Activation Patterns

Once again let me make a point for my own personal prejudice in training.

First, very few brains that we are likely to see in training have a problem with too LITTLE activation.  A very large majority will actually reduce activation in ALL bands as they improve.

Second, when you train ANY frequency to increase amplitudes, it is very likely that ALL frequencies will increase amplitudes.  When you train any frequency to DECREASE amplitudes, it’s likely that all frequencies will decrease.

Third, you are much more likely to trigger an undesired response (headache, irritability, etc.) by pushing up amplitudes in faster frequencies than by cutting off the outliers (the amplitude spikes) in any frequencies.

Fourth, the range of trainable slow frequencies are very little affected by age, whereas the definition of frequencies like SMR and beta are very much age-related; so you don’t have to fool around with frequency definitions if you stay around 2-5 Hz.

Fifth, many clients and brains are better able to do one thing than multiple things in training, especially early on.

So, why not train DOWN the percent of activity from 2-5 Hz, or just train down the amplitude in 2-5 Hz or whatever band you want to reduce?

That said, I recognize it’s not a panacea.  There are some very popular and powerful up-training protocols that I use, and there are clients who respond better to protocols requiring some down/some up.  But in general, I sure would START with reducing slow activity (or whatever is too active in the EEG).