Big Think What alpha brainwaves can teach us about loneliness | Lisa Miller
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Aug 29, 2025 
Lisa Miller, a clinical psychologist and professor at Columbia University, explores the epidemic of loneliness in our society and its connection to spirituality. She explains how the high amplitude alpha brainwaves reflect our innate interconnectedness with a shared consciousness. Miller emphasizes that through practices like prayer and meditation, we can tap into this connection, transforming our perception of isolation. Her insights reveal that despite our feelings of loneliness, we are never truly alone, as we are all part of a greater, profound unity.
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Loneliness As A Perceptual Problem
- Lisa Miller argues modern loneliness is an artifact of perception, not objective solitude.
- She says humans are hardwired with neurocircuits that reveal connection to a shared consciousness.
Spiritual Brainwaves Match Earth's Rhythm
- Miller links spiritual awareness to a specific brain wavelength: high-amplitude alpha.
- She equates that alpha rhythm with the Earth's Schumann resonance and life’s shared wavelength.
Finding A Child In A Healing Ceremony
- Miller recounts joining a Lakota Inipi ceremony during five years of infertility and receiving communal prayer support.
- That night she got a call offering them a son, whom they named Isaiah in honor of the Lakota help.