This is 52 minute television program from Dan Rather that covers a wealth of information about the brain, its plasticity, its connections with meditation and other ways we can change our brain's functioning. A bit of commitment...but worth it for the overview on brain plasticity....   more »

This is a video from TED.com that I think you will find moving and inspirational --- one, because I did and two, because a number of my clients and readers have already shared the link with me, being sure I would want to see it. It's almost 20 minutes, but I think you'll find it gives you food for thought that's worth every minute. Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroanatomist who realized one morning that she was experiencing a massive stroke.   more »

I received an email the other day from Bernard Ertl, the creator and moderator of the Coping with Epilepsy website and forum. When I had a chance to visit his site and read about the experiences he and his wife, Stacy, have had with neurofeedback, I knew I wanted them to share some of their story with my readers. I often get requests from folks who find my website, Brain and Health or blog to share what "typically" happens when someone receives neurofeedback training. I'm not allowed by my professional regulations to ask my own clients to share, so when I find someone who is willing to share their story, I really want you to be able to hear it from their mouth (keyboard?). Even though there really isn't one "typical" pattern, I know it helps to hear about what others have experienced. So first let's let Bernard and Stacy share their story, then I have a couple of comments. And just for the record -- apart from these preliminary comments and the ones that will follow, this is a completely unedited version of what Bernard so graciously sent to me...   more »

I happened to come across this ABC 7 News Medical report on using neurofeedback for migraines and thought I would do a quick post just to share.

See...it's not just me that thinks it's an amazing option ;-)

I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. I do enjoy sitting down at the end of every year and reflecting on what I did and why and how I would like to do things differently in the coming year. But I'm not into the traditional goal-setting thing: exercise 3 times a week, eat 3 healthy meals per day, go to bed earlier. That's not to say I wouldn't like to set these kinds of goals -- IF I could/would do them -- but I can't. Or won't. Or don't. The place I get hung up is in the whole idea of Goals, capital G. Philosophically, I get uncomfortable making too many decisions about where my life "Should" be going. If I had set specific goals and kept my nose to the grindstone to achieve them, I would be in a totally different place than I find myself now. I arrived at this most interesting place in my life by a rather circuitous route and an openness to new opportunities and possibilities. And I'm satisfied with where I am. (For now...who knows what else is coming?) Even though I'm not the type to map out how I want my life to go, I do have ideas for the near-term about what I need to do to progress on my current projects and ideas. And I certainly have ideas about the kind of person I want to be Becoming. So over the years I have developed alternatives to New Year's Resolutions that fit better with who and how I am. What has all this got to do with neurofeedback??   more »

Not all in your head of course. But it's there.... Surging hormones...dysregulation (or at least a "re-setting" of the system)... And if you've experienced menopause and its hot flashes, you know you feel like your brain isn't functioning on all cyclinders. (Many women say the same thing about being pregnant, but that's a little different story than this one.) I find menopause fascinating from a neurofeedback perspective. Let me share with you an "inside" view of the brain during hot flashes and you'll see what I mean about menopause being firmly in your head!   more »

There you are....wearing a tiny infrared camera on your head, intently watching a screen with a readout of the temperature of your brain, trying to make it go up. You're hoping it will help your migraines melt, your panic attacks retreat, your attention focus, or your mood stabilize in a good place. But what does it actually Feel Like?   more »

In my "Brain Tales" section, I thought I would take the opportunity to share real stories about how neurofeedback feels or how it impacted someone's life. The premier Brain Tale is by a business coach I met in a listserv I belong to. Lyle was never my client (what a commute that would have been -- Alberta to Ontario! ;-), but someone I encouraged to explore neurofeedback to help with his fibromyalgia. Did it? Well, I'll let him tell the Tale!    more »