The Gamma Mindset: The Complete Guide to Dr Chris Walton’s Gamma Brainwave Technique

The Gamma Mindset is a short daily mind-training technique created by performance psychologist Dr Chris Walton. It uses the head, the heart and the body to create what Walton calls a peak brain state of gamma, theta and alpha brainwaves, in which you integrate a new, positive belief to build self-belief, confidence, focus and performance in about five minutes a day.

Mind training and belief change · Helps with: self-belief, confidence, focus, stress, peak performance, flow and limiting beliefs

Last updated: 30 October 2026

Written by Saj Ali

Reading time: about 16 minutes

How we wrote this guide: this guide was written by Saj Ali. Every research claim below links to the original study, its DOI or an official record.

Quick answer: what is the Gamma Mindset?

• It is a fast belief-change technique. Walton describes it as a technique that creates “a peak brain state in just 60 seconds” in which you can reprogram the subconscious mind (Gamma Mindset, About).
• It was created by Dr Chris Walton. Walton has a PhD in integrative medicine and more than 30 years of coaching, and has coached seven world champions and three world record holders (Gamma Mindset, About).
• It aims for a gamma, theta and alpha brain state. Walton calls this a “peak brain signature”, in which a new positive belief can be integrated in about 90 seconds (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).
• It works with the head, heart and body. The technique “uses the head, the heart and the body in the change process” to create coherence (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).
• Gamma waves are linked with meditation. Long-term meditators can produce sustained, high-amplitude gamma synchrony during compassion meditation (Lutz et al., 2004).

Contents

1. What Is the Gamma Mindset?
   • The Gamma Mindset at a Glance
2. Where the Gamma Mindset Came From
   • The discovery of the gamma state
   • Qualifications and experience
3. How the Gamma Mindset Works
   • Brainwaves in brief
   • The peak brain signature
   • Head, heart and body
   • Neuroplasticity
4. How to Try a Gamma-Inspired Five-Minute Belief Practice
5. What People Use the Gamma Mindset For
6. What the Research Shows
   • Gamma brainwaves and meditation
   • Data from the Gamma Mindset
   • Self-affirmation and belief
   • Mental rehearsal and meditation
7. The Gamma Mindset and Flow
   • Peak Performance in 60 Seconds
   • The free masterclass
8. Who the Gamma Mindset Is For
9. Getting the Most from the Gamma Mindset
   • The Gamma Mindset compared with similar methods
10. Watch, Listen and Follow
11. Frequently Asked Questions About The Gamma Mindset
12. Key Takeaways
13. Explore More on Self Help Supermarket
14. Sources

What Is the Gamma Mindset?

The Gamma Mindset is a personal change technique that aims to help you replace limiting beliefs with empowering ones quickly. Walton describes it as “a technique that creates a ‘peak brain state’ in just 60 seconds called ‘Gamma Brain Waves'”. In this state, he says, “billions of your brain cells fire together at the same time”, creating “mind, brain and body coherence” (Gamma Mindset, About).

The method rests on the idea that most of our beliefs and emotional reactions run automatically at a subconscious level. You may consciously want to succeed, but deeper beliefs, such as “I’m not good enough”, can quietly hold you back. The Gamma Mindset aims to reach and update these beliefs directly (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).

Walton presents the technique as part of the wider field of energy psychology, using “the head, the heart and the body in the change process” to put mind and body into a state of coherence (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).

The Gamma Mindset at a Glance

Details are from Gamma Mindset, About and Gamma Mindset, Why It Works.

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Where the Gamma Mindset Came From

In the 1990s, Chris Walton managed two health clubs and worked as a strength and conditioning coach to professional athletes and private clients (Gamma Mindset, About). Listening to his clients’ stories, he became convinced that “our mindset – our beliefs, emotions, and thoughts” drive the level of health, happiness and success we achieve.

Walton has also spoken openly about his own path. Diagnosed with complex PTSD as an adult, he set out to change years of negative conditioning for his own wellbeing. By 1998 he had begun adding mindset coaching to his work with athletes and entrepreneurs (Gamma Mindset, About).

Wanting faster and deeper results than he was seeing from popular techniques, he used brain measurement, imaging and biofeedback testing with thousands of clients to compare different meditative and mind techniques. This work led to the Gamma Mindset Technique (Gamma Mindset, About).

The discovery of the gamma state

Walton describes a turning point in 2011, when his brainwaves were measured at a neurofeedback clinic on Harley Street in London while he used the “integration phase” of his belief-change technique. The reading showed gamma waves as the most dominant, followed by theta and alpha, with beta the least active. His nephew showed the same pattern, and later testing continued in Croatia (Gamma Mindset, How It Was Discovered).

