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I purchased StressEraser Portable Biofeedback device because I have been searching for ways on how to calm down my nerves. I noticed that I tend to forget things and get angry very without apparent effort when I’m stressed out. I want to undertake this product and see if it may help me. I purchased it for $250 online and I’ve been using it for 2 weeks already. First, I like it because it is so handy. It looks like a pager that you may put in your pocket and use anytime you need to. Whenever you feel stressed out, all you need to do is to put it out, put your finger on the percentage where you insert your finger and then follow it is instruction. The instruction will tell you when you will breathe in and breathe out. It’s a finelooking cool gadget. Basically, it helps you make your breath slower. The manual says that studies have shown that decelerating down your breath will have substantial effect on your state of mind. The biofeedback device will measure your pulse and will tell you if you’re doing the breathing correctly. If you’re doing it the right way and you’re getting less stressed out, 3 cubes will appear in the monitor. If you are not following it and you still have a fast pulse rhythm, 1 cube will appear which means that your performance is not good. It is like a trainer that tells you precisely your condition and what to do in regards to it. While you’re doing it, it guides you until the time that you achieved your goal of having slower breathing and calmer mind. So far, after 2 weeks of using it each time I feel that I will get angry and pissed off or each time I feel I’m pressured with deadlines at work, I just put it out and follow the instructions. |
Using an infrared sensor, the StressEraser measures HRV from the pulse in your fingertip and displays it as a wave. |
Bad Waves. When you’re stressed, your wave is jagged and spiky. |
Good Waves. When you’re relaxed, your wave becomes smooth and consistent, like a sine wave. |
How It Works
From beat to beat, your heart rate naturally increments and decreases in a cycle, known as HRV, or Heart Rate Variability. Using an infrared sensor, the StressEraser measures HRV from the pulse in your fingertip and displays it as a wave. HRV is considered to be the most accurate, non-invasive measurement of your nervous scheme activity. HRV biofeedback is clinically proven over decades of peer-reviewed exploration to publicize stress relief and relaxation training.
The wave is like a window into your nervous system. When you’re stressed, your wave is jagged and spiky; when you’re relaxed, your wave becomes smooth and consistent, like a sine wave.
How You Use It
The StressEraser uses simple biofeedback symbols — squares and triangles — to cue your breathing. Triangles indicate the “peak” of the wave — that is, the most immediate point of your heart rate in your HRV cycle. Squares provide a scoring system for your waves, so you recognise when you are concentered and breathing properly.
Your goal is to time your inhale/exhale rate so that you begin your exhale at the moment that the triangle appears at the wave peak. It may take various triangles for you to completely sync up, so be patient. There’s no hurry! Remember your goal is to relax.
Studies show that HRV biofeedback shows more gains over time. After a few days and weeks, you’ll be capable to relax in just minutes. The more you use it, the better you’ll feel!
What’s in the Box
StressEraser personal biofeedback device, Owner’s Manual, Quick-Start card, Warranty registration card, two AAA batteries, protective case
Most helpful customer reviews
214 of 218 people found the following review helpful.
Fantastic device, probably not for “hardcore” meditators
By Russell Christopher
I have a long time, twice-a-day meditation practice which includes breathing techniques, but was curious about this device anyway. So, I bought it on impulse. It is impressive, but simple and easy to use. I’d recommend it to anyone who doesn’t have some sort of regular (2-3 times daily) stress-relief practice in place. It’s function is simple – you simply breath in, then exhale when the device prompts you to. The tool sort of “teaches” you how to breath based on feedback on the screen, and as you learn to focus on the breath…poof, you stop worrying about other stuff.
160 of 163 people found the following review helpful.A little expensive, but it works great for me
By Mark B
I bought this thing because I was curious about it, thought I’d try it out and intended on sending it back once I convinced myself that it was a glorified breathing machine. Well, the thing works for me so I won’t be sending it back.
You can read about the theory behind it at their website, but basically it measures your heart rate variability which in turn is supposed to reflect your emotional state. The device prompts you to breath out at a certain time to bring your HRV to an optimum level, which it measures by giving you a rating of 1-3 cubes at the bottom of the screen, 1 being bad and 3 being good.
