Deep States Workshop: An Exploration of Consciousness to Help Increase Psychological Flexibility and Well-Being

When the mind is stuck or rigid, caught in the same repetitive patterns of thinking and feeling, we experience stagnation, anxiety, and depression. In order to grow and change, it is necessary to first disrupt the old patterns in the nervous system, opening the mind to new possibilities and perceptions. This disruption, when done in a therapeutic context, allows the system to reorganize at a higher level. In fact, this psychological flexibility is a key to unlocking creativity, transformation, intuition, and well-being. Fortunately, there are numerous strategies to increase this flexibility, including meditation and psychedelic states. However, simply increasing the brain’s entropy is not always enough. It is important to have a context and an avenue to engage this shift in our behavior, thinking, and feeling.

In this 3-day Workshop, you will experience a range of practices designed to break old patterns, expand consciousness, and deliver insights into the workings of your mind. We will also focus on preparation and integration aspects of this work to help you shift into a state of receptivity aligned with gaining the most from these powerful practices and integrating them into your daily life.

Please note: While this workshop will involve working with various altered states of consciousness (ASC), we will not be using any psychedelic substances (e.g., psilocybin, LSD, etc.). Instead, we will access this state through technology-based approaches and breathwork. In addition, you do not need previous experience with any of these practices to participate.

Dates and Cost

When: Friday, April 11 (11am-7pm);

Saturday, April 12 (9am-7pm);

Sunday, April 13 (9am-3pm);

Group Zoom meeting (Monday, April 21st 9am-10:30am).

*All times are listed in PST.

Where: Land of Ahs; Eugene, Oregon USA

Cost: $850 USD (early bird pricing $775 USD thru February 28)*

Workshop Size: Limited to 12 participants

Facilitator: Dr. Jeff Tarrant

*Meals and lodging not included. Contact us for a list of some hotels in the area. Attendees also need to purchase or borrow one one of the approved EEG devices. See below for details.

Experience:

• EEG NeuroMeditation

• Stroboscopic Light

• SOMA Breathwork

• Sound Bath

• Preparation and Integration

• Psychological Flexibility and Well-Being

EEG NeuroMeditation

With brainwave biofeedback, or EEG biofeedback, we are able to monitor brain activity and use this information to gently guide the user into specific states of meditation. This process is generally called EEG NeuroMeditation.

By tracking brainwave activity in specific regions of the brain, we can tell if someone is focused or relaxed, if they are focused internally or externally. We can tell if the mind is wandering, or if they have entered a space of internal quiet. By monitoring this activity and connecting it directly to the intent of the meditation, we can help meditators learn to quickly enter a desired state of consciousness and maintain this state for increasing periods of time.

In this workshop, we will be using a wireless, dry EEG neurofeedback system (Divergence Neuro) to experience several NeuroMeditation protocols related to Deep States. This aspect of the workshop requires participants to purchase a wireless, dry sensor cap or headband compatible with the Divergence platform*. This will allow you to access the NeuroMeditation protocols from your phone or ipad/tablet (called Divergence Brain Health on Apple—need iOS 14 or higher—and Dive by Divergence on android—need 6 or higher). You will own the device and have access to the NeuroMeditation protocols for one month after the workshop to continue practicing with this approach (you will also have the option to sign up for additional time at $100/month, or purchase your own Divergence subscription with its add-on NeuroMeditation package to use with your own clients).

We specifically chose the Divergence Neuro platform for the EEG NeuroMeditation portion of this experience due to its ease of use and the opportunity to continue training after the workshop. Rest assured, you do not need to be a tech-wiz or trained in neurofeedback to use this approach. 

Note: There will be a limited number of devices available to borrow during the retreat if you would prefer not to purchase a device at this time. These lender units are available on a first come-first served basis. Consequently, if you would like this option please let us know when you register for the workshop.

Read Dr. Tarrant’s blog Combining Neurofeedback and Meditation.

*Headset Options: There are currently 6 different headsets that are compatible with Divergence Neuro platform. Click here for a chart comparing these options. For NeuroMeditation, we recommend either the Calibri, the Brainbit Flex, Synchroni Uno, or Synchroni Trio.

