You may detect the sound of such birds' tweeting during the session.ĭoes Muse work? It's difficult to measure progress in a few sessions. You can also try to earn bonus "birds" if you can quiet the wind sounds during your exercise for an extended period. I'm hoping to reach some of some of these point levels, because my biggest quibble is that the exercise feels repetitious after a few times. Certain features of the app are locked until you get to a particular point level. You earn one point for every second that you were neutral and three points for every second you were calm. When you're done, Muse graphs your data, indicating how you did by telling you how long you were "calm" (your mind was focused on the exercise), "active" (your mind wandered) or "neutral" (somewhere in the middle). This exercise can be as short as 3 minutes or as long as 12. As you do this, you'll hear the gentle sounds of waves - but if your concentration wanes, the sound of wind gets louder. You're again asked to get comfortable and close your eyes, only this time, you must silently count each breath you take up to 10, before starting the count up to 10 again and again. That's accomplished by you sitting comfortably and closing your eyes for a full minute, while you consider the random things you're asked to think about: as many colors as come to mind, for example, or as many animals, cities or bodies of water.įrom there, you can go to the main Calm exercise. You must calibrate the band each time you go through a Calm app session, because our brain activity is changing all the time, and Muse is trying to get an accurate, real-time snapshot. The EEG (electroencephalography) sensors on the headband are uber-sensitive, and you may have to fiddle with the fit before getting a good noise-free signal that will permit you to proceed. You'll get a notification to launch the app when you press a physical button on the headband itself.įirst, you'll hear New Age-y type music followed by instructions from a soothing female or male voice piped through ear buds or the speaker on the phone or tablet, since the headband itself has no speaker. What it does do, however, via Bluetooth, is communicate wirelessly with the Calm app as you run through an exercise that's meant to calm you down. No, the Muse band can't read your mind, nor does it let you control a mouse cursor, say, by using your mind. The sensors collectively detect and measure various kinds of brain waves and convert them into data charted through the app. People with long hair may have a bit of problem - as you fit this thing around your head, no hair should be between the sensors and your skin. The band has seven sensors in all, five on the forehead and two more rubber ones behind the ears. It is comfortable to wear, flexible and lightweight. The folks behind this brain fitness tool say that it is virtually impossible to function at your intellectual best if you're dealing with negative emotions. Muse is from a Toronto company called InteraXon, and it works with a companion app on your iOS or Android phone or tablet, aptly named Calm. But the goal of this rather different take on wearable tech is to help you focus better, improve cognitive function and settle your mind. The Muse "brain sensing" headband that I've been testing isn't going to eliminate all your stress. You face deadlines at work and have to help the kids with homework.Īnd the news out of Ukraine, the Middle East and all-too-many troubled hot spots around the world only seems to get worse. NEW YORK - You're constantly late, rushing from one activity to another.īills pile up almost as quickly as your list of household chores. Watch Video: Ed Baig chills out with the Muse headband
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