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conferenceseries.com
May 01-03, 2017 Toronto, Canada
17th World Summit on
Positive Psychology, Psychotherapy &
Cognitive Behavioral Sciences
Volume 7, Issue 2 (Suppl) J Psychol Psychother
ISSN: 2161-0487 JPP, an open access journal Positive Psychology 2017
May 01-03, 2017
Effects of mindfulness and self-awareness in rest and stress: Biofeedback and neurofeedback measures
and training
Rose Schnabel
University of Toronto, Canada
Statement of the Problem: Stress has been known to accumulate and negatively impact emotional and psychological states.
When faced with stress, one of the first line of recommendations is to take time away and withdraw from the stressors. Practices
such as mindfulness have been increasingly been recommended by many healthcare professionals particularly when stressors
cannot be removed. Researchers in the field of neurology have reported that mindfulness meditation training can alter regions
of the brain known to coordinate stress processing and physiological stress responses. In field research and in real life it can
be difficult to maintain a practice of mindfulness. Without daily practice the benefits of Mindfulness are reduced. Neuro
and Biofeedback can be used a real time feedback to teach self-regulation and potentially be used as an aid for mindfulness
meditation. Rest as much as it prescribed for immediate relief of stress is not that clearly defined. A period of rest could provoke
mind-wandering and time to think of stressful thoughts. Not only is this internal stress difficult to observe objectively from
others but many have difficulty identifying and recognizing their own internal state. Lack of awareness of stress levels could
contribute to difficulties in emotion regulation. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of self-awareness (mindfulness)
on stress recovery (rest/ neuro-psychophysiology).
Hypothesis: Mindfulness Meditators (MM) have significant difference in psychophysiological self awareness and emotion
regulation during rest and recovery than non-Mindful Meditators (nMM).
Methodology: Psychophysiological Measure (GSR, EEG, EEG; EMG, HR, Temperature) used to measure Base-line, Rest
(Post-stressors)/Recovery. Script on a computer screen with the following sequence of events will be presented:1. Baseline
psychophysiology (no stressor), stressor 1 (colour stroop test), rest, stressor 2 (numbers and speed), rest, stressor 3 (timed
recall), rest period. Self-Report Methods: Mindfulness attention awareness scale (MAAS) and Short compassion scale will also
be used.
Results: Significant differences were found between MM and nMM in some psychophysiological measures (EEG and GSR).
Self-awareness significantly improved rest and recovery in both groups. Mindfulness and self-awareness could help improve
emotional and physical effects of stress.
Biography
Rose Schnabel has expertise in Bio/Neurofeedback to assist and research methods to improve self-regulation for optimal experiences and evaluation. The
application of her treatment model is useful in clinical and research settings. Her main areas of study and application are Improved Resting State, Flow State,
Emotion and Cognition. She has built this model after many years of experience in research, evaluation, teaching and administration both in hospital and education
institutions.
Rose Schnabel, J Psychol Psychother 2017, 7:2 (Suppl)