Emerging brain-computer interface technologies are expanding the range of human expression, consciousness and human potential. Neurofeedback occurs when the user of a brain scanning technology views the live feed of their own brain activity and alters the wavelengths and patterns of their own mental activity.

Global Neurofeedback Terminal depicts a future event in which a globally connected network of participants wearing EEG brain-computer interfaces attempt to synchronize their brains. By displaying the average of thousands, millions or billions of live readings back to the participants, their minds could slowly become closer to the average reading, effectively entering into an empathetic resonance feedback loop.

Monitoring and observing live EEG readings is commonly used within neurofeedback therapy for conditions like ADHD, epilepsy, autism, headaches, insomnia and anxiety. Often times patients of such therapy are not consciously aware of the methods in which such changes are happening but experience a sense that positive change has occurred. Users can recall the altered brain states they achieved during therapy outside of the lab.

I anticipate a global empathetic resonance feedback loop to be an eventual outcome to the advancement and distribution of brain scanning technology. This could potentially lead to a computer aided global awakening of empathy and compassion between people of the world. Participants within such an experiment would likely be able to recall the average brain state experience outside of the experiment, and thus be able to quickly recall a heightened state of empathy or understanding toward others, and a dissolving of their concept of self.

Phrases like, “do you see what I mean” and “do you know how I feel” could one day literally become a thing of the past as the resolution of our shared experiences heightens through the advancement of brain scanning technology, virtual reality and the Internet. What may emerge from such a large percentage of the earths population reaching this heightened shared experience and synchronizing their brains together to the same wavelength is something one can only speculate about, but I expect it to have a profound impact on society as a whole.

EEG or electroencephalography, is defined as the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain. Rather than measuring the subtly of individual neurons firing EEG systems rely on the emergent pulses of millions of neurons which all fire simultaneously in wave patterns. Amplitude, Phase, Frequency and Coherence of these signals as well as rhythmic neuronal oscillations of the Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gama and Mu brainwaves are all measured with accuracy.

Several consumer grade EEG scanners are now available on the market. The price point will eventually reach a level where most households have EEG devices in them and they will become as ubiquitous as the cellphone. Cellphones and personal Internet ready devices are a likely candidate for the eventual global distribution of this technology.