Neurofeedback on the Brain

MInd Science from Dan Rather Reports

Dr. Karen — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 17:13:00 -0400

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....

What Does Change Feel Like?

Dr. Karen — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:34:00 -0400

I joined a conversation over at the Shift in Action website which was hosted by a member named Rod Sherwin. He posed a question about how we can know when shifts in consciousness -- personal or societal -- are happening. How can we know when we experience not just big dramatic shifts in our ways of being, but even the little movements that might take us from 3 out of 10 on some scale of change to 3.5 out of 10? In working with people's brains using nonlinear methods of feedback, it is very common indeed that people experience changes - shifts in their ways of being, thinking, feeling, and/or acting - that they are just not aware of at the time of the shift. Every neurofeedback practitioner I speak to has stories of people changing in all sorts of both subtle and dramatic ways, but not seeing the change themselves or not realizing how big or important a shift it is. I think this is partly...

Brain Tales: Stroke of insight - Part 1

Dr. Karen — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:48:00 -0400

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.

Brain Training Without Equipment: Mindfulness Meditation

Dr. Karen — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:51:00 -0400

Imagine yourself sitting back for a nonlinear neurofeedback session.... That means that your brain is going to have a "conversation" with itself (which I recently described in my newsletter, Not Just Neurofeedback, as the brain looking at itself in a mirror - let me know if you want to be on the list and have access to back copies like this). Your conscious mind doesn't really have anything specific to do in order to "make" something happen on purpose". In fact, the best thing you can do is to get out of the way. ;- ) But what does "get out of the way" mean, exactly? How do you "get out of the way"?

Is Neurofeedback just a "placebo effect"?

Dr. Karen — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 19:59:00 -0500

I had a great question the other day from a reader: "My question is this: What objective proof will I have that these treatments are doing what's intended as opposed to any ''placebo effect''." This is such a common worry, either for people considering the use of neurofeedback or from other professionals that know very little, if anything, about neurofeedback that it seemed a good idea to share part of my answer with all my readers...

Why Haven't I Heard of Neurofeedback Before?

Dr. Karen — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:19:00 -0500

I get this question -- Why haven't I heard of neurofeedback before? Why didn't anyone tell me? -- all the time from my clients and people calling or writing to me to find out more about neurofeedback. The really frustrated ones are the individuals who have worked with me to decrease their migraines, stop panic attacks, stabilize their mood and who want to know why their physician never told them about this option. I never have very good answers for them. Today I read an article --

Do We have to DO Something To be Ourselves?

Dr. Karen — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:12:00 -0500

I was watching the television program Nova on PBS (Absolute Zero) last night and they were taking about a phenomenon called a "Bose-Einstein condensate" Listening to the behaviour of particles and knowing that nature is generally shows what is called "self-similarity" (think of the repeating patterns of fractals..here's a wonderful animated example of self-similarity), I wondered if this idea of a Bose-Einstein condensate could apply to the human level as well. The principle of self-similarity means that you see repeating patterns at different levels as you zoom in and out So I played a bit...

Just for Fun+: Exercise Your Brain and Donate to the Hungry

Dr. Karen — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:21:00 -0500

This is an excerpt from Daphne Gray-Grant's newsletter Power Writing. I thought it was such a great idea I wanted to share it with as many people as possible.

She's telling us about an on-line self-test of your vocabulary. It's a great idea because:
(1) using the language networks in your brain strengthens them;
(2) exercising your brain in general strengthens it, and
(3) for every word you get right, 20 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations' World Food Program.

Practice a lot ;-)

So…Here's her description:

All of this is a pep-talk designed to persuade you to try a new, fr'ee vocabulary website launched this October by U.S. computer programmer John Breen. Basically an on-line vocabulary test, much like the SAT, it presents you with a series of multiple choice definitions. Your answer to each question is scored immediately and you move on to the next one. (You can set options so that when you leave your computer the site “remembers” your score for the next time.)

Think you're pretty smart already? (Or worried about not being smart enough?) No worries! The site, which is called FreeRice, automatically adjusts to your vocabulary level. When you get a word wrong, the next word provided is from an easier level. When you get three consecutive words right, you move to a higher degree of difficulty. (Experts say that this constant fine-tuning of levels is the best way to ensure you are learning and not just playing a game.) FreeRice has 50 levels in total, but staff say it's rare for people to get past level 48. Go ahead; knock yourself out.

But you're probably wondering about the site's odd name. And therein lies the best news of all. Each time you get a word right, the site's sponsors donate enough money to pay for 20 grains of rice for the United Nations' World Food Program. That may sound like a pitifully small amount, but the site has already raised more than five billion grains of rice in less than two months.

