The Alpha Zone

You have already learned that alpha is one of the four states of mind

that we pass through on the way to and from sleep. Once you enter

the alpha state, you are in a deep, relaxed state of alertness. Most

people have the mistaken impression that when you are in an

188 the strategic electronic day trader

altered state of consciousness you are in a sleeplike state and not

aware of what is going on around you. This is not the case when you

are in the alpha zone. The biomechanical trader is trained to be able

to enter the alpha zone at will. Why is this state of consciousness so

important to a trader's success?

How would you like to have almost total concentration and

focus? The ability to remember facts and details on demand? To be

able to reprogram subconscious factors that are sabotaging you?

How would you like to be able to relax for 10 minutes and feel like

you had eight hours of sleep? How would you like to have control

over your heartbeat, blood flow, and skin temperature? No, this

isn't science fiction. It is scientifically possible. When you enter the

alpha zone you have control over physical and psychological factors

that few traders even know exists. Within four to six months,

you can be trained to enter the alpha state. After your biomechanical

training is complete, you can enter the alpha state at will.

When you enter the alpha state you are opening a door from

the conscious to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind

can be influenced by suggestion. If you are convinced you can do

something, you believe you can. Belief is one of the most powerful

factors in our lives. Subconscious beliefs determine to a great

extent whether we succeed or fail. Self-confidence is a belief in yourself,

and it is one of the keys to your success. While you are in alpha

state you are highly susceptible to suggestion, and thus an operator

can begin to reprogram your subconscious mind. This is highly

desirable because many psychological factors contributing to a

trader's failure are found in the subconscious. To be successful, you

have to truly believe you can operate on a subconscious level.

When you enter alpha, your brain-wave pattern is from 8 to 13

cycles per second. This becomes the dominant brain-wave pattern,

blocking the logical left-brain activity that filters out the subconscious.

Once this mental guard is out of commission, you can

access your creative mind, recall facts and information, focus, and

achieve emotional control on a level you have not experienced

before. Police departments and the FBI use hypnosis to put subjects

into an alpha state whereby they can describe a crime scene in prethe cise detail. Hypnosis allows the subject to view or relive a traumatizing

experience without the emotional trauma or feeling.

Physical Control in Alpha When individuals are in an alpha state

they have control over their biological activity. In what is quite literally

mind over matter, you can perform some amazing things. It is

possible for a trained biomechanical trader to increase the temperature

of his or her right or left hand at will or to slow heart rate and

control blood pressure. It is even possible for a trained biomechanical

trader to control blood flow. For example, if you were to take a

pin and prick both index fingers, you could increase blood flow or

stop it at will in either the right or left hand.

Scientists now believe that long-term memory is processed

during sleep when you are in an alpha state. This information is

effectively stored into long-term memory. This accounts for the ability

of biomechanical traders to access memory and facts in great

detail. You learn faster and remember more when you are in an

alpha state, for you have the ability to focus the mind on one specific

thing. In your conscious state, known as beta, you are continually

processing external and internal information. In alpha state,

inspiration comes to us in flashes of creativity. A perfect example of

this is when you have been working on a problem all day and you

just can't find the answer. You go to bed, and as you drift into sleep,

the answer comes to you in a flash of inspiration. Research shows

that the consolidation of information you already understand and

have learned is accessed in the alpha state. If you think about the

implications of training, the potential of both beta and alpha are

truly amazing.

Another physical advantage that biomechanical training and

the alpha zone gives you is faster reaction time. It is possible to

increase the reaction time of a trader by 5 to 15 seconds. Younger

and older traders alike can improve their reaction times.

What has all of this to do with trading? Everything. Imagine a

trader with electronic trading technology who also has the physical

and psychological control that biomechanical training provides.

With their improved focus, emotional control, and faster reaction time, do you really think you can beat such traders? An intelligent

person would join them, because you can't beat them. They are on

the cutting edge in trading evolution. This is the edge every trader

is looking for, and it cannot be found in the box.