Qualifications and experience

Walton holds a PhD in integrative medicine, with a dissertation titled “Programming the Mind for Increased Self-Belief, Confidence and Performance”, and a master’s degree in consciousness and transpersonal psychology. He is also a certified trainer of NLP and has trained in energy medicine, thought field therapy and EFT (Gamma Mindset, About). He has coached seven world champions, three world record holders, Olympic athletes and thousands of business leaders. In 2006 he was part of an eight-man team that set a world record for the fastest Atlantic Ocean crossing in a 39-foot boat (Gamma Mindset, About). He runs a coaching practice in Monmouthshire, South Wales.

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How the Gamma Mindset Works

Brainwaves in brief

As we think, feel, act and sleep, the brain’s electrical activity produces rhythms at different frequencies, known as brainwaves. They are usually grouped as follows:

Walton explains that gamma waves are usually weak and hard to detect, but that producing them creates “neural synchrony”, meaning more brain cells fire at the same time (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).

The peak brain signature

The Gamma Mindset aims to create what Walton calls a “peak brain signature” of gamma, theta and alpha brainwaves. In this state, he says, “you can integrate a new positive belief into your subconscious mind in just 90 seconds” (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works). Using the technique daily is intended to bring steady changes to thinking patterns, self-belief and emotional reactions.

Head, heart and body

Walton places strong emphasis on the heart. He explains that feelings of appreciation, love, joy and kindness bring the heart into a smooth, coherent rhythm, a state in which “you can more easily make wise choices and integrate new, more positive beliefs and thinking patterns” (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works). The technique combines this heart focus with the mind and body to create coherence across the whole system.

Neuroplasticity

The Gamma Mindset also draws on neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to learn and form new connections throughout life. Walton notes that new thoughts, perceptions, beliefs, positive emotions and experiences are what drive this change (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).

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How to Try a Gamma-Inspired Five-Minute Belief Practice

The Gamma Mindset Technique itself is taught in Dr Chris Walton’s books, masterclass and coaching (Gamma Mindset, About). This simple practice is inspired by its main themes, working with the head, the heart and the body, and by research on the compassion meditation that produced strong gamma activity in experienced meditators (Lutz et al., 2004).

1. Choose your new belief. Pick one positive belief you would like to strengthen, written in the present tense. For example: “I am confident and capable” or “I deserve success.”
2. Settle your body. Sit comfortably with your feet on the floor. Take three slow breaths, letting your shoulders and jaw soften on each out-breath.
3. Bring your attention to your heart. Place a hand on the centre of your chest. Breathe as if through your heart, slowly and evenly, for about a minute.
4. Feel appreciation and compassion. Recall someone or something you truly appreciate, and let the warm feeling grow. Then extend that feeling of kindness outward to people you love and, if you can, to everyone.
5. Hold the new belief. While the warm feeling is strong, say your new belief silently several times. Notice how it feels in your body as if it is already true.
6. Picture it in action. Spend a minute imagining yourself acting from this belief in a real situation today, such as speaking up, training or making a decision.
7. Close and take one step. Take a final slow breath, open your eyes and choose one small action that matches your new belief.

Practise once a day, ideally at the same time, and keep using the same belief for a week or two before moving on to the next. Walton’s book is subtitled “Create World Champion Self Belief in 5 Minutes Per Day”, and short, regular practice is the key idea ({GA}).

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What People Use the Gamma Mindset For

The Gamma Mindset is used in sport, business and everyday life. Common goals include:

• Self-belief and confidence – replacing “I’m not good enough” with a deep sense of capability. See self-confidence.
• Peak performance – athletes and executives use it to prepare for competition, presentations and big decisions.
• Stress and calm – Walton’s site presents daily use as a way to reduce stress and enter flow. See stress management.
• Focus and flow – entering a clear, absorbed state for work or training. See flow state.
• Limiting beliefs and habits – changing patterns such as procrastination, self-doubt and fear of failure. See procrastination.
• Relationships, health and career – Walton lists self-esteem, relationships, finances, health and fitness, work and sports performance among the areas where limiting beliefs often show up (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).

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What the Research Shows

The Gamma Mindset draws on several areas of research: gamma brainwaves in meditation, positive self-affirmation, mental rehearsal and meditation for stress. Together they paint an encouraging picture of what short, focused mind training can do.

Gamma brainwaves and meditation

A landmark 2004 study led by Richard Davidson’s lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that long-term Buddhist practitioners “self-induce sustained electroencephalographic high-amplitude gamma-band oscillations and phase-synchrony during meditation”. The gamma activity was higher than in a control group even at rest, rose sharply during meditation and stayed raised afterwards. The authors suggested that mental training “may induce short-term and long-term neural changes” (Lutz et al., 2004). Walton highlights this research and says the Gamma Mindset creates a similar brainwave signature (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).

