Description

Meditation is Essential

We need calmness to function at our best. But becoming calm in trying situations does not come naturally. All animals have the flight or fight response as survival mechanisms. We can’t and probably shouldn’t try to get rid of it… it comes in handy when you have to cross the street. But we can learn how to keep our anxiousness from consuming us and keeping us from enjoying our lives. We can reduce hyper-vigilance and feel increasingly at peace and in harmony. Many disciplines offer such control. The term Zen has come to mean a calm state in which one does not react to stimuli as threatening. Other types of meditation promise such states of mind. They all aim for some degree of letting go, both mentally by not latching on to each thought that comes to mind and by relaxing physically by becoming aware of bodily tensions and postures that impede the flow of energies.

Biofeedback and Meditation

Another, more technological approach, Biofeedback, coaches us by displaying our emotional stress levels moment to moment. With a surprisingly gentle learning curve, users find it fairly easy to bring their excessively high levels of arousal down into the tranquility zone. Along with the emotional relaxation comes physical ease, including often normalized blood pressure. Biofeedback especially suits those with no desire to spend years in meditation, yoga, taichi, and other disciplines. Just put the hand sensor on and watch the lights on the Walkman-sized control box, or listen to tones in the included headphones, and try to make them change. “Trying” actually misleads since by not trying, tension lessens and the lights and/or sounds lower in color or pitch. Those who have strong loci of internal control can make the lights and sounds go up or down at will. It does not take long to get the hang of it, and once you do, you will have become calmer and less reactive to the stressors of living.

Train your Meditation Muscles

The ThoughtStream uses Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) to measure levels of arousal. As we relax, our skin gets drier and when we get aroused (anxious, angry, agitated, tense, etc), our skin gets wetter. By training this biological response, we can change other habitual responses that we no longer find useful. Phobias respond well to this technique when one learns to maintain the relaxation response in the face of troubling stimuli.

Additional information

The ThoughtStream comes with a unique palm-of-the-hand sensor (shown in picture), headphones, informative manual, and attractive, small carrying case so it travels light, – everything you need to get started!

• Unique four-color visual display shows you exactly how you are doing
• Eight sensitivity levels for beginning to advanced training
• Exceptionally smooth audio feedback
• PC interface option

ThoughtStream USB employs three forms of feedback:

Visual – The front panel display starts out all red, your goal is to turn it all green.
Auditory – Use the included headphones, and learn to lower the pitch of the melodic sound.
Computer – Connect the ThoughtStream USB to your Windows PC, and use the free ThoughtStream Interface software to graph your sessions, and compare multiple sessions to see how you have been progressing.

What is GSR?

GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) measures your level of arousal, which means that it can sense the level of relaxation or tension in your body and mind. By listening to the tone from the small unit, you will learn how to let go of the thoughts and feelings that cause you stress. With practice you will learn how to stay calm and less reactive to life situations that previously victimized you. If you seriously want to gain control effortlessly and automatically, try the ThoughtStream. It will amaze you!

Mental Games Software

The ThoughtStream will now interact with an audiovisual CD for your PC called Mental Games.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Click here to read the article “Being in Control. The Role of Biofeedback in Controlling ADD” by Jason Alster, MSc who found that using GSR relaxation training helped students diagnosed with ADD when he began viewing the condition as stress-related.

Click here to read about GSR and peak performance training.

ThoughtStream and Proteus

The ThoughtStream will now connect to the Proteus for interactive biofeedback and pulsed Light and Sound (LS). You can download the beta version of the new operating system here. In this mode, your body’s reactions can control the lights and sounds of the Proteus for faster and deeper entrainment into your desired state of consciousness. Relax, meditate, learn, destress faster as your physiology becomes part of the process. Caution: Connecting the ThoughtStream and Proteus for interactivity will require tinkering with the new software. If you don’t enjoy following involved instructions, pass on this option for now.