There is growing interest in biofeedback nowadays. Biofeedback devices have shown to be effective for a number of purposes, from medical to entertainment. But what is it exactly?
Biofeedback is simply a system which allows the accurate reporting of biological or neurological functions, so that they can be monitored and regulated.
To give an example, say a woman wants to improve her mediation skills. She knows breathing rate is a good indicator of a deep meditative state, so she purchases a biofeedback device which measures her breathing rate. This device then feeds this information back to her by beeping, and she can alter her techniques to suit. After some practise, she will have learned what actually works for her, without having to rely on guesswork.
The same principle is used in everything from reducing stress, to more advanced neurofeedback devices allowing people to regulate various states of the brain (and even play game Bioresonance Equipment s using that feedback).
For a simple biofeedback exercise, hold a thermometer in your palm, and see what you can do to increase its temperature. This is a useful thing to learn for those cold winter nights!
The major advantage biofeedback has, is that the data it provides is reliable, accurate, comparable, and most quantified. This means people don’t have to guess how well a certain technique or therapy is working – they can collect that data very easily. Knowing what works is vitally important in the treatment of problems like stress and anxiety – science-based therapies are formed that work for the general population on average, but there is always some variation in what works for whom. Biofeedback is a way of knowing for sure if something works for you.
are becoming cheaper too, probably because of the increased interest from consumers and hobbyists (yes there are biofeedback enthusiasts out there!). Although the high quality machines are very expesive (four figures plus), perfectly acceptable devices are available for three and sometimes two figures, depending of course on the device in question. Even neurofeeback headsets and software can be bought for a few hundred dollars US, and prices are likely to keep coming down.