective will help. As far as sleeping during session: slow, deep breathing and sitting up with spine aligned (mild tension in spinal muscles, such as pinching shoulder blades together) helps. A slouched or reclined (relaxed) position and/or shallow breathing can promote falling asleep. If I can provide further assistance, please let me know. Best wishes to you!!

Thank you, Pure Bliss!! I'll be performing here all week--lol  ! I, too, liked your post above this one, on this thread to tewald and Pik -- great info. I am re-reading it now because there are a lot of excellent points here alone.

I also like your idea to help our ADD folks on a different thread. I think Dreamers points on trouble remembering to fill out the form daily and waiting till Jan 2012 are valid and excellent, too. Rock on!!

Greetings to you, July62,
Based on my understanding of the BrainEv program and subsequent reading around the topic of brainwave entrainment, we should aspire to be awake during the session. A very quiet, calm and relaxed state of awakeness, but awake nonethless. Obviously many of us have difficulties staying awake especially at the beginning of each level, but as we flex our mental muscles (just a metaphor, this), we become more able to remain just-about-awake while the session is running.

Anna Wise of Awakening the Brain explains it thus: alpha brainwaves make us very relaxed and occur in that half awake - half asleep state when we are just about to fall asleep at night. We are ultra-relaxed. Theta are slower brainwave frequencies, and we are unconscious - asleep to all intents and purposes. Delta is the brainwave state of deep, peaceful sleep, with slow. slow frequencies. When we entrain we start to learn to be awake during alpha, theta and delta frequencies. She calls this "keeping the alpha bridge open" so that negative muck and gunk can cross the bridge from delta and theta into conscious alpha (and hopefully be understood and processed by conscious analytical beta) - so we get to lose our baggage if we are lucky. Similarly theta and delta are the home of genius, insight, spiritual experiences, and if we can keep the alpha bridge open, we may be lucky enough to remember or directly experience this deep theta and delta stuff.

Keeping the alpha bridge open may well be a learnable skill. Fortunately it doesn't seem to matter if/when we learn this as so many BrainEv-ers seem to reap amazing benefits, whether they are conscious of theta/delta stuff or not once the session is over. It would appear, that for most of us, just entraining into slower, deeper frequencies is enough to work some seriously powerful magic.

I don't think you can make a comparison between brainwave training and Learning Strategies Paraliminal CDs.

I hope you don't mind me disagreeing with you!  Warmest greetings, Pure Bliss

Hi Tom,

Let me clarify with examples and I hope this answers your question more concretely. According to BrainEv's developers, all you need to do is close your eyes, relax, listen to each level, & enjoy the ride. Therefore, relaxation (not meditation) are the instructions. However, some of us users meditate so you can meditate instead if you choose. BWE goes well (hand in hand) with meditation but isn't required or implied. The reason this is so is due to the fact that meditation and BrainEv explores the same different depths to consciousness/subconciousness/unconsciousness. In other words, they travel the same roads, sharing similar views, but use totally different vehicles (means) for different purposes or agendas. Using the road trip analogy further, we may all visit Paris, but some will see historical sites, others food or wine places, the countryside, some the Louvre or places of artistic importance, etc. Thus, they will have some similarities in common, but NOT exactly the same.

The rub is two-fold. First, A LOT of folks have an aversion to meditation. In my personal experience, people who do not meditate liken it to cults, attach religious implications to that word that believe conflicts with their own personal beliefs, religious prefs, etc. Prayer, whatever your religious background, can be a form of meditation. Let's face it, some people pervert the term "meditation." It is an understandable concern that may or may not be true. Again, meditation cannot be defined by experienced practitioners because it is different or serves a different function to each person who does it. It can have religious implications, but not necessarily. Running, calligraphy, archery, painting, etc., can be a meditation in itself if you make it into an art you then do or master. It can be relaxing, but doesn't have to be primarily. It can be an exploration into philosophy but it doesn't have to be. What meditation is not, it isn't passive by any means. BWE is a passive process if you follow BrainEv's instructions explicitly (hence, may cause boredom while doing it for some). This is because BWE does the majority of the work for you. Meditation, on the other hand, is a deliberate & active process, whereas BrainEv subscribing to relaxation techniques, may or may not be. Second, meditation is compounded by the complexity of different meditation practices or traditions. Your purpose determines your preferred or specific practice of choice. There are thousands, if not millions, of different ways to meditate and to different ends. A psychic, a scientist, a monk, and a Fortune 100 Executive may all meditate or do BWE, but do so to a different end. There are traditional methods (Buddhist, Taoist, etc), guided meditations, daydream meditations, etc. Some have religious traditions and some do not. Since BrainEv has no direct tie to any method, there are NO religious implications (ties), or bias to any one particular meditation practice--it is to your discretion as a user. It is whatever you wish it to be, as it best serves you, your needs, your goals, etc. If you wish to meditate while doing BrainEv you can; however, if meditation doesn't appeal to you, you can still use the BrainEv program as it requires only relaxation methods, as described above. In any case, it works and you will see results.

Once again, people use BrainEv for different purposes. If you wish to increase your chances of lucid dreams or suffer insomnia, you focus on Levels 4 & 5. ADD/ADHD sufferers (who respond best to Beta) or chronic beta folks (Type A, alpha males, &/or logical thinkers like myself  ) might benefit from alpha or theta Brainwaves, whichever may be deficient in their case.  Creative or artistic folks looking for logical expression, for example, may fall through the cracks because beta isn't stressed by BrainEv (Level 3 has some low beta but not primary focus--I may be wrong in this, so I look to other's input here). If relaxation is your goal, Level 1 is for you. If you are looking to solve problems or "think-outside-the-box" (increase creativity), Levels 1-3 might serve this function depending on which level you respond to best as you go through the program initially. Whole brain thinking, the entire program.  The videos for each level by Michael (the engineer who developed BrainEv) discusses this at length, and does better justice than my attempt. I, therefore, defer to that.

As a meditator, I might initially see BWE as meditation without calling it that--a sort of tongue in cheek approach; but the above description should dispel such notions. For those who already meditate, it is--because of our experience and bias. Technically again, however, it is not true. Anyways, I hope this clarifies what BWE (BrainEv specifically) is and is not.