We are close to a unified physical theory encompassing gravity and quantum mechanics, most likely a development of the "string" theories of Witten and others. Even when this theory is discovered, however, physicists for the most part agree that we will never know WHY it is true, why the universe is this way, even why it IS at all. Perhaps these are the wrong questions. More interesting and important may be the question: What about the way the universe is could make it possible for us to be related to "God," either in the sense of the originator of the universe or "that for the sake of which" the universe is and moves (the latter being the way the Yoga psychology of Patanjali would put it).

Jeffrey Satinover, in his ambitious new book The Quantum Brain, claims that the universe is not deterministic but constantly free to create new events, via quantum indeterminacy which is amplified in the brain. We could not be related to the originator without that direct link. But more is required: something in our brain’s makeup, and therefore implied by the ultimate string theory, that turns us in the direction of our origin. This is where "neurotheology" comes in. Spiritual experiences can be seen as potentialities—perhaps inevitabilities—built into the organism precisely so that we will orient toward the ultimate. Even science, the drive to understand nature, might be understood in this way. If true, this would make it likely that the ultimate scientific theory would be, if interpreted rightly, a spiritual theory. Neurotheology then would not be merely a reductionistic way to explain experiences of God or spiritual enlightenment, but rather a science pointing us toward the reason we are built as we are. It might even help to point physicists in the right direction in pursuit of the ultimate "theory of everything."

The alpha self: Where am I in the fields of the brain? (30 min. plenary talk)

Al Collins

Rodolfo Llinas, Roy John’s colleague at NYU, has elaborated a perspective on the brain that sees it as organized around the self, which he defines as an image of the organism taken as a whole. Thought and action are based on experiences that he calls qualia, or a sense of the qualities of the environment evaluated in terms of the self. This is not just true of humans, but has been evolving in all motile creatures (not plants) for 700 million years. The primary job of the mind, which Llinas sees as an organ in the service of the self, is to predict the future satisfaction of the self and act intentionally to maximize this.

If the self is so fundamental a fact, it might be expected that its signature could be found in the EEG. A clue as to where it might found is suggested in Barry Sterman’s work on "post reinforcement synchronization," or PRS. Sterman observes that the true reinforcement is not the desired object, or even the pleasurable experience of consuming it, but brain events following this that are signified by a burst of dominant alpha. Now if Llinas is correct, the organism is constantly working to satisfy the self. The brain is always ahead of itself, reaching into the future to make things well for the organism, through its image the self. When it succeeds, for a moment, in actualizing the projection of self satisfaction, alpha happens. This is to say that moments of PRS, the alpha bursts following reinforcement, may signify self satisfaction, a state where the sense of self is full and complete, not assailed by qualia of lack and suffering. In a different context, this phenomenon is similar to what meditation researchers have found: long term practitioners of Transcendental Meditation typically show massive amounts (up to 100 uV) of low frequency coherent alpha over the front and center of the head. This occurs in a subjective state free of sensory content or thoughts and characterized by deep contentment (Sanskrit ananda). If we see this alpha as akin to the PRS, it suggests that the state is not necessarily dependent on the satisfaction of the self’s episodic wishes for pleasure and the avoidance of pain. It may be that an experience of wholeness of self is the complete reward, the true but unknown aim of all reward seeking.

Quantum Yoga and the neurophysiology of freedom (2 hour workshop)

Al Collins

A central paradox in modern physics was paralleled nearly 2000 years ago in India, in the spiritual psychology of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. While psychophysical reality is, at almost all levels, completely deterministic (operating through the implacable law of karma for Patanjali, of Newtonian physics for Western science) at its heart lies a space of total freedom. The central insight of Yoga is that the true human self (purusha) is eternally free and unbound by the ties of materiality (prakriti) which, at the deepest level, operate only "for the sake of" this self (the word is purushartha, "for purusha’s sake"). In physics, the quantum level is completely nondeterministic, though at all levels above this the quantum effects are "averaged away," leaving the world for all intents and purposes bound by the laws of classical physics.

