Neurofeedback – Brain Wave Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is the type of biofeedback that measures brain activity and specifically brain waves. Brain waves are meas ured in hertz cycles per second. Slower frequencies can demonstrate feeling more calm, relaxed and present as well as fatigued, distracted, inattentive, depressed or insomnia. Higher frequencies may represent feeling more alert and engaged in thought as well as anxious, hypervigilant or impulsive.
Four categories of brain waves are observed during neurofeedback;
Beta (12-38 hertz) is associated with our more awake, focused and active brain state. It allows for problem solving, organization, engagement, decision making, attention, excitement, interest and complex thought processes. In excess it can represent anxiety, hypervigilance, tension, stress, difficulty relaxing, insomnia and mania.
Alpha (8-12 hertz) is found in times of deep thought, meditation, presence, calmness, learning, alertness and flow.
Theta (4-8 hertz) is involved with meditative, daydreaming and sleep states. When awake theta can represent issues with executive functioning tasks such as focus, attention, memory, and organization as found in ADD and ADHD.
Delta (1-4 hertz) is found in the third and fourth cycle of REM sleep. When delta waves are present during wakefulness, they may indicate issues with focus such as found in ADD or ADHD. They may also represent brain injuries, sleep disturbances or other learning challenges.
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HRV is also a dynamic measure used to show emotional changes via heart rhythm patterns. Happiness, joy, and peace create ordered heart rhythm patterns. Anger, resentment, stress, and fear cause disordered heart rhythm patterns. Tiller and colleagues studied the impact of emotional states on nervous system balance. Participants were divided into two groups and instructed to focus on either feelings of appreciation or feelings of stress. The researchers conducted the studies based on the understanding that the two branches of the autonomic nervous system, the sympathetic and parasympathetic, work together to maintain homeostasis by responding and adapting to changes, including emotional changes.
The sympathetic nervous system plays a primary role in the stress response, stimulating various organ systems to deal with the present stressor. The parasympathetic nervous system has virtually an opposite effect on the body, demonstrating a state of relaxation and an attempt to reestablish homeostasis.
The study found that feelings of stress were associated with sympathetic activity, as indicated by disordered heart rhythm patterns. Conversely, feelings of appreciation were associated with parasympathetic activity, as indicated by ordered heart rhythm patterns.
Detailed link below
https://www.authenticityassociates.com/emotions-are-energy/
