Biofeedback Volume 39: Issue 4

Editor's Introduction

The cover of this Winter 2011 issue of Biofeedback shows a photo of Thomas H. Budzynski, a pioneer in both biofeedback and neurofeedback. Tom died February 14, 2011, at the age of 77. Tom was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1933 and initially pursued a degree in electrical engineering at the University of Detroit. His early engineering career involved cutting-edge aerospace work for Honeywell, including his role in developing the inertial guidance system for the Blackbird spy plane. Fortunately for the field of biofeedback, Tom pursued new directions in the late 1960s, and brought his

Consumer and military interest in biofeedback and neurofeedback services has increased. BCIA-accredited didactic training programs report greater enrollment. BCIA's applications for our three certification programs (biofeedback, neurofeedback, and pelvic muscle dysfunction biofeedback) are 20% higher than 2010. This is the time to redouble your marketing efforts to take advantage of our field's rising popularity. Although new media services offer unprecedented opportunities to communicate with your audience, they also carry unparalleled risks.

Helen Budzynski, widow and collaborator of Thomas Budzynski, describes his life and work, from his early involvement with the SR-71 Blackbird, through his doctoral dissertation research on the use of feedback to induce muscle relaxation, to the first commercial production of a muscle biofeedback device, the development of the Twilight Learning neurofeedback protocol, and his research on the use of sound and light stimulation to modify brain processes.

Tom Budzynski's background and professional life are described. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Tom earned his electrical engineering degree at the University of Detroit, then worked for the aerospace industry in Southern California for several years, a period that included work on the Blackbird spy plane. Later, while a graduate student at the University of Colorado, he developed the first practical surface electromyogram feedback device, receiving his PhD in experimental psychology in 1969. In his biofeedback studies, he worked extensively with stress-related disorders, pioneering many widely used techniques. In his later years, he carried out research and clinical studies using electroencephalogram brain wave feedback. We recognize Tom both as a major innovator in biofeedback and as a great friend.

Special Issue: Remembering and Honoring Thomas H. Budzynski

Editor's Introduction

Savvy Marketing Strategies for BCIA Certificants

The Tom Budzynski That I Knew

In Memoriam: Tom Budzynski, Friend and Colleague

Tom Budzynski: The Hero of Neurofeedback

Thomas Budzynski: My Mentor, My Friend

Discovering Neurotechnology with Tom Budzynski

A Guy Named Tom

Twilight Learning Revisited ¹

The Published Works of Thomas H. Budzynski, PhD

REPORT: Report from FABBS Meeting

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT: Establishing a University-Based Biofeedback Clinic for Practice, Education, and Research

SPECIAL ISSUE: The Impact of a Romantic Partner on Patient Experience of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback

SPECIAL ISSUE: Pain—There Is Hope

ABSTRACTS: Abstracts of Papers Presented at the 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback