From: Rob Sacks (editor_at_realization.org)
Date: 2001-04-17 21:53:58
> It would take a lot of neurofeedback to match the
> results of 30 years
> of meditation.
Well, some folks spend a lot of years thinking they are
meditating, when in reality, they are only daydreaming
or thinking -- they may not realize they never really
understood the idea. I reprinted an article on my
website a few months ago by a guy who did that for
years, and then finally learned to meditate effectively
with neurofeedback. That's one of the appealing things
to me about this whole business -- NF could be a way
to "show" people how to meditate. (The article is at
http://www.realization.org/page/doc0/doc0073.htm .)
> Alpha is usually stronger than theta, especially in a wakeful, eyes-
> closed state. Therefore, to get to crossover, all you probably
> really need to do is train theta.
I tried training theta four or five times, and every time,
I fell asleep after fifteen or twenty minutes. It made
me incredibly drowsy. I had to tear off the electrodes
and stumble into bed. It was like a powerful drug.
Any suggestions? And, what's the best electrode
location for boosting theta?
> If this happened to a patient of mine, I
> would possibly do EMDR starting from the feeling, and might be able
> to pop the whole thing into consciousness so we could process it
> through.
What's EMDR?
People at Synchronicity talk about this stuff in terms of
"catharsis." They make it a verb, as in, "Back in the old
days, nobody here was clear yet, and we were all
catharting all over the place. It was wild."
Is this idea of theta->catharsis sort of standard or
common among any group of psychotherapists today?
I'm curious because I had thought (probably in total
ignorance) that catharsis was a nineteenth century idea
that had mostly gone out of fashion, and here it was
holding hands with modern technology.
> They should have some purpose in
> mind, such as an intention to install an affirmation or to find a
> creative solution to a specific problem. They don't have to try to
> stay focused on the goal--I guarantee you can't stay focused on
> anything in theta--but setting the original purpose tends to organize
> the experience and keep your unconscious away from psychologically
> unsafe areas.
That's very interesting. I think it's probably relevant
to the problem of seeking a result without making
an effort in meditation, which is something I'm very
interested in at the moment.
Regards,
Rob
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