So you can build your vocabulary, become a better writer, have fun and help reduce world hunger – all at the same time. How great is that?

I'm up to 2020 grains today -- how about you?

Quotes for Neurofeedback: What Happens When Your Brain Changes?

Dr. Karen — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:22:00 -0500

Everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don't seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong. You also know where you don't belong.

Benjamin Hoff from the The Tao of Pooh

I love this quote because it so nicely describes what I see happening with people when I work with them using nonlinear neurofeedback.

They may start off thinking that the Problem is their health condition, or their relationships, or their mood, or…whatever.

But as they work, they start to feel a renewed Connection with themselves and it gets harder and harder to do things that don't respect that Inner Nature, as Hoff says. So they just naturally start to make different decisions, react differently to people and events around them, take care of themselves differently…they uncover who they really are and their world changes.

Navigating the Brain: Lessons from the Hawaiian Navigators

Dr. Karen — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 17:12:00 -0500

I was watching a program on the native navigators from the Hawaiian Islands some time ago (and it is a stunning place. Now on my list of places to visit. As I understood it, these navigators actually used a process very related to the brain’s functioning and why our brain and CARE works: 1) They learned the patterns of waves in and from different directions and destinations so they could recognize each one. ...

The Beauty of the Brain: Brain Painting with EEG - Updated

Dr. Karen — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:36:00 -0500

I've come across a site with the most gorgeous images of brain activity I've ever seen. And these aren't just inspired works of art, they are actually images derived from EEG activity. Here's just a couple to inspire you to go and look at more....

Just for Fun: The Gratitude Dance!

Dr. Karen — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:13:00 -0400

This is a fun little video of 2.5+ minutes that carries a serious message about taking the time to appreciate the good in your life. Once I saw it, I just wanted to share it! And imagine the joy if everyone were doing it -- now, that's a wonderful form of social contagion!

Self-Growth and Society: Does One Person Make a Difference?

Dr. Karen — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:46:00 -0400

I heard an interesting question the other day about whether anyone even notices the impact of a single person. Does it matter what we as individuals do? Can we really make any difference at all? Although the question wasn't directed to me, I had an answer anyway (this may not surprise those of you who know me ). And this seemed like the perfect place to show the beginnings of that answer, although I just might find myself inspired to create a longer version of these thoughts -- if you'd be interested in this, just let me know. So here we go.... The short answer is yes, each of us does make a difference. The long answer involves a few different lines of research about how you feel and what you do.

Brain Tales: Stacy's Story of Epilepsy and Neurofeedback

Dr. Karen — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:59:00 -0400

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...

Just for Fun: The Butterfly Effect and Brain Symptoms

Dr. Karen — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 20:31:00 -0400

Here is an fun little video of 30 seconds. So, what does this have to do with the brain?Well, although this is intended to be an amusing video, it is a fun explanation of a principle of the physics of nonlinear systems -- what is popularly called the "butterfly effect". That sounded like a bit a mouthful, so let's back up just a bit...

Video on Neurofeedback for Peak Performance

Dr. Karen — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:07:00 -0400

I came across this 5 minute video of Rae Tattenbaum talking about optimal performance coaching and the use of neurofeedback. I thought you might enjoy it as it shows what the process of neurofeedback using the CARE model looks like and talks about the importance of learning to be Present to our own experiences in order to be in Flow more of the time.

Rogue Waves: The Ocean of the Brain

Dr. Karen — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 21:10:00 -0400

I came across a wonderful article that shows what happens in the ocean when rogue "monster" waves appear and capsize ships. What makes it wonderful and why am I writing about it here --- on a blog about the brain and neurofeedback? You may not see a connection between rogue waves on the ocean and what happens in the brain -- or why that matters for our lives. Good question. I hope by the end of my article you'll see why I was so delighted to come across this story as a teaching tool about the brain and how neurofeedback can work.

No Equipment Brain Training: Memory Muscle-Building

Dr. Karen — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:49:00 -0400

Here is an interesting and accurate pair of YouTube videos of how memory works and how you can train yourself to use it better. First, let's watch them - they'll take about 8 minutes (part 1 and 2 -- it was a bit long for just one video)

Brain Myths: How Much of Our Brain Do We Use?

Dr. Karen — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 19:19:00 -0400

Question: "I have been told that we only use 10% of our brain's capacity. Not sure all the reasons why we cannot access the other 90%. I want to. I wouldn't mind having a better memory!" Answer: There are differing opinions on this. Some say it's true and it's the result of a built-in redundancy. Not available until something goes wrong. I personally am in the "I don't think so" school and there are a number of lines to evidence to support me on this.

Email disaster!