The first thing that I wanted to know was whether it accurately reflected my mental state, which I doubted it would. So I’ve tried thinking about something stressful at random times during periods when I was otherwise relaxed (3 cubes) and it gives me 1 cube pretty much every time. 1 cube definitely feels worse than 3 cubes. I’ve repeated this many times over and I don’t doubt now that it can tell if I’ve gone from a relaxing state of mind to a stressful one. I can also tell now, based on how I feel, when I will get 1 cube vs. 3. This has turned out to be useful information because I can make myself feel relaxed without having to use the device, so I think the biofeedback component is really useful – it has helped me train myself to relax. It’s a bit like a relaxation coach. I still can’t get as relaxed on my own as I can using it, but maybe in time I’ll be able to.
The next thing I was interested in is whether this thing is any better than just sitting there and breathing calmly. Having convinced myself that it accurately predicts whether I’m stressed, I’ve tried to test this by ignoring the breathing prompts and just breathing in a nice calm manner and recording how many 3 cubes vs. 1 cubes I got in 15 minutes and comparing that number with the one obtained from breathing based on prompts for 15 minutes. Generally I get about 30-40% more using the prompts. The difference seems to be decreasing, but I think that’s because I have learned to breath the way it wants me to w/out the prompts. Basically I’m getting better at using breathing to decrease stress so I don’t need to rely on the device as much. At the beginning though, I wasn’t too good at using breathing to calm myself.
Obviously I can’t tell if this works for everyone, and I bet some people are good at using deep breathing to calm themselves so that they wouldn’t benefit so much from this, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised in that it’s not a scam and it has helped me to de-stress without drinking a bottle of wine every night like I used to do (kidding). I’d like to see the price come down though.
103 of 108 people found the following review helpful.The Real Deal
By SanDiegoDude
This might seem to be a gimmick along the lines of the thigh-master or the ronco fish-a-matic.
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Sort of like a personal trainer for relaxing
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’ve enjoyed using the product and it does help me to relax. Of course, if you will simply pause several times a day and focus on relaxed, deliberate breathing for a few minutes, you will achieve most of the same effect. Trouble is, who does that without some prompting? The StressEraser helps make this effort more interesting and helps you focus through both visual and auditory cues. The first few minutes that I use it, nothing seems to be going on, but if I continue for about 5 minutes, I become very relaxed. I use it each night before bedtime and also usually in the middle of the workday, at lunch.
immediate, organic relaxation and overwhelming desire to sleep!–no more meds, thanks
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’m a generally stressed out medical student who has been on and off antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications for almost a decade. After using the stress eraser for less than five minutes I immediately feel calm and have an overwhelming sense of calm and a desire to sleep. Honestly, I can’t imagine getting back on the meds, mainly because they just weren’t as effective as using this device and their side-effects are undesirable. As a result of using the stress eraser (10-15 minutes before bedtime) I no longer have trouble sleeping and the sleep I get is always restful, and not ridden with stressful dreams like before.
As a student of medicine I understand that when I’m stressed I am in “fight or flight” mode. This so called “sympathetic” response is amazingly strong and in most people reaches its height during exceptional events, when we need to run quickly, think fast, and flee from danger (we’ve all heard of the grandmother who lifted a car to save her grandchild. Her sympathetic system activation helped make that possible). As someone prone to anxiety and stress, this “fight or flight” reaction almost seems like the normal baseline state for me. Countering the sympathetic responses are the “parasympathetic” or “rest and digest” state. These turn our body’s focus to a lowered heart rate and a restful state.
It makes sense that if our sympathetic responses can be amazingly strong (grandmother lifting car), it reasons that our parasympathetic responses should be at least as potent in a reciprocal way. This device has helped me hone in on the strength of parasympathetic response. This biofeedback stress eraser has shown me that an overwhelming parasympathetic response does exist!
Because the device gives you immediate, positive feedback on your heart rate and how appropriate your breathing is, I can learn how best to breathe to counter stress. Because I’m focusing on the graphical images and striving for a good breathing pattern, I’m engaged as though meditating. Even though I’ve been practicing yoga for the last 4 years, I’ve still had trouble controlling my mind and relaxing during meditation without a lot of time and effort. This device has relaxed me more than a yoga session, but in a fraction of the time. Of course I’m still sticking with the yoga because it definitely helps and it’s good physical exercise, but I can’t go to yoga class every time I’m stressed! What I can do, however, is whip out this little guy and take five minutes out of my day to relax.
