I recorded my brain activity during a HEG neurofeedback session. More specifically, that means I recorded changes in infra-red heat radiation coming from my forehead. This form of biofeedback is used to train “executive function”, which is the job of the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain behind the forehead). In this session I interspersed periods of intense focus with watching TV. You can see the results in the graph below. Continue reading
Tag Archives: heg
How to Choose Between Neurotherapy Modalities
Neurotherapy at its broadest covers a wide range of techniques and therapies, including neurofeedback and biofeedback, transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Cranial Electro-Stimulation (CES) and Audio-Visual Stimulation (AVS). But how does a practitioner select which is appropriate for any given client?
In a recent blog post I reviewed Richard Davidson’s theory of emotional style (presented in his book, ‘The Emotional Life of Your Brain’ co-authored with Sharon Begley). I believe Davidson’s ideas offer a framework for choosing neurotherapies, and for tailoring therapy for the individual – in effect, for realising the goal of personalised health care. In this blog post I attempt to link some of the dimensions of emotional style to neurotherapy interventions. Continue reading
Biofeedback Affects Mindfulness Meditation
This week I did a small experiment with myself using infra-red temperature neurofeedback (commonly known as HEG or hemoencephalography neurofeedback). I’ve been using biofeedback in support of my personal meditation practice for quite some time. One evening this week I connected myself to the sensor as usual, then simply recorded over a short period of mindfulness of breathing practice but without any feedback turned on (and the software not visible). The next evening I meditated again with the IR sensor connected, but this time with feedback. Continue reading