Biofeedback and the Arts


Book Description




Mind/Body Integration


Book Description

Biofeedback training is a research methodology and training procedure through which people can learn voluntary control over their internal physiological systems. It is a merger of mUltiple disciplines with interest deriving from many sources-from basic understanding of psychophysiology to a desire for enhanced self-awareness. The goals of biofeedback are to develop an increased awareness of relevant internal physiological functions, to establish control over these functions, to generalize control from an experimental or clinical setting to everyday life, and to focus attention on mind/body integration. Biofeedback is explored in many different settings. In the university, biofeed back equipment and applications can be found in the departments of experi mental and clinical psychology, counseling, physiology, biology, education, and the theater arts, as well as in the health service (student infirmary). Outside the university, biofeedback may be found in different departments of hospitals (such as physical medicine), private clinics, education and self-awareness groups, psychotherapy practices, and elsewhere. Its growth is still expanding, and excite ment is still rising as a result of biofeedback's demonstration that autonomic functions can be brought under voluntary control and that the long-standing arti ficial separation between mind, body, and consciousness can be disproven.




Bio-Guided Music Therapy


Book Description

Bio-Guided Music Therapy explores the clinical integration of music and biofeedback, providing the practitioner with a rationale, historical context and detailed step-by-step instructions for implementing real-time physiological data driven music therapy. This practical guide introduces the fundamental principles of biofeedback and explores the use of music therapy interventions in the context of achieving skills in self-regulation of physiological response. The book looks at the primary modalities of biofeedback, in conjunction with the assignment of digitally sampled musical voices to specific body functions. Additional music therapy interventions discussed include guided imagery to music, toning, mantra meditation, drumming and improvisation. We see how physiological data taken in the moment and combined with music therapy techniques, may be successfully applied to the treatment of stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, chronic pain, dementia, migraine, ADHD and addictions. Instructive and accessible, this book will prove an essential resource for students and practitioners of music therapy, biofeedback practitioners, social workers, psychologists and healing arts professionals.




Brain Art


Book Description

This is the first book on brain-computer interfaces (BCI) that aims to explain how these BCI interfaces can be used for artistic goals. Devices that measure changes in brain activity in various regions of our brain are available and they make it possible to investigate how brain activity is related to experiencing and creating art. Brain activity can also be monitored in order to find out about the affective state of a performer or bystander and use this knowledge to create or adapt an interactive multi-sensorial (audio, visual, tactile) piece of art. Making use of the measured affective state is just one of the possible ways to use BCI for artistic expression. We can also stimulate brain activity. It can be evoked externally by exposing our brain to external events, whether they are visual, auditory, or tactile. Knowing about the stimuli and the effect on the brain makes it possible to translate such external stimuli to decisions and commands that help to design, implement, or adapt an artistic performance, or interactive installation. Stimulating brain activity can also be done internally. Brain activity can be voluntarily manipulated and changes can be translated into computer commands to realize an artistic vision. The chapters in this book have been written by researchers in human-computer interaction, brain-computer interaction, neuroscience, psychology and social sciences, often in cooperation with artists using BCI in their work. It is the perfect book for those seeking to learn about brain-computer interfaces used for artistic applications.




Creativity in Theatre


Book Description

People who don’t know theatre may think the only creative artist in the field is the playwright--with actors, directors, and designers mere “interpreters” of the dramatist’s vision. Historically, however, creative mastery and power have passed through different hands. Sometimes, the playwright did the staging. In other periods, leading actors demanded plays be changed to fatten their roles. The late 19th and 20th centuries saw “the rise of the director,” in which director and playwright struggled for creative dominance. But no matter where the balance of power rested, good theatre artists of all kinds have created powerful experiences for their audience. The purpose of this volume is to bridge the interdisciplinary abyss between the study of creativity in theatre/drama and in other fields. Sharing theories, research findings, and pedagogical practices, the authors and I hope to stimulate discussion among creativity and theatre scholar/teachers, as well as multidisciplinary research. Theatre educators know from experience that performance classes enhance student creativity. This volume is the first to bring together perspectives from multiple disciplines on how drama pedagogy facilitates learning creativity. Drawing on current findings in cognitive science, as well as drama teachers’ lived experience, the contributors analyze how acting techniques train the imagination, allow students to explore alternate identities, and discover the confidence to take risks. The goal is to stimulate further multidisciplinary investigation of theatre education and creativity, with the intention of benefitting both fields.




