Biofeedback meditation is not a “type” of meditation but rather an approach that can be used with any style of meditation—traditional or modern. It offers a practical way for practitioners to assess their progress and determine if they are meditating effectively, by using biofeedback devices.

Many meditation practitioners wish to know if they are “meditating correctly”, and if their practice is improving. With refined self-awareness, powered by constant study and self-reflection, you can figure things out—but this is asking too much for most people. Here is where biofeedback for meditation comes in, as a tool to facilitate this process.

Biosensing devices are also useful as a general tool for brain health. A recent study by neuroscientists from MIT and Vanderbilt University reveals that the ability to produce different brainwaves at will is indeed a significant marker of a healthy brain. Biofeedback devices gives us some insight and measurement into that ability. In this article I’ll dive into how biofeedback works, why it is important, and review my favorite tool for this: the FlowTime headband.

Meditation Biofeedback—How It Works and Why It Matters

Meditation biofeedback is the use of devices that will measure your brainwaves (EEG), heartbeat, heart rate variability, muscle tension, skin conductance, and breathing patterns during your meditation. The device then provides you real-time feedback on what’s happening in your practice, usually by emitting a sound (such as a bell ringing or bird chirping).

The purpose is to enhance your awareness of the quality of your practice and how it is impacting your physical and mental health. Once you are able to identify, in real time, that a given shift in your practice produces a specific result, it is easier to gear your practice to move more in that direction.

There are several devices on the market that can be used for biofeedback. For meditators, the most popular ones are headbands, which can measure your brainwaves by attaching to your forehead. But there are also devices that you wear on your chest, waist, wrist, ear, or finger.

One of the perks of being a meditation teacher with published books and a growing audience is that I sometimes receive free devices from these companies, so I can test and provide feedback. Throughout the years I’ve tried several, with the latest one being the FlowTime headband.

I’ve been using this little machine daily during my practice and can say that I personally find it very useful. It is definitely my favorite meditation device.

Brainwaves and Meditation

Our brain is constantly emitting five types of waves. Here they are, presented from lower frequency to higher frequency.

• Delta Waves (0.5—4 Hz) are the slowest brain waves. They are associated with states of deep sleep (dreamless), and unconsciousness.

• Theta Waves (4—8 Hz) are associated with dream, light sleep, creativity, and certain meditative states of deep relaxation, intuition, and emotional connection.

• Alpha Waves (8—12 Hz) are what most people subjectively associate with meditation practice. They are present when you are in a calm yet alert state. Most guided meditations out there are geared to increase alpha.

• Beta Waves (12—30 Hz) are associated with active thinking and focus. They predominate during most times of the day.

• Gamma Waves (30 to 100 Hz) are the highest frequency waves, linked with high-level information processing, heightened perception, or intense concentration. Experienced yogis, lamas, and monks show off-the-charts gamma activity in their brain during meditation.

Allow me to geek out on this for a minute. Stay with me, as this is relevant for understanding the big picture.

Most biofeedback machines for meditation measure your performance in the practice by the amount you reduce beta and increase alpha, and then give you a performance score in meditation according to that. They are based on the understanding that high levels of beta may indicate stress, while high levels of alpha indicate calm focus. And there is scientific evidence to suggest that (1, 2, 3).

But that never really tallied up with my experience and study in meditation. Don’t the Buddhist monks say, “Meditate as if your head is on fire”? That sounds much more like a high beta and high gamma state than a relaxing alpha. In other words, the meditation masters seem to be telling us that deep states of meditation are more like a peak performance state than a relaxing day at the spa.

The mind of the wise is like a wheel that is rotating so fast that it seems to be still.

—Ramana Maharshi

In the book Beyond Biofeedback, we hear of Swami Rama’s demonstrations when he was studied by a group of scientists at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas in 1970. Swami Rama was an advanced yogi who demonstrated complete conscious control over his brain waves, heartbeat, and other bodily functions. He even demonstrated completely stopping his heart for several seconds, as a result of his pranayama training.

