From: peterson_at_d...
Date: 2001-04-17 04:33:00
Here are some gleanings from other peoples' postings that I would
like to make a few comments on:
>1. It can play only one reward sound at a
time. This is inadequate because if you
are trying (for example) to raise one
frequency and lower another simultaneously,
you can't hear two separate tones as the
individual threshholds get crossed. Ideally,
the way to handle this would be (since the
program is a Windows program) with
DirectMusic. This would allow the signals
to be MIDI sounds -- chords, notes, music,
instrumental voices, etc.
Reply: Actually, I think you may be able to do more with this
existing software than you think you can. For example, you _can_
simultaneously train a person to raise one band and lower another.
In fact, that's the way it's done in conventional "enhance SMR,
suppress theta" paradigm used widely in attention deficit training.
Just set the logic to [Play Tone] IF [SMR>(SMR Threshold)] AND
[theta<theta threshold)] so the trainee has to get his SMR up and his
theta down in order to get the signal.
>Elmer Green's paper sounds very interesting.
Do you have an e-mail address for him?
Reply: No I don't, but his daughter and son-in-law are Pat Norris
and Steve Fahrion, both widely known in EEG and general biofeedback
circles, and I emailed them to try to get permission to make it
available to the group members here. I may end up having to snailmail
it to people with sufficient interest--assuming I can even get
permission, of course. Elmer is quite elderly now, probably in his
late 70's, and he lives a very private life.
>some questions about alpha :
1.how much trainig it would take to have stable alpha
2.as i understand meditation ,the more experienced you get , you can
go into slower mind states , according to some japanese research ?
3.about delta - don't n.f.b can help you get there while your awake ?
4.about theta - what are the dangers , aren't there ways to make
this travels safe on a personal (or at least without a shrink )
safer ? because this state has a huge potential .
same about a-t crossover .
Reply: 1. The longer you practice, the stronger your alpha
amplitude gets, I don't really know what the limits are. Most
people have trouble getting over 30 uV or so, but the real masters
can hit 80 or better.
2. The point is not necessarily to go down, down, down in frequency,
but to increase amplitude at a desired frequency. This could be in
theta or in alpha, or maybe in high delta.
4. The real danger of training in theta applies to those with
unresolved traumatic memories, etc. from their past. They can
destabilize themselves into some pretty bad states. I have known ex-
drinkers to go back on alcohol to cope with the pain of recovered
memories, have seen some people with histories of self-injury begin
burning themselves with cigarettes or cutting on themselves with
knives, and know of one suicide by a patient after he terminated
himself from neurofeedback treatment.
On the other hand, I really don't mean to scare you unduly.
After all, have Dale Walters and others of the old Menninger crowd
trained many people on alpha-theta for purposes of personal
development and enhancing creativity. I use it this way myself, but
then I have already met most of my demons and no longer have much to
fear from them. Theta and alpha-theta training are perfectly safe
for many people--most people, in fact. I guess my problem is that I
just don't want to recommend it to anyone without giving them some
kind of warning about potential problems and then have them
experience something bad. If you know yourself and if you have no
significant history of trauma, abuse or neglect--or, even if you have
such a history but are confident that you have resolved it, then
alpha-theta or theta training will likely be useful and rewarding for
you. If you do try it and find really unpleasant material starting
to surface, then get someone to help you. Usually all you need to do
is talk through the experience with a therapist and it will resolve
fairly quickly.
Shalom
Jim
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