Biofeedback is a means by which a person can mentally influence a natural physiologic process that may or may not be consciously regulated under normal conditions. This could include lowering blood pressure, regulating the heart rate, or influencing the skin temperature.

As a form of therapy, biofeedback is a relatively recent development that has begun to gain acceptance among some members of the medical community. Research in the topic began in the 1960s, and by the end of the decade a number of research projects had demonstrated its effectiveness. While some early studies indicated that physiologic processes not usually under conscious control could not be influenced by biofeedback, subsequent research soon disproved this assumption.

During the 1970s, biofeedback developed a devout following and as a result an entire industry was created for the manufacture and marketing of the instruments used to measure biofeedback alterations and alpha rhythms in...