Biofeedback-Based Mental Training in the Military—The “Mental Gym™” Project

The “Mental Gym™” is a practical mental training program that helps participants to cope better with stressors and to be able to keep an emotional and physical balance in their everyday tasks. This new multidisciplinary training combines a number of methodologies: biofeedback, neurofeedback, mindfulness, stress inoculation techniques, imagery, and various problem solving and attentional training methods. This article describes the process and obstacles of implementing the Mental Gym project with military pilots and elite unit personnel. Through examples of some of the training protocols, the author also shares insights from ten years of experience in providing an effective “tool box” for enhancing psychophysiological and cognitive flexibility in the military setting.