What is biofeedback?
September 26, 2009 by wholesci
Filed under Articles, Mind Over Body
What is biofeedback?
Biofeedback machines are technology designed to measure bodily functions such as heart rate, skin conductance, heart variability, muscle tension, skin temperature and sweat gland activity.
Why is it important?
Biofeedback machines allow the individual to gain control over these physiological processes, which were previously understood to be an automatic function of the autonomic nervous system. This means it is now possible to consciously vary the bodily functions mentioned above using the power of our mind.
What research has been done into the subject of biofeedback?
Biofeedback research has exploded in the last few decades, and this has led to the development of Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) which implements biofeedback technology into machines, enabling virtually anything to be controlled by the power of the mind, including prosthetics, toys, cars, and even household appliances.
Personal biofeedback machines have also yielded significant positive evidence. The Institute of HeartMath’s biofeedback machines primarily measure heart rate variability (HRV), which is the beat to beat changes in the heart rhythm. Conscious control of these rhythms have proven to be so successful that their devices are being implemented across the world in educational settings, healthcare and business. It has been shown that conscious control of our physiological output can greatly improve our performance, mood, and overall well being.
How is biofeedback demonstrated?
Depending on the type of machine, users are connected to the machine via some type of electrodes, attached to the brain, finger, or elsewhere on the body. This is usually fed back into the computer in the form of a real-time display and thus the user can begin to monitor and consciously change their physiological output.
Can you practise biofeedback?
The benefits of biofeedback is that it is now very easy to monitor your physiology; the technology is now so advanced that handheld systems are available- so you can monitor your stress levels and consciously begin to change them. Practising controlling your physiology means that you will naturally find how to put yourself into a calm and focused physiological state.
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