Neurofeedback
Training Boosts
Athletes' Performances
Neurofeedback
training
is
an
interesting
type
of
therapy
that
is
more
often
being
discussed
in
sports
bars
and
locker
rooms
all
around
the
country,
and
even
around
the
globe.
Neurofeedback
is
a
type
of
biofeedback
therapy
that
is
considered
a
form
of
advanced
"brain
training"
and
its
use
is
being
adopted
by
an
increasing
number
of
top
athletes
in
many
disciplines.
Elite
athletes
are
on
a
constant
search
for
ways
to
get
an
edge
over
their
competition
and
neurotherapy
techniques
are
a
high-tech
way
to
give
them
that
edge.
It
was
recently
reported
in
a
major
sports
magazine
that
members
of
the
Italian
football
team
implemented
this
advanced
brain
training
technique
to
help
them
stay
sharp
and
focused
during
high-pressure
situations
they
encountered
in
their
recent
FIFA
World
Cup
competition.
While
many
methods
of
biofeedback
neurofeedback
instruction
have
been
in
use
since
the
1960's,
this
recent
news
in
the
sports
world
has
helped
to
bring
current
attention
to
this
approach
of
improving
athletic
prowess
and
performance.
Neurofeedback
therapy
is
a
form
of
biofeedback
and
is
a
method
through
which
a
person
comes
to
understand
their
brainwave
patterns
and
learns
how
to
modify
them.
Biofeedback
therapists
are
specially
trained
and
skilled
in
administering
neurofeedback
training.
In
many
cases,
the
biofeedback
training
sessions
start
off
with
the
client
playing
a
video
game
which
they
learn
to
control
solely
with
brain
activity.
The
brainwaves
are
read
by
electrodes
attached
to
the
person's
head
and
then
sent
on
to
the
biofeedback
device
that
provides
a
visual
display
of
the
brain
patterns.
The
interesting
thing
is
that
with
this
training
approach,
the
participant
is
not
using
any
kind
of
physical
input
device,
such
as
a
joystick
or
gaming
console.
Instead,
the
biofeedback
program
is
utilizing
the
output
from
the
person's
brain
activity
to
play
the
game.
Many
people
are
at
first
startled
by
this
concept,
but
are
quickly
excited
to
learn
about
the
degree
of
control
that
they
are
able
to
apply
simply
through
"thought
power."
Neurofeedback
training
can
be
used
to
help
people
from
all
walks
of
life,
not
just
elite
athletes,
to
enhance
their
personal
growth
and
improve
their
health
and
physical
condition,
simply
by
learning
how
to
correct
their
brainwave
patterns.
Before
being
involved
in
a
biofeedback
program,
most
people
have
no
understanding
of
how
their
thoughts
can
either
limit
their
self-development
or
can
significantly
enhance
it.
One
of
the
most
compelling
reasons
why
people
begin
this
type
of
"feedback"
training
is
because
it
is
virtually
the
opposite
of
therapies
or
treatments
that
rely
on
the
use
of
medication,
either
by
prescription
or
those
available
over-the-counter.
This
goes
hand-in-hand
with
the
recent
surge
in
interest
that
is
being
seen
in
the
area
of
learning
about
alternative
medicines
and
alternative
therapies
to
improve
health
and
overcome
illnesses,
without
drugs
and
without
surgery.
In
addition
to
enhancing
athletic
performance,
neurofeedback
training
has
a
very
good
track
record
of
being
able
to
provide
a
variety
of
health
benefits.
These
health
benefits
include
reducing
stress,
alleviating
chronic
migraine
headaches,
reducing
recovery
time
after
injury,
and
even
to
lowering
blood
pressure.
Biofeedback
therapists
are
quick
to
point
out
that
biofeedback
therapy
cannot
be
said
to
"cure"
any
specific
condition,
but
rather
it
helps
the
person
to
exert
positive
control
over
the
subtle
functions
of
their
body,
which
in
turn
can
help
the
body
to
heal
itself
and
restore
itself
to
optimal
health.
Getting Started with Neurofeedback
Amazon Price: $25.35 Used Price: $26.50 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 Review (rating: 5): I've bought a biofeedback systems and this book helped me a lot it's clear and easy to read! Thank you Demos!
Giovanni Vota
Love & Gratitude :-)
view my profile On
[...]
The Healing Power of Neurofeedback: The Revolutionary LENS Technique for Rest...
