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Do you often struggle to stay focused, resist distractions, or manage stress effectively?

These challenges are more common than you think. In fact, half of the total adult population worldwide believe their attention spans are getting shorter, not to mention the infamous spike in the number of people diagnosed with mental health conditions. That’s where Mendi comes in.

Mendi is a technologically advanced neurofeedback device that can improve cognitive performance. The brain is quite malleable from this point of view. You can really change how it reacts to different stimuli simply by training it. And the Mendi device does just that. How? Find out below!

Key Takeaways - Why Choose Mendi?

• Cutting-edge fNIRS technology. Mendi is a neurofeedback brain training device that uses functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology to enhance cognitive function. The sensors target the prefrontal cortex and measure oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin.
• User-friendliness and engaging gamification. While wearing the Mendi headband, you have to play a game on the Mendi app. In essence, you should get the ball on the screen as high as you can using the power of your mind. Over time, this can improve your focus, stress resilience, and overall well-being both physically and mentally.
• Accessible pricing and risk-free trial. Mendi costs only $299 with no additional app subscription fees, in-app purchases, or usage-related costs. This makes it one of the most affordable neurofeedback devices on the market. Mendi also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

What Is Mendi?

Mendi is a cutting-edge brain training device designed to measure and enhance brain function. It was introduced to the consumer market in 2020 by the Swedish neurotechnology start-up Mendi Innovations AB.

“Mendi was created thanks to curiosity and networking,” states Rickard Eklöf, the co-founder of Mendi. “I came across neurofeedback in 2017 through a colleague. I was fascinated by the technology, the science behind it, and the application of a consumer product.”

The Mendi device is praised for its use of advanced fNIRS technology, delivering signal quality validated to be comparable to laboratory equipment. While other fNIRS devices exist, they are primarily medical or research-grade systems. Mendi, on the other hand, is a consumer-grade fNIRS neurofeedback device that stands out from other consumer-grade neurofeedback systems using EEG technology.

Consumers also praised the Mendi headband for its user-friendly design and engaging gamification. Paired with the headband, the app provides real-time feedback through an interactive game — fun and functional. But how does it all come together? Let’s have a closer look.

How Mendi Works

As mentioned earlier, Mendi uses functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology. But before going into too many details about this, we've decided to let our co-founder, Rickard Eklöf, explain the technology himself:

“fNIRS is actually really cool! It's basically the same as shining a flashlight on your brain. fNIRS technology uses electromagnetic radiation, or light, of specific wavelengths. So, the product is engineered in such a way that it infers characteristics of the blood flow in the area where it's measured.”

In this regard, fNIRS measures oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. We'll get to that in a minute, but first, let's quickly clarify what neuroplasticity is and its role in neurofeedback.

What Is Neuroplasticity?

Neurofeedback works particularly due to our brain's neuroplasticity. In other words, our brain is like a muscle, it can be trained and changed through growth and reorganization. It can be rewired to work differently through feedback and practice.

Well, since neurofeedback is, as its name implies, a method for us to get a glimpse into what's happening in our brains, it allows us to understand how we can take advantage of our brains' neuroplasticity to improve its performance. And fNIRS is one of the methods through which neurofeedback is performed.

Now, what about the oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin?

Oxygenated and Deoxygenated Hemoglobin

As stated above, fNIRS actually measures the amount of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. What does this mean? Here's Rickard Eklöf's input:

“There's this vascular system that makes your blood go around and around in circles, with the heart being the engine - it's basically pumping the blood around. And then, it passes through the lungs, and the lungs oxygenate the blood.

Now, there have been a lot of experiments looking at what is inside the actual blood that goes around your body, and there's a particular protein called hemoglobin.

Hemoglobin is interesting because it can carry oxygen very, very well, and it can release it very well. It's basically the carrier of oxygen inside your body. So, hemoglobin can either be oxygenated - meaning it has bound oxygen to it - or it can be deoxygenated - meaning it has released oxygen to some cells.

All cells in your body, including your neurons, require oxygen to work. And hemoglobin is such an efficient oxygen carrier that it's really important for your function.

So, engineers have found out that if you shine light of different wavelengths on oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, it interacts with that particular wavelength of light differently, and based on that, you can calculate the relative levels of oxygenated hemoglobin vs deoxygenated level.”

What Does It Say About Brain Function?

If you're new to the field, you're probably wondering how this can help train your brain, right? Let’s take it step by step.

