The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

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The author will update the material as the data and research become mainstream

C Wilson Meloncelli 1

The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

TABLE OF CONTENT INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………………3

THE BRAIN & FLOW…………………………………………………………………………………..4-6 NEUROFEEDBACK……………………………………………………………………………………...7 BRAIN WAVES AND ITS CONNECTION WITH FLOW…………………………………………...8-9

APPLYING EEG INTO FLOW - 4 CYCLES OF FLOW……………………………………………..10

MEDITATION MADE MUSE………………………...…………………………………………...........11

THE 9 MEDITATION MOLECULES……………………………………………………………….12-14

BYE BYE CORTISOL…………………………………………………………………………………..15 A MEDITATION TECHNIQUE…………………………………………………………………………16 THE MUSE EEG DEVICE……………………………………………………………………………...17

THE MEDITATIONS…………………………………………………………………………………….18

REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………………..19

C Wilson Meloncelli 2

The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

INTRODUCTION

In Flow State, our physiology transforms from the ‘the normal’ into ‘ the super’. We form the perfect instrument for focusing attentively on performing the task at hand. “Empty your mind. Be formless, like water. When you put water into a cup it becomes the cup. When you put into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you put water into a teapot it becomes the teapot. Water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” - Bruce Lee. Our physiology in the Flow State becomes like water to the task at hand. We release a performance cocktail of neurotransmitters and hormones beginning with the release norepinephrine and dopamine, which in turn raises our heart rate, tightens focus to the appropriate level for the task at hand. We become razor sharp in focus, like an eagle locking onto its prey. We drift our brainwaves from beta towards alpha entering what is called a Transient Hypofrontality, were areas of the brain temporarily shut down, while others areas become further stimulated. These areas of the brain are divided down into two parts called cerebral hemispheres. Each hemisphere can be further divided into 4 lobes: the frontal lobe; occipital lobe; parietal lobe and the temporal lobe.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

THE BRAIN & FLOW

Our frontal lobe is the home of what makes us human. It plays a role in everything from movement to intelligence, helping us anticipate the consequences of our action and aids in the planning of future actions. Named for its location, the frontal lobe is situated towards the front of the brain.

The Occipital Lobe is the seat of most of the brain’s visual cortex, allowing us not only to see process stimuli from the external world but also to assign meaning to and remember visual perceptions. The occipital lobe is rearmost lobe of the brain, located at the back of the brain.

The Parietal Lobe located at the top and center of the cerebral cortex, just behind the frontal lobe and above the occipital and temporal lobes. Our parietal lobe helps us integrate sensory input, process language, spatial awareness, and navigation.

Our Temporal lobe processes sensory input, including pain and auditory stimuli. It also helps understanding language, retain visual memories and both process and remember emotions. The temporal lobe is named because of its proximity to the temples. It is positioned towards the base of the center of the cortex, just behind the temples.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

Looking a little deeper beyond the four lobes aiding us to paint a clearer image of flow. Let’s take a brief look at our limbic system and prefrontal cortex. The Limbic system is a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain. It controls emotions (fear, pleasure, anger) and drivers (hunger, sex, dominance, nurturing) Because the temporal lobe houses much of the limbic system, the temporal lobe is both heavily influenced by and influences a number of automatic bodily functions, including the heart rate, arousal, anxiety, and similar states. Over time, disruptions in these state can affect other bodily functions. Trauma can predispose people to a chronic state of anxiety locking them into a fight or flight state. Locking our on and off switches to ON which in turn begins to flood your body with hormones such as cortisol which can lead to chronic inflammation.

The prefrontal cortex is located at the front of the frontal lobe and is the centre of the executive functions also understood as cognitive processes. The Prefrontal cortex is involved in managing complex processes like reason, logic, problem, solving, planning and memory. David Eagleman, neuroscientist, and author of numerous “must read books” reports that time, our perception of time is calculated in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

So during this Transient Hypofrontality, our prefrontal cortex quietens giving us the sense of timelessness. Our inner critic goes silent. Our limbic system is purring without fear or doubt. All barriers are blinded by the presence of the deep now. Areas of our occipital and parietal lobes are deactivated giving us a taste of spacelessness. Separation and attachments are replaced the “feeling of being at one”. We release endorphins and anandamide dissolving away distress and pain. Boosting our lateral thinking and problem-solving in indirect and creative ways. Even with total engagement on the task, we are appropriately relaxed and intuitive to our environment. As we drift from the waves of flow with our eyes filled with the “after-glow” where we are in a bath of serotonin and oxytocin.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

NEUROFEEDBACK

Neurofeedback is “a form of biofeedback in which subjects respond to a display of their on own brainwaves or other electrical activity of the nervous system”.Feedback teaches us to self-regulate what’s going on in our brain. Giving us real-time feedback, to train our brain to function more efficiently. We can observe second by second then view this data and adjust ourselves accordingly.