A 2017 study compared practitioners of three meditation traditions, Vipassana, Himalayan yoga and Isha Shoonya, with a control group. All the meditators showed higher gamma amplitude, and the more meditation experience a person had, the stronger their gamma activity (Braboszcz et al., 2017).

Data from the Gamma Mindset

Walton reports his own measurements. He says 28 people had their brainwaves measured while using the technique and all created a state of gamma, theta and alpha waves within 90 seconds (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works). On another page, he describes a group of 192 delegates who used the technique for 6 to 10 minutes a day for two weeks and all reported improved wellbeing (Gamma Mindset, Stress and Flow). His PhD research also focused on the technique and its effect on self-belief, confidence and performance (Gamma Mindset, About).

Self-affirmation and belief

Research on self-affirmation shows that brief exercises that connect people with their core values can improve outcomes in education, health and relationships, with benefits that can last months or longer (Cohen & Sherman, 2014).

Mental rehearsal and meditation

A meta-analysis found that mental practice has “a positive and significant effect on performance” (Driskell et al., 1994). And a large review of meditation programmes found moderate improvements in anxiety, depression and pain (Goyal et al., 2014), supporting the value of a short, calm daily practice.

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The Gamma Mindset and Flow

Walton links the Gamma Mindset closely with flow, the state of effortless, absorbed focus that athletes call being “in the zone”. His site presents the technique as a daily way to let go of stress and spend more time in flow (Gamma Mindset, Stress and Flow).

Flow tends to arrive when you are relaxed but alert, fully engaged in a task and free of self-doubt. The Gamma Mindset aims to support all three: calming stress through the heart, sharpening focus through the brain state and removing the limiting beliefs that get in the way. You can read more about this state in our flow state guide.

Peak Performance in 60 Seconds

Walton’s second book, Peak Performance in 60 Seconds – The Essential to Maximise Your Energy, Resilience and Performance, focuses on quick techniques to raise energy and resilience during busy days (Gamma Mindset, About). It reflects the method’s emphasis on short, frequent practice rather than long sessions.

The free masterclass

Walton offers a free Gamma Mindset Masterclass, which includes a live demonstration of rapid belief change. Several of his videos below show the technique in action and explain the science behind gamma brainwaves.

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Who the Gamma Mindset Is For

The Gamma Mindset may suit you if:

• You want a short daily practice, about five minutes, rather than long meditations.
• You are an athlete, coach, performer or business leader looking for an edge.
• You know your limiting beliefs and want a structured way to change them.
• You are interested in brainwaves, neuroscience and peak states.
• You have tried affirmations or visualisation and want to go deeper.
• You like methods that combine the mind with the heart and body.

If you enjoy this approach, you may also like Psycho-Cybernetics, NLP and Belief Coding, which also focus on reshaping the beliefs behind your performance.

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Getting the Most from the Gamma Mindset

• Be consistent. A few minutes every day builds more than an occasional long session.
• Work on one belief at a time. Choose the belief that would make the biggest difference to your life right now.
• Feel it in your heart. Walton stresses appreciation, love and kindness as the gateway to coherence (Gamma Mindset, Why It Works).
• Use the present tense. “I am confident” is stronger than “I will be confident”.
• Pair belief with action. Take one step each day that matches your new belief.
• Track your progress. Rate your confidence or stress out of 10 before and after each week to see the changes.
• Learn from the source. The books and free masterclass teach the full technique (Gamma Mindset, About).

The Gamma Mindset compared with similar methods

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Watch, Listen and Follow

Hear Dr Chris Walton explain gamma brainwaves and the Gamma Mindset, watch live demonstrations and learn about the meditation research on gamma from Richard Davidson and Daniel Goleman.

Videos

• What are Gamma Brain Waves and the Benefits – and How to Create them Yourself ! – Dr Chris Walton . Dr Chris Walton on gamma brainwaves, their benefits and how to create them.
• Gamma Brain Waves and Rapid Subconscious Reprogramming – Dr Chris Walton . Gamma brainwaves and rapid subconscious reprogramming.
• Live demo creating Gamma Brain Waves with The Gamma Mindset Technique… – Dr Chris Walton . A live demonstration of creating gamma brainwaves.
• FREE Gamma Mindset Masterclass: Rapid Subconscious Belief Change Demonstration and Much More! – Dr Chris Walton . The free Gamma Mindset Masterclass with a belief change demonstration.
• Test Your Subconscious Mind and Reprogram Your Beliefs in the Gamma Mindset Masterclass ! – Dr Chris Walton . Test your subconscious mind and reprogram your beliefs.
• Davidson Gamma, Clarity, and Mindfulness Pt 1 – Ritvo Lab (Health behaviour Change). Richard Davidson on gamma, clarity and mindfulness.
• Superhumans: The remarkable brain waves of high-level meditators | Daniel Goleman | Big Think – Big Think. Daniel Goleman on the brainwaves of experienced meditators.
• 4-Minute Guided Meditation for Well-being, Prof Richard Davidson (Keynote Speaker) – Brahm Centre. A four-minute guided meditation for wellbeing with Richard Davidson.

