From: peterson_at_d...
Date: 2001-05-03 04:01:14
--- In buildcheapeeg_at_yahoogroups.com, e_e_ling_at_h... wrote:
> Hi Jim
>
> May we use your article on the website?
>
> Eric
I hereby give the group and each of its members permission to use
this article, entitled "Why Cheap EEG Biofeedback?" for the website,
for the design competition, and for any other reasonable non-
commercial purpose related to the advancement of the group's purposes
of developing and providing public access to cheap neurofeedback
equipment. I ask only that I be identified as the author (as James
M. Peterson, Ph.D.) wherever the piece is used, and that it not be
edited or altered in such a way as to substantially change or distort
its meaning.
--Jim Peterson
P.S. How's that for a bunch of simulated lawyer-talk?
> --- In buildcheapeeg_at_yahoogroups.com, peterson_at_d... wrote:
> > The following is the text of a short piece Yaniv asked me to
write
> to
> > describe the potential benefits of cheap neurofeedback. Comments
> and
> > suggestions for its improvement are invited.
> >
> >
> > WHY CHEAP EEG BIOFEEDBACK?
> >
> > Humans are obviously capable of attaining a large number of
> > different states of consciousness. Each of these states is
marked
> by
> > a unique pattern of rhythmic electrical activity in the brain.
> > One's
> > ability to function in different roles in life is directly
related
> to
> > the ease with which one can move among the various states of
> > awareness—in effect, to move from one brainwave state to another.
> >
> > Brainwave biofeedback, or neurofeedback, is a relatively new
generic
> > approach for teaching people to control and modify their states
of
> > consciousness by means of deliberately altering their brainwave
> > patterns. The basic learning procedure uses electronic equipment
to
> > detect changes the trainee's brainwave activity and provide
> > him/her
> > with ongoing information about these changes.
> > Neurofeedback has a number of applications in the general realm
of
> > personal development and realizing human potential. To cite only
> two
> > examples, researchers have used neurofeedback to make the process
of
> > learning meditation techniques vastly easier, teaching skills in
a
> > matter of weeks that once required years of training. Other
> students
> > of the technology have discovered forms of brainwave training
that
> > greatly enhance focus and concentration skills. This training
has
> > proved useful for a variety of purposes ranging from improving
> > cognitive efficiency to enhancing certain kinds of sports
> > performance.
> > Psychologists have also discovered a number of clinical
applications
> > for this technology. When used to treat conditions of clinical
> > concern, the method is generally termed neurotherapy. A number
of
> > studies have established one form of neurotherapy, based on
training
> > clients to increase their production of slow-wave activity, as
> > perhaps the most effective approach yet known for treating
> > addictions. Other researchers are using a different form of
> > neurotherapy to successfully treat attention deficit disorders.
A
> > very new and extremely promising line of research is exploring
> > neurofeedback to remediate the brainwave patterns associated with
> > depression, thereby effectively treating the disorder without
> > medications.
> > A major problem for both amateur explorers of brainwave training
for
> > self-development and for researchers in this field has been the
cost
> > of the equipment. The cheapest machines on the market currently
> cost
> > about a thousand dollars, and the more specialized equipment can
> > easily cost several thousand. These prices place the technology
> > beyond the reach of many amateurs, and of many professionals as
> > well. A major block preventing the widespread use of
neurotherapy
> > for treatment of alcoholism has been the cost of the equipment.
The
> > small clinics that do most of this work are generally
> under-financed,
> > "shoestring" operations that simply cannot afford the
> > equipment they
> > would need to provide effective neurotherapy-based treatment to
> their
> > clients.
> > Ultimately. I believe that the self-exploration aspects of
> > neurofeedback may well come to outweigh the clinical uses.
> > Widespread access to well-designed and appropriate neurofeedback
> > equipment may prove to be the key to a revolution in human
> > consciousness and spirit. This technology has the potential to
free
> > people from their addictions, to place attention deficit disorder
> > into the ranks of extinct conditions, and to give everyone access
to
> > the uncharted depths of our inner being.
> >
> > James M. Peterson, Ph.D.
> > Licensed Psychologist
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