Back to gamma, gamma brainwave training. Back to the PZ-O1 position: the electrode is gelled onto my head at the back of my skull and slightly to the left of midline. That’s the position associated with alleviating PTSD symptoms as I recall. This is what me and my neurodoc were concerned about, and I’m glad we’re back. Still, C4 needed training, for sure.
It’s too bad I don’t have the energy to do more than one brain biofeedback session per week as I’ve definitely benefitted from training at the C4 position this year – particularly in reducing the high levels of delta-theta (tuning out) and busy brain (aka über worry on steroids), which don’t help with PTSD either and were an outflow from my brain injury. The rumination effect of brain injury is truly awful. But I could’ve used continuing gamma training at the same time.
After this week’s brain biofeedback session, my trainer asked me to note how I am in 24 hours. Why?, I asked. It takes that long for gamma training to take effect, she replied. Not with me, it doesn’t. In the early days, barely before we’d finished, I’d go from practically silent to non-stop chattiness. My perception and vision would be immediately improved. I’d have an immediate feeling of being less stressed. I’d be in happy gamma mode. This week happy gamma took less than two hours to take hold. I was feeling disconnected when I arrived at my appointment, so I don’t know how much of a de-stressing effect it had.
After having gamma been enhanced in me for 1.5 years, the effect is not as dramatic in the immediate term. But the week we trained gamma by accident at C4, it did make a difference in how I handled the events and emotions in the days that followed.
In fact, it was heartening to see this week that since I was last trained for gamma on 17 December 2013, the results had held. My initial gamma/EMG ratio started at above 1.0, which is where we’d left off.
After we’d seen unexpected and amazing results in me from gamma training, the ADD Centre started training gamma brainwaves in one other client. The training is holding in them as well. This is good.
Last Saturday I went to Ripley’s Aquarium at the foot of the CN Tower for a family birthday celebration. I used the SMR session on my Mind Alive DAVID device. This session entrains brainwaves into the SMR pattern, which is relaxed, focussed attention. In other words, calming and very good for being able to (somewhat) tolerate crowds and noise. I’m so glad I used it. In the days following, I needed rest after breakfast, after doing weights, basically after doing anything. And the old elephant I thought long gone had returned to sit on my chest. I couldn’t figure it out. Then I remembered: Ripley’s’s. Sigh.
The gamma training shoved that elephant off.
I swear gamma is like a drug. Makes you feel good, makes you feel better. I venture to posit that I was able to get high on life pre-injury because maybe I produced oodles of gamma!
