As a writer, you know the stresses of the blank page. For whatever reason, we humans find something inherently scary about the writing process, even though we’re under no immediate threat—alone staring at a computer screen.
Sometimes we can get out of our own way and just let the words flow out. If only there was a way to bottle that up and have it with us day in and day out!
While we won’t claim neurofeedback with NeurOptimal can put you into a flow state on command, the writers we’ve worked with find they can increase their words-per-hour and get their message across easier.
How and Why It Works
When you use NeurOptimal, you hook five sensors to your head (three on your ears and two on the scalp). You then listen to a 33-minute audio program which skips any time the software spots turbulence in your brain’s activity. This happens hundreds of times during a session.
The result is your brain stops itself from going into the “fight-or-flight” response pattern, and settles into this more efficient way of operating
.
It’s like an advanced meditation session where someone is there to tell you moment-by-moment when you’re doing something wrong, or how you could stay “present” right now.
By having your brain learn when it’s going into these states, writing thoughts like…
- This isn’t any good
- I can’t do this
- I hope I don’t get writer’s block
- Maybe I’ll get back to this later
all seem to fade away. You have more conscious choice over what you’re doing. If you feel like writing, you sit down and write, knowing there’s no real danger in doing so.
Fiction author Ryan Wiley opted to rent a system from us to help his writing. Here’s how he explains what the experience is like…
The primary reason why I wanted to try NeurOptimal was to improve my fiction writing and get more done. Normally, I’d set a 1000 word goal for the day and do my best to hit it. More days than not I would, but it was always a struggle. I averaged around 500 words-per-hour, and that’s not counting the time I’d get up for breaks. It normally would take between 2-3 hours to hit my goal.
After renting NeurOptimal, I wish I could say it immediately fixed that, but it didn’t. Ten sessions in, I’d seen a lot of positive changes, particularly in my verbal speaking and also more calmness being in a crowd, but my writing stayed virtually the same. It wasn’t until sessions 11-20 before I finally began to see writing improvements, and WOW did they really take off!
I’ll never forget the day I tracked my time and saw I’d written 1100 words in an hour. Normally, my writing speed picks up during an exciting part of the story, but this was just a scene midway through the story. Over the next few days, I discovered this wasn’t a fluke, and that I could consistently reach 1000 words-per-hour with ease. My fingers were moving and I wasn’t getting up or staring out the window. And perhaps most importantly, I didn’t feel so mentally drained afterward.
Looking back at my logs for the past few weeks, my writing output has more than doubled! And I enjoy the writing process so much more than before. Instead of having so much resistance to starting, I sit down and get right to it. I find myself more engaged in the story and feel like I’m experiencing things right with my characters.
I feel like NeurOptimal has rocketed me 10 years of writing experience into the future, and it all happened in under two months, doing a 33-minute session every other day. I always looked forward to my next session because the music was pleasant and relaxing.
I’d recommend NeurOptimal to any writer. For now, I’ll enjoy my writing advantage over you while I still can! 🙂
It doesn’t matter if you write fiction or non-fiction, or even if you write at all. NeurOptimal doesn’t specifically try to “fix” any specific problems. It’s like a mirror for your brain. It shows it what it’s doing and then the brain decides what it wants to do with the information.
If you’re a writer, often what happens is the brain says, “Hey, this mode would make writing so much easier!” and then it re-adjusts itself to be in that state. And just like how you never forget to ride a bicycle, your brain always remembers this better mode of operating.
Giving it a Try
The Cleveland Neurofeedback offers several ways to get started. You can come into our office by scheduling an appointment. If you live outside the Cleveland, OH or Memphis, TN areas, you can opt to either rent a system or even purchase your own to do sessions right within your own home.
Whichever option you choose, we’ll make sure everything gets hooked up properly and that you get the most out of what NeurOptimal can provide for you. In addition to running NeurOptimal sessions and helping people, we’re writers, too! We understand the challenges and concerns that you have.
Give us a call at 216.410.6335 or email us on our contact page to get started or to find out more.