It has recently been suggested by Jeffrey Satinover (The Quantum Brain) that the absolute indeterminacy of the quantum level of reality is "amplified upward" through the physical, chemical, biological, and neural realms to the point where, in the human brain (or its cyber successors) genuine freedom is possible. In fact, the history of evolution shows a gradual, and now accelerating increase in the freedom of organisms. The parallel between Satinover’s understanding and that of Yoga is striking and, I think, genuine. This workshop will aim to go deeper into this strange nexus of Indian "mysticism" and Western science, looking specifically for brain processes that might embody quantum events and those that could correspond to the purusha idea. I will try to convey some of the authentic sense of the Yoga texts by looking at the original Sanskrit verses to get a deeper feel for what they are saying. Similarly, I will try to go deeply enough into Satinover’s argument to show how he thinks freedom can exist in a mostly deterministic world. Some of the same neurophysiology may be implicated in both perspectives.

Al Collins, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and also an Indologist, a specialist in the languages and literatures of India. He holds Ph.D.s in both areas and has long had a deep interest in understanding the connections between Western psychology and psychophysiology, on the one hand, and the spiritual psychologies of India (Yoga, Vedanta, Mahayana Buddhism). He has published extensively on Indian and Western self psychology and Jungian psychology. He is the author of the book Fatherson: a Depth Psychology of the Archetypal Masculine as well as book chapters on masculine psychology.

Al was formerly on the core faculty of the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco as Associate Professor of East/West Psychology. He remains on the adjunct faculty at CIIS and also an external reader for Ph.D. dissertations at the Pacifica Graduate Institute. Al
practices neurofeedback and QEEG in Anchorage, Alaska, along with Jungian psychotherapy.

Supervenience, Brain, Mind, and Neurofeedback
Tom Collura

Recent developments in the philosophy of mind have produced a body of work that clarifies issues regarding the relationship between brain and mind, the reduction of mental phenomena into the realms of biology, chemistry, and physics, and the causal relationships between intention, free will, and action. The concept of supervenience, originally articulated in the moral philosophy of G.E. Moore and R.M. Hare, has taken center stage in this work, and has led to precise, albeit controversial, statements of what we might believe or disbelieve about how the mind influences the brain, how the converse may be true, and how, perhaps, neither point of view may ultimately prevail.

Supervenience clearly delineates relationships between sets of properties, and can be applied to the mental and physical realms, providing a valuable conceptual framework. Simply put, one set of properties supervenes on a second set, if any two entities that are identical in the second set cannot differ in the first set. The key issue becomes one of indiscernibility, which can be shown to be relevant to issues of ontological primacy, priority, and even explanation, while avoiding the historic pitfalls of searching for causality, identity, and even the infamous "reality" that has eluded scientists, theologists, and philosophers for ages. Certain arguments, for example, lead to the conclusion that there is, logically and scientifically, a basis for a unified field of consciousness, the existence of a shared Cartesian soul, and pockets of "free will" embedded within the chemical/biological substrate that we call the brain. Questions such as "can a machine be conscious" become approachable, as does the question "what is it to be conscious?"

It will also be seen that concepts from Tibetan Buddhist writing are relevant, and even helpful, when regarded from within this framework. In particular, we shall see that there is a crisis in our notion of the brain/mind relationship, and that zen insights may help us to find our way out of conceptual cages of our own creation. ("How do you get the goose out of the bottle?" "There, it's out!")

These seemingly trivial concepts create the foundation of a systematic thought process that may become as important as the invention of the number "zero" was to mathematics, or the concept of "empty" was to chemistry (Oxygen was discovered by finding out when it was not present).
It thus becomes possible to ask whether EEG rhythms supervene on brain states and/or mind states, or whether these states supervene on EEG rhythms, and to put neurofeedback into a conceptual framework that clarifies and informs the relevant physiological and clinical data. The facts surrounding neurofeedback can provide important considerations for these studies and, in turn, philosophically precise thinking may become critical to the rigorous progress of future neurotheraputic thought. Thought experiments such as the "Star Trek" transporter problem ("Exactly who or what goes where when?") and the "Brain in a Bottle" ("prove to yourself that you are not a brain in a bottle") become more tractable as we examine our thought processes in a systematic and thorough manner.

It will be argued that there is a need for a new area of "high information physics" that has new causal laws and relationships, in much the same way that relativity theory, quantum mechanics, and high-energy physics introduced new laws that were invisible at the macroscopic level, but took profound hold at the microscopic and cosmologic levels.

