The
brain is a physical organ. Weighing in at around 1 kg, it ‘floats’ inside the skull, gently cushioned by cerebrospinal
fluid. It has the consistency of a boiled egg and is covered by a thin, crinkled layer of around a hundred
billion interconnected brain cells, or neurons. These neurons communicate with each other via a complex electro-chemical signalling
system. It is this system which gives us the ability to interact with ourselves, with others and with the world around us.
In other words, this system creates our experience of ‘reality’.
When
neurons communicate with each other they produce small electrical charges of varying speeds and intensities. Modern,
brain-imaging techniques (Electroencephalogram or EEG) allow us to see a graphical representation of these electrical charges.
We call them brainwaves. Brainwaves are described in terms of their frequency (speed) and their amplitude (strength).
Frequency is measured in hertz (or cycles per second) and amplitude is measured in microvolts. The slower the frequency the
less alert the brain. The slowest frequency, delta, is only seen in sleep states (except in infants or brain damage).
 Decades
of neurological research have led us to understand that the healthy functioning brain behaves in a certain way; it follows
a particular pattern. For example, brainwaves on the left are busier than the right and brainwaves at the front are busier
than the back. If these patterns are reversed then the mind experiences anxiety, depression, stress - and
these states impact on behaviour and relationships. In certain areas of the brain there are specific normal ratios of fast:slow
brainwaves. If these ratios are distorted then we may have problems with attention, lack of focus, poor concentration
and impulsivity. So dysregulation of brainwave activity negatively affects our reality.
So
what causes dysregulation? Certain conditions are genetically inherited, but many disturbances are caused by emotional, physical
or chemical encounters (sometimes called 'traumas') at some time in our lives. Examples of such
traumas could include birth trauma, life-threatening events, severe exam stress, bereavement, divorce, workplace stress/bullying,
physical injury or exposure to chemical toxins, or even recurrent infections.
The
good news is that although our brains can become dysregulated, they can also be restored, and, given the right circumstances,
they have the capacity to self-heal at any stage in our lives. The brain does not just grow to maturity
and then stop, as was once thought.
There are many
excellent ways of naturally restoring the brain to health, from cognitive and behavioural therapies to optimum nutrition to
mindfulness meditation. And, in some cases, medication can play a vital part.
Importantly, neurofeedback
is the only therapy that allows us to look at brain function and see the healing process in action.
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