Dr. Karen — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:16:00 -0400

I had a horrifying experience recently. All my email disappeared -- I mean everything, addresses, archived emails, new messages, to-do's, messages I was waiting to hear back about...everything. Why am I telling you this, other than to share my woes and elicit some sympathy?

"Parts" of Yourself: Where are they all?

Dr. Karen — Thu, 17 May 2007 19:44:00 -0400

There's a fascinating discussion going on over at Dawud Miracle's blog about whether we have "parts" of ourselves or whether we are a "whole" misled by our language and habits of thought into thinking of ourselves in parts. (This guy is not just another web designer, eh?) I had to join such a conversation, but of course I approached the question from the perspective of the brain. (I couldn't help myself -- you'll understand ). To follow the whole conversation (or is that to follow all its parts??), you'll need to go catch up on Dawud's blog, but I thought I would share my thinking on this for my brain aficionados. (That's you.) So -- Why do we seem to have "parts"?

Vipassana and Neurofeedback

Dr. Karen — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:34:00 -0400

I came across this YouTube video called "The Simple Path" -- a lecture by S.N. Goenka. It is part of series of broadcasts on Vipassana meditation, also called mindfulness meditation -- "seeing things as they really are". What caught my attention in his talk was the notion of working at deep levels in Vipassana meditation vs making surface changes in some other meditative techniques. It brought to mind the kinds of techniques people are often initially fascinated by when they start exploring ways of training their brain for better performance. These techniques may include...

More on Migraines and Neurofeedback on ABC News

Dr. Karen — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:08:00 -0500

Well, I'm impressed. Dr. Sarvenaz Zand, a physician wrote an article for ABC News about "Treating Migraines Without Painkillers" -- and there are biofeedback and neurofeedback -- front and centre! How well does it work? According to Dr. Barry Schwartz, director of the Headache Center in New Orleans, about 85 percent to 90 percent of patients with chronic headaches respond positively to biofeedback. "Biofeedback also serves as an excellent bridge in assisting patients wean off medications," he said. Of course, I do have a few thoughts about his presentation of neurofeedback...

Can We Predict How Happy Something Will Make Us?: Affective Forecasting

Dr. Karen — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:23:00 -0500

Apologies -- I've gotten temporarily distracted from my agenda of posts on creating self-change by more posts from Rick Cockrum's Shards of Consciousness. This week he's writing a series of articles on Happiness and I wanted to do a quick article about his first in the series: Happiness, Emotion, and Fulfillment - Part 1. One of Rick's conclusions was that happiness can't be found outside ourselves, an insightful interpretation he made of the studies he reviewed. This is absolutely one of the take-home messages of the positive psychology approach -- the way your world (and you) appear is highly dependent on how you're looking at it. Look at your world as half-empty and you'll see half-emptiness (or worse) all around you. Look at it as half-full and likely to get filled up and you'll be experiencing that fullness. Research has shown that optimism is good -- from the perspectives of your physical health, your emotional resilience, your personal growth, your relationships, your work....and on it goes. And here's an interesting addition to his point:

Neurofeedback and Migraines: An ABC report

Dr. Karen — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 17:32:00 -0500

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 ;-)

Change and Willpower: I Want to Change, but I have no Willpower

Dr. Karen — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 19:27:00 -0500

Is "lack of willpower" a problem for you? At New Year's did you lay out a number of changes you were going to make "this year" and then start finding yourself "without the willpower" to make them happen? One of the most common reasons people give for failing to change something about themselves -- or for not even trying to change -- is that they just don't have enough "willpower". But the idea that large doses of "willpower" is the most important characteristic you need for change is just not true.

Neurofeedback as a Tool for Personal Evolution

Dr. Karen — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 20:33:00 -0500

I've discovered an interesting blog by Rick Cockrum called Shards of Consciousness: Explorations in Personal Development . He writes about disliking the biological approaches to human life, but I hope he won't mind my comments on his post. This is an older article from his blog, but I like some of the things he had to say and I wanted to elaborate a bit on why. I've extracted some of the bits that got my attention:

Just for Fun: Need to Keep Your Thoughts Private?

Dr. Karen — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 19:23:00 -0500

You may have heard about the practice of using aluminum foil as a way to block the reading of your brain waves by nefarious technologies. But does it work?...... Here's a study from MIT that thoroughly explores that question:

A Story of Two Wolfs and the Choices We Make

Dr. Karen — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:37:00 -0500

Someone sent me this story today. I have seen it before and perhaps you have as well, but I thought it was worth sharing as another way to think about heart coherence. ... Two Wolves

Brain Tales: My Alternatives to New Year Resolutions

Dr. Karen — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

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??