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This Thing Called ‘Neurofeedback’

We hear it often – neuro-what? Even though it has been around for several decades many people have never heard of it. Or they’ve heard of it but they don’t really understand what it is or how it works.

Neurofeedback, simply put, is guided exercise for the brain. It’s a simple process that requires very little effort on your part – you pretty much just have to show up and sit relatively still for up to an hour while watching a movie on a TV screen.

Once you arrive for your appointment you will have sensors placed on your head and ear lobes. Those sensors are attached to a computer and that computer is attached to the television screen. Depending on your symptoms and your tolerance for the training, your appointment will last between 30 minutes and an hour, during which you will watch a movie of your choice.

That’s it. You literally watch a movie while your brain is being trained. Sounds pretty simple doesn’t it?

While it looks simple, the process taking place is actually quite complex and amazing. As you watch the screen, the sensors read your brainwaves in real time. When your brainwaves are properly ordered (i.e. you’re focused on the screen with proper focus and attention) the computer reads that and feeds that information to the screen and the screen gets brighter and the sound gets louder – giving you a more pleasurable movie watching experience. On the other hand, the very moment your brain stops focusing correctly, the computer feeds that information to the television screen and the screen gets darker and the sound gets lower. This process reminds your brain to refocus and over time, this repetition teaches your brain to regulate itself.

As your brainwave patterns become regulated you should begin to experience noticeable change in how you think or feel.