The Problem of Homelessness Among Veterans
by Siegfried Othmer, PhD Why is there a problem of homelessness among veterans? Indeed there is a shortage of affordable housing in Los Angeles, but that is not the real issue here. Rather, we are confronted with a problem of the brain. Homeless veterans are not able to sustain relationships, and eventually they find […]
On Mindfulness
by Siegfried Othmer, PhD Former governor Pete Wilson of California has been quoted as saying, “I tried introspection once, and I didn’t like it.” He had been a Marine in his earlier life, and it is not entirely surprising that the mentality of a Marine would not settle easily into a meditation routine. I actually […]
Virtual Reality
by Siegfried Othmer, PhD Developments in the virtual reality sphere were another highlight of the latest Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Matters were raised to a higher level of visibility even before the conference, when Facebook pumped $2B into Oculus. A billion here, a billion there; pretty soon you are talking about real money. […]
“The Next Big Thing”
by Siegfried Othmer, PhD A common concern among those paid to worry about the society in general, and the economy in particular, is what we may expect to see as the main driving force for change in the near future. The emerging sharing economy may be one of the best candidates for transformative change. And […]
BSC 2014: Sigi Hale on ADHD
by Siegfried Othmer, PhD I n one fast-paced hour, Sigi Hale of the UCLA Department of Psychiatry recapitulated his graduate work, his postgraduate work, and his research since that time with reference to ADHD. The body of work was largely concerned with the lateralization of function, which yielded new insights on ADHD. The specifics are […]
BSC 2014: Eric Peper
by Siegfried Othmer, PhD E ric Peper entertained us with a discussion of just how much can be accomplished with attention to basic lifestyle issues such as diet, exercise, breathing, and posture. In a participatory session, the audience experienced directly the importance of posture in mood regulation and functional competence—even physical strength. Posture has a […]
BSC 2014: Bob Grove on Clinical Skill Development
by Siegfried Othmer, PhD B ob Grove is one of the encyclopedic minds in the biofeedback field, one who has been involved in software development for some decades, but he has also been steeped in research and practice. The research involvement has tended to be unheralded, as his contribution tended to be in background through […]
Thoughts on the Police and NFL Scandals
by Siegfried Othmer, PhD In recent months we have been sensitized once again to the problem of police violence perpetrated against men in their custody. The most famous cases persist in one’s memory—Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Eric Garner in New York, Ezell Ford in Los Angeles. And then there was also Tamir Rice, the […]