some questions

[deerock]

I'd like to thank Marisa, Craig and Andy for their prompt, thoughtful and informative responses to my questions while I have been delving into the world of mind machines and AVE. Thanks for your hard work.

Now for some more questions

I have been mostly running the preset sessions on the proteus with the thoughtstream patched into it, running in the background (non biofeedback sessions).

My main goal right now is relaxation, since I am dealing with a lot of anxiety and some depression too, as I overcome addiction (pot and cigarettes - sorry if that's TMI for the forum).

Anyhow, what I find is that sometimes, I can get deeply relaxed. Other times, I seem to relax a little bit and get stuck. For example, the thought stream goes from 8 down to 4, that is a stuck state. When I get deeply relaxed, I can get the thoughtstream from 8 to 1.

I tend to run session 13, 14, 16. I may experiment a bit with some of the alpha beta sessions since I noticed Marisa post something indicating these are helpful for addictions.

So my questions are:
1) When I run the sessions, should I be doing anything with my mind or just letting it flow and let the device do the work?
2) is there any rule of thumb or techniques to get past a block in an ability to relax? Does this mean I may not be using the right sessions?
3) Do you lay down or sit up when you use your device? I am trying to find what works for me but I have yet to determine which position will provide me with the most consistent results of deep relaxation.

Thanks again.

[CraigT]

Hi,

Read up on traditional meditation techniques and try out the different types of focus. I find that some times and situations respond well to a frontal attack with full focus on the matter, others respond better to a 'quiet mind'.

Perseverence and not pushing it seem to be the trick. If you're sitting/lying there straining to relax and alert to every sign of tension it's just not going to happen. I tend to enter sessions with anticipation rather than expectation - I have an idea of what I'm wanting from the session, but if that's not the way it goes, I accept and enjoy the session anyway.

I prefer to lie down. There's many practices that place emphasis on position (asana), but I have found the greatest advantage lies in the position in which it's easiest to forget the body exists.

Depression and anxiety respond well to beta/SMR and alpha/SMR respectively, but long term results come when the time is used to delve into and resolve the underlying issues. Alpha and theta sessions are invaluable for such introspection.

There's a lot of good work on alpha/theta for addiction (Peniston protocol).

Cheers,
Craig

[Marisa]

Hi Dan,

My main goal right now is relaxation, since I am dealing with a lot of anxiety and some depression too, as I overcome addiction (pot and cigarettes - sorry if that's TMI for the forum).

It's not too much information for the forum. There are lots of people on this forum that have the same challenges.

There have been a few studies and some good feedback concerning Alpha-based programs and addictions.

"... application of alpha brain wave biofeedback to the treatment of alcoholism and drug abuse produced positive subjective comments from patients, but no sustained prevention of relapse. ... it had long been clear that alcoholism is associated with poor synchrony and deficient alpha EEG activity ... Further, alcoholics were shown more likely to increase the amount of alpha activity after consumption of alcohol. Taken together, these findings suggest that those with a predisposition to alcoholism have deficient alpha activity and are especially vulnerable to alcohol's capacity to produce an EEG measurable reinforcing state of increased slow wave activity." Pg 158, Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback by James R. Evans, Andrew Abarbanel.

Further down the page ...

"Because depression and poorly synchronized brain waves are both associated with alcoholism, an EEG-based relaxation therapy would target both of these symptoms. Thus, we hypothesized that biofeedback-assisted relaxation training, specifically EEG alpha theta brain wave training , would provide an efficacious treatment for alcoholism. Chronic alcoholism is notorious for extremely high relapse rates after traditional psychotherapies or medical interventions ... Therefore, we further hypothesized that only a prolonged application of brain wave therapy would produce sustained prevention of relapse. "

Anyhow, what I find is that sometimes, I can get deeply relaxed. Other times, I seem to relax a little bit and get stuck. For example, the thought stream goes from 8 down to 4, that is a stuck state. When I get deeply relaxed, I can get the thoughtstream from 8 to 1.

The key is to become aware of what it feels like when you are relaxed. Try not to rely too much on the numbers because everyone is different. You may be relaxed at 4 or you may be trying too hard to get beyond 4. The idea of biofeedback is to observe the body as it goes from an alert state into a relaxed state. Learn to recognize when you feel stressed and what your body feels like as it begins to relax.

I tend to run session 13, 14, 16. I may experiment a bit with some of the alpha beta sessions since I noticed Marisa post something indicating these are helpful for addictions.

