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"?
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?
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?
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
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:
Allof 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?
Everything has its own place andfunction. 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
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. ...