Taming the brain with a headband and an app

It looks like a futuristic sweatband to wear while doing exercises on a space ship.

But it has more to do with mental rather than physical activity — thinking instead of sweating.

The plastic band — part of a brain activity measuring system called Muse that's being tested at McMaster University — uses a series of sensors on the headset to monitor brain waves. The information is sent by Bluetooth technology to an app in the user's smartphone.

From there, a real-time readout is created for the user as a guide to shift their brainwave activity to a more focused state of consciousness, something often referred to as mindfulness.

"A lot of research shows that when alpha waves are high, people are more focused and able to block out irrelevant information more easily," McMaster psychology professor Allison Sekuler.

The Hamilton Spectator, Apr 28, 2015

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