Gamma Mindset resources

• Gamma Mindset, About – Dr Chris Walton’s background and qualifications.
• Gamma Mindset, Why It Works – how the technique and the peak brain state are explained.
• Gamma Mindset, How It Was Discovered – the story of the 2011 brainwave measurements.
• Gamma Mindset, Stress and Flow – daily use for stress and flow.

Books

• The Gamma Mindset – Create World Champion Self Belief in 5 Minutes Per Day – Dr Chris Walton.
• Peak Performance in 60 Seconds – The Essential to Maximise Your Energy, Resilience and Performance – Dr Chris Walton.
• Altered Traits – Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson (2017). How meditation changes the brain, including the gamma research.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Gamma Mindset

What is the Gamma Mindset?

The Gamma Mindset is a short daily technique created by Dr Chris Walton that aims to create a peak brain state of gamma, theta and alpha brainwaves, in which you integrate new positive beliefs to build self-belief, confidence and performance.

Who created the Gamma Mindset?

Dr Chris Walton, a performance psychologist with a PhD in integrative medicine and more than 30 years of coaching experience, created it. He has coached seven world champions and three world record holders.

What are gamma brainwaves?

Gamma waves are fast brain rhythms, above about 30 Hz, linked with neural synchrony, when many brain cells fire together. Studies have found strong gamma activity in experienced meditators.

How long does the Gamma Mindset take?

Walton says the peak brain state can be reached in 60 to 90 seconds, and his book describes building self-belief in five minutes a day.

How is the Gamma Mindset different from meditation?

Meditation usually aims for calm awareness over longer sessions. The Gamma Mindset is a short, goal-focused technique that uses a peak brain state to change a specific belief.

Is there a free Gamma Mindset course?

Yes. Dr Chris Walton offers a free Gamma Mindset Masterclass with a live demonstration of rapid belief change.

What research supports the Gamma Mindset?

It draws on research showing that experienced meditators produce strong gamma brainwaves, that self-affirmation improves outcomes and that mental practice boosts performance. Walton also reports his own brainwave measurements of people using the technique.

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Key Takeaways

• The Gamma Mindset was created by performance psychologist Dr Chris Walton.
• It aims for a peak brain state of gamma, theta and alpha brainwaves.
• Walton says a new belief can be integrated in about 90 seconds.
• The technique works with the head, the heart and the body.
• Research links gamma brainwaves with experienced meditation practice.
• Daily practice of about five minutes is the core of the method.

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Explore More on Self Help Supermarket

Use these guides alongside this one:

• Flow state – effortless focus
• Meditation – calm the mind
• Psycho-Cybernetics – change your self-image
• Belief Coding – rewrite limiting beliefs
• NLP – reprogram your thinking
• The Silva Method – mind training
• Hypnosis – focused suggestion
• Visualisation – picture your goals
• Self-confidence – believe in yourself
• Motivation – stay driven
• Stress management – reduce stress
• Self-esteem – value yourself
• Browse all self-help techniques – compare every method on Self Help Supermarket.

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Sources

1. Walton, C. The Gamma Mindset. About. https://gammamindset.com/about/
2. Walton, C. The Gamma Mindset. Why the Gamma Mindset techniques work. https://gammamindset.com/why-it-works/
3. Walton, C. The Gamma Mindset. How the gamma brain technique was discovered. https://gammamindset.com/how-the-gamma-brain-technique-was-discovered/
4. Walton, C. The Gamma Mindset. The best way to eliminate stress and be in flow every day. https://gammamindset.com/the-best-way-to-eliminate-stress-and-be-in-flow-every-day/
5. Lutz, A., Greischar, L. L., Rawlings, N. B., Ricard, M., & Davidson, R. J. (2004). Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 101(46), 16369–16373. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0407401101
6. Braboszcz, C., Cahn, B. R., Levy, J., Fernandez, M., & Delorme, A. (2017). Increased gamma brainwave amplitude compared to control in three different meditation traditions. PLOS ONE, 12(1), e0170647. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170647
7. Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 333–371. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010213-115137
8. Driskell, J. E., Copper, C., & Moran, A. (1994). Does mental practice enhance performance? Journal of Applied Psychology, 79(4), 481–492. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.79.4.481
9. Goyal, M., Singh, S., Sibinga, E. M. S., et al. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357–368. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13018

Self Help Supermarket guides are for general information and are not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.