German Neurologist Hans Berger who invented the Electroencephalography (Electro-ence-phal-ography) aka EEG (also much easier to say) is a Neurofeedback method to detect the electrical activity in our brains using electrodes (flat, small discs) connected to the scalp. This electrical communication via the brain cells is synchronized electrical pulses known as brain waves.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

BRAIN WAVES AND ITS CONNECTION WITH FLOW

There are 5 brainwaves in total arranged from fastest to slowest; Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta and Delta . Brainwaves speed is measured in Hertz (cycles per second). Gamma Brain Waves (40-100 Hz) - the fastest brainwaves (high frequency) Recently discovered, relate to simultaneous processing of information from different brain areas. These are intricated in higher processing tasks as well as cognitive functioning. This is important for learning, memory and information processing. Beta Brain Waves (12 – 40 Hz) Associated with normal waking consciousness and a heightened state of alertness, logic and critical reasoning. Hitting the right level of beta help focuses on the task at hand. However, too much beta jams the door open to an imbalance of stress-producing chemicals like cortisol which is dramatically counter-productive for entering flow. Alpha Brain Waves (8-12 Hz) are dominant during quietly flowing thoughts, while you are in deep relaxation, daydreaming or during light meditation. Alpha is the frequency between our conscious thinking and subconscious mind.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

Theta Brain Waves (4-8 Hz) occur during light sleep and deep meditation. In theta we are in a dream; vivid imagery, intuition, we are in our subconscious. This state helps us improve our intuition, creativity, and makes us feel more natural. Delta Brain Waves (0-4 Hz) are the slowest but loudest brainwaves (low frequency). It is experienced in a very deep, dreamless sleep, transcendental meditation. This state is important for the healing process and regeneration. Our brainwaves change according to what we are doing or feeling. When slower brain waves are dominant, we have a feeling of being sluggish, dreamy, slow or tired. On the flip side, faster brainwaves make us feel wired, hyper-alert, fast. Multiple brain waves occur at the same time but there is only one wave that is dominant. THE 7-8 hz DOMINANCE - THE FLOW STATE ZONE 7-8 cycles per second, in the Alpha - Theta bridge is now becoming widely recognized by Sports Scientists as the performance zone, the zone of the flow state. Sitting between conscious and the subconscious mind. This increasing of Alpha knocking on the door of Theta, opening us up to our hidden self, where we can engage in a deep dialogue of our divine mind. It’s in this pocket, that we can attain a binding together of ideas from what seemed like distant ranging areas of the brain, connecting memories and experiences to form a creative action. This is a Gamma Wave Spike of creativity, an “out of this world” inspiration of clarity, an “aha moment” of genius. This is the brain “being in the zone” where everything we do feels effortless and opens us to the solutions of the impossible. This is Flow.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

APPLYING EEG INTO FLOW - 4 CYCLES OF FLOW

When we consciously or unconsciously move towards a flow state experience we go through 4 distinct phases or cycles. The Struggle, The Release, The Flow State, and The Recovery phase. Understanding and monitoring the 4 cycles with the help of EEG neurofeedback can accelerate your self-awareness and turn on the Flow State. All 4 of these cycles are just as important as the flow state so all must be observed and worked with to truly enhance your performance. The Struggle is when we’re learning a new skill or pushing ourselves hard and entering a cloud of confusion. Our brain waves are in a low to high Beta (12-40 Hz). We have an overwhelming feeling of frustration, tension, stress, and anxiety trying to solve a problem or overcome an obstacle. Our adrenal glands are pumping a little too much adrenaline and cortisol into our systems causing an imbalance and hindering performance. So in steps, the Release phase, that flushes out all this imbalance of hormones of tension, frustration with the release of Nitric oxide and begins to change the cycles per second of our brain waves, taking us from beta down towards Alpha ( 8-12 Hz). It’s during the Release phase when we relax into the activity maintaining our attention and allowing brain waves to flutter in the 7-8 Hz Alpha - Theta bridge. We are now in the Flow State. In a Transient Hypofrontality and areas of our prefrontal cortex, occipital, parietal lobes and the limbic system are deactivated into the flow. Norepinephrine, dopamine, endorphins, and anandamide are pulling our attention and focus on our task, blocking our pain and distractions and giving us this superhuman ability to solve and overcome obstacles on our path. As we begin to drift out of the flow state our system releases serotonin and oxytocin making us feel great, happy, bonding with our environment or the group or person we have just experience flow with. We enter the Recovery phase and look to replenish our depleted system. Rest and digest from the, in many cases, dramatic high of being in the flow state.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

