Thought Technology's Consumer History

Leo Laporte is an award-winning technology journalist, best-selling author and broadcaster. For many years, he has hosted television shows such as Call For Help, The Screen Savers and The Lab with Leo. Didier Combatalade’s interview on the Lab with Leo describes using the ProComp 2 encoder with skin conductance and electromyography sensors and how to use existing Web based technology to run remotely operated biofeedback sessions. For more information, read the Show Notes (http://www.labwithleo.com/notes/161/).

Tech TV Video
	Leo LaPorte

When magician David Blaine planned to be frozen in a block of ice, he spoke to numerous medical practitioners, and most suggested he use Thought Technology instrumentation. During most of the 62 hours of his "endurance experience", as Blaine called it, frozen in a six-ton block of ice located in the middle of Times Square/New York, his physiological parameters were monitored by Thought Technology Ltd's ProComp+/ Biograph biofeedback instrumentation. This instrumentation monitored his EKG heart rate, respiration and body temperature during his 3 day ordeal. Dr. Hal Myers, president of Thought Technology, was on site to personally ensure Blaine's vital signs were properly monitored.

On Monday November 27th, 2000 magician David Blaine froze himself in a six ton block of ice for 62 hours in Times Square. On Wednesday November 29 around 10:49 pm ET, he emerged from his arctic tomb.

During this endurance experience, as Blaine calls it, his physiological parameters were monitored by Thought Technology's biofeedback equipment.

The ProComp+ BioGraph was used to record physiological activity; heart rate, temperature, and respiration.  

Dr Hal Myers, our President, assisted in this experience.

David Blaine Video (5.76mb file)

Calmpute

The GSR2 and the Calmpute systems were 2 different devices using the same plastic case with stainless steel electrodes to monitor sympathatic nervous sytem activity. The GSR2 is still sold as a stand-alone GSR device in which a tone rises as stress levels increase. The goal is to learn to decrease the tone under stress. Calmpute was our computerized version of the GSR2.

Watch Video

Check out CalmLink

Japanese Yogi and healer M. Kawakami

The Japanese Yogi and healer M. Kawakami sat in a half lotus position in front of the audience while numerous sensors were attached. His skin conductivity, pulse, breathing, hand temperature and EEG were projected onto a screen behind him which the audience could observe. He began with a slow breathing meditation and the physiological recording showed slow diaphragmatic breathing--his internal physiological experience-- you could see his stomach moving slightly in and out. Even though everyone was staring and waiting for him to pierce the skewers through his throat and tongue, he appeared calm. Even when a reporter asked to inspect his tongue to be sure that there was not a hole in it already, it did not bother him. He just stuck out his tongue to be inspected. He was calm in a situation where anyone else would usually be nervous. It seemed as if he really didn’t mind and did not experience performance anxiety. After a minute, he took the first unsterilised skewer and while exhaling he stuck it through the skin in front of his Adam’s apple, he paused while inhaling, and then continued pushing the skewer through the skin during the next exhalation. He then took the second skewer and pushed it through his tongue, again only pushing during exhalation and pausing during inhalation. He was relaxed and looked into the camera. After a while he removed the skewers in the same way he had inserted them. There was no bleeding from his tongue or throat. The puncture wound closed rapidly and the next day there was no inflammation in fact the puncture wounds had healed. He reported no pain during the piercing nor did his physiology show any reaction that would normally be associated with pain. During the piercing his physiology showed a predominance of alpha EEG activity, rapid heart rate that was not different from the baseline and minimal skin conductance activity.

At the same time a volunteer from the audience was monitored simultaneously while observing Mr. Kawakami’s piercing his throat and tongue. In her case there was an observable physiological response to the demonstration as indicated by an increase in breathing rate, skin conductance level, muscle tension and lowering of her peripheral temperature. She appeared to be watching with bated breath possibly anticipating the potential pain and bleeding and showed no reduction in physiological arousal even after the skewers were removed.

She commented afterwards: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. The time seemed to pass very slowly and I could almost feel the pain myself. How could he do that?”

Read More

We're Not Lying About Galvanic Skin Response

From a comment on last week's post about a self-made Lego lie detector, we've been tipped off about the enormous sales of galvanic skin response and biofeedback devices.

While we cover new relaxation techniques and devices, we hadn't realized how thoroughly galvanic response had moved from lie-detection into self-help. Indeed, we've come a long way since the days of subliminal stop-smoking tapes and hypnotism:

There is a small, hand-held and self contained GSR2 which has sold a half a million units and is already the largest selling Galvanic Skin Response monitoring device for home biofeedback. The GSR2 precisely monitors your stress levels by translating tiny tension-related changes in skin pores into a rising or falling tone. By resting two fingers on the sensing plates you learn to lower the pitch and your stress level.

Read More

Father of Stress

In 1980 the "Father of Stress", Dr. Hans Selye and the International Institute of Stress proposed a series of workshops that included the GSR2.

"The IIS and I personally are highly impressed by the design, sophistication and effectiveness of your biofeedback products. We highly endorse their inclusion in any stress management program."

Dr. Selye's untimely passing curtailed the stress seminars, but his words about the GSR2 were prophetic as it has become the best selling biofeedback instrument of all times.

Prevention Magazine Article

This 3-page article in PREVENTION magazine engendered 10,000 inquiries and several thousands of sales when it appeared in 1984.

If you're like me, then you've probably flirted briefly with some sort of meditation or guided-imagery technique in an attempt to give stress the slip.

Unfortunately, I always ran into the same problem. After wrapping myself up into a reasonable facsimile of the lotus position, I'd close my eyes and set sail for inner peace. About 10 minutes into my journey, I'd start wondering if I was doing it right.

Am I relaxed now? I'd ask myself. That little voice of doubt always managed to be just loud enough to disrupt any attempt at achieving relaxation.

Read More

Prime Minister: Pierre Trudeau

One of the high points of our correspondance was receiving letters of congratulations from the Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in 1976 and 1978 on Thought Technology winning awards for design excellence at the International Exhibition of Inventions and New Techniques in Geneva Switzerland.

President: Bill Clinton

The pinnacle of our PR was a letter July 2/1993 from the President of the United States of America, Bill Clinton, from THE WHITE HOUSE, thanking us for a gift of the STRESS CONTROL with BIOFEEDBACK program. A friend of ours had treated then Governor Clinton for a hoarse voice, teaching him to speak with less effort, and enabling him to continue campaigning. Thus, we were able to deliver the program to the person with, arguably, the most stress in the world. A letter from the President of the United States of America is like a "gold medal" in the PR Olympics.

Thomas Schnurmacher

Gizmo made by Montrealers has friends in high places

"What do His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and actor Marlon Brando have in common with the Canadian Women's Alpine Ski Team?"

The Gazette, Montreal