Insecurity, Pain and Depression
Submitted by Abigail Hamilton
A new study from Canada again finds a link between anxiety and physical pain/illness, the link that biofeedback products like Alive and Dual Drive seek to address:
Canadian researchers believe teenage anxiety can lead to physical and mental health issues.
Researchers from the Université de Montréal, Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center and McGill University found that insecure adolescents experience more intense pain in the form of frequent headaches, abdominal pain and joint pain.
Moreover, these teens were more likely to be depressed than peers with secure attachments.
Comments from Dr. John Grohol over at Psych Central:
We often try and highlight the connections between one’s mental health and their physical health complaints, to demonstrate that the two are inseparable. Yet another study has been published to show how our insecurity can even impact something as physical as the feeling of pain.
Benefits of the Introductory Version of Alive
Submitted by Abigail HamiltonWe've been working very hard on bringing Alive through development and into beta, pre-release, and now...the Introductory Version we are now offering at a great price.
What are the benefits of being an early purchaser of Alive?
Getting to start using it now! Without risk. We are working to incorporate auto-update features into Alive, and you will benefit from ongoing enhancements and improvements as we continue to bring this powerful software forward — at no extra cost.
In the works are new environments as well as a host of new Audio Workshops that make it easy to learn to relax in a traditional workshop sense...Close your eyes and follow the step-by-step instructions delivered by your own therapeutic session leader. You'll learn to breathe, use progressive muscle relaxation, and other techniques to build your ability to consciously relax and control your physical response to stressors.
The benefits of getting started with Alive before these features are fully incorporated are many, and you'll be the first to get the free updates as they become available.
Would love to hear from attendees
Submitted by Abigail HamiltonWays to create and interact with the Somatic Vision community
Submitted by Abigail Hamilton
Somatic Vision spends a lot of time testing its products with consumers, and incorporating user feedback. We'd love to hear what you have to say, and we encourage you to connect with other users online. Here are two great ways:
- The Somatic Vision Forum. Just click the link at the top of this page under the search bar, or click here, and you're on the discussion board, able to participate in all kinds of discussions surrounding biofeedback, stress reduction, health games, and much more.
- Facebook. Yes, we have a page! Become a fan and begin to connect in a fun way with others who share your interests.
Very interesting use for biofeedback
Submitted by Abigail HamiltonMeet the Rationalizer, an emotion-sensing system targeted at stress-prone home investors who trade heavily online. Developed as a concept by Philips Electronics, It acts as an 'emotion mirror' in which the intensity of the user’s feelings is reflected.
Research shows that home investors do not act purely rationally: their behavior is influenced by emotions, most notably fear and greed, which can compromise their ability to take an objective, factual stance. This insight led to the Rationalizer concept in which online traders are alerted when it may be wise to take a time-out, wind down and re-consider their actions.
It's generating a lot of commentary (some which pokes fun!) at places like Engadget and while its market seems almost impossibly narrow, I have no doubt the Rationalizer might be a good idea for helping people keep their cool under stress while they worry though the consequences of each fast-moving trade. The real-time skin-sweat measurement the Rationalizer takes is one of the measurement inputs used by Somatic Vision in its products, and this particular measurement reflects the stimulation vs. relaxation biological range. You can watch some videos of the Rationalizer at Engadget.
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Games that Help
Tropical Heat
Spend ten minutes a day playing relaxing heart rate feedback games to reduce stress, optimize breathing, and improve performance at work.
Alive is terrific for kids and teens. So far I have used it primarily with 11 to 16 year-olds. With other systems, I could never get an accurate heart rate signal from many younger children because they were so wiggly, and I often had to have very short training sessions because of their short attention span. With Alive, these children sit quietly and don't want to stop, even after 55 minutes. To quote one young boy who caught on immediately: "I have to stay calm even when things get hard."
We got a call from the school principal: Our son is doing better! I'm sure that Dual Drive has been a factor in his improvement. I love watching him calm down and breathe.
