What is biofeedback.
Galvanic Skin Response.
Biofeedbacks health benefits.
Mind and Body Dynamics.
Biofeedback Equipment.
Free Books!
Biofeedback uses electronic monitoring equipment to monitor
the physiological changes taking place in the body, at any given point in time.
Sensors are attached to the person using the equipment, to measure changes in
heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, skin resistance, or brain activity.
(These are some examples of physiological processes that could be monitored.)
Any change in any of these physiological processes are then dynamically
presented in real time, externally, as some form of external sensory output,
generated by the device, such as a sound, light or chart.
Example:
This feed back to the person using the device, could be an increase of frequency
or loudness of a sound. The biofeedback device could monitor changes in
the person's heart rate, giving an external auditory feed-back indication
of the increase or decrease in heart rate, by producing a rise or fall in the
frequency or loudness of the sound being produced.
This dynamic real time representation of the physiological changes as an external feed back sound is a great aid to the person using the equipment. They can instantly hear how their feelings, emotions and thoughts influence their heart rate. They can then take this process a step further and use the feedback from the device, to help train themselves to consciously control their heart rate.
Any sense can be used as a biofeedback signal from a biofeedback machine. Instead of sound we could use light, taste, touch or smell. Generally sound and light are the most commonly used as they are the easiest to implement. The dynamic changes can also be charted on paper or a screen so the person using the device and the therapist can see the changes with time in the persons response.
The easiest physiological change to measure is Galvanic Skin Response, abbreviated GSR, to put it simply skin resistance. As you become stressed your skin resistance goes down and as you become more relaxed the skin resistance goes up. A small electric current is passed through the skin from one point to another on the skin surface. Usually this is done through two separate sensors attached to two alternate fingers on the hand of the person using the device. As the skin resistance between these two points changes, there is a corresponding change in the current allowed to pass through the skin, this is monitored by the biofeedback device. This change in current is then converted to a change in intensity of the external light or sound signal generated by the biofeedback device.
The GSR response is a very effective measure of the bodies reaction to the person's thoughts, and feelings, and as such it can not only be used to teach the person relaxation techniques, but can be also used as a lie detector. The body's reaction to a person's thoughts, and feeling is instantaneous, this corresponds to an instantaneous change in their skin resistance.
The fact is that every thought and feeling produced by you causes an instantaneous biological changes in every living cell in your body from the tips of your toes to the top of your head. The GSR response is simply measuring one of these biological changes.
Below is an example GSR chart of a person trying to relax, they have been reasonably successful.
Because the biofeedback device is giving direct real time information about changes in your physiology as you think and feel, you can use it to train yourself to take control of your thoughts and feelings. By doing this you take conscious control of physiological processes, such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and also your emotions and thoughts.
Biofeedback equipment is excellent for relaxation training because it can instantly show you if your relaxation technique is working or not. You're getting direct real time feed back as to whether your technique is effective. For instance some people who think they are meditating well are actually becoming more tense as they try to meditate, because they are concentrating too hard. The biofeedback equipment will instantly show their technique is at fault.
We tend to think of our mind as residing in our brain but there is ample scientific evidence to suggest a different view, that our mind permeates our entire body and that the brain is simply the control center. This then explains how every living cell is responding instantaneously to every thought and feeling we might have.
This fact that every living cell is responding to all our feelings and thoughts is what makes biofeedback so effective, it shows us dynamically in real time the response of our bodies to the feelings and thoughts. We can then use this positive feed back to train people to take control of their thoughts and feelings to produce positive resourceful mental states, to help them stay healthy and happy.
Read these free Books on Stress management and Positive Thinking to gain a greater understanding of mind body dynamics.
Using this sophisticated biofeedback equipment is a powerful training aid. People using the equipment can instantly see the effects of their thoughts and feelings on their body, also they can see what is the most effective method for reducing stress, inducing relaxation and more powerful resourceful states of mind.
These valuable skills, can aid them to add more power and direction to their life and happiness, because by practicing these techniques they learn to conserve and focus their personal energy. Most people waste up to 90% of their personal resources in a stress reaction to life.
We use some of the world's most sophisticated biofeedback training equipment. The equipment can be used to monitor numerous physiological body dynamics such as, heart rate, GSR and brain wave activity. The equipment can also give different sensory feed back signals such as light, sound, and chart any changes. The charting allows us to monitor the dynamic improvements with time of people using the devices.
The equipment is a powerful aid, it allows people to tune into their own natural in built biofeedback which we all have. So when they finish the training they will have learnt to consciously tune into this natural resource. By doing this they will have more control over their physical and mental resources.
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Web master P J Daley, vital1@ozemail.com.au
Page USA address: http://www.lindaland.com/DPPD/biofeed1.htm
Page Australian address: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~vital1/biofeed1.htm
DPPD, PO box 1159, Caloundra, 4551, Australia.
© 1999 Daley Positive Personal Development, All International Rights Reserved.