“A Symphony in the Brain” by Jim Robbins provides a history and background of Neurofeedback training. He begins with more primitive research and experiments on the brain, to the first training sessions with cats and seizures, to how it looks today. Robbins explains what Neurofeedback(sometimes referred to as Biofeedback) addresses in our brains, conditions it can help with, and what it actually does to train our brain. He explores the evolution of the technology as well as the big players in the field. He explores possible reasons it has not become as mainstream as other medical and mental health interventions and why it has not been adopted by the medical field.
Neurofeedback for those who have not experienced it, can seem “too good to be true” or more Science Fiction related. Basically, Neurofeedback uses sensors placed on specific locations on the head, to read the electricity in the brain, provide “feedback” to the brain on this activity in the form of a game or movie screen, and then allows the brain to do with it what it wants to. The brain responds by training itself to return to homeostasis and function the way it was meant to be before biology and life experiences interfered. Neurofeedback has the ability to address many areas but the major ones are improved sleep, moods, attention, and pain management. This technology has been featured in Bessel Van Der Kolk’s book “The Body Keeps the Score.“
I was required to read this book before I attended training at the Othmer Clinic(EEG Info). Since I was interested in learning how to provide the service myself as well as had trained my brain, I found this book to be interesting and helpful in understanding the evolution of the technology. It could be quite dry and boring for those who are not providing Neurofeedback training.
Read this book if:
- You are a Neurofeedback practioner
- Interested in the history of Neurofeedback
Robbins, J., & Recorded Books, Inc. (2014). A Symphony In The Brain: The Evolution Of The New Brain Wave Biofeedback. New York, NY: Grove/Atlantic, Inc.