This talk will describe the concepts of supervenience in the mind/body problem, and outline the strict reasoning process that characterizes modern philosophy of mind. In the same ways that insights from theoretical physics have had a dynamic interplay with the development of modern philosophical concepts, it will be seen that the new psychophysics, especially as embodied in the operant conditioning of the EEG, holds promise as a stimulating and informative conceptual soil upon which the philosophy of mind may find welcome support and nourishment. Ultimately, just as chemistry and physics have sent us to the moon and allowed us to put thinking machines into tiny chips of silicon, the new neurosciences may allow us to travel to other dimensions, find new realities (or the one we have been looking for all along), and perform the mental equivalent of a moon landing, all from within our own individual and collective minds.

Principles of multichannel neurofeedback

Thomas F. Collura, Ph.D., P.E.

BrainMaster Technologies, Inc.

24490 Broadway Ave.

Oakwood Village, OH 44146

440 232-6000

BrainMaster Technologies, Inc.

Neurofeedback has traditionally been built upon a single-channel model for training. Both monopolar and bipolar derivations have been used, but the EEG has typically been restricted to one channel. This talk will discuss the emerging use of two and more channels for neurofeedback training. A variety of methods are available, and each has its own values and limitations. The topics to be addressed include coherence (increasing and decreasing), two-channel protocols, channel summation and subtraction, and asymmetry protocols. The mathematical expressions for these methods will be presented, and used to explain the resulting training effects. After an initial didactic presentation, a panel will discuss specific approaches and techniques.

Advanced BrainMaster Workshop

Thomas F. Collura, Ph.D., P.E.

BrainMaster Technologies, Inc.

This workshop will provide a hands-on view of advanced techniques using the BrainMaster EEG training system. After a brief but thorough review of basic operation, the following topics will be covered: Designing custom studies, Two-channel protocols, advanced use of sound feedback, coherence training, saving and replaying EEG, performing assessments, and post-session data analysis. Workshop attendees will benefit from prior exposure to the basics of using the BrainMaster system.

Tom Collura is founder and President of BrainMaster Technologies, Inc, Oakwood Village Ohio, where he conducts research and development of EEG neurofeedback systems for clinical and home use. He received an AB in Philosophy of Science and an Sc.B. in Biology from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island (1973), and an MS and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (1978). He is a registered professional engineer in Ohio and Illinois. He served on the technical staff of AT&T Bell Laboratories from 1978 to 1987, where he supervised silicon integrated circuit technology development and multiuser computer systems engineering. He was on staff with the Department of Neurology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, from 1987 to 1996, where he developed systems for invasive EEG recording and analysis for epilepsy diagnosis and surgical planning and monitoring. He has also served as a consultant to industry in the areas of computerized tomography, digital signal processing, automated radiometry, and electrophysiological telemetry. His current interests focus on the neurophysics of the mind/brain boundary, development of EEG feedback systems, and the use of volitional and nonvolitional techniques for brain modification with applications in neurotherapy, consciousness development, and personal improvement.

Thomas F. Collura, Ph.D., P.E.
BrainMaster Technologies, Inc.
24490 Broadway Ave.
Oakwood Village, OH 44146
440 232-6000
fax 440 232-7171

The Role of Neurofeedback in the Attention Economy: Increasing the Supply of the Scarcest Resource

Jonathan D. Cowan

The scarcest resource in present day organizations is the attention of their employees. This is the essential thesis of "The Attention Economy: Understanding the New Currency of Business", recently named one of the top 10 business books of the year by Amazon.com. The book was written by two noted Accenture (formerly Arthur Andersen) consultants, Drs. Thomas Davenport and John Beck, and published by the Harvard Business School Press. The book has been well promoted, and the ideas are gaining widespread acceptance.

Economic systems are typically based on the competition for scarce resources. Most of the book discusses various techniques for competing for the attention of others. The authors also suggest a breakdown of attention into various subtypes and present a method for modeling these types as they relate to a particular task. Davenport and Beck state that brainwaves would probably be the best way to measure attention, but they do not suggest any way to increase the supply of attention.

