Waves of Potential

Email us

Powered by

THE SCIENCE OF BRAIN TRAINING

Click here for printable version of this section

What is an Optimum Brain?
What is Neurofeedback?
What is BrainState Training?
How do we train the brain?
How is BrainState Training different from Conventional Neurofeedback?
About the Inventor, Lee Gerdes

Optimum Brain

There is much about the brain that simply is not yet known and may never be known. However, due to advances in imaging technology and other technological breakthroughs, we know a great deal more than we did as little as five years ago.

We now know that the adult brain actually creates new brain cells, even into old age. For decades it was believed that new neurons were not created after infancy. We know that the average adult brain contains over 100 billion neurons and that each neuron has tens of thousands of connections or relationships with other neurons. This means that there are trillions of connections between neurons. We know that the brain is quite plastic, that it is constantly creating new connections between neurons as a result of experiences and learning. As far as we know, the human brain is the most complex mechanism on planet earth. We also know from studies of Savants, that the brain has vast powers that we have not even begun to explore. For practical purposes, the power of the human brain is nearly infinite.

From a brain state training perspective, we have learned that most people are only using a small percentage of the power of their brains. For example, we can see in the brain wave patterns that there is either too much Delta, Theta, or Alpha activity in the frontal lobes in relation to the Beta Wave activity, or the neural networks are just not present to create adequate Beta in the frontal lobes, as is the case with ADD/ADHD. Or there can be too much Beta activity in the temporal lobes, creating a feeling of anxiety. There could be too much Beta and not enough Alpha in the parietal lobes, causing a lack of joy and a sense of separateness.

In our training, we see that everyone can benefit from training the brain toward balance and harmony. An analogy could that of an eight cylinder auto engine with four pistons on each side. If the pistons do not fire in the proper sequence the engine runs out of sync and with much less power than it has potentially. In a like manner, there must be a balance between the two hemispheres of the brain. All parts of the brain must work together in reference to one another in order to create the most efficient brain power. The brain must control all the functions of the body and process all of the stimuli coming in, at the rate of thousands of bits of information per second. It takes a great deal of energy to do all that the brain must do at every moment. If the brain is operating on partial power, the immune system is depressed, and we are vulnerable to disease and distress.

In order to have an optimum brain, we must first help it create the neuro-nets which allow it to function in a balanced and harmonized way. There are other ways to achieve this such as psychotherapy, meditation, acupuncture, energy healing and spiritual practice. But these methods can take a long time and a lot of effort. One of the fastest, most efficient ways to create an optimum brain is through brain state training. In conjunction with brain state training, there should be good nutrition and hydration, regular cardio-vascular exercise and the appropriate supplementation for the brain. All of these components combined synergistically help create an optimum brain.

Neurofeedback

Neurofeedback began in the 1960’s as an outgrowth of measuring electrical activity in the brain with an Electroencephalagram or EEG technology. This technology has been slowly evolving over the decades. True neurofeedback involves feeding brain wave activity back to the brain so that it can learn different ways of responding to stimuli. In true neurofeedback, there is no energy put into the brain by the technology. It merely responds to real-time brain wave patterns that the brain is generating and assists the brain in altering those wave patterns through encouraging and inhibiting sounds, heard through ear phones.

Until very recently, neurofeedback technology did not allow for real-time feedback. The brain processes stimuli very quickly, in about 1/10,000th of a second. In order for neurofeedback to be effective, it must feed back to the brain its own brain wave activity in close to real-time. Due to recent advances in processing speed and memory, real-time feedback is now possible with the most up-to-date and powerful computers, achieving results in neurofeedback which were previously unattainable.

The human brain has billions of neurons (brain cells). Each neuron has tens of thousands of connections or relationships with other neurons. These connections create networks called neuro-nets. There are trillions of connections and millions of networks. The neurons are not actually physically connected. There is a gap between each neuron called a synapse. Neurotransmitters cross the gap and make contact with other neurons in the network via an electro-chemical process.

This essentially makes the brain plastic or "malleable", capable of changing itself and its connections. The brain is constantly changing itself through the creation of new neural networks which are the result of experiences. The intent of neurofeedback is to give the brain feedback from its own brain wave patterns, so that it can learn new possibilities through the creation of new neuro-nets. This enables new possible responses to incoming stimuli.

What is Brain State Training?

