High-tech brain computer interface trains you to relax and sleep better
It's reasonable to say that, as we're increasingly plugged-in to a 24/7 cycle of news, entertainment and social media, we're finding less time to opt out and focus on self-care. And while meditation has shown to have well-studied mental and physical benefits, it can be a challenge to start and stick with.
Now, the same smart technological advances that keep us glued to our screens may now also be able to train even the most resistant brains in the practice of meditation and mindfulness. OxyZen, designed by the Harvard Innovation Lab, is the newest innovation from BrainCo, an established tech company that has so far developed smart, AI-integrated prosthetics and knee joints to give wearers more autonomy and control over their mobility.
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The company delves further into neuroscience with this headband-fitted brain-machine interface (BMI) that collects real-time data via electroencephalogram (EEG) and photoplethysmograph (PPG) signals, to gather information on heart rate, brainwaves and blood oxygen levels.
Essentially, this non-invasive BCI gathers health data from several key areas, which are tracked on a user-friendly smartphone app, which can be passively observed if the wearer wants to see, perhaps, what causes them stress during the day, or actively monitored through a range of gamified meditation and relaxation programs. The guided meditation ranges from a few minutes to up to half an hour, and there are more than 600 to explore.
Studies have shown that, for some, meditation does more than antidepressants in treating anxiety, can relieve chronic pain conditions and has even been shown to influence gut miocrobiome makeup. But to be honest, I was a little skeptical – personally, I'm almost ashamed to admit, the idea of meditation has often felt stressful, not least because it's hard for an ADHD brain to 'relax' and focus on tasks that aren't continuously stimulating.
However, the OxyZen app – which is fully accessible to users – offers plenty of beginners' guides to meditation, is customizable to what you're able to commit to, and delivers important real-time data that is surprisingly effective for anyone who has struggled with this practice in the past.