Abstract:
From the earliest days of neurofeedback, clinicians have been using this technology to enhance states of meditation and improve mental health. In general, these early approaches focused on increasing the amplitude of alpha and/or theta. These strategies were used to guide the meditator into deeper states of consciousness, enhance creativity, and reduce anxiety. Eventually, these protocols were advanced and expanded into alpha/theta protocols, which have been used successfully to treat addictions and PTSD.
In the past 20 years, researchers have dramatically increased our understanding of brainwave states in relation to both meditation and mental health concerns. This knowledge has been used to create new, more complex neuromeditation approaches for specific meditation styles including focus, mindfulness, and open heart practices. In addition, there is increasing evidence that each of these approaches has a different impact on specific mental health concerns which has led to a comprehensive approach to neuromeditation for mental health.
In this program, we will explore the history of combining neurofeedback with meditation, following this work to the most current applications. We will examine current research in the field, including recent studies demonstrating the feasibility of neurofeedback for meditation training. The first such study used real-time fMRI data to examine the subjective experience of meditators when a specific brain region was active vs. quiet. Follow up studies have demonstrated that EEG neurofeedback can also be used to effectively indicate internal states related to meditation and that these signals can be controlled by both novice and experienced meditators to direct the meditation experience. More recent studies have demonstrated that even a brief training in neuromeditation can lead to improved cognitive functioning.
Beyond the most recent research in this area, this talk will provide a glimpse into the ways that neuromeditation is being used as a treatment intervention for ADHD, anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
We will conclude with an exploration of the future of neuromeditation, including applications for elevated states of consciousness, advances in software and hardware, and the combination of EEG NeuroMeditation with other technologies, such as AVE and vibroacoustics.
Presented by: Jeff Tarrant
