How Biofeedback Training Reduces Stress

The Problem of Stress

Biofeedback training is an effective method for reducing the negative effects of stress.  There are many sources of stress including politics, natural disasters, terrorist acts, work, family, and financial problems, and traffic.  In this world of 24 hour TV and radio news plus news on our computers, we are constantly bombarded with stressful, negative information.  If that wasn’t enough we have smart phones, tablets, and smart watches with us at all times to make sure that we don’t miss anything.  Wherever we are we can stay up on what is happening.  Besides the information we get from news sources, we also get blogs and podcasts.  In addition to these stress sources, the people who we interact with who cause us stress are able to call, text, or email us 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

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Attention Or Sleep, Problems with Sleep related to ADHD

You wouldn’t want to have to make that choice for children.  Many children diagnosed with ADHD are prescribed medications to help with the symptoms.  Some popular medications in use are Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall.  These medications are helping some people.  The drug companies themselves are listing sleep problems as a possible side effect.

According to a November 23, 2015 online article in Pediatrics, research analysis led by Katherine Kidwell of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that children given stimulants tended to have sleep problems more often.  One of the studies compared the sleep of children given methylphenidate (generic Ritalin) with children given a placebo.  The children who took the generic Ritalin slept an average of 20 minutes less per night.  They also found that taking a stimulant medication more often during the day caused a child to take longer to fall asleep at night.

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Less Stress for the Holidays

The start of the holiday season is upon us.  This should be a wonderful time to look forward to and yet many people experience this as one of the most stressful times of the year.  What makes it stressful? The crowds and expense of shopping, the traffic, spending time with people who get on your nerves – shall I go on?  I’m sure you could easily add to my list.

What can you do to make it less stressful?

Give thanks. The season starts with the Thanksgiving holiday.  Take some time to actually give thanks for all of the things that you are blessed with.  All of us kind find at least a few things to be thankful for.  Here is a list of things you can pick through to find something that applies to you:
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The Marriage of Technology and Consciousness

R. Adam Crane BCIA, ACN, NRNP

The following chapter is excerpted by permission from Mr. Crane’s forthcoming book.

What is “R – Tech” (Relationship Technology) and Consciousness Processing Technology? What are the implications for Neurofeedback, Biofeedback, Applied Psychophysiology, the evolution of science, our individual and collective mental health?

August 10, 1994 I had the opportunity to present at the Forum co sponsored by the Wisdom Society and the Reuben H. Fleet Space Theater and Science Center. The Forum was conceived as an opportunity to exchange ideas on “The Place of Science and Technology in our Culture”.

Since I feel that the material that emerged in that presentation may be useful to others and (all things being relative) I feel the evening went well, I would like to offer this edited version of that talk. Read more

The History of Muscle Dysfunction and SEMG

Jeffrey R. Cram, PhD and Maya Durie, MEd, CMT

Abstract

The history of muscle pain and dysfunction is viewed through the lens of a four factor theory of histologic (tissue related) issues, psychologic (emotional) issues, sensory motor (movement) issues and biomechanical (postural) issues. The historical antecedents of both bodywork and surface electromyography are reviewed.

Key words: Surface EMG, SEMG, bodywork, trigger points, posture, emotions, movement.

Note: Parts of this article have appeared in The History of SEMG, Jour App Psychophys and Biof, In Press. Read more

The Hidden Challenge in Alcohol and Drug Abuse

R. Adam Crane BCIA, ACN, NRNP

“Alcohol and drugs are essential to my creative process” is a thought, sometimes a confession made, usually privately, by millions of creative people, many of them at the pinnacle of success in their fields. Yet, I have heard very little serious discussion by substance abuse professionals about the profound implications of this phenomenon.

Some say that psychoactive drugs will be with us forever and maybe they will. However, my life improved immensely and was probably saved by my liberating myself from the pleasures, enthusiastic bursts of creativity and agonies of alcohol and smoke.

In fact, our society has declared a “war” on drugs and a sort of “police action” on alcohol. Humorous, isn’t it since far more damage is done in the aggregate by alcohol than by all other drugs combined? Read more

Slow Waves, Profound Attention, a Compass for the Gifted Thinker

R. Adam Crane BCIA, ACN, NRNP

Presentation at 2nd Annual SSNR Meet Las Vegas May 1994

The late Edward’s Deming is arguably the most inspiring statistical engineer and business thinker of the century. He introduced the term “Profound Knowledge” in order to differentiate between the kind of knowledge which really breeds quality and healthy growth and far less effective even counter productive forms of knowledge.

The historian Oswald Spengler said that a hypothesis does not have to be absolutely correct as long as it is useful. A number of people have told me they consider the following hypothesis useful.

This hypothesis holds that thought is matter and (like movies) thinking is a material process and an image making process based on memory. Furthermore, high order, what could be termed the capability Read more

Performance/life Enhancement Training Integrating Biofeedback with Special Emphasis on Neurofeedback

R. Adam Crane BCIA Senior Fellow, BCIAEEG, NRNP Diplomate

This is an edited excerpt from our forthcoming book, The Process, and given as a talk at the Palm Springs Neurofeedback conference in February 1998.

I’m Adam Crane, president of American BioTec and CapScan corporations. We have decided to substantially increase our commitment to the emerging art and science of Peak Performance, Optimum Functioning, or as we prefer to call it Performance / Life Enhancement. We have introduced the term MindFitness which we believe will work well as informal language for the general public. BioFeedback and especially NeuroFeedback is a critically important component of our first program, which is called The Process- MindFitness- Stage I .

We believe that NeuroFeedback provides a niche opportunity in the MindFitness, sub clinical symptom, Read more

Theoretical Implications of Neurofeedback Integrating Bowen Theory

Theoretical Implications of Neurofeedback Integrating Bowen Theory

Andrea Maloney-Schara, LCSWA

11/4/97

Simple statements often conceal a great deal of complexity. The notion that the brain learns from experience is one such statement. The brain develops the internal connections by fitting with the external world. Learning then can be defined as the struggle to make sense of human interactions. The efforts to integrate feeling and thinking, or values and impulses, are what gives each person their own unique self. Reflecting on much of life’s experience, furthers one’s goal and thereby enables humans to escape a deterministic world.

PET scans, MRI and EEG look at evidence that the brain does reflect the nature of relationship sensitivity, physical and emotional challenges and eons of evolution. For the EEG one arena, sleep states; have been very well documented. Eventually waking states of conscious will be as well investigated. Read more

Peak Performance

Andrea Maloney-Schara, LCSWA

Motivated or high functioning people are different. Ask these people why they strive and many reasons unfold. Some report success as a compensation for early difficulties. Many others report that they seem to have been born with a gift and were given encouragement and resources to succeed. External forces differ. It is clear that in one area there is agreement. An internal desire to do well is the largest single common thread that signifies a potential high achiever. Those with this internal desire have learned to reflect on correcting past actions. EEG Neurofeedback or Alpha Training is one way to increase the ability to perform at a higher level. Alpha re-tunes the mind by calming the body and allowing the mind to be free.

One’s mind is creating neural pathways by simple repeated thoughts and or actions. Where are your thoughts leading you? How disciplined are any of us about where our minds or bodies are pointing? WRAP is a meme that serves as a reminder to keep positive energy surroundings one’s goals. Read more

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