Happy BrainLab
Transformation . Mindfulness
Peak Performance . Healing
Unwanted Effects
Each individual is unique with their own brain and central nervous system. If we accept the bell-curve theory, then the progress for some trainees will be rapid and impactful and for a few others it will take a longer time and noticeable changes may occur only after several packages of training sessions.
It has been reported by some adult trainees that after the initial few training sessions, there will be mild headaches, fatigue, the feeling of spaced-out or raised anxiety. A few will have trouble sleeping (difficult to fall asleep, only getting intermittent sleep or has poor sleep). Some others may see a worsening of symptoms (before it gets better), becoming more emotional, have nightmares, ear noises, scared by the decreasing hypervigilence, more "back talking" because of increasing self-esteem. But generally many trainees will have a a good night's rest and wake-up fresh or early the next day or in 2-3 days.
All these mild discomforts will however melt away after another 2-3 sessions as the brain integrates the training after each session. It is actually the response of the brain and the CNS to being "freed," a reaction to the reorganization of the brain but is still being held-back by old, difficult unproductive patterns. For the many who don't face such issues, they can look forward to something pleasantly different in how they respond to their surroundings.
It is important to note that the NeurOptimal® training does not add anything to the person's brain. There is no pushing the brain's frequency to some therapist's conception of what the ideal frequency range that a person should have that is characteristic of many traditional linear neurofeedback systems. It is basically your brain trying to get itself unstuck but requires more time to learn.
Extrinsic Constraint
A possibly real reason for not seeing the intended transformations is what NO trainers describe as the existence of an “Extrinsic Constraint”. It is in no way meant to be offensive. It is just that— something external that is keeping your brain from shifting. So an example might be someone training to improve their sleep but a newborn at home keeps them up much of the night. Other forms of extrinsic constraints include family break-ups, death of a love one. Something external or beyond the effective control of the trainee. This result in something that prevents the brain from learning from the information provided.
Not surprisingly the first external constraint being narcotics and the other is any of the “azepams” will interfere in the training. These drugs have been commonly used in hospitals for years during painful procedures where the patient is not anesthetized, such as urethroscopy, which requires a thick fiber-optic wand to be inserted into the urethra. While the “azepam” does not inhibit pain while the procedure is being done, it does inhibit learning by impeding the formation of memory, so the patient doesn’t remember the pain afterwards. Responding to NeurOptimal® essentially is a learning task for the brain, so while we cannot predict any individual’s response to NeurOptimal®, it would come as no surprise that you would not see the effects you were hoping for. Most other medications do not present a problem. While many (medications) act like “training wheels” on a bike, keeping the brain stable within a particular range of activity, as learning progresses across sessions they can often be reduced. But the “azepams” unfortunately can interfere with that initial learning.
May Not Suit Everyone
Nevertheless, whether to continue the training sessions despite not discerning any noticeable changes or improvements is the decision of the trainee. This will occur in some of the trainees and it cannot be the fault of NeurOptimal® for the lack of support. Indeed NO may not be perfect or suitable for everyone but we do not know unless the trainee has undergone several training sessions. And if that is the case, then the obvious solution is to stop, wait awhile for integration to happen and evaluate once more. At least we have the satisfaction of knowing that we tried our best to address an issue but it just didn't work for a few of us. If after trying NO you may want to explore nutrition, hemoencephalography (HEG) and heavy metal toxicity.