Neurofeedback on the Brain

Rogue Waves: The Ocean of the Brain

Dr. Karen — 2009-11-05T19:03:06-05:00

I originally published this article back in 2007, but I came across a great blog post from The Squiggle Sense that further talks about how rogue waves occur and their connection to the brain -- The Complementary Nature is Linear~Nonlinear -- and it seemed a natural idea to re-post this article along with the link to the new info. The Squiggle post can be a little heavy going, but hang in there! Hope you enjoy both! -- KS ----------------------------------------------- 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.

Seizures and Neurofeedback: A Consumer Speaks Up

Dr. Karen — 2009-06-05T11:14:14-04:00

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may remember a post from Bernard Ertl, the creator and moderator of the Coping with Epilepsy website and forum: Stacy's Story. Well, Bernard has Had Enough of the medical establishment dismissing the possibility of neurofeedback as a legitimate alternative to drugs, surgery, and implanted devices. And in January this year, he wrote a wonderfully well-researched letter to Dr. Christine Phelps, Deputy Executive Director (Center for Education and Science) for the American Academy of Neurology/AAN Foundation. In it, he addresses the kind of things that drive me personally crazy. Chief among these is...

Just for Fun: Turn Your Brain to Mush

Dr. Karen — 2009-05-01T18:19:01-04:00

I had to share this! I saw it another blog -- This Old Brain -- and knew it was my responsibility to share with you some excellent strategies for Turning Your Brain into Mush. Of course, I usually try to share strategies for the Proper Care and Feeding of your brain. But I recognize that there may be some people out there who are determined to drive their brains into...well...mush. None of MY readers, of course, but perhaps people you know. People you can see everyday working hard to do the most damage to their brains that they possibly can. Well, now you can help them! Just share this link with them and they're good to go! On the other hand, if they decide that's not working out so well for them...

Opening Space for Change

Dr. Karen — 2009-02-12T16:13:13-05:00

What can we do to enhance the possibility of creating change through the use of neurofeedback? This is an especially interesting question when we are using the non-directive, nonlinear, types of neurofeedback -- where we aren't driving the change and aren't even sure where to look for change to be happening at any specific moment. I get asked this question frequently - albeit indirectly -- by my clients when they start this kind of neurofeedback sessions -- "but what do I do?" My usual answer is that they can just listen to the music/ appreciate each image as it happens and/or they can bring their attention fully to what they're experiencing and feeling -- whatever that is. There really isn't anything one can do "wrong", except maybe trying too hard to "make something happen"... But certainly some people seem to experience (or at least be more aware of) WOW changes sooner than others. So I thought it might be interesting to consider what we can do prior to undertaking our own personal "brain change projects" or even at the start of each neurofeedback session. How can we enhance the possibility of change? How can we open a space for change to occur in?

The Universe and the Brain: Are They So Very Different?

Dr. Karen — 2009-01-05T19:53:09-05:00

Someone on one of my neurofeedback forums shared this beautiful not-quite-6-minute video of the universe from large to small: Sweet View.

The best bit for those of us intrigued by the brain is at the very end, so do stay tuned throughout....

Nonlinear complexity theorists tell us that the same principles are visible from every "size" of system in our universe - which is what makes this little video so impressive. I'd love to frame that last shot for my office!

Don't know what I'm talking about?

That's your sign you need to go watch -- then come back and share what you thought!

Just for Fun: 100 Fascinating Facts You Never Knew About the Human Brain

Dr. Karen — 2009-01-02T12:10:42-05:00

Alisa Miller alerted me to her fun list of 100 Fascinating Facts about the Brain -- what a great collection of all sorts of tidbits about the brain!

Once I saw it, I wanted to share it with all of you --

Feel free to share -- what's your favorite factoid? The most surprising? The hardest to believe?

The one that caught my attention today was:

#47: Decision-making. Women tend to take longer to make a decision, but are more likely to stick with the decision, compared to men, who are more likely to change their mind after making a decision.

This makes total sense to me after a holiday period of trying to decide on a new dishwasher - I'm the researcher, my husband is the "let's just get one!" half of the team.

Looking forward to hearing what catches your attention in this fabulous list!

Brain Plasticity Arrives in Toronto OR Why Haven't I Heard of Neurofeedback?

