We hope that you will find the information you need about the retirement of Waterfalls and Tunnels below. If you wish, you may reach out to us via the form at the bottom of this page with your comments, questions.
After Session Views (Tunnels & Waterfalls) are being retired. This means that they will be completely removed from future versions of NeurOptimal®. In NeurOptimal® 3.5, they are still available, but they are turned off by default and can be enabled in Preferences.
Why are Waterfalls and Tunnels being retired?
We are retiring Waterfalls and Tunnels in an effort to stay in line with our vision and approach, as well as simplifying our product. Waterfalls and Tunnels were never meant to be used by NeurOptimal® Trainers and end-users, as they do not provide useful data for this segment of user. Their availability has caused confusion within parts of our community. So, in order to stay in line with our vision of being easy to use and our philosophy of tracking real life shifts being the only way to note what effect NeurOptimal® is having on any individual, they are (finally!) being retired.
Why were Waterfalls and Tunnels in NeurOptimal® to begin with, if they were never meant to be used?
When NeurOptimal® (formerly NeuroCARE® Pro) began its development back in the late 1990’s, the Neurofeedback Community was exclusively linear and the linear approach was blended into our software, in the form of pre and post baselines run with each Session for analysis. The problem with analysis is the human brain is not linear, one person is very different from the next, and sensor hookups from one day to the next are never alike. These facts erode the usefulness of the analysis of absolute data. It became clear with time that a FAR more useful method for evaluating shifts was to review real world changes in the quality of a user’s life experience. Our “Tracking Tools” are the result, found in PASS and here: https://neuroptimal.com/new-user-resources/.
But I need Waterfalls and Tunnels to look professional to my Clients!
Waterfalls and Tunnels weren’t designed to be used by Trainers and there is no way to interpret anything useful to an end-user by looking at them. If you feel dependent on showing them to your Clients, they are being misinformed. We strongly advise against giving any authority to these graphs and recommend moving all your Clients over to the various Tracking Tools we have available in PASS and here: https://neuroptimal.com/new-user-resources/ as soon as possible. Allowing them to track their own shifts returns the power back to them, which is exactly in line with the philosophy behind NeurOptimal®. The service you provide your Clients as you greet them and hook them up, the conversation you have with them and the connection you make will determine the level of professionalism they assign to you.
When will Waterfalls and Tunnels be fully retired?
Don’t worry, you still have some time to shift over to your new way of working. Only in a future NeurOptimal® version will they disappear completely.
Do I have to update? Can I just keep the old version?
You do not have to update, but in order for us to be able to support your system technically it needs to have the latest version of NeurOptimal® installed. We recognize that sometimes change can be difficult, bumpy or scary. But we encourage you to jump right in. Make use of that resilience that you’ve built up by doing NeurOptimal® Sessions! You’ll get used to it; we promise. Staying updated will also give you access to any other exciting changes we make in future releases.
How do I enable Waterfalls and Tunnels in NeurOptimal® v3.5?
For now, you can access them through the preferences panel (tools > preferences > system preferences > VAULT > Show Tunnels and Waterfalls Menu Items), however we recommend transitioning to a work flow that does not incorporate them in preparation of their retirement.