Neurofeedback offers a new technological approach that can increase the supply of attention. If it is properly presented to corporations as a performance enhancement tool--not in a medical or therapeutic context--there should be a huge market for this combination of product and service. The recent downsizing of many corporations, which increases the demands on the attention of the remaining employees, also increases the need for training that enhances efficiency and optimizes performance.

Jonathan D. Cowan, Ph.D., is the President and Chief Technical Officer of NeuroTek, LLC. He has developed the Peak Achievement Trainer specifically for performance enhancement training in athletic, corporate, military and educational contexts. He is actively involved in developing new Peak Achievement Training programs for these markets.

WS2 Peak Performance Training Through Neurofeedback: New and Powerfulpproached

Jonathan D. Cowan, Ph.D.

The optimal approach to optimizing performance is to analyze and improve it on a moment to moment basis. We have now developed a neurofeedback method with the precision necessary to actually measure concentration and alertness separately at every moment during the performance of an athletic, study, or work activity, as well as to train the underlying skills. We have also found that it is possible to train the user by providing feedback during their visualization of performance, thereby eliminating problems produced by movement artifacts.

In this workshop, I will explain and demonstrate seven different but complementary types of training which are possible using the Peak Achievement Trainer:

1. Strengthening the ability of the Executive Attention Network to focus attention.

2. Strengthening the ability of the midbrain to intensify alertness/arousal.

3. Train the user to take brief, relaxing microbreaks which recharge the brain.

4. Find the best possible degree of alertness/arousal to perform particular activities optimally.

5. Perform arbitrary sequences of concentration, alertness, and microbreaks.

6. Discover and enhance performance of the sequences which are optimal for particular activities.

7. Perform these sequences despite distractions such as self-talk and crowd noise.

Jonathan D. Cowan, Ph.D., is the President and Chief Technical Officer of NeuroTek, LLC. He has developed the Peak Achievement Trainer specifically for performance enhancement training in athletic, corporate, military and educational contexts. He is actively involved in developing new Peak Achievement Training programs for these markets.

Mapping the energetic conduits of the mind

Frances Fox

Frances Fox will introduce her maps of an energetic infrastructure of conduits that correlates to conduits (nadis) that the mind flows through. She discovered these conduits while using her remote viewing skills to diagnose and heal children with cerebral palsy, autism, ADD and ADHD. After mapping dozens of individuals she found that ADD appears to be an expansion of the conduits that allows the individual to more fully operate outside of the physical dimension that today's Western society understands. The condition of ADD and ADHD she found to be a form of self-correction, the individuals' way to adjust to and conform with societies demands or his own fears. That adjustment or self correction brings with it the usual array of dysfunctions that ADD individuals are known for.

Ordinarily the filaments of this energetic infrastructure extend straight out, allowing the flow of the energy and information in the mind to be uninterrupted and smooth. The filaments of the mind of an individual with ADD are kinked, causing the flow of energy and information to become disjointed, erratic. She will show the mapping of an individual before taking Ritalin, while under the influence of the drug and as the Ritalin wears off. The maps show how the filaments change under the different conditions.

Title and abstract of the talk:

"Mind tech" (light/sound) and "breath-walk" in Alpha/Theta Protocols

accelerate the healing process, especially suited for Trauma release/therapy

Uwe Gerlach, Germany

We are specialized in and have long-time experience with both types of techniques mentioned in the title.

Often it is inevitable to provoke abreactions in trauma therapy, especially if the trauma is severe. Entering and staying at the crossover frenqencies in Alpha/Theta avoids retraumatization.

Fortunately with EEG feedback we have a guidance tool which acts as a mirror for the single steps of trauma therapy. From Valdeane Brown's research we know that abreactions which should be avoided are in the brainwave range of 3 to 6 Hz.

Our goal with patients is to train the alpha/theta 8 Hz crossover region and hold the client during the session in the hypnagogic state for at least say twenty minutes. It is a matter of fact that many clients fall into sleep instead of staying in the hypnagogic state.

This means that both the therapist and client often need lots of sessions until the optimal conditions for crossover states are realized.

The problem is that resistance against trauma release in normal consciousness is great and contraproductive. Using light/sound sessions and "breath walk" makes it easier to "soften" the resistance. The client can exercise these techniques without the guidance of the therapist. Lots of "sessions" can be done by the client without any therapist-