Using Brain Waves to Teach the Mind to Stay Calm and Balanced

By Eileen Hanlon, Owner

Many of us have heard about chemical imbalances in the brain. Indeed, drugs are prescribed to treat many mental health conditions. But did you know that our brain cells also use electricity to communicate?

When our neurons send electrical signals to each other, electrical energy is emitted from our brain. Scientists have been studying this brain activity for decades. Brain waves are measured by placing sensors on the scalp, and displaying the readings through a computer. It turns out that brains make different electrical frequencies depending on what functions they are doing at the time. Different waves are emitted when we sleep or daydream, when we study or think through problems, and when we’re calm or meditative.

Neurofeedback is the process of measuring and displaying brain activity in real time. It is similar to biofeedback, wherein people can change their body temperature or heart rate when they see readings from their own bodies. This feedback loop allows our bodies to change and adjust through conscious and subconscious effort. When the brain sees what it is doing, it self-adjusts. It can train itself to be more balanced, efficient, and resilient.

Over the years, studies of neurofeedback have demonstrated that showing the brain how it is working can help improve sleep, reduce worrying and rumination, and decrease feelings of stress. People who have tried neurofeedback report feelings of calm and focus. In addition, specific neurofeedback protocols have been developed for treating ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and seizures. Some people decide to try neurofeedback to reduce stress and improve sleep without resorting to habit-forming medications. And neurofeedback can be a valuable complement to traditional talk therapy for improved mental health.

A neurofeedback session is simple and can be quite relaxing. After having sensors placed on the scalp, the client relaxes in a comfortable chair as the computer reads the brain waves, like an EKG captures a heart’s electrical activity. The computer then communicates the brain waves back to the person, through music, images, or a video game. At Brain Spa neurofeedback, we use a non-invasive neurofeedback protocol called NeurOptimal^TM. This protocol provides feedback through music. The brain picks up changes in the music that indicate that the brain has shifted into different waves. The brain can train itself to be more flexible, or shift and adjust to be more efficient. The overall goal is for the brain to learn to use the entire range of brain waves efficiently. Brain training is client-led. Clients decide how often and for how long they want to do brain training. Most people benefit from weekly sessions for 10 to 20 sessions. Over time, the brain learns how to rebalance by itself.

Anyone and everyone can benefit from brain training. In our busy and stressful world, brain training can help us be more calm and resilient in our lives, at school, and at work.