Enhancing Creativity with Neurofeedback in the Performing Arts: Actors, Musicians, Dancers

Abstract

Applications of EEG-neurofeedback to the performing arts with actors are reviewed and compared with relevant studies of musicians and dancers. Neurofeedback involves learning to self-regulate targeted brain rhythms, rhythms that here have putative relevance to artistic performance. Actors received sensory-motor rhythm training, theorised to favour authenticity in acting, with a training context immersing them in an onstage theatre auditorium through either 2D or 3D representation. The more immersive format led to superior acting according to experts, especially on creativity subscales. Furthermore the actors’ experience of flow in performance was superior following neurofeedback, with affirmative associations between subjective flow and objective expert ratings. A slow wave protocol which involves training-up the theta rhythm over alpha with eyes closed before entering sleep (see Sect. 14.1) showed consistent benefits for elite music performance, especially musicality/creativity and extending to communication and technique. This benefit was also found with novice performers, to include school children, where the sensory-motor rhythm protocol also enhanced performance, perhaps facilitating lower-lever processes such as attention, memory and psychomotor skill. With competitive ballroom and contemporary dancers the alpha/theta protocol was compared with heart rate coherence biofeedback; both interventions were of value. The evidence adds to the rapidly accumulating validation of neurofeedback, while performing arts studies offer an opportunity for real life validity in creativity research for both creative process and product.