Stars cannot be seen during the day, because their faint points of light are overwhelmed
by the sun. In a similar way, some ideas cannot be discovered, because their faint points of light are overwhelmed by your brain’s active beta waves, which are as noisy as a goose eating dominoes.
In the illustration, the problem is to get the beetle inside the box. Resolution seems impossible. However, if you relax, clear your mind, and stare passively at the box for a minute or two, something strange will happen: The problem will solve itself. It sort of turns inside out, and you’ll see the beetle inside on the checked the box. You become the medium through which the problem solves itself.
You can become the medium through which any problem solves itself by using
relaxation and meditation. These techniques produce alpha brain waves that are slower and deeper than beta waves. Alpha waves quiet your mind so you can see the solutions that are already there.
One champion of alpha waves is nancier Wayne Silby, founder of the Calvert Group, which today manages billions of dollars in assets. Silby, whose business card reads “Chief Daydreamer,” occasionally retreats for inspiration to a sensory deprivation tank where he floats in warm water, sealed  from light and sound. “I went into the tank during a time when government was changing money-market deposit regulations, and I needed to think how to compete with the banks. Floating in the tank, I got the idea of joining them instead. We wound up creating an $800 million program. Often we already have the answers to our problems, but we don’t quiet ourselves enough to see the solutions bubbling just below the surface.”

BLUEPRINT

Alpha waves are promoted by four simple things:
1. A quiet environment. A quiet room or a pleasant, quiet place outdoors.
2. A special mental technique. If you already have a favorite technique for relaxing deeply or entering into a meditative state, practice it and use it frequently. Otherwise, use one of the techniques described in this chapter.
3. A passive attitude. Empty your mind. Do not dwell on thoughts as they pass through your consciousness.
4. A comfortable position. Select a position that will allow you to remain still for at least fifteen minutes without falling asleep.

A Great Relaxing Techniques

Recall the time when you were most relaxed and at peace with yourself and the world, in as much detail as possible. For instance, it might be a past vacation where you remember relaxing in the sun. Feel the sun and the sand. Experience the warm breezes.
The seagulls. The boats. The more incidental details you remember, the deeper your relaxation will be. The experience might be a tranquil scene in the mountains, a drowsy afternoon in front of the a crisp fall evening, or a Key West sunset. The more you practice conjuring up your most pleasant past experience, the more you will strengthen the link between the image and total relaxation

Affirm the pleasantness you feel every time you conjure up your images. Say, “This, or something better, now manifests for me in totally satisfying and harmonious ways for my good and the good of all concerned.” Trip in the past only so long as you want it enjoyable. It could be three minutes or thirty minutes. Repeat it every day, or as often as you can. The more you trip, the more you will imprint the pleasant relaxing experience upon your mind; the stronger the imprint, the more relaxing the trip becomes. With practice, this technique will help you become as cool as the other side of the pillow.