Neurofeedback

[kev014]

You guys may be familiar with Dave Asprey, the founder of BulletProof. He has also created a 'program' called 40 Years of Zen. Supposedly utilizes EEG machines to help patients train themselves within a week to have similar results as 40 year meditators. Obviously this is his marketing, but I'm curious what peoples thoughts are on this. My main question, and I'm sure if I reflected hard enough on some of Leo's content I could probably answer this myself, is to what extent someone's emotional state and level of consciousness are based on their particular neurology, brain functioning, hormone levels and neurotransmitters. I would speculate that these things have a factor in determining one's creativity and cognitive ability; I'm just having trouble reconciling this with consistent meditation and psychedelic use. Is consciousness and performance dependent on brain functioning? Here's a link to 40 years:

https://40yearsofzen.com

[Athena]

The reviews have been great , if I had the money I'll do it asap.

I am currently renting neuroptimal and my mood is so much better. I started using it for insomnia but no improvement there, it has just been 10 sessions so far though , i have 30 to go.

I have noticed no procrastination too, if I tell myself I need to do something I go do it, no back and forth like before. 

[Leo Gura]

2 hours ago, kev014 said:

to what extent someone's emotional state and level of consciousness are based on their particular neurology, brain functioning, hormone levels and neurotransmitters.

To an almost total extent. Nearly 100%

As psychedelics clearly demonstrate.

The problem with neurofeedback is that it's too expensive and complex for most people.

I've done lots of neurofeedback on myself and it's pretty powerful.

Psychedelics are the better option money-wise. And they are also more powerful.

[Forestluv]

@kev014 That's a super complex question.

A few studies have a shown life-long mediators have significantly more cortical thickness than non-meditators in specific brain regions. As well, non-meditators that went on an 8 week meditation program showed increased cortical thickness in key areas, while the control group did not.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361002/ 

[Forestluv]

59 minutes ago, Outer said:

Which doesn't mean that the brain creates consciousness, only the default mode network in the brain limits it pragmatically. If it's useful for people to know about neurology and the brain, default mode network, unconscious processing power vs. conscious, etc, then it is. It's not truth.

Be careful drawing conclusions from neuroscience. We are still in it's infancy. For example, the field of Quantum Neuroscience has not even arose yet. There are inputs we don't even know exist yet. It's like we've read three pages of a 10,000 page manual.

[Leo Gura]

@Outer That's right, consciousness creates the brain. Changing the brain is changing consciousness.

[kev014]

I thought of this metaphor today whilst microdosing, pretty sure Leo said it at some point. The brain/human biology acts as a vessel or conduit for consciousness to come through and express itself. The consciousness is already in the ether/existence, the human brain (or a dog or tree) are just what allows it to take a particular form and type on a computer on Actualized.org Also, not totally sure how to explain this but I've been noticing more and more recently how God is speaking to me in weird coincidences and honestly animals. The weird outside alarm goes off right as my girlfriend and I squabble, the cows on the ranch near the park today starts mooing like a motherfucker literally immediately when I have the thought 'are there different levels of consciousness?' and other similar questions along this line. I've had these weird synchronicitys on and off the past two years (since beginning meditation and psychedelics) and notice a pretty direct correlation to my sense of connection/communication with God how much time I am spending meditating/journaling and taking time to sit in silence outside. I guess its slightly irrelevant to understand all the detailed nuances of the brain if the goal is to raise my consciousness; merely conducting these spiritual experiments on my own life and observing the subtle changes.

If one's state of consciousness is based largely on what they are tapping in to/consuming (in terms of food, water, books, people, and a whole host of factors), then subtle changes will make an individual more prepared for the consciousness already in existence to express itself through them. Eating more greens and cutting out soda then raises someone's consciousness for two reasons. The inherent consciousness/energy of the food they're consuming but also the consciousness through which they approach their entire diet (i.e. just some shit they throw in their on Bart to work versus months of research and optimization). I keep using the word consciousness but today I spent most of the day sort of tripping and realizing that it really fundamentally is just about shifting consciousness and allowing ourselves to connect with what is already there in the ether.

[Leo Gura]

Mooooo!

[kev014]

Any suggestions on books (I have your book list) about the neuroscience of psychedelics. I'm currently reading the Kundalini one and am trying to understand what changes are happening within the brain. I see the 5 Meo DMT ones and one or two specific to the brain. My parents are very anti psychedelic and I have trouble clearly articulating to them anything about the physiological/chemical impacts within the brain. They'll continuously mention how LSD is a chemical that is changing the structure of the brain and I do not have a deep enough grasp on this to explain that this is having positive effects and in what specific ways it is doing so.

[Leo Gura]

@kev014 Don't worry about the neuroscience. To understand psychedelics you must do psychedelics.

No amount of logic or evidence is going to convince parents that psychedelics are good for you. Because their position is irrational and dogmatic to begin with.

It's as if you're trying to ask an electrical engineer for evidence of why you should play a video game.

[SgtPepper]

Thats pretty interesting! I can't speak from experience, but I can see its applicability. Still though, is it fair to say it is equivalent to 40 years of meditation experience? seems reductive.

I can also relate to your experiences of synchronicities, I have experienced similar stuff!

 

 

[Leo Gura]

@Outer Creation is just every form.

Form and formlessness are ultimately one. But it is also useful to distinguish them.

[yawning_]

@Outer

the interpretation of sensory information is itself the fruition

 

thoughts as memories imply time, but that doesn't mean either one are anything but illusory

 

 

n͙̗͉͈̬̩̟̹̫̭̗͉͋͛̎̆̾̉̓ͤ̿ͮͭ̎ͬ̍̃ã̙̥̦̟͎̰̜̼ͫ͋̊͆̄̌̀̂̌m̟̺̱̦̹̙̟̦̩ͨͣ̃̉̿̾̇̌͑͊̉͊͋ͣ̚a̩͕̘̲̫͉̱̻̣̲͉̽̐ͭ͌̍̄̽ͩ̇ͅͅs͍̜͇̹̯̹̙͈̯̦̤͔̜̱͓̣̦͍͐̀̏̽ͣt̥͓̰̹̥̲̜͓̥͕̪̖͓̻͈̗̿̐ͨ̓͒̾e͍͓̻̺̥̟͉̺̺̳ͤ̆̐̂̓̏̿͋̿ͩͅ

 

- yawning gap