Dr. Karen — 2008-11-13T17:04:42-05:00

Over breakfast this morning, I read a Toronto Star article by Judy Steed about brain plasticity and the Rotman Research Institute. While I was delighted to have the ability of the adult brain to change discussed in a very public place, I have to admit I experienced a resurgence of the frustration and annoyance I often get when I read about medical centres "discovering" plasticity. I don't mean discovering in the sense of being the first to uncover the phenomenon. Because they just aren't the first anymore. I mean "discovering" in the sense of reporting on a phenomenon that is well-known in many circles and has been for some time, but announcing it as if they were the first. (Perhaps a bit like the claim that Europeans "discovered" the Americas which annoys our native peoples, but that's another article for someone else's blog ;-). When I read these articles, it seems to me to come across as if these "centres of excellence" were finally uncovering critically important findings that everyone else has missed -- and taking the credit for it. So this article is a bit of a rant - and I apologize in advance if I go over the top, but it is SO frustrating to be working in a field that has recognized the plasticity of the brain for decades and used that ability of the brain to change itself to help people for decades, only to have it dismissed for decades by many medical settings who are now "discovering" it without any mention of those there before them. But let me back up a bit and be clear.... First, a quick review of what we mean by "brain plasticity"...

Feeling Like A Chicken With its Head (Brain) Cut Off?

Dr. Karen — 2008-10-10T15:20:00-04:00

This is a "reprint" of an entertaining and educational article from Dr. Jeff Carmen, who created the pirHEG system I write about on my website and in other blog posts. With his permission I'm re-posting it here for those of you interested in: - HEG - the frontal lobes - learning to put the brakes on yourself ;-) He talks primarily about the prefrontal cortex -- for those of you who read my blog (and thanks for that! ), that will be roughly what I talk about more loosely as the "frontal lobes" or the "executive system" -- that area of the brain sitting behind your forehead. He also refers to the frontal lobes/prefrontal cortex as being primarily "inhibitory", meaning that instead of the activity of the executive system being dedicated to Getting Stuff Done (e.g., movements, sensory activity) it tends to be more actively Stopping Unnecessary Stuff (e.g., distractions, impulsive actions, attention-wandering, anger outbursts, emotional extremes...). So I'm hoping you can see how important it is to have those frontal lobes in gear to get you where you need to be! Anyway, enough from me. Here he is....

What is the Internet Doing to Your Brain? (Revised - links added!)

Dr. Karen — 2008-09-25T15:18:59-04:00

Is the internet your brain's friend? I was asked a question by someone who was in a discussion about the internet and its influence on our brains. Specifically, they were talking about whether there is any truth to some recent work showing that the internet, and how we (you, your children) are using it, is making us dumber. So the question posed to me was.... Wondering if you have any thoughts/insights on the changing nature of the brain, with increased internet commnunications, and the prevalence of tools like Google to locate information? My answer was:

Mindfulness: A tool for brain training?

Dr. Karen — 2008-09-18T12:38:46-04:00

Sorry to go missing for the summer - I seemed to have taken a writing-free vacation! But I"m trying to ease myself back into communicating with the outside world . So let's get (re-)started.... There has been a lot of talk about mindfulness this days and lots of expensive courses to teach you "how to do it". Why is this approach so popular and is it worth the time to learn and practice it? I'm going to suggest that yes, it is. And that's because practicing mindfulness gives your brain a chance to allow old, less useful/unproductive "thought ruts" to weaken and change. That means you're less likely to just automatically go down the same old thought and feeling-roads you may be taking that cause you distress. I've had a couple of posts on this topic in the past, but I recently received an email about a free introduction to mindfulness -- and since courses can be so darn expensive -- free looked like a good thing to share with you. It's soon, but there's still time to let the presenters know you're interesed. I'm (with their permission) just going to share the exact content of their notice. Since I'm not affiliated with these folks, please do get back to them directly if you're interested. (But do feel free to say you found out about it here!) Here we go...

MInd Science from Dan Rather Reports

Dr. Karen — 2008-06-01T17:13:59-04:00

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 — 2008-03-19T18:34:10-04:00

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 — 2008-03-18T17:48:03-04:00

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 — 2008-03-14T16:51:04-04:00

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 — 2008-02-29T19:59:17-05:00

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 — 2008-02-18T19:19:10-05:00

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 — 2008-01-16T14:12:34-05:00

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 — 2007-12-04T18:21:32-05:00

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 — 2007-11-17T16:22:22-05:00

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 — 2007-11-08T17:12:53-05:00

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 — 2007-11-08T14:36:38-05:00

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 — 2007-09-29T14:13:52-04:00

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 — 2007-08-24T16:46:02-04:00

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 — 2007-08-21T17:59:43-04:00

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 — 2007-08-11T20:31:37-04:00

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 — 2007-07-16T19:07:52-04:00

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.

No Equipment Brain Training: Memory Muscle-Building

Dr. Karen — 2007-06-11T20:49:16-04:00

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 — 2007-06-05T19:19:01-04:00

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 — 2007-06-05T16:16:11-04:00

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 — 2007-05-17T19:44:06-04:00

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"?