You have already learned that alpha is one of the four states of mind

that we pass through on the way to and from sleep. Once you enter

the alpha state, you are in a deep, relaxed state of alertness. Most

people have the mistaken impression that when you are in an

188 the strategic electronic day trader

altered state of consciousness you are in a sleeplike state and not

aware of what is going on around you. This is not the case when you

are in the alpha zone. The biomechanical trader is trained to be able

to enter the alpha zone at will. Why is this state of consciousness so

important to a trader's success?

How would you like to have almost total concentration and

focus? The ability to remember facts and details on demand? To be

able to reprogram subconscious factors that are sabotaging you?

How would you like to be able to relax for 10 minutes and feel like

you had eight hours of sleep? How would you like to have control

over your heartbeat, blood flow, and skin temperature? No, this

isn't science fiction. It is scientifically possible. When you enter the

alpha zone you have control over physical and psychological factors

that few traders even know exists. Within four to six months,

you can be trained to enter the alpha state. After your biomechanical

training is complete, you can enter the alpha state at will.

When you enter the alpha state you are opening a door from

the conscious to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind

can be influenced by suggestion. If you are convinced you can do

something, you believe you can. Belief is one of the most powerful

factors in our lives. Subconscious beliefs determine to a great

extent whether we succeed or fail. Self-confidence is a belief in yourself,

and it is one of the keys to your success. While you are in alpha

state you are highly susceptible to suggestion, and thus an operator

can begin to reprogram your subconscious mind. This is highly

desirable because many psychological factors contributing to a

trader's failure are found in the subconscious. To be successful, you

have to truly believe you can operate on a subconscious level.

When you enter alpha, your brain-wave pattern is from 8 to 13

cycles per second. This becomes the dominant brain-wave pattern,

blocking the logical left-brain activity that filters out the subconscious.

Once this mental guard is out of commission, you can

access your creative mind, recall facts and information, focus, and

achieve emotional control on a level you have not experienced

before. Police departments and the FBI use hypnosis to put subjects

into an alpha state whereby they can describe a crime scene in prethe cise detail. Hypnosis allows the subject to view or relive a traumatizing

experience without the emotional trauma or feeling.

Physical Control in Alpha When individuals are in an alpha state

they have control over their biological activity. In what is quite literally

mind over matter, you can perform some amazing things. It is

possible for a trained biomechanical trader to increase the temperature

of his or her right or left hand at will or to slow heart rate and

control blood pressure. It is even possible for a trained biomechanical

trader to control blood flow. For example, if you were to take a

pin and prick both index fingers, you could increase blood flow or

stop it at will in either the right or left hand.

Scientists now believe that long-term memory is processed

during sleep when you are in an alpha state. This information is

effectively stored into long-term memory. This accounts for the ability

of biomechanical traders to access memory and facts in great

detail. You learn faster and remember more when you are in an

alpha state, for you have the ability to focus the mind on one specific

thing. In your conscious state, known as beta, you are continually

processing external and internal information. In alpha state,

inspiration comes to us in flashes of creativity. A perfect example of

this is when you have been working on a problem all day and you

just can't find the answer. You go to bed, and as you drift into sleep,

the answer comes to you in a flash of inspiration. Research shows

that the consolidation of information you already understand and

have learned is accessed in the alpha state. If you think about the

implications of training, the potential of both beta and alpha are

truly amazing.

Another physical advantage that biomechanical training and

the alpha zone gives you is faster reaction time. It is possible to

increase the reaction time of a trader by 5 to 15 seconds. Younger

and older traders alike can improve their reaction times.

What has all of this to do with trading? Everything. Imagine a

trader with electronic trading technology who also has the physical

and psychological control that biomechanical training provides.

With their improved focus, emotional control, and faster reaction time, do you really think you can beat such traders? An intelligent

person would join them, because you can't beat them. They are on

the cutting edge in trading evolution. This is the edge every trader

is looking for, and it cannot be found in the box.