Stroboscopic Light

roXiva RX1 is a hypnagogic light machine for audio-visual brainwave entrainment. roXiva uses stroboscopic white light combined with sound. Expertly crafted sessions guide you into deeply relaxing or profoundly inspiring states of mind. It does this using the natural ability of the brain to synchronize to, and follow, external sources of rhythm. Essentially, the lights flash on and off at various frequencies and in dynamic patterns, guiding the brain into the desired state.

While it may look simple, these sessions are quite powerful and can often lead to profound experiences that have a “psychedelic” quality. These sessions can be used for psychological exploration, creativity, rest/recovery, and trancework/hypnosis. During this workshop, you will have the opportunity to participate in a 45-minute small group session as well as practice holding space for another small group during their experience.

*Note: This practice is contraindicated for anyone with a history of any seizure disorder.  

SOMA Breathwork

This form of guided breathwork practice alternates between cyclic breathing and breath retention to create a unique state of consciousness, often leading to a deep internal quietude and feelings of bliss. Cyclic breathing involves inhaling and exhaling at a consistent pace with no pause between breaths. Breath retention involves holding the breath for extended periods, both at the bottom of the exhalation and the top of the inhalation. This practice has some similarities to the Wim Hof Method of breathing but is guided by the instructor and facilitated with specially designed music.

This 60-minute experience can lead to a temporary reduction of the brain’s normal inhibitory functions, allowing more subconscious and unconscious processes to emerge. Essentially, by minimizing the “normal” functioning of the brain, aspects of the mind that are normally restrained are free.  

*Note: This practice is contraindicated for anyone dealing with any serious cardiovascular disorders, such as high blood pressure, aneurysms, or history of heart attacks.

Sound Bath

Preparation and Integration

When working with altered states of consciousness for personal growth, it is important to 1) prepare the brain/nervous system for the shift experienced during an altered states of consciousness (ASC) session, and 2) to take advantage of the increased flexibility created by the experience.

Preparation: Having positive ASC experiences is associated with specific psychological and emotional states including absorption, openness, acceptance, and surrender. Negative experiences are more common in persons who tend to be low in openness and surrender and/or high in preoccupation, apprehension, or confusion. Consequently, it is important to spend time preparing for this work. This is referred to as establishing the “Set” or mindset for the experience. EEG NeuroMeditation can assist in the preparation phase by teaching state awareness and mental flexibility. In fact, neurofeedback-guided meditation practices can be used to assist in the development of each of the aforementioned beneficial mental qualities/states (absorption, openness, acceptance, and surrender), thereby increasing the likelihood of a positive and productive ASC experience.

Integration: Because ASC experiences tend to generate a state of temporary mental flexibility, this can be an optimal time to shift maladaptive patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, and practicing new patterns. It is as if the nervous system is more malleable during this time period. Consequently, integration is recommended in the days and weeks following the ASC experience. These sessions are designed to facilitate active processing and synthesizing of the experience to help identify and enact steps toward implementing any insights that may have been gained. In addition to integration work incorporated into the weekend, we will also have a 1.5-hour follow up session on Zoom one week after the workshop has ended.

Refunds requested more than 30 days before the workshop starts will receive a 100% refund. No refunds will be given in the 30 days prior to the workshop start date.

The content of this workshop is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website or learned in this class.

Instructor: Jeff Tarrant, Ph.D., BCN

Jeff Tarrant, Ph.D., BCN is the founder and Director of the NeuroMeditation Institute in Eugene, Oregon.  He is a licensed psychologist and board certified in neurofeedback. Dr. Tarrant specializes in teaching, clinical applications, and research combining technology-based interventions with meditative states for improved mental health.

His research focuses on exploring brainwave changes that occur as a result of contemplative practices, technological interventions, non-ordinary states of consciousness, & psi-related abilities. Dr. Tarrant is the author of the books Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain and Becoming Psychic: Lessons from the Minds of Mediums, Healers, and Psychics.