Hemi-Sync® Journal 1990-2 (Spring)

usually induce alpha blocking. The alpha feedback was both visual and moving, and subjects were given the tasks of identifying associations with increased alpha and strategies which caused alpha to increase. Given this information–the visual stimuli and complex tasks of these groups–it might be expected that these two groups would produce less treatment alpha than the other seemingly less active groups. Since these two groups produced as much treatment alpha as the other two groups, it could then be argued that these two groups were resultantly more active in their production of alpha than the other two groups. The additional information in the next section concerning the subjective reports of associations made between the beats and alpha production may promote the argument that a significant part of that activity involved, for group C, an active focus on the binaural beats. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ALPHA BEATS AND ALPHA PRODUCTION The subjective reports of associations between alpha production and focus on the alpha frequency beats are not only worthy of note but perhaps the most significant findings of this study. Nine of the fifteen subjects in Group C reported that increased attention to the beats was associated with increased alpha production. One might argue that since this association was implied by the conditions of the treatment, subjects were simply responding to suggestion or expectation effects. However, the detail of the events involved in the association reported by several of the subjects warrants a consideration of the possibility that these subjects did in fact voluntarily self- regulate their own alpha production by their attentional focus on the beats. Another possibility that warrants consideration is that a portion of the alpha production of these subjects was evoked by the alpha frequency binaural beats. Hypothesis 4 Hypothesis 4, that the combination of alpha binaural beats with alpha biofeedback would result in increased subjective report of relaxation, was not rejected. Evidently the procedure was experienced to be both mentally and physically relaxing. Since there was no interaction among the groups, the beats and feedback procedure was found to be no more relaxing than the other procedures. Recommendations The following recommendations are made in regard to the further investigation of the interactions of binaural beats and biofeedback for the purpose of facilitating self-regulation and management of consciousness: The use of additional beat frequencies and feedback techniques and such methodological refinements necessary to enable more conclusive statements concerning the ability of binaural beats to entrain electrocortical rhythms. Longitudinal quantification of the effects of binaural-beat techniques on states of consciousness. The integration of EEG measurement, assessment and feedback wherein naturally occurring rhythms are detected and appropriate binaural beats are fed back which stabilize or enhance a desired indigenous state of consciousness or entrain an otherwise targeted state of consciousness. REFERENCES Adrian, E. D. & Matthews, B. H. (1934). The Berger rhythm: Potential changes from the occipital lobes in man. Brain, 57, 355-385. Anand, B. K., Chhina, G. S., & Singh, B. (1961). Some aspects of electroencephalographic studies in yogis. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 13, 452-456. Ancoli, S., & Green, K. F. (1977). Authoritarianism, introspection, and alpha wave biofeedback training. Psychophysiology, 14, 40-44. Andreychuk, T., & Skriver, C. (1975). Hypnosis and biofeedback in the treatment of migraine headache. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 23, 172-183. Aranibar, A., & Pfurtscheller, G. (1978). On and off effects in the background EEG activity during one- second photic stimulation. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 44, 307-316. Atwater, F. H. (1988). The Monroe Institute’s Hemi- Sync process: A theoretical perspective. Faber, VA: Monroe Institute. Bagchi, B. K., & Wenger, M. A. (1958). Simultaneous EEG and other recordings during some yogic practices. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 10, 193. Banquet, J. P. (1972). EEG and meditation. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 33, 454. Banquet, J. P. (1973). Spectral analysis of the EEG in meditation. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 35, 143-151. Bear. (1977). Efficacy of alpha biofeedback training in elevating mood. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45, 334. Benson, H. (1975). The relaxation response. New York: Morrow. Blundell, G. G. (undated). The meaning of EEG. London: Audio Ltd. Brolund, J. W., & Schallow, J. R. (1976). The effects of reward on occipital alpha facilitation by biofeedback. Psychophysiology, 13, 236-241. Brown, B. B. (1970). Recognition of aspects of consciousness through association with EEG alpha activity represented by a light signal. Psychophysiology, 6, 442-452. Brown, B. B. (1974). New mind new body. New York: Harper and Row. Cade, C. M., & Coxhead, N. (1979). The awakened mind. Longmead, Great Britain: Element Books. Caton, R. (1875). The electric currents of the brain. British Medical Journal, 2, 278. Cohen, M. J., McArthur, D. L., & Rickles, W. H. (1980). Comparison of four biofeedback treatments for migraine headache: Psychological and headache variables. Psychosomatic Medicine, 42, 463-480. Cott, A., Pavloski, R. P., & Goldman, J. A. (1981). Cortical alpha rhythm, biofeedback, and the determinants of subjective state. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 110, 381-397. Davidson, R. J., Schwartz, G. E., & Shapiro, D. (1980). Consciousness and self-regulation: Advances in research. (Vol. 3). New York: Plenum Press. Degood, D. E., & Valle, R. S. (1975). A state-trait analysis of alpha density and personality variables in a normal population. