neurofeedback

This afternoon was my seventh session of what is called neurofeedback therapy at Syracuse Neurofeedback in Syracuse, NY. (About a 1.5 hour drive East from Rochester, NY.) Each session I sit at a computer screen and play one of a selection of video games that is both controlled by a joystick as well as my brain waves. My favorite game is called "Inner Tube". In this game, I fly a small space ship through a tunnel collecting, or avoiding, "power ups" and attempting to not touch the tunnel walls. The flight must also be completed within a certain allotment of time, otherwise the player cannot advance to the next level. While it is simpler than most flight simulation or first person shooter games on the market, "Inner Tube" has the unique function of directly interfacing with one's EEG brain wave measurements. Using this data, the game trains the brain to function with a particular mode at a particular brain site by dynamically changing the speed of the ship and the depth visibility of the tunnel. To succeed through a level, the player must learn to relax and operate one's mind in a way that is both peaceful and high in performance.

Some significant benefits I have received from neurofeedback already are improved sleep and dieting impulses, and a general sense of mental well-being. The most significant benefit however seems to be a new found ability to "detach" from the computer screen or television; that while engaged in work or recreation with either the computer or TV, the technology does not "draw me in," but rather remains at a mental distance. I increasingly believe that such detachment from technology, even if using it around the clock, is a necessary part of living a values-based lifestyle; where affinity is something to be experienced with relationships with real people, and conceptual learning, and detachment with the tangible items of life, rather than the opposite; and neurofeedback has provided me with the ability to better discipline myself toward that goal.