My First Session Training Brainwaves - Neurofeedback in Tokyo, Japan

Relax and let your Central Nervous System do the work.

Doing Neurofeedback Training (EEG Biofeedback) requires little effort on your behalf. Your job is to sit back and relax. Allow the sounds of the music to be present and watch the animation on the computer screen.

Although many people feel a need to actively do something, it is not necessary. Much of the work takes place on a subconscious level. If you cut your finger, you don’t need to keep watching it and telling it to heal. You can think of Neurofeedback in a similar way. Sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the way and allow the healing to take place.

In the beginning, the number of Neurofeedback sessions needed to get brain waves into a comfortable "zone" can be compared to building muscle at the gym. One of the wonderous things about Neurofeedback Training is that after you build the "muscle", (by completing an adequate number of sessions) you no longer need to continue the training and yet you get to keep the "muscle"!

Step 1; Placing Sensors
6 Sensors are placed on the head. One on the left side of the brain, one on the right side of the brain and two on each ear.

A conductive paste which resembles Vaseline is used to hold the sensors in place and help conduct information about the electrical activity of your brain back to the computer.

The sensors are not connected to any electrical outlet, they connect to the computer via an optical fiber cable. If you feel any tingling it is most likely caused by the salt in the conductive paste.
The sensors just pick up the electrical activity in your brain. They DO NOT put anything into your brain.

Step 2; Get Comfortable
You need to stay reasonably still for about 40 minutes, so make sure your back is supported and you feel comfortable. It is fine to have a stretch every now and then, but moving around interferes with the training. Mobile phones also cause interference, so they need to be placed away from you and the computer.

Step 3; Start Neurofeedback Training
You will be viewing an animation on one computer screen and listening to music while the Trainer is watching the your brain waves on the “Matrix Mirror”.
The Neurofeedback Trainer will set targets for the brain waves to meet. When the brain waves meet the targets the music and the animated video will play. When the brain waves are outside the targets, the music and animation will stop.

The Trainer will continuously reset the targets so that they are successfully met about 80% of the time, as this has been found to be the best way to strengthen a system.

Training will generally consist of several “journeys” (as they are sometimes called). On each journey you may listen to different music and watch different animations if you wish to. Some training will be done with eyes open and some with eyes closed.

You need to allow at least an hour for a Neurofeedback session.

And that is it! Most people leave the session feeling refreshed, calm and relaxed. You may want to take a little time out after a session to have a stretch and a cup of tea perhaps.

If you have music on CDs that you would like to listen to during your session, please bring them along.

Happy Journeys!!