MEDITATION MADE MUSE (ooh I mean EASY)

An in depth study carried out by Fadel Zeidan PhD on meditation found “strong evidence for the idea that we may be able to modify our own minds to improve cognitive processing - most importantly in the ability to sustain attention and vigilance”. “The profound improvements that we found after just 4 days of meditation training are really surprising… It goes to show that the mind is easily changeable and highly influenced, especially by meditation.” This changeable is called neuroplasticity “the ability of the brain to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience or following injury” “Meditation is the process whereby we gain control over the mind and guide it in a more virtuous direction. Meditation may be thought of as a technique by which we diminish the force of old thoughts habits and develop new ones” - Dalai Lama

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

THE 9 MEDITATION MOLECULES (9 Reason Why Meditation Might Be A Good Idea to do)

Let’s discuss in a little detail a few specific neurotransmitters and hormones that are produced during consistent Meditation practice. My aim here, is to underline the importance of recovery and using Meditation to accelerate this recovery. Simultaneously you will be developing self-awareness, which will dramatically assist your pre, post and flow state experiences. For example, imagine the struggle phase of the flow cycles as a darkened room. What you develop through meditation is like having a candle lit in side that dark room. ANANDAMINE Our “Joy Chemical” or “Bliss Molecule” . The word Anandamide comes from the Sanskrit word anada, which means “joy, bliss, delight” and amide is “an organic compound derived from ammonia” In the late 1980s interesting receptors were found in the brain for THC (tetra-hydro-cannabinol). THC is the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Hence some Scientists call Anandamide, the “brain’s own marijuana”. So this will come to no surprise, that when this neurotransmitter is released and binds to the THC receptor we get a feeling of bliss, joyfulness. SEROTONIN The “happy neurotransmitters” affects our mood, social behaviour, appetite, digestion, sleep, memory, sexual desire. Scientists from the University of Montreal has shown that meditation have a direct impact on the brain’s production of serotonin. Serotonin has shown to melt away stress and depression.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

OXYTOCIN The “love hormone.” Actually this love hormone is also a love neurotransmitter. Oxytocin occurs naturally and is produced by our hypothalamus. Stimulated during sex, nurturing, group flow, giving us a increased sense of empathy, trust, altruism and social bonding. New Research from Duke University reported "Oxytocin appears to be part of the way our bodies support spiritual beliefs." Lead author Patty Van Cappellen, a social psychologist at Duke said, "Spirituality and meditation have each been linked to health and well-being in previous research," Van Cappellen said. "We were interested in understanding biological factors that may enhance those spiritual experiences. "Oxytocin appears to be part of the way our bodies support spiritual beliefs." ENDORPHINS Endo and Orphin; these are short forms of the words endogenous and morphine. "a morphine like substance originating from within the body” This morphine like neurotransmitter is a feel good, pain reliever, produced during orgrasm, exericses, excitment, pain, spicy or hot food and meditation. 2003 Goteborg University in Sweden reported that endorphins triggered also during extreme relaxation. The School of Behavioural Science at the James Cook University of North Queensland undertook a study on elite runners and trained meditators and relieved that both groups released Endorphins. GABA No, it’s not a tribute band for ABBA. GABA the “calm chemical” (gamma aminobutyric acid) an inhibitory neurotransmitters in your nervous system. Calming your nervous system down. In 2010 Boston University of Medicine found a 27% increase in GABA through meditation. They found that meditation and mindful exercises were “more powerful than exercise” Interesting similarity with people who are addicted to alcohol, drugs, tobacco, caffeine and food. They all lack GABA. DHEA Dehydroepiandrosterone is known as the “longevity molecule”. The counter-puncher to stress and one of the big guys when it comes to the body’s important hormones. Doctors measure DHEA levels to find a patient physiological “true age”. Dr Vincent Giampapa M.D reported a finding of 43.77% more DHEA of patients who regularly meditate.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

