Mindfulness and neurofeedback complement one another and form the basis for a multimodal approach to psychopathology. Neurofeedback trains focal attention and a relaxed attitude; mindfulness makes the learning from neurofeedback available during daily life. In addition, mindfulness deepens and refines the attitude required for optimal learning during neurofeedback.

Plenary #106): Neurofeedback as a Purushartha Practice ("for the sake of the self")

Indian yoga psychology sees life as existing solely for the sake of the enjoyment and the liberation of consciousness (purusha). As a Western technology of consciousness, neurofeedback can be seen as a branch of yoga. This insight suggests ways of understanding the practice of neurofeedback. Clear, one-pointed but egoless attention/insight (buddhi) in a state of autonomic relaxation may be the most basic curative factor.

Plenary #216): Tales of the "Fatherson": The Son's Rejection and Renewal of the Father in American Narrative

I will discuss an archetypal pattern in American fiction and film, that of the son who rebels against his father, often shaming or even killing the old man but potentially also redeeming the father and giving him new life. In Nicholas Ray's 1950s cult film classic, "Rebel without a Cause" and in Mark Twain's great novel, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" we see this archetype fully realized, but its structure can be found in most American fiction (as well as American religion, philosophy, and other aspects of culture).

Workshop #108): Mindfulness and neurofeedback: integral treatment of ADHD, anxiety, and depression

This workshop will demonstrate my way of working with a variety of kinds of psychopathology using Buddhist mindfulness practice and neurofeedback together. The aim is to train clients to use the skills learned in the office during neurofeedback training in daily life. Homework practice involves daily self rating and practice of mindfulness, remembering of focal attention during neurofeedback, and usually autonomic techniques (HRV breathing and hand warming). The workshop aims to give participants a sense of how to integrate mindfulness with a neurofeedback practice to enhance both modalities.

Plenary #106): Neurofeedback as a Purushartha Practice ("for the sake of the self")

Plenary #216): Tales of the "Fatherson": The Son's Rejection and Renewal of the Father in American Narrative

America has from the beginning been a culture ambivalent about the patriarchy. Rebelling against King George was only one episode in the antiauthoritarian genesis of New World social attitudes and practices. From Hawthorne, Thoreau, and Walt Whitman down to the Beats and Hippies of postwar years, the anti-patriarch has been a dominant hero figure in American writing. In film, two of the most important American genres--Westerns and detective stories--center on men who reject and rebel against--but at times rejuvenate--the world of the "fathers." I will discuss one film--Nicholas Ray's "Rebel without a Cause" and one novel, Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn" to illustrate how sons reject their fathers and father figures, but can sometimes also redeem them, with consequences for the psyches of both individuals. The elements of the stories I will discuss are very widespread in American fiction (including music and drama as well as writing and films) and can be said to constitute an American archetype.

Al Collins Ph.D.
615 E. 82nd Ave. #102
Anchorage, Alaska 99518

phone: 907-344-3338