Inner Active Health Project is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, dedicated to developing biofeedback computer gaming technology to promote health and personal growth.

At the Inner Active Health Project (IAHP), our goal is to provide access to state of the art software tools for improved focus and awareness, pain relief, and anxiety and mood management to all those in need. These tools are particularly designed to help people suffering from psychological disorders or other chronic conditions which produce pain or which affect the mind. Our intent is to also make these powerful tools available to everyone who feels a need for a shift in perspective in order to cope with the stresses of modern life, and the upcoming dramatic changes in lifestyle that will be necessary as our species adapts to a changing world and a changing climate.

Recent scientific advances have made possible a new generation of bio-cybernetic computer games. These games incorporate physiological sensors such as EEG (measures brain waves), EMG (measures muscle tension, and HRV (measures heart-rate patterns). These sensors can be used to manipulate the action in the game through biofeedback, along with keyboard, mouse and joystick controls. Until recently, these games have been primarily used under the supervision of professional trainers and therapists, with the intention of helping people manage conditions such as attention deficit, anxiety or chronic pain. The games operate on the principle of training new neurological states through biofeedback. By measuring neurological activity with the sensors, then pairing the intended neurological state with repeated positive re-enforcement given by success in the games, the user learns to recognize and maintain the desired state. Currently, there are several games on the market which are available to the general public. These games are mainly intended to train users in relaxation, focus and meditation skills.

With the upcoming availability of inexpensive, easy-to-use electrodes for measuring brain waves, the field of biofeedback video gaming is undergoing a rapid expansion. The possibility of using muscular relaxation, for example, to increase the speed of a race car, or using brain waves to cast spells is extremely enticing to developers and gamers alike. Many companies are investing millions of dollars to create the hardware and software that will allow them to profit in this exciting new market. If this technology is implemented effectively and responsibly, the potential for improving the lives of millions of people is tremendous.

Unfortunately, the current state of affairs is that companies are rapidly developing products for market with no independent oversight to insure the effectiveness or safety of their products. While most companies are conscientious and have the intention of providing products that heal, rather than harm, there is no guarantee that all companies will have that attitude. Some companies do employ experts on physiology and biofeedback. Yet even the most learned expert may not be able to predict the outcome of the wide scale use of a particular game. The field, after all, is still a very young one, so there are many unknowns, and the reality is that development of these games will be largely driven by market forces. Furthermore, since game biofeedback protocols may be proprietary, there is likely to be little in the way of wide-scale cooperation in moving the field forward, particularly in the area of brain wave driven gaming, which, in our opinion, holds the greatest degree of mystery, potential benefit, and potential danger. It is conceivable that some games will be produced that utilize biofeedback protocols that are intended to simply get people hooked on the game by increasing excitement or even producing addiction. Alternatively, the pairing of a particular biofeedback protocol designed to produce relaxation with violent game content, for example, might produce unwanted social programming, particularly in children. The effects of these pairings have not been sufficiently studied.

Even when the intent is therapeutic, there is still a chance that certain protocols will produce negative effects for a particular segment of the population. While properly managed biofeedback training generally produces very little in the way of negative side effects, it is not completely free of them. Outside of the therapeutic setting, the potential for harm could be much greater.

What is needed is a comprehensive research effort to determine the precise physiological characteristics of the desired states of consciousness, and the safest, most effective ways of guiding people to these states through unsupervised gaming. This effort must be achieved by an independent organization, without the conflict of interest that would exist if it were done by a game manufacturer.

A specific mission of IAHP is to produce a computer program that will act as a virtual therapist. It will monitor the changes in physiology that occur while playing any video game (biofeedback or traditional). It would also potentially interact with the game code to guide the user toward a healthy state. In this way, users and parents can be assured that playing video games is a positive, health-enhancing experience.

The virtual therapist software will be offered free of charge to game developers. Two levels of monitoring will be available. The first will simply be to test a sufficient number of people playing the particular game with the virtual therapist software, to determine the game’s general physiological effects. The second level of monitoring will be the incorporation of the virtual therapist software into the game code, to oversee the physiological reaction to the game, and to intervene when necessary to guide the user toward a safe and healthy state. Consumers can then make an informed choice whether or not they want to take the risk of buying software from a company that does not choose to use the safeguards that the software provides.

The first project of the IAHP is to perform as complete an analysis as possible of the current literature on the physiology of the mental, emotional and spiritual states that we want to help people achieve, and what has been done so far to achieve them through biofeedback. Next, we will outline and conduct research with the specific aim of producing the safest, most effective protocols possible for unsupervised biofeedback video gaming. This research will include the interactions of specific biofeedback protocols with general categories of game conditions, such as virtual risk-taking, violence, or strategizing. During the final stage in the project, we will produce the code that will allow for the implementation of the knowledge produced by our research. The project is intended to be ongoing, producing continual additions to our knowledge base through research and periodically upgrading the virtual therapist program.

To accomplish this critical task, we need your assistance. We are seeking help in the form of expert advice, organizing, outreach, and financial assistance. Please give generously to this essential project. It is our belief that this revolutionary technology will relieve widespread suffering, improve the mental, emotional, and spiritual lives of millions of individuals, and help to empower them to become part of a movement toward a more self-aware, environmentally responsible and compassionate society.

Thank you,

Langdon Roberts
President
InnerActive Health Project