What is a Meditation Protocol?
A meditation protocol is a set of metrics that we use to calculate meditation depth. The oldest and simplest protocol for meditation is to measure the amplitude of alpha waves (8-12 Hz) as a measure of meditation depth. For example, if all four sensors were all receiving 7 microvolts of Alpha waves, we could give that a depth score of 28. If they were all producing 2 microvolts, we could give that a depth score of 8.
One of the key tasks of IMBR.org is to analyze the brainwaves of GoDeeper users to figure out what metrics are the most important for calculating a reliable depth score for each meditation style and level of expertise. We have strong hypotheses about which metrics are most relevant based on reading the academic study results on EEG and meditation, but there isn’t enough replication of these studies to create reliable protocols without lots more data from people like you. We will certify each protocol as reliable one at a time as we get enough meditation brain wave sessions to do statistical tests of reliability.
As protocols are certified, we will turn on audio feedback and depth progress reports for each one. The quicker we get meditation sessions for each meditation style and level of expertise, the quicker we will have these depth training protocols for people to go deeper faster. We will be certifying protocols and sending out updates one at a time. Please tell your meditating friends who use your style of meditation about IMBR.org so we can get your protocol certified faster.
Hints on How to Go Deeper
Learning to meditate is not like learning a language or math or gardening. Learning to meditate is more like muscle memory than standard memory. When you are learning to play a sport or an instrument you conceptually know what you are trying to do long before you master the muscle memory to actually do it. Similarly, with meditation, it is much easier to talk about the techniques than to master them.
Better technique is rarely the answer to getting unstuck in doing deeper. Finding a teacher with more presence and more practice with great feedback are much better answers.
Anything you can learn from reading about mediation is a tiny sliver of what you need to learn for master meditation. It’s your unconscious mind that is doing most of the learning. Your conscious mind sets you up to count every breath and your unconscious mind derails your best intentions. Only repetition can train the unconscious mind.
One reason why meditation is so difficult to master is because it all happens inside your head. There are no external cues that you are on the right track. If you are trying to learn how to serve in tennis, you know right away when you miss. When you are learning to play an instrument, you can instantly hear when you play a sour note. With GoDeeper, we are giving you external cues when your brain is going in the right direction. That’s why we call it “GPS for meditation.” You get to your desired brain state faster because our guidance helps you get there faster without getting lost in wrong turn detours.
Here is a list of five things you can do to go deeper faster. They are presented in the order of how likely they are to improve your scores.
- The most important thing you can do to go deeper is more practice – with good instruction and good feedback. Learning to go deeper in meditation is more about letting go, than about doing a technique properly. Meditation techniques are lightly held structures to hold you as you shift your state of being. Going deeper faster is much more about changing your state of being, than it is about changing what you are doing.
- Find better guided meditation instruction. We believe that finding the right technique and teacher for you is essential for success in going deeper. We will never have built-in guided meditations because we believe that finding the right teacher for you is a highly personal quest. There are many wonderful and famous meditation teachers, but they may not be the right one for you. Who they are and what they teach needs to be a good match for who you are and what you want to learn. If you don’t have a favorite meditation teacher, we highly recommend that quest to find one. Check out our thoughts on How to find the best meditation teacher for you.
- Adjust the reward threshold to find the optimal reward rate for your brain. Neurofeedback specialists have found that most people’s brains learn fastest when they are rewarded 60-70% of the time. You are not “most people.” You are an individual. Please do not play superhero and go for the toughest/most sensitive setting. That might be an ego move! HA!
- You could work on just one metrics at a time. That would be like having your personal trainer ask you to focus on a specific muscle in a complex moment. You can use a single-metric protocol to focus on a weakness and then go back to the full protocol later to see if you can go even deeper.
- In the Metrics Report Card, tap on the metric you want to focus on
- Calibrate that metric as a one rule metric.
- You will see it show up as a one-metric protocol next time you go to meditate.
- You might be ready to calibrate the protocol feedback at the next higher level. Check the developmental task associated with each level and find out if you are ready for the next level.
Above all, make sure to enjoy the journey. If you are not enjoying the journey, please change something so you are. You will only get to mastery if you enjoy the process.