Brain waves are measurements of brain activity measured in cycles per second. The four brain waves are Delta which is .5 to 3.5 cycles per second, Theta which is 3.5 to 7 cycles per second, Alpha which is 8 to 14 cycles per second, and Beta which is 15 and higher cycles per second. All of these brain waves exist in all parts of the brain all of the time. The key to the type of reality that we create for ourselves on an ongoing basis is revealed in the ratios of these brain waves.

Brain State Training is a form of neurofeedback which uses cutting edge computer technology and software to assist the brain to learn how to create optimized brain wave patterns. Through the natural course of living, the human brain develops imbalances from traumatic childhood experiences, poor diet, stress and over-stimulation. In Brain State Training, the brain can actually see and hear itself and therefore teach itself how to create new networks and brain wave patterns which enable it to process stimuli in a more balanced and harmonious manner.

How Do We Train the Brain?

Brain wave activity is electro-chemical in nature and actually creates measurable electromagnetic energy. This energy is picked up by electrodes, which contain computer chips, which are placed on electro-encephalogram points on the scalp. The electromagnetic energy travels from the electrodes, through an amplifier, into the computer where the energy is depicted on the computer screen in the form of brain waves, which are measured in Hertz (cycles per second). So we can actually see the brain wave patterns that the brain is generating in real-time.

The first step in the brain state training process is the creation of the brain map. We place electrodes on electro-encephalogram points on the scalp in order to measure brain wave activity in the frontal lobes, the central lobes, the parietal lobes, the temporal lobes, the mid-line and the occipital lobes. Brain wave activity is measured in "eyes closed," "eyes partially closed" and "eyes open" positions. All the measurements are recorded and a brain map is generated by the software which helps us to see what is necessary to help the brain train itself for optimization. The brain map does not compare the measurements of the brain wave activity to a large database norm, but to what that individual brain would be, if in balance and harmony. This is done through the unique, proprietary software that is exclusive to Brain State Technologies and its affiliates. The software then generates the Brain State Training protocols or designs which are used in training the brain toward harmony, balance, and optimization.

The actual training is done by having the client sit in a very comfortable, reclining chair, with electrodes placed on certain points on the head which register brain wave activity in the part of the brain that is being trained. The energy of the brain waves is fed through a sound card in the computer which converts the brain waves into computer synthesized musical notes, which are then fed back to the brain in the form of sounds, which are heard through earphones. The software is configured in a way that responds to the brain's output and feeds back to it, sounds which encourage or inhibit certain brain waves, depending on the training protocol being used. In the "eyes open" training protocols, the client is also getting feedback by actually seeing his or her brain waves on the computer screen. In each training protocol, the client is given a task: to raise or lower a moving bar or to do a visualization or meditation. Through this feedback, the brain is given the information that it needs in order to change inefficient and old neuronet patterns into more effective circuits that serve homeostasis in a more optimal and balanced way.

How is BST Different from Conventional Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback came onto the scene in the 1960's and has been evolving over the years. Currently it is primarily used by psychotherapists to help people overcome psychological/emotional issues, learning and behavioural problems and brain injury. Conventional neurofeedback is in the clinical/medical paradigm. It uses neurofeedback technology to help people with a clinically-diagnosed problem. It attempts to create changes in brain states, which alleviate the symptoms. A conventional neurofeedback provider would offer clients/patients one to two sessions per week, with a course of treatment taking several months or even years. In this old system, the brain is being trained to approximate a "normal" or "average" brain without any reference to what is optimal for that individual brain.

Brain state training as it is practiced at Waves of Potential, actually operates within a different paradigm. This holistic paradigm views the brain as a whole energy system, contained within the energy system of the body/mind. In order to help the individual achieve higher levels of performance, creativity, happiness or eliminate undesirable life issues from their reality, it is necessary to bring the whole brain into balance and harmony, as opposed to working simply with the alleviation of symptoms. The brain state training approach to helping people get what they want is holistic. It is based on the belief that the brain is the flesh and blood mechanism or instrument through which the mind expresses itself. The brain is the control unit for the body and in order for the mind and body to be in balance, the brain must be in relative balance in order to create a balanced life externally.

We now know, from direct experience with clients that:
* brain state training creates new neuro-networks
* these networks enable the brain to respond to stimuli in whole new ways
* the response mechanism of the brain is actually creating our reality from moment to moment
* having new, more balanced neuro-networks translates into new, more positive possibilities or new realities
* these new realities can be what we really want in life. They can be the fulfillment of our dreams, the fulfillment of the highest potential of who we can be.