I was talking to a past therapist of mine, WAY past she was number 4 or 5 of my history of 19 therapy professionals. She still teaches relaxation, hypnotic techniques and biofeedback and neurofeedback.

She said that anyone can do it. With or without the machinnes and yes Boifeedback also uses machines.

The difference in the machines is one only moitors and counts brathing rate, heart rate and blood pressure and the other counts breathing rate, heart rate blood pressure and brain activity both are simular to what they use in the hospital ICU where they monitor coma patients and critically ill patients for brain activity - no brain actibvity means the person is brain dead.

she still teaches both ways to her clients with the machine and without the machine, and has found that there is no difference in her clients. they have the same numbers and brain activity when watching the machines and trying to control the numbers as they do hooked up to the machines but turned away from it and are controling their breathing rate or heart rate and thoughts by concentrating on a focus word and counting their breaths on their own and slowing them down.

She says that all people no matter age and so on can benefit from doing boifeedback and neurofeedback.

The only dangers she sees is if the cords have a short and that should not happen if the person watches the cords for normal wear and tear just like they would when using their personal sterio, radio and so on.

I also asked her if having a mental disorder made a difference in being able to do biofeedback and neurofeedback, if it would cause any problems and she said no. In fact certain disorders such as dissociatives actually pick up on how to do it faster because they already have learned how to unconsciously focus their mind and breathing and so on in order to dissociate out of their abuse situations and into their mental safe places. I of course laughed at that and she asked "so you have stopped denying the diagnosis huh" and that of course took us off onto other things.

But anyway at least now I know that theres no reason that I HAVE to have an expensive machine because I am already doing the processes without it. And no harm can come to anyone (me) by doing this with or without the expensive machines.