THIS IS AN INVALUABLE DEVICE!
One-trick pony
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is an expensive gadget that essentially teaches you one breathing exercise, and teaches it well: Inhale slowly, through your nose, until your lungs are nearly full, then exhale for about 3 seconds. Pause for 1 second, then repeat. Of course, seeing your body’s response to this relaxing pattern is much more useful than just hearing it described, and it is relaxing indeed.
But after several days’ practice, I find that the biofeedback has become superfluous. In a way, that’s good: I’ve learned something from this device that no book could have taught me. But it also means that I don’t have any more use for the thing, after paying a lot of money for it. Fortunately, there is no shortage of stressed-out people for me to pass it along to.
surprisingly helpful
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
With its somewhat spendy pricetag, I was fairly skeptical about the device. Its competition is definitely yoga classes or other means of practicing meditation and breath control. I think those are great options for managing stress. The beauty of this device comes from time savings (I get meaningful benefit from a 7 minute break with the device) and its portability, so I can use it most anywhere, although a relatively quiet and undisturbed location is ideal. It’s also great for winding down before bed.
For me, the effect is like a quick nap; relaxing and energizing. It’s uncanny.
As other commenters have pointed out, it’s well-built and and presented with good documentation, not that most people would need the documentation. It’s intuitive to get started with and use.
Try it. If it works for you, it’s money well spent.
It really works
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
When this first arrived, I felt it wasn’t teaching me anything I didn’t already know (as a few others have mentioned), as I was able to do it perfectly (getting three squares each time) right out of the box. I planned to return it, got authorization for it from the company (who are very easy-going about returns, which makes it worth giving this a try to see if it works for you). Then something really stressful happened a few days later, and I decided to give it one last try. I found it very hard to breathe correctly and get the three squares going, which made me realize I just had not been at all stressed the first few times I did it. This time around, the line created was a jagged mess, and it really did help me to reduce my stress greatly. It is unquestionably pricey, but I also wanted to mention what a high-quality product it is — heavy, glossy, steel or maybe aluminum? It looks almost like an iPod and is very user-friendly and nicely designed. So yes, it is pricey, but not a cheap piece of plastic like I was expecting. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a chemical-free way to reduce your stress.
Nice product
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a great product. I have been doing yoga/meditation for years. Both are great techniques for relaxation. With this device I am better able to get a focused effort as I am in sync with my breath. Great after some intense workout like cardio/weights etc.
Great product!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This product has been a great way for me to practice my deep breathing on a regular basis. It’s fun to see how you are doing and it’s very interesting to see how your breathing patterns change due to stress. My teenage kids also found it to be very relaxing.
seems like a gimmick, but it’s not
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This might seem to be a gimmick along the lines of the thigh-master or the ronco fish-a-matic.
Surprisingly, it works fabulously – I started using it when I had a couple of business deals that were having problems out of my control. I found myself relaxed and able to make decisions and able to let go of the things out of my control, and able to enjoy my time when I wasn’t working w/o worrying about the deals. I was able to compartamentalize things much better than in the past.
I think this device can be called “mediation reminder for non-new-age types.” By having the box, which is about the size of a deck of cards, sitting on my desk, I remember to use it, whereas I’ve never been able to remember to meditate, despite all the positive press about it. I also like that the product literature describes the process as activing your parasympathetic nervous system (which you can confirm actually does exist) rather than painting it as some sort of spiritual journey. I wish this device had existed when I was in grad school.
The benefits of meditation have been scientifically proven, but too often the messengers are the crystal channeling/aromatherapy/past lives types, who while usually sweet people, aren’t as believable as say an article in a medical journal. This device is for those who want the physical effects w/o the new-agey story attached. Try it.
Don’t buy this
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Don’t buy this. It breaks down and no one from the company will ever call you back.
