![]() Seven electroencephalogram (EEG) headset sensors detect and measure the brain’s electrical activity during meditation and the app deciphers the data. ![]() Muse is a product of InteraXon Inc., a brain-sensing technology company launched in 2014 by co-founders Ariel Garten (psychotherapist), Chris Aimone (product developer), and Trevor Coleman (product designer). It is intended to develop sustained undistracted attention and promote calmness and relaxation. Ask me again in a few weeks whether I think it’s worth the $249.Muse is a neurofeedback-based app and wireless headset that offers “technology enhanced meditation” for the user through immediate audio feedback about their brain state. Actually sticking with the practice, on the other hand, is another question entirely. And having a timeline of meditation metrics akin to an Apple or Fitbit app is certainly appealing. I’m sure there’s a fair bit of placebo effect in all of this, but the Muse 2 has given an extra little jolt of energy to my admittedly wobbly meditation practice. ![]() That bumped me from two birds in the first to 90 in the second, no doubt drenched in bird crap by the end of the second. The first, at five minutes, rated at 26 percent calm. I was able to shift things a good deal between my first and second sessions. If nothing else, it gives you something to focus on beyond all of the reliving of past events and going down checklists we often obsesses about when attempting to quiet our minds. Do it for a while and you start to hear the occasional bird. Focus, breathe and calm down, and the storm subsides. The app defaults to a storm sound, with the weather getting worse as you grow more restless. Rather than music, guided meditation or ambient sounds, the audio interacts with your session. The real-time feedback from the headset brings an interesting level of gamification to the product. Once everything is up and running, it’s a distinctly different experience from the various meditation apps I’ve tried. You have to sit through a couple of guided videos and then get the placement of the headset just right, so the headband’s electrodes all make contact with your skin. It was just me and a judgmental rabbit staring at me from the corner of a darkened room. It all looks and feels a little silly - and frankly, I’m glad we opted not to do a video this time out. ![]() The second generation of Interaxon’s Muse headband features a slimmer profile than its predecessor and the ability to read four activity metrics: body movements, breath, heart rate and “mental activity.” The idea of hacking one’s mindfulness practice is pretty appealing, honestly - even if it means wearing a dumb-looking headband while you sit alone in silence. One missed day becomes two, two becomes a week and next thing you know, you haven’t been mindful in a month. It’s a bit like going to the gym, really. But those are only as good as your own practice. I’ve had limited results with various mindful apps - Calm and Insight Timer have proven the most useful thus far. I’ve been on and off meditation kicks for years now, so I’m willing to try just about any quick fix that promises to keep on track. The act of sitting still with my thoughts is a terrifying, anxiety-inducing thing. ![]()
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