"up until 2 am last night"
Curiously enough, I don't sleep. As one who stares at stock charts all day and night, I've been able to develop my consciousness to the point where I can modulate my brain waves.
During the day, while trading, I generate rapidly oscillating, low-amplitude beta waves, as a result of heightened mental activity. You can see the same rapid oscillations in the highly volatile stocks I trade.
In the early evening, I unfocus my attention and enjoy an interlude of alpha waves, with large amplitudes and low frequencies (not unlike certain less-volatile stocks in longer-term accounts). An old CRT monitor helps me achieve a relaxing alpha state, as I focus on the pixels.
I'm often abruptly brought out of this state by nagging doubts about my trades that day, and my mind lapses into a state of theta waves, which are marked by low oscillations during periods of stress. You'll see these waves in the market during periods of indecision, of doubt, of fear.
I find all the worries a bit much for me, and fall into a numbed state of delta waves, with low frequency oscillation. This may be the state that most closely resembles that achieved by non-traders during sleep. While there is some rapid-eye movement for me during this state, it's only because my eyes continue to go over charts, perforce of habit, not as a result of dreaming. As a trader, I must always stay focused on reality.
In the morning, the wafting sweet aromas of coffee and donuts lead to thoughts of moving away from the computer monitor, and my brain hums with mu waves, which develop with the intention to move and during physical activity. You'll often see these waves during stock breakouts, too. There are often failed breakouts, as you know, and sometimes, I find myself incapable of movement and must have my coffee delivered to my desk.
It's all very fascinating, really. I do yearn for some real sleep at times, but the trader can never sleep. I shall be giving a talk on all this in Baltimore this summer, and I will be selling specially constructed paper hats that allow one to control one's brain waves and achieve financial security. |
