Before
Before your first neurofeedback session begins, your NeurOptimal® trainer may have you fill in a brief questionnaire describing how you are feeling. Then, s/he will have you sit in a comfortable chair facing a computer screen.
Next, the trainer attaches tiny sensors near your scalp and three clips on your ears to pick up delicate electrical activity of your brain. Much like an EKG or ECG, the NeurOptimal® system is simply reading this signal. Nothing invasive is involved with the training process. NeurOptimal® neurofeedback is naturopathic and does not “push” the brain in any particular direction. The system merely cues your central nervous system to do what is naturally best for YOUR brain.
Your trainer may record a baseline reading and review it with you before starting the training. While this is not absolutely necessary for the brain training, it can be interesting to look at your brain activity at the beginning versus the end of your session as well as over time. While NeurOptimal® offers some very exciting ways of assessing your progress, in the end it is always how you are doing in your life that counts most. After all, that is what brought you into training in the first place!
DURING
Your trainer will then give you some earbuds and perhaps a blanket. S/he will start the program for you and then the brain training begins. You might listen to music or watch a movie during which you may notice very brief pauses in the sound or image. The very precise timing of these interruptions gives the brain vital information it needs to reorganize itself to operate more optimally. You don’t have to do anything while all this is happening. It’s all right to close your eyes and "zone out" and just let your brain do its job. Length of the brain training can vary, but a session usually runs around 35 minutes. Once you have finished, the trainer may record another baseline and compare it with your earlier one.
AFTER
How will you feel afterwards? Because NeurOptimal® is non-invasive and does not push the brain in any “direction” during training, it is highly unlikely you will feel any side effects following a session. Any noticeable shifts in your mood, awareness or energy level after brain training really depends on the individual and can vary from session to session. See our page How Many Sessions Will I Need? for more information.
The main point is that transformation with NeurOptimal® happens according to the brain’s own intrinsic wisdom, with no conscious effort from the user.