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 31, 624-631. Dewan, E. M. (1967). Occipital alpha rhythm, eye position, and lens accommodation. Nature, 214, 975-977. Dobie, R. A., & Norton, S. J. (1980). Binaural interaction in human auditory evoked potentials. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 49, 303-313. Empson, J. (1986). Human brainwaves: The psychological significance of the electroencephalogram. New York: Stockton Press. Engstrom, D. R., London, P., & Hart, J. T. (1970). Hypnotic susceptibility increased by EEG alpha training. Nature, 227, 1261-1262. Evans, F. J. (1972). Hypnosis and sleep: Techniques for exploring cognitive acitvity during sleep. In E. Fromm & R. E. Shor (Eds.), Hypnosis: Research developments and perspectives. Chicago: Aldine- Atherton. Galbraith, G. C., London, P., Leibovitz, M. P., Cooper, L. M., & Hart, J. T. (1970). EEG and hypnotic susceptibility. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 72, 125-131. Gerken, G. M., Moushegian, G., Stillman, R. D., & Rupert, A. L. (1975). Human frequency- following responses to monaural and binaural stumuli. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 38, 379-386. Giannitrapani, D. (1985). The electrophysiology of intellectual functions. New York: Karger. Glaser, G. H. (1963). EEG and behavior. New York: Basic Books. Goesling, W. J. (1974). Relationship between internal and external locus of control and the operant conditioning of alpha through biofeedback training. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 39, 1339- 1343. Goldberg, R. J., Greenwood, J. C., & Taintor, Z. (1976). Alpha conditioning as an adjunct treatment for drug dependence: I. International Journal of the Addictions, 11, 1085-1089. Goodman, D. M. (1976). The effect of oculomotor activity on alpha-blocking in the absence of visual stimuli. Psychophysiology, 13, 462-465. Green, E. E., Green, A. M., & Walters, E. D. (1970). Voluntary control of internal states: psychological and physiological. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 2, 1-25. Hardt, J. V., & Kamiya, J. (1976). Some comments on Plotkin’s self-regulation of electroencephalographic alpha. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 105, 100-108. Hardt, J. V., & Kamiya, J. (1978). Anxiety change through electroencephalographic alpha feedback seen only in high anxiety subjects. Science, 201, 79-81. Hartman, L. M., & Ainsworth, K. D. (1980). Self- regulation of chronic pain: Preliminary empirical findings. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 25, 38- 43. Instruction manual for the hemi-sync synthesizer model 201B. (undated). Nellysford, VA: Interstate Industries. Holmes, D. S., Burish, T. G., & Frost, R. O. (1980). Effects of instructions and biofeedback on EEG alpha production and the effects of EEG alpha biofeedback training for controlling arousal in a subsequent stressful situation. Journal of Research in Personality, 14, 212-223. Honorton, C., Davidson, R., & Bindler, P. (1972). Shifts in subjective state associated with feed- back augmented EEG alpha. Psychophysiology, 9, 262. Hord, D. J., Lubin, A., Tracy, M. L. Jensma, B. W., & Johnson, L. C. (1976). Feedback for high EEG alpha does not maintain performance or mood during sleep loss. Psychophysiology, 13, 58-62. Hutchison, M. (1986). Megabrain: New tools and techniques for brain growth and mind expansion. New York: Beech Tree Books. Inouye, T., Shinosaki, K., Yagasaki, A., & Shimizu, A. (1986). Spatial distribution of generators of alpha activity. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 63, 353-360. Inouye, T., Sumitsuji, N. & Matsumoto, K. (1980). EEG changes induced by light stimuli modulated with the subject’s alpha rhythm. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 49, 135-142. Jackson, G. M., & Eberly, D. A. (1982). Facilitation of performance on an arithmetic task as a result of the application of a biofeedback procedure to suppress alpha wave activity. Biofeedback and Self-Regulation, 7, 211-221. Jasper, H. H. (1958). Report of the committee of methods of clinical examination in electroencephalography. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 10, 370. Johnson, R. K., & Meyer, R. G. (1974a). Phased biofeedback approach for epileptic seizure control. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 5, 185-187. Johnson, R. K., & Meyer, R. G. (1974b). The locus of control construct in EEG alpha rhythm feedback. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 42, 913. Kamiya, J. (1969). Operant control of the EEG alpha rhythm and some of its reported effects on consciousness. In C. T. Tart (Ed.), Altered states of consciousness (pp. 519-529). Garden City, N. Y.: Anchor Books. Kasamatsu, A., & Hirai, T. (1969). An electroencephalographic study on the zen meditation (Zazen). In C. T. Tart (Ed.), Altered states of consciousness (pp. 501-514). Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Books. Kirk, R. E. (1982). Experimental design: Procedures for the behavioral sciences. (2nd ed.). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole. Klinger, E., Gregoire, K. C., & Barta, S. G. (1973). Physiological correlates of mental activity: Eye movements, alpha, and heart rate during imaging, suppression, concentration, search, and choice. Psychophysiology, 10, 471-477. Kondo, C. Y., Travis, T. A., & Knott, J. R. (1973). Initial abundance and amplitude of alpha as determinants of performance in an enhancement paradigm. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 35, 106. Kondo, C. Y., Travis, T. A., Knott, J. R., & Bean, J. A. (1979). Effects of true and inverted feedback on integrated occipital alpha. Journal of Psychology, 102, 101-106. Leib, W., Tryon, W. W., & Stroebel, C. S. (1976). Alpha biofeedback: Fact or artifact? Psychophysiology, 13, 541-545. London, P., Hart, J. T., & Leibovitz, M. P. (1968). EEG alpha rhythms and susciptibility to hypnosis. Nature, 219, 71-72. Lindholm, E., & Lowry, S. (1978). Alpha production in humans under conditions of false feedback. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 11, 106-108.