The Neurofeedback Solution


Book Description

A guide to neurofeedback for better physical and mental health as well as greater emotional balance, cognitive agility, and creativity • Provides easy-to-understand explanations of different neurofeedback methods--from the LENS technique to Z-score training • Explains the benefits of this therapy for anxiety, depression, autism, ADHD, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, brain injuries, stroke, Alzheimer’s, and many other ailments • Explores how to combine neurofeedback with breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, and attention-control exercises such as Open Focus What is neurofeedback? How does it work? And how can it help me or my family? In this guide to neurofeedback, psychologist and neurofeedback clinician Stephen Larsen examines the countless benefits of neurofeedback for diagnosing and treating many of the most debilitating and now pervasive psychological and neurological ailments, including autism, ADHD, anxiety, depression, stroke, brain injury, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Surveying the work of neurofeedback pioneers, Larsen explains the techniques and advantages of different neurofeedback methods--from the LENS technique and HEG to Z-score training and Slow Cortical Potentials. He reveals evidence of neuroplasticity--the brain’s ability to grow new neurons—and shows how neurofeedback can nourish the aging brain and help treat degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and strokes. Examining the different types of brain waves, he shows how to recognize our own dominant brainwave range and thus learn to exercise control over our mental states. He explains how to combine neurofeedback with breathwork, mindfulness, meditation, and attention-control exercises such as Open Focus. Sharing successful and almost miraculous case studies of neurofeedback patients from a broad range of backgrounds, including veterans and neglected children, this book shows how we can nurture our intimate relationship with the brain, improving emotional, cognitive, and creative flexibility as well as mental health.




The Open-Focus Brain


Book Description

A breakthrough, drug-free approach to stress and stress-related illnesses—from anxiety and depression to ADHD and chronic pain—using simple attention exercises with powerful results on physical and mental health This breakthrough book presents a disarmingly simple idea: The way we pay attention in daily life can play a critical role in our health and well-being. According to Dr. Les Fehmi, a clinical psychologist and researcher, many of us have become stuck in "narrow-focus attention": a tense, constricted, survival mode of attention that holds us in a state of chronic stress—and which lies at the root of common ailments including anxiety, depression, ADD, stress-related migraines, and more. To improve these conditions, Dr. Fehmi explains that we must learn to return to a relaxed, diffuse, and creative form of attention, which he calls "Open Focus." This highly readable and empowering book offers straightforward explanations and simple exercises on how to shift into a more calm, open style of attention that reduces stress, improves health, and enhances performance. The Open-Focus Brain features eight essential attention exercises for improving health. Dr. Fehmi writes, "Everyone has the ability to heal their nervous systems, to dissolve their pain, to slow down and yet accomplish more, to experience the deeper side of life—in short, to change their lives for the better dramatically." At last readers can learn the techniques that Dr. Fehmi has offered to thousands of clients—the same drug-free, safe, and effective techniques that have led to remarkable and long-lasting results. The eBook includes a downloadable audio program that provides further guidance on: • essential attention exercises from the book, led by Dr. Fehmi • how to "train the brain" to reduce stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and more • safe and effective techniques used in Dr. Fehmi's clinic for decades




Natural Cures For Dummies


Book Description

Find natural cures for more than 170 health conditions Packed with over 170 remedies for the most common ailments, from arthritis to varicose veins, Natural Cures For Dummies will serve as your complete health advisor. This user-friendly reference arms you with information on the symptoms and the root causes of each problem along with a proven, natural, customized prescription. Whether you are looking for relief from a particular nagging ailment or simply wish to obtain optimum health, Natural Cures For Dummies gets you on track to approaching healthcare from a natural standpoint. Offers clear, expert guidance on dietary changes, healing foods, and natural supplements to treat common conditions Includes down-to-earth descriptions of health problems and the range of natural remedies that can be used to manage them Shows you how natural cures can treat over 170 of the most common ailments Demonstrates how you can dramatically boost your health and wellbeing the natural way If you're navigating the sprawling world of alternative medicine and looking for a good place to start, Natural Cures For Dummies has you covered.




Biofeedback


Book Description