When the scientists wanted to study his brain in meditation, they asked him to produce alpha waves. He did so easily, and then remarked “I can tell you, alpha is nothing” (excerpt). Advanced Yogis like himself are much more interested in the high gamma waves of absorption (Samadhi), and the low delta waves of conscious sleep (Yoga Nidra). You can refer to the book Yogi in the Lab by Swami Rama’s leading disciple to learn more.

My Experiments with the FlowTime Headband

As an experienced practitioner, the one thing I didn’t like about most devices is that they tell you the “score” with their made-up variables—which they may call “calm”, “presence”, or “flow”—while not making clear what it actually means in terms of brainwaves. Their scores conceal what is actually going on, and it ignores the fact that different styles of meditation have different brainwave signatures.

This is what I most like about the FlowTime biosensing headband. It has its own made-up scores (Flow and Coherence), with an easy interface for beginner meditators, but also gives you access to the raw data in all its detail, in an easy-to-visualize manner. And all of that in the free tier of their app.

Here is a snapshot of a short exercise in intense, open-eye concentration practice. As you can see, my gamma and beta waves were high, while there was almost no theta or delta. This was subjectively experienced as a powerful state of focus, with attention being renewed and directed moment after moment.

A completely different type of practice yielded a completely different brainwave pattern—the opposite, in fact. The snapshot below is from one of my practices of mantra meditation. The subjective experience was that of a trance-like state with deep spiritual connection to the mantra; unlike the intense concentration meditation, this one was very flow-y and relaxing. As a result, you can see high theta and delta in the chart.

In the third practice, of classical Alternate Nostril Breathing (nadi shodhana pranayama), we see all brainwaves going up and down together with the long breaths. I was breathing in for 8 seconds, retaining for 32 seconds, and breathing out for 16 seconds. Six breaths like that take about five and a half minutes.

Here is a screenshot of the other variables available. Relaxation and Attention seem to be related to alpha and beta/gamma, respectively. So in deep concentration Attention will show as high, and Relaxation low.

My readings for Heart Rate and Stress didn’t seem to vary with the practices. However, I also found a correlation between high concentration and low HRV (heart rate variability), which seems to be counterintuitive in the light of what is believed about HRV and healthy nervous systems—but that is a topic for another discussion.

The company’s variables of Flow and Coherence seemed to me connected more to alpha waves and calm, which is what most people are seeking from meditation. Flow goes very low during one-pointed concentration (as it’s a highly directed state), and Coherence seems to be unrelated to level of focus. I found it to go very high during mantra meditation, as you see in the snapshot below.

Having the raw brainwave data in a free and easy-to-visualize format is game-changing for serious meditators. Especially for those who like to explore different styles of meditation and study their effects.

Other things I liked about the FlowTime headband are:

• Simple pairing process
• Modern user interface with great usability
• Detailed knowledge base explaining everything
• Great support
• Ability to use their device with any meditation app

The last point was a big one for me. While other devices out there want to keep you in their ecosystem, FlowTime wants to be your meditation companion regardless of the app you wish to use—and even if you wish to do unguided sessions. That means that you could use it together with the meditations in the Higher Mind app, if you wish.

There are things I’d like them to improve in the app, for sure, and I’ve sent them my wish list. They are very open to all suggestions and said they would work on it.

Conclusion and Review

Of all the biofeedback devices I tried, I liked FlowTime headband the most, and I continue to use it for part of my daily meditation routine. I recommend it for all meditators, from beginner to advanced.

Disclaimer: I want to let you know that the FlowTime links in this article are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through it, at no additional cost to you. I am only recommending this product because I myself use it and believe it to be helpful.

The company, Entertech, is offering a special discount for Higher Mind readers. If you wish to purchase their headband, type in highermind in the coupon field to enjoy this perk.

Biofeedback is a powerful tool to gain awareness of what is going on during your meditation practice, to help you select a good style of meditation for you, and to deepen your experience. It’s also useful for improving brain health in general.

In the Higher Mind System, this is a tool that can help you enhance the discipline of Meditate, empowering you to cultivate the awareness and willpower needed to achieve your goals and live life according to your aspirations.