The more focused you are, the more oxygen your brain needs. When you're doing a cognitive task, neurons in a specific brain part become more active and consume more oxygen.

As such, the more engaged you are in a particular activity, the more oxygen your brain consumes. This signals your body to trigger something called hemodynamic response which allows the rapid delivery of blood to neuronal tissues that need it. Therefore, when you're engaged in a cognitive task, the levels of oxygenated hemoglobin remain high. And that's what fNIRS measures. That's how it detects your brain activity and how focused you are.

While measurement is indeed a key part of understanding brain activity, the training part is how the brain learns through feedback–this is where neurofeedback comes in. By receiving real-time feedback on brain activity, you can gradually train your brain to reach and maintain the desired focused state.

Prefrontal Cortex - Its Role in Mendi Training

We're not done yet! There's another important thing to discuss - the prefrontal cortex. When you put your Mendi headband on, the light sensors face your forehead, where the prefrontal cortex is located. As such, our devices measure blood flow and oxygenation in that area. But what is the prefrontal cortex, and why does Mendi target it?

The prefrontal cortex represents the front part of the frontal lobe, which is the largest of the four lobes of your brain. The prefrontal cortex plays a crucial role in:

• Planning
• Making decisions
• Controlling and regulating your emotions and behavior
• Solving problems
• Understanding and predicting behavior consequences
• Focusing your attention
• Outlining long-term goals

In short, much of what we think and decide is orchestrated within the prefrontal cortex. It controls our attention, emotions, learning process, and other cognitive functions. The Mendi device offers you a glimpse into what happens in your prefrontal cortex while you're engaged in a cognitive task.

Evidence has shown that a well-trained prefrontal cortex can improve quality of life and academic outcomes. Training your prefrontal cortex through neurofeedback enhances sensory processing, improves focus, aids in managing stress, and strengthens emotional regulation.

How Much Does the Mendi Headband Cost?

The Mendi headband costs only $299 and includes:

• the Mendi headband
• a charging cable
• a Mendi brain health app with lifetime access; it is accessible for both iOS and Android systems, specifically smartphones.

We also offer the possibility to pay in 4 interest-free payments through Klarna or save up to 30% if you pay with HSA/FSA. Furthermore, if you're a new client, you get a 10% discount.

We offer free international shipping, although duties and taxes aren't included in the price, so you'll have to check local regulations regarding this. Moreover, Mendi offers a 100% money-back guarantee, not to mention ongoing customer support if you have any questions.

How to Use the Mendi Headband?

The first step toward a healthier you is downloading the Mendi app. It is the interface for your training sessions. Once the app is installed, position the Mendi headband with its sensors centered on your forehead, just below the hairline and above the eyebrows.

After positioning the headband, turn it on by pressing the power button and open the app. You'll have to let it calibrate for a bit before starting your neurofeedback training session per se. This is needed to determine baseline blood flow.

To ensure more accurate results, it's recommended to start the session when your mind is clear. This way, our neurofeedback device will record exactly how much your prefrontal cortex activity increases. Also, it’s recommended to conduct training sessions in a relaxed environment away from direct sunlight. To help you achieve a relaxed state, the Mendi app includes a pre-session breathing exercise.

The session starts when you open the game in the Mendi app. Your goal is to lift the ball on the screen as high as possible. All you have to do is look at the screen and concentrate on the ball. Your prefrontal activity increases as you focus, the light sensors detect that increase, and the ball goes up. When you don't focus enough on the ball, it goes down.

How Often Should You Use Mendi?

You can start with short sessions of only five minutes, three times a week. Then, you can gradually increase the duration and the frequency if you feel comfortable. As mentioned, the most important thing about neurofeedback is consistency.

Now, you may find it quite hard to move the ball upwards initially, and that can feel discouraging, but don't give up! It's completely normal, and almost everyone goes through this.

Training your brain can be difficult at first, just like with meditation, yoga, or any other practice that requires dedication. Just keep going, and you'll notice soon enough that your mind learns to stay focused day by day!

Benefits of Mendi Brain Training

Mendi brain training offers a range of benefits aimed at cognitive function and overall brain health.

But first - the real-time feedback provided by the device can really help you stay motivated! This is extremely important because neurofeedback only works if you do it regularly.

What about the cognitive benefits? Let's see!