If you have problems with anxiety, you may want to keep the Beta at the SMR or lower level. It's okay if the beta is momentary, like with session 8 (Mind Sauna). If you do begin to feel agitated, stop the session and switch to one that targets lower frequencies.

People with depression don't need their brain aroused, they actually need their brain to calm down (Alpha). It is in the alpha state that serotonin is released and usually that is what people with depression and addiction issues need more of. Alpha = good.

So my questions are:
1) When I run the sessions, should I be doing anything with my mind or just letting it flow and let the device do the work?

Casually notice how your body feels but most importantly, let go.

2) is there any rule of thumb or techniques to get past a block in an ability to relax? Does this mean I may not be using the right sessions?

Some days you may get better results than other days. If it's not a good result day, try some deep breathing exercises, do a relaxation session anyway and avoid worrying about the results. The most important result is how you feel. If you still feel "edgy" after a session, then go do something pleasurable, maybe watch some comedy, listen to music you like, read a novel ... go for a walk ... etc. The idea is to distract yourself from the mood and that will help you get into a better state.

3) Do you lay down or sit up when you use your device? I am trying to find what works for me but I have yet to determine which position will provide me with the most consistent results of deep relaxation.

I usually lay down or sit in a really comfy lounge chair.


M.

[blackme]

But i using the ThoughtStream Software but i can't to tell whether i am in alpha state by looking at the graph. So what must i do so that i can see my EEG Readings?

[blackme]

Hi i cant seem to see on the thoughtstream interface when am i in alpha state?
Please reply thanks

[Marisa]

EEG is the only method that can measure brain waves and accurately report what they are. Your brain waves are the electrical activity that occurs just below your scalp. This electrical activity oscillates, which means it produces a rhythm (or frequency). With an EEG machine, electrodes are attached to the scalp and the electrical activity is recorded and translated either by a technician or a computer program. Your brain produces multiple frequencies at a time and what is "measured" is the dominant frequency (which will be a range). The whole brain wave thing is pretty complicated and easily misunderstood and often widely misrepresented. Most of the information out there has been greatly simplified, which is good because it's easier to understand and it can be worked with.

Just to complicate things further, biofeedback can relate to EEG but they are two different methods of measuring things. EEG measures brain wave activity and biofeedback measures subtle physical changes.

There are various methods for biofeedback and machines, such as The Thoughstream, use a method to measure skin conductivity called Galvanic Skin Response (GSR). Skin conductivity (resistance) is remarkably accurate in its ability to measure changes in emotion (state of mind). It is a good method for people to learn how to notice what is happening on a mental or emotional level and through the feedback provided (sound or meter) it also teaches a person how to regulate those feelings or change that state.

Various brain wave states, such as Alpha, Theta etc., coincide with certain characteristics which can give you a general idea of what state is dominant at any particular time. Outside of clinical use, the "dominant state" is really a reference point that allows you to gage where you are at and where you want to go. For example, if you are feeling anxious or stressed and since we know that these emotions coincide with a high Beta, we can conclude that high beta is the current dominant frequency and that a Theta or Alpha based program will bring that level down.

Alpha is associated with a feeling of calmness and well-being. While it's a relaxed state, it is also a state where the mind is more attuned to visualization and creative thinking.

Hopefully this answers your question or at least helps you along the path of understanding this technology and how to best use it. Please feel free to ask more questions and I'll do my best to help you weed your way through the information.

M.

[blackme]

Thanks for the quick response but i having trouble with relaxation as i have a active mind and i always self talk and i find it hard to follow instruction from relaxation sessions, for example when they ask me to feel the tension in my body and try to relax them, i find it hard to follow as i cant feel any tension, also does my leg that touch the ground have any tension? I dont know!!! cause i dont think it have but i am not sure. Furthermore, I keep having self talk and mind wander sometimes during the session and visualization so i dont know whether it might affect my state of mind. Also i tend to scratch my nose and head during sessions and i cant tell whether i am relax but i think i feel relax as most of the time i am,i guess expect when i am angry or happy or so other emotions. Please help i dont know what to do.

[blackme]

One more thing, where can i find a cheap EEG home kit device/software? My budget is 100-300 dollars

[blackme]

Sorry for throwing so many question at you at once, but here just one more What should i do when i use Proteus the sound give me a headache and uncomfortable feeling? Is it normally for first time users?

[Marisa]

Try turning the lights down and choose shorter programs to start with.

M.