Can neurofeedback bridge Eastern and Western healing practices?

Are you aware of the existence of an energetic connection between your client, the technology and you?

If so, how do we as practitioners prepare ourselves to participate in this energetic exchange event?

Is there a difference between "healer" and "clinician"? Between clinician and client?

What is the current thinking embraced by the Dalai Lama about the impact of ancient mental practices on western medicine, adventitious suffering and healing?

This presentation is designed to provide the neurofeedback provider with a radically different view of the therapeutic approach to the neurofeedback training process and it's relation to ancient mental training practices, like mindfulness meditation.

The psychoneurenergetic view holds that there is an energetic connection established between the client, practitioner and technology that allows a more direct connection with the client in the therapeutic relationship, through fostering presence in the moment. This energetic connection is always present in a caring therapeutic relationship, yet, usually goes unrecognized or unappreciated as the powerful tool that it is. Essential elements of practices such as Tonglen, a Buddhist method for exchanging suffering for peace, and ways to become energized, rather than drained by such practices will be demonstrated and discussed.

Workshop members will be invited to become participants in this attempt to involve mental practices used to sense the energy present in the moment, and to share views on how this may be possible in their own lives and practices.

Also presented will be some the most current thinking on the science of meditation/mental training as reflected in the recent (November, 2005) Mind and Life Conference XIII with HH Dalai Lama, Contemplatives and western neuroscientists. I will update clinicians on the vast healing potential that the intersection of ancient mental practices, medicine and science, have for alleviating suffering in the world today.

Workshop Outline

I. Overview of a typical neurofeedback session
a. Role of the practitioner
i. Goals
ii. Director approach to effecting change
b. Role of the client
i. Goals
ii. Non-participatory expectations
c. Role of the technology
i. Tool for inducing change
II. Sea change event-personal transformation
a. Recognition of the energetics underlying therapeutic relationships
b. Immersion in the energetic field of client/self/technology
c. Pre/post case presentation
III. Overview of typical psychoneurenergetic neurofeedback session
a. Role of the practitioner
i. Goals
ii. Facilitator approach to effecting change
b. Role of the client
i. Goals
ii. Increased participation tied to expectations
c. Role of the technology
i. Facilitates presence necessary for change
d. More case studies
e. Demonstration of this interactive process with full audience participation
i. Volunteer hooked up to equipment
ii. Audience brought through anxiety-provoking visualization
iii. Audience brought through deep relaxation visualization
iv. Both scenarios reflected in technology viewed live on computer screen
IV. Brief overview of science of mindfulness meditation and neurofeedback
a. Use of mindfulness meditation to improve conditions requiring self-regulation such as depression, anxiety, stress, asthma, psoriasis, cardiovascular disease
b. NF improvements similarly effected through self-regulation
c. NF as tool to effect more rapid mental training
i. Especially in those who have trouble "sitting" meditation
d. Energetics as the connection between meditation and NF?
e. Psychoneurenergetics - a new field?
V. Future proposals based on science of mediation, neuroenergetics and NF discussion
a. Can NF bridge the divide between East and West?
b. Can psychoneurenergetics assist clients to become active participants in their own health care?
c. Can psychoneurenergetics assist health care providers to become equivalent participants in the health care they provide?