GROWTH HORMONE GH has an effect on both tissue repair and growth, plus a fuel mobilization. An imbalance of Gh will affect aging, weaken bones and muscles, increased body fat, moods, lack of motivation, fatigue and will affect the heart's contractions. Produced from your Pituitary gland GH is reported to begin to gradually deceased unless addressed by our 40s. And you guessed it, GH is naturally produced through deep meditation and sleep. When you’re in a Delta brain wave, deep sleep or deep meditation. MELATONIN Known as the Sleeeeepppppp Molecule. So you guessed it again! Poor Melatonin production will dramatically affect your sleep, immune system and speed up the aging process. Poor sleep and immune system will seriously slow recovery from injuries and being in the Flow State. Oh, but wait! Researchers from Rutgers University found a 98% boost in Melatonin on average! And in many of the participants a massive 300% boost from people incorporating a consistent meditation practise. NITRIC OXIDE Not to mistake it for nitrous oxide (aka laughing gas). Nitric oxide is a powerful vasodilator. When released it will relax the muscle fibers within the walls for the arteries stimulating blood flow and provides us with extra oxygen in oxygen depleted environments. This “miracle molecule” has received a lot of attention due to its cardiovascular benefits. Cool story; Alfred Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prize, was prescribed nitroglycerin by his Doc to help with his heart condition. Nobel was very skeptical, knowing that nitroglycerin was used in dynamite. Little did he know that nitroglycerin acts by releasing Nitric Oxide relaxing widening blood vessels, increasing oxygen and blood flow. AND you guessed it, it is released during Meditation.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

BYE BYE CORTISOL - The Reduction in Cortisol Rutgers University reported a near to 50% reduction in cortisol levels with regular meditators. Cortisol is our number 1 stress hormone and is needed, BUT not to the extent that people produce. A chronic level of cortisol can lead to the breakdown in muscle and bone, the blocking of the creation of productive hormones. Leading to anxiety, depression, increased blood pressure, brain fog, insomnia, inflammation. Bottom line, too much cortisol is very bad for your health, let alone entering the flow state.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

A MEDITATION TECHNIQUE

The Oxford dictionary definition of Meditation: “Focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purpose or as a method of relaxation” The Meditation technique Doctor Zeidan used with his subjects was “to focus on the changing sensations of breath and to follow the breath with the mind’s eye as it goes down the chest and abdomen” Your attention to this simple focused practise will allow you to let thoughts and emotions pass without judgment or shifting of attention.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

THE MUSE EEG DEVICE

Muse is a home EEG device Electroencephalography (Electro-ence-phal-ography) that will enhance your meditation experience by guiding you moment to moment into a meditative state. Muse guides you by the changing of sounds of weather based on the real-time state of your brain, allowing for a deeper sense of meditative focus aided immediate auditory feedback. So you can use the Muse as a guide for following “the breath with the mind’s eye as it goes down the chest and abdomen” When you wonder from the path of the breath (“Calm mind”) the sound of the weather will intensify gently (“Active Mind”) giving you a guide to gently move from “Active Mind” to “Neutral Mind” to “Calm Mind”. These are 3 state Muse use to guide your meditation path. The Muse brain sensing headband is a pretty cool piece of kit, giving you a sci fi, star trek look. It uses 7 calibrated sensors, 2 on the forehead, 2 behind the ears and 3 reference sensors to detect and measure the activity of your brain. It comes with a simple, clear application to monitor you and track your feedback. With the Muse you get a very simple and easy to follow user guide.

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

THE MEDITATIONS “Meditation is a long journey, not a single insight or even several insights. It gets more and more profound as the days, months and years pass. Keep reading, thinking and meditating” Dalai Lama

1. 3-5mins Seated (eyes closed) 2. 3-5mins Standing (eyes closed) 3. 3 mins Seated (eyes open) 4. 3 mins Standing (eyes open) 5. 3mins Walking (eyes closed) 6. 3mins Walking (eyes open) 7. 3mins Taoist Movements - Nourishing The Origins (eyes open) 8. 3mins Taoist Movements - Nourishing The Origins (eyes closed)

Got now, to the video tutorials

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The Way Of The Muse

Meditation With Neurofeedback

REFERENCES

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100414184220.htm https://eocinstitute.org/meditation/dhea_gaba_cortisol_hgh_melatonin_serotonin_endorphins/ https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-26895/6-ways-you-can-use-meditation-to-balance-your-hormones.html https://efficientexercise.com/growth-hormone-muscle-gain-recovery/ http://www.sohamhappinessprogram.com/anandamide-joy-chemical/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160921085458.htm https://www.brainwave-research-institute.com/meditation-boosts-endorphins.html https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-29626/heres-what-happens-to-your-brain-when-you-meditate.html https://www.wired.com/2007/10/nitric-oxide-is/ http://www.choosemuse.com/ https://www.spinalcord.com/frontal-lobe

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