Improved Focus

Did you know that the average attention span of a human is only 8.25 seconds? Johann Hari, a writer and journalist who investigated why our attention spans have shortened, stated: “We are living in a serious attention crisis - one with huge implications for how we live. [...] Your focus didn't collapse. It was stolen.”

After an interview with neuroscientist Earl Miller, Johann Hari stated that “[t]he average teenager now believes they can follow six forms of media at the same time [but] they are actually juggling. Earl Miller himself confirmed that people are switching back and forth [...] reconfiguring their brain moment-to-moment, task-to-task. [...] You have to remember what you were doing before, and you have to remember what you thought about it [and] your performance drops.”

Sounds familiar? It definitely does to us - been there, done that! With the amount of distractions around us, it's unsurprising that our ability to focus has lost ground. Well, neurofeedback can help regain that focus. It trains us to say no to distractions, to say no to unwanted thoughts that cross our minds, tempting us to stop what we're doing and follow their course of action.

Better Emotion Regulation

Because the prefrontal cortex is highly involved in emotion regulation, fNIRS, implicitly the Mendi device, takes you closer to an improved self from this point of view.

Over time, you may find yourself making decisions easier, managing your emotions and anxiety easier, and being more resilient to stress and triggers. It goes without saying that this can significantly improve quality of life.

Overall Well-Being

The less stressed you feel, the better for both your physical and mental health. The more productive you are at work, the more time you have for yourself and your family. The more relaxed you are, the better you sleep. You see, everything is interconnected, and at the core of this network sits the prefrontal cortex and its resilience against various triggers, which is why fNIRS neurofeedback can be a real game changer!

Naturally, you won't feel better overnight. It takes time to rewire your brain and feel a positive change in your life. This is why consistency is key when it comes to neurofeedback!

User Experience with Mendi

The Mendi device has been tested and reviewed by several neuroscience experts who were impressed by its technology and mechanism of action.

Furthermore, research collaborations are leveraging the Mendi device to explore its potential in enhancing stress management and preventing burnout in high-pressure professionals.

Thousands of people have used the Mendi device since its launch, including elite athletes, executives, entrepreneurs, and world-class artists. And their experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. They've noticed that their sleep improved, their anxiety wasn't that severe anymore, and their thoughts started leaning toward positivity rather than negativity.

Wayne Adam from Canada stated, “I guess the most fundamental difference is a sense of well-being, hope, and a brain that I am in control of for the first time in decades. I am 55 years old and my brain is better than when I was 25.”

What Makes Mendi Better than Other Neurofeedback Devices?

Without a doubt, Mendi stands out in the consumer industry thanks to its implementation of fNIRS technology, being the first of its kind. Other neurofeedback devices, such as Muse, mostly rely on EEG technology. It's not so much that fNIRS is better or worse than EEG; the difference between them is their mechanism and target.

While fNIRS measures mainly blood flow and oxygenation, EEG measures brain waves. As per Rickard Eklöf,

“The deficit of EEG is that it captures many neurons across the brain and gives you an output in the frequency domain in regard to a particular brain area. But it doesn't say that much about that area. Neuroscience researchers are more interested in using the fNIRS approach or a combination of fNIRS and EEG because fNIRS measures a local area. This is important because you can draw more conclusions based on that. You can do what's called functional imaging of the brain, meaning you can see different areas of your brain lighting up in a specific order, and that's how you map the way the brain works.”

Another difference between fNIRS and EEG neurofeedback devices lies in their sensitivity to movement. This means that if you're using an EEG device, you have to remain completely still, while Mendi can provide accurate results even if you're moving a little. Another advantage of fNIRS is that, unlike EEG, it's not susceptible to noise, so there's no need to be in a quiet room while training your brain, and you can speak during your sessions.

Safety and Side Effects

Mendi is 100% safe. The light it uses is infrared light, which is non-invasive. It can be used by anyone, be it adults or children (5+).

We must stress the fact that, at the moment, Mendi is not a medical device. Its goal is solely to improve brain function and mental well-being. If you need to diagnose or treat a medical condition, you should consult with a healthcare professional before using the Mendi headband.

Ready to Start Your Journey with Mendi?

Your path to improved mental health is just a step away! Get your Mendi headband today and experience the benefits firsthand. And if you have any questions, our dedicated team is here to help you every step of the way - reach out anytime. Let’s build a stronger mind together!

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Mendi help with anxiety?

Mendi can potentially help with anxiