Comparison
Passive vs active neurofeedback
Passive neurofeedback is any approach where a person sits still and the equipment does the work, while active neurofeedback is any approach where a person responds to feedback in order to practice a skill.
Microcurrent neurofeedback sits firmly on the passive side. Screen based training sits firmly on the active side.
What is the difference between passive and active neurofeedback?
The difference is effort. In an active session your attention is the instrument. You watch a display or listen to a tone, and the feedback responds to what your brain is doing while you try to hold a state.
In a passive session your attention is irrelevant to the process. Nothing changes if you close your eyes, drift off, or think about your grocery list.
| Dimension | Passive, including microcurrent | Active, including screen based training |
|---|---|---|
| What you do | Sit still. No task at all. | Attend to feedback and hold a state. |
| Feedback channel | A brief low current signal at the sensors. | Visual or audio feedback on a display. |
| Effort required | None. | Sustained attention for most of the session. |
| Typical active time | Seconds of signal inside a longer appointment. | Twenty to forty minutes of engaged training. |
| Skill learned | None is claimed. | The practice is framed as learning. |
| Suitability when tired | Fine. Fatigue changes nothing. | Harder. Attention is the mechanism. |
| Session length | Short. The rest is quiet time. | Longer, because training takes time. |
Which approach is better?
Neither approach has earned the right to be called better. The evidence base for both is thinner than the marketing around them, and direct comparisons between the two are scarce.
The honest framing is a fit question. Some people want to do nothing for an hour. Others want a practice they can work at. Those are different preferences, not a ranking.
Can you do both?
People do. They are separate practices with separate providers and separate costs, and combining them makes it harder to attribute anything you notice to either one.
If you are trying to understand what does something for you, changing one variable at a time is the more useful path.
Which one do we offer?
We offer passive sessions only, using a biofeedback device cleared for relaxation training and muscle reeducation. We do not run screen based training and we will not pretend to be neutral about our own scope.
If active training is what you want, we would rather tell you that plainly than sell you something adjacent.
Questions people ask about this
Please read this
Momentous Neurofeedback is a wellness practice. We use an FDA-cleared biofeedback device indicated for relaxation training and muscle reeducation.
We do not provide medical care and we do not assess or identify health conditions. We make no promise about any outcome, and nothing on this site should be read as one.
Sessions are not a substitute for care from a licensed clinician. If you have a health concern, speak with your own provider. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.
Not sure which fits you
Ask us. If active training suits you better, we will say so, and we will not try to talk you into a booking.