inspired by a bat, a brainwave, and a barely-remembered dream
Ever wondered what your brain is doing while you’re zoning out, sleeping, or intensely focused? Welcome to the mystical terrain of BATDG Waves — an iceberg-shaped map of the mind, dividing the conscious from the subconscious with just five letters.
Let’s break down the acronym: B.A.T.D.G.
Each letter stands for a different type of brainwave: Beta, Alpha, Theta, Delta, and Gamma (though Gamma isn’t in this visual, we’ll sneak it in later). These waves represent different frequencies of brain activity, each tied to a specific mental state.
The diagram (that charming bat isn’t just for show) shows an iceberg model — where the tip above water represents our conscious mind and the vast base hidden below is the subconscious. Like all good metaphors, it’s hiding more than it reveals.
🧠 The BATDG Breakdown
B – Beta (14–20+ Hz)
- State: Alert, focused, logical thinking.
- Waveform: Fast and choppy.
- Location on iceberg: Tip-top. Conscious thought.
- When you’re here: You’re reading this blog, solving problems, attending meetings, overthinking dinner plans.
A – Alpha (7–14 Hz)
- State: Relaxed, meditative, light trance.
- Waveform: Smoother, slower.
- Location: Just below the surface.
- When you’re here: Meditating, daydreaming, right before you fall asleep or after you wake up.
T – Theta (4–7 Hz)
- State: Deep relaxation, creativity, emotional processing.
- Waveform: Slower and more flowing.
- Location: Deeper subconscious.
- When you’re here: In dreams, hypnosis, or those strange moments between sleep and wakefulness when you get your best ideas.
D – Delta (0–4 Hz)
- State: Deep, dreamless sleep.
- Waveform: Slowest and most powerful.
- Location: Bottom of the iceberg.
- When you’re here: Unconscious, but still processing and healing. Your brain is doing its night-shift cleanup.
(Optional G – Gamma, 30–100 Hz)
- State: Peak consciousness, integration, high-level cognition.
- Where is it?: It’s not on the chart, maybe because Gamma is less about levels and more about across levels. Think of it as the connective tissue of awareness.
🧊 Why the Iceberg Matters
The drawing cleverly places Beta waves above water, in the conscious realm — the land of decisions, judgment, and stress. But the real power lies below: Alpha to Delta. This is where intuition, healing, imagination, and memory reside.
Ironically, the more we chase Beta states for productivity, the more we disconnect from the subconscious depths where creativity and insight live. BATDG reminds us: real transformation happens not by thinking harder, but by thinking less— by diving below the surface.
🦇 One Bat to Rule Them All?
The bat in the top left corner? Possibly a metaphor for the night — or the mind navigating through dark, unseen territories. Bats use echolocation; perhaps that’s what we’re doing with these waves — pinging the void for answers.
💡 Final Thought: The TPM Scale?
On the right, there’s an empty bar marked “TPM” — maybe “Thoughts Per Minute”? A subtle nudge: less isn’t lazy, it’s lucid.
The invitation here is clear: Don’t just live at the tip. Explore the rest of your mental iceberg.