Over the past several weeks, I have had clients tell me that doing neurofeedback with their eyes closed feels like a brain massage or brain spa. It made me realize that I have not really talked about what it feels like to have a neurofeedback brain-training session. You may not choose the words brain massage or brain spa, but I think you’d find that it DOES feel pretty good.
During a session, you will have electrodes attached to your scalp if you are doing standard EEG training and a headband if you are doing any kind of HEG training. The electrodes are attached with a water-soluble paste that washes out with soap and water, although I use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball in my office. Sorry-no shampoo bowls and actual scalp massages are part of the process (though wouldn’t that be wonderful!). It may feel unusual to have someone other than a hairdresser or loved one touching your scalp, but that sensation passes for almost everyone after the first session.
This practice of using electrodes–sensors, really–may vary from what you have heard or experienced in other offices. Some practitioners use caps that look like shower caps, with the electrodes embedded in the cap. Instead of paste, these caps either use a gel that must be washed out later or a saline. I no longer use these caps, because they get uncomfortable after a short while, the gel is messy and usually requires shampooing that same day. I briefly had a cap that used saline instead of gel, which was wonderful in terms of leaving the office after training with a totally clean scalp, but it comes with a chin strap that too many found constricting. For me, the most comfortable option remains larger electrodes and paste.
If you do brain training with your eyes closed, you will get to choose a comfortable position, and you will be listening to reward tones that your brain is triggering the software to play. It is not usually a melody, though it sometimes come close and there are a couple of exceptions to this. It is deeply relaxing.
If you do brain training with your eyes open, you will also hear tones that your brainwaves are earning from the software. At the same time, you will receive visual rewards. This usually means making a video or movie “go” with your brain. It can be a film, or it can be something as simple as occasionally changing screen savers on the monitor in front of you. The reward tones fade into the background as you make the movie go or gain clarity on the photographs, and you may also adjust the volume so that they are not too distracting.
Most people find that eye-closed training is deeply relaxing. Sometimes, folks don’t want to get up out of the training chair to leave the office after finishing their training, simply because it feels so good. Sometimes, people report seeing colors or other images of the sort that may pop up during meditation. Most importantly, those who are unwilling or unable to feel comfortable closing their eyes in the office are not forced to do so.
For those who do eyes-open training, the relaxation may sometimes feel like fatigue, especially at the onset of brain training. Most, even those who are working to increase their focus, will find training calming and sink into the chair while doing their training.
If you’re interested in coming in for a consultation, I tend to play back recordings of sample brainwaves so people can hear an example of the types of sounds they might hear during a training session. If you want, I can also let you see your own brainwaves—it’s kind of cool! I do not typically allow for a sample session with real feedback, because I want to see and measure your brainwaves before doing any actual training. I think most people can get a good sense of things anyway.
Whether you call it a brain spa, a brain massage, or just plain brain training, I think you’ll end up agreeing with me that it feels nice.