It happened on a beautiful spring morning a few days ago while I was sipping morning coffee in the breakfast room. The Associated Press reported from San Jose with a bold headline in the local newspaper: “Brain Waves Could Be The Next Gamer Weapon!”
The article continued: “A Darth Vader look–alike stalks the cubicles of a Silicon Valley office, complete with black mask, cape and light saber. But itÂ’s not a costume. ItÂ’s a prototype, years in the making, of a toy that incorporates technology that reads brain waves. Behind the mask is a sensor that touches the userÂ’s forehead and reads the brainÂ’s electrical signals. It sends them to a wireless receiver in the saber, which lights up when the user is concentrating. The player maintains focus by channeling thoughts on any fixed mental image or thinking specifically about keeping the light sword on. When the mind wanders, the wand goes dark.
While the technology in this toy is rather crude and unsophisticated, this simple game clearly demonstrates the neuroscience of neurofeedback. Neurofeedback, sometimes called EEG biofeedback, or neurotherapy, trains brainwave activity, as measured by electrodes on the scalp, and is presented to an individual as feedback in the form of a video display, sound or vibration. If brain activity changes in the direction desired by the therapist, a positive “reward” feedback is given to the individual, and if it regresses, either a negative feedback or no feedback is given (depending on the protocol). Neurotherapy can be used to successfully treat ADHD, depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar, and many other disorders by adjusting disregulated brainwave activity.
The article continued with the news that another toy manufacturer has developed a more complex brain game technology. In addition to monitoring basic changes in mood and focus, this headset detects brain waves that indicate smiles, blinks, laughter, conscious thoughts and even unconscious emotions. Players could outperform their video game opponent without using a controller or mouse. This is nothing short of modern day fulfillment of the fantasy of telekinesis.
Once again the technology of this game is rudimentary compared to the advanced electronics in Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback systems in clinical use today. So why should anyone be excited about the unveiling of new brain game toys? The answer is simple. In spite of over 16,000 scientific journal articles about Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback and countless television, radio, and print stories about breakthroughs in brain research, most of the general public has not been introduced to the dramatic revolution taking place in the Mind–Brain relationship. These brain game toys can actually produce tangible evidence of the tremendous power resident in each of us to influence our own physiological and psychological conditions.
A New Model of Mind and Brain One of the central themes of this 21st century model is the notion that the mind and the brain, though appearing closely intertwined, are not the same thing. Activities of the mind in the energetic forms of thoughts and feelings are produced in quantum dimensions without constraints of time and space. These mental activities, when sufficiently focused, collapse into a virtual reality which we experience as a projection in our own personal holographic theatre called “imagination.”
Thought forms in our imagination stimulate equivalent complex electrical thunderstorms in the physical brain and appear in QEEG measurements as brainwave patterns or neural nets. These neural nets concurrently produce equivalent neurohormones and other physiological messengers which spread rapidly throughout the body producing our own personal physical experience.
In this model some neuroscientists are identifying the links between thoughts of distress which in turn produce brainwave patterns of distress which communicate electrochemical signals of distress into every system of the body. This notion brings new understanding to “psychosomatic” disease.
This same linkage can also produce a roadmap for experiencing what might be called “psychosomatic healing” and even “psychosomatic peak performance.” It is the unlimited potential of these positive human phenomena which sparks my enthusiasm.
Taming the Brain and Using the Mind Utilizing the brilliant research of many neuroscientists as well as the case histories of several thousand QEEG sessions in our own labs at the Peak Performance Institute, we have identified and are applying several theoretical brainwave models of mind–brain states for Zero–Point Relaxation, Focus and Expectancy, Concentration and Intention, and the fabled Peak Performance Zone of “effortless effort.” The overwhelming positive results produced by our advanced technologies together with appropriate adjunctive psychological and medical interventions have resulted in our well–grounded enthusiasm for unlocking the full measure of the human spirit.
Taking Charge of Your Life Perhaps the information presented here has been sufficient to deepen your confidence in the incredible power within you. If not, perhaps a Google search around the Internet or a visit to our web site may unlock your optimistic action. Or, perhaps you could play one of the brain game toys and view the power of your own thoughts!
There is a Game of Life that begins anew every day and we are a player whether we believe it or not. So why not spring out of bed tomorrow morning, put on your best game face, look in the mirror and proclaim, “Let the Brain Games Begin!”