Amazon Price: $13.57 Used Price: $10.00 Average Customer Rating: 4.0 Review (rating: 3): Stephen Larsen, Psychology Professor Emeritus at SUNY, chronicles the development of neurofeedback - an electronic feedback of brainwave frequencies that elicits amazing healing responses in people with post- concussion syndromes, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders, ADHD and more. Larsen focuses largely on the methods developed by Len Ochs, PhD, an innovative explorer in these realms.
The earlier approach of EEG biofeedback entrained the brain rhythms for alpha or theta frequencies, producing relaxation and enhancing meditative states. Ochs discovered that by feeding back to the brain the frequencies that the individual was producing at the moment produced much more rapid and profoundly effective results.
People with brain injuries who suffered chronic headaches, confusional states, emotional lability and instability and people who had long-standing psychological problems that had resisted conventional and unconventional therapies could respond very rapidly to this treatment. The amazing thing is that the feedback stimuli required to produce these changes are very delicate and brief, yet extremely potent. Initially Ochs used stimulation with flashing lights, but he serendipitously discovered that radio frequencies could produce the same changes more gently.
Ochs wisely does not promote neurofeedback as a cure-all, and often recommends this in combination with supportive and explorative psychotherapy, acupuncture and other therapies to help people process the emotional materials that are released by the neurofeedback.
This is an exciting new field that promises to help many people who otherwise are beyond helping within conventional medical care. Larsen's style is both informative and engaging, detailing both the excitement of scientific explorations at the leading edge of treatments for difficult problems, and providing heartwarming stories of dramatic successes in a broad spectrum of people with serious disabilities.
The Art of Smart Thinking
Amazon Price: $25.00 Used Price: $17.21 Average Customer Rating: 3.5 Review (rating: 3): As a practicing Neurofeedback therapist I was intrigued by this book. It gives an interesting slant on a therapy which is currently primarily used for psychological ills such as ADD, Depression, PTSD and so on.
Hardt has some insights in to the spiritual aspects of brain-waves and he is certainly one of the pioneers in the study of how different brain waves are related to different "spiritual" states.
But other reviews which judge the book to be a barely disguised advert for his Biocybernaut Center, are pretty fair.
The book is biased towards a conculsion which suggests we do all need to spend $15,000 for the level one course at his clinic.
In reality, the Alpha and Alpha-Theta waves which are especially important to his work, are being worked with by neuro-feedback therapists like myself, all over the world. And for a tiny fraction of the cost. I charge $100 per hour and that is typical for a qualifed therapist working with a large amount of highly sophisticated neurofeedback equipment.
What is more, it is possible to learn to induce these brain waves oneself using certian techniques. But, neurofeedback is the optimal route and has scientifically proven record with many disorders, not least those needing more alpha - such as anxiety, post traumatic stress, subtypes of ADD and many more.
If you are intrigued by the ideas in this work then I would highly recommend the following as more honest, user-friendly and fact based introductions to the field of brain-wave altering procedures using the EEG as feedback:
1) Google "Neurofeedback and Alpha" - you'll find lots of interesting links
2) A great book about Alpha states and techniques to increase them is Les Fehmi's Open-Focus. Les Fehmi was the true research leader in this field.
3) A good introduction to brian wave work in general and the history of neurofeedback is A Symphony in The Brain by Tim Robbins
4) A classic on spiritual growth, consciousness and EEG brainwaves, are the books by Anna Wise. Anna is a pioneer in the field - amongst the very first in the field in the 60s and 70s to start researching what was really going on in the mind's of meditators.
5) Finally, you might even consider buying a decent neurofeedback machine yourself. They start at around $800 and four day intro courses to the subject are abundant and around a further $1000. For less than a seventh of the cost of Hardt's introduction week, you would have your own system. A life-time's exploration at your fingertips.
In short, I would probably recommend reading the above books rather than this Hardt book, and, above all, doing your research and not assuming that this rather vain work is the only way to reach EEG nirvana.
Have a wonderful journey. Brain-wave entrainment (in all its forms) and consciousness transformation is a very exciting and real field. Enjoy it. Claim it for yourself - but don't be fooled by this book that it costs $15,000 or anywhere near.
US $21.95
US $76.00
Neurofeedback
training
can
be
used
to
help
people
from
all
walks
of
life,
not
just
elite
athletes,
to
enhance
their
personal
growth
and
improve
their
health
and
physical
condition,
simply
by
learning
how
to
correct
their
brainwave
patterns.
Before
being
involved
in
a
biofeedback
program,
most
people
have
no
understanding
of
how
their
thoughts
can
either
limit
their
self-development
or
can
significantly
enhance
it.
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