Works well, fairly intuitive
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this product after learning about the subject of heart coherence from HeartMath. The writers at HeartMath claim one of the best ways to enter coherence is to focus on feelings of love, appreciation, gratitude or compassion. What I have noticed when I am using the StressEraser is that if I am not looking at the screen but am instead only using the beeping sound to know when to exhale while mentally focusing the way HeartMath recommends, my readings usually go into the 2-3 cube territory and my breathing naturally starts to match my HRV w/o my trying to do so. When I am actively looking at the screen and using my eyes to watch the HRV line go up and down to time my breathing, the coherence is not nearly as good.
So I enjoy that function. The LED screen is nice, but is somewhat distracting. I notice when I am getting jagged readings in my heart rate variability, closing my eyes and focusing on positive emotions puts me back into coherence.
But that raises the question of do I even need a biofeedback device if simply focusing on positive emotions puts me in coherence. But having a string of 2 and 3 cubes in the upper right corner when I open my eyes is nice to see and shows that I have been entering coherence.
So all in all, the device seems to work but it seems to more ‘record’ my meditations rather than ‘guide’ them. When I am entering coherence by focusing on positive emotions, my breathing and HRV sync up naturally and I really don’t think I even need a biofeedback device at that point.
May be OK if it works
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This product seemed to work at times and at others I turned it on, inserted my finger, and a dotted line just proceeded across the middle of the screen. I gave it a few minutes and nothing happened. Then I tried warming up my hands and reinstalling the batteries but no luck. Maybe I have a weak pulse or something? Or maybe it’s just defective.
The two times it did work I found that breathing out to a count of seven and breathing in to a count of eight quickly resulted in continuous 3 dot scores. I got 40 in a row ten or so minutes after opening the package. Maybe its chief value is in telling you what your ideal breathing pattern is. But in all fairness, I do think it worked a little better when I followed the prompts.
Three dot scores don’t necessarily result in happiness, however. I found myself getting angry that I had just spent about $150 on a machine that didn’t take much effort to get right. Then I noticed that even though I was getting angry I was still getting three dot scores which irritated me more.
Anyway, I was going to use it for about 30 days in a row and see if regular use really did make a difference in generally making me feel less stressed or better as a whole. But it just wasn’t working most of the time so I returned it.
Not a miracle, but a helpful tool
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The stress eraser was not easy to master, one has to hold it in a particular position to make it work. If you tend to have cold hands, you need to warm them first (such as rub your index finger, use a heating pad, wash hands in warm water and dry thoroughly). When I use the stress erasure, i experience anxiety relief during and immediately after the session. But I have to use it consistently throughout the day to get all day relief. It is particularly effective for middle of the night insomnia. It hasn’t made it possible for me to stop using anti-anxiety meds, but I haven’t increased my dosage since I began using it. It is very expensive, but anyone who suffers from extreme anxiety knows that even a little burst of relief and having some degree of control over the condition is priceless.
doesn’t work
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
The machine performed for a few minutes. Then it kept telling me that my finger was squeezing the sensor. (My finger was barely touching the sensor.) Then there was a problem with too much light in the room. In semi-darkness there was still too much light. I called the manufacturer twice. The person answering said the matter would have to be taken up with another department. The second time she said she would “personally walk the request over to the other department.” I never heard from them. Trying to return the item, I was told that it had to be in the original packaging (how often can you open an item without destroying the original packaging?). Buyer beware!
Amazing device for dealing with insomnia
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve had this device for a couple of years. I use the StressEraser for around 20-25 minutes before bed each night and I fall asleep faster and sleep better. No complaints, no caveats. Yes, you could probably find the same benefit from disciplined meditation and focused breathing but I find it is enormously helpful to have the onscreen feedback to help focus my thoughts. Well worth the price.
Worked well for two weeks
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I purchased this item directly from the manufacturer to take advantage of the warranty and I’m very glad I did. The unit worked as advertized for two weeks–although it was a bit tricky to get the hang of–but then it just stopped displaying correctly and would turn itself off. I contacted the company and was told they could try troubleshooting with me but wouldn’t confirm that the item was defective. I ended up sending it back and was charged a lot for shipping both ways. Definitely not worth two weeks of use. Buyer beware on this one!