NeuroSky MindWave Meditation Games

by **My Socks Smell** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:28 pm

I have recently decided to try and enhance my meditation with neuro-feedback by using an EEG headset with meditation software programs.

From what I have read regarding meditation and EEGs:

1. Focused attention on an object of meditation such as one's breath, an idea, image or emotion corresponds to Gamma waves of about 30-50 Hz and possibly Beta 20-30 Hz.

2. Vipassana & Zazen - Open monitoring of ongoing experience without judging, reacting or attachment corresponds to Frontal Theta waves of about 4 or 5 to 8 Hz.

3. Automatic self-transcending (transcendental) corresponds to Frontal Alpha waves of about 8 to 10 or 12 Hz.

I've just started using a MindPlay app from NeuroSky and am considering downloading Zen-Fire Meditation Toys freeware from SourceForge (which includes a Theta driver among the toys), but am still cautiously investigating that one. Sekati looks fantastic, but I think it might require a headset with headphones. I will probably get the "Chanter" by Jeff Winder featured on the NeuroSky online store, but wish I knew more about exactly how it evaluates the particular brain waves as representing "enhanced" meditation.

I'm looking for helpful advice from anyone familiar with neuro-feedback brainwave training, who might also hopefully recommend good meditation apps which are compatible with a MindWave headset. I particularly would like to know if focusing on "Theta" waves does indeed enhance Vipassana.

Thanks.

by **gregkavarnos** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:55 pm

Your hard earned money would be better spent receiving personal instruction from a qualified teacher.

by **My Socks Smell** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 7:55 pm

gregkavarnos wrote:Your hard earned money would be better spent receiving personal instruction from a qualified teacher.

Setting aside metaphysical vocabulary, ocular metaphors and language of a privileged access to one's own mental states, is there anything necessary for developing my meditation practice that a teacher can wordlessly transmit, but which a neurofeedback program cannot?

by **shel** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:50 pm

gregkavarnos wrote:Your hard earned money would be better spent receiving personal instruction from a qualified teacher.

I don't know... they look pretty cute.

: LocalizedImage.jpg (37.62 KiB) Viewed 297 times

by **gregkavarnos** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:01 pm

Nah, it's not the cats ears that look cute, it's the super model that is wearing them which give them their appeal. :tongue:

by **gregkavarnos** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:05 pm

My Socks Smell wrote:
gregkavarnos wrote:Your hard earned money would be better spent receiving personal instruction from a qualified teacher.
Setting aside metaphysical vocabulary, ocular metaphors and language of a privileged access to one's own mental states, is there anything necessary for developing my meditation practice that a teacher can wordlessly transmit, but which a neurofeedback program cannot?

This question is WAY too loaded to permit an intelligent and valid answer. Please yourself, wear the bunny (sorry cat) ears and program yourself into bliss. Give my greetings to Samantabhadra when you see him.

by **My Socks Smell** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:01 am

gregkavarnos wrote:Please yourself, wear the bunny (sorry cat) ears and program yourself into bliss. Give my greetings to Samantabhadra when you see him.

I admit, I deserved that. The bodhisattva humor wasn't lost on me, though. Good one.

by **Karma Dondrup Tashi** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:07 am

And the Oscar goes to ... shel.

by **My Socks Smell** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:55 pm

gregkavarnos wrote:Your hard earned money would be better spent receiving personal instruction from a qualified teacher.

And for the record, I'm sorry for inadvertently disparaging teachers and those who attain benefit from them. I didn't mean that neurofeedback is better. I just have a problem with authority figures and still experience some lingering ego-istic defensiveness regarding religion/spirituality/clericalism in general.

by **GrahamR** » Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:20 pm

My Socks Smell wrote:And for the record, I'm sorry for inadvertently disparaging teachers and those who attain benefit from them. I didn't mean that neurofeedback is better. I just have a problem with authority figures and still experience some lingering ego-istic defensiveness regarding religion/spirituality/clericalism in general.

This is probably your obstacle to advancement then. You don't have to believe everything which you are told, but you don't have to reject it either. Just filter what you think is right or wrong.

If the box works for you good luck with it.

Graham

by **My Socks Smell** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 7:06 pm

GrahamR wrote:
My Socks Smell wrote:And for the record, I'm sorry for inadvertently disparaging teachers and those who attain benefit from them. I didn't mean that neurofeedback is better. I just have a problem with authority figures and still experience some lingering ego-istic defensiveness regarding religion/spirituality/clericalism in general.

This is probably your obstacle to advancement then. You don't have to believe everything which you are told, but you don't have to reject it either. Just filter what you think is right or wrong.

If the box works for you good luck with it.

Graham

Thanks for posting.

by **cslekniws** » Sun May 12, 2013 4:30 pm

Hello smelling socks,

I have bought the Neurosky Mobile last week and experimented with the device and apps a bit. I am a ZEN practitionar for almost 10 years. What are your experiences with the device ? I am interested in what ZEN EEG's look like and how the APPS handle this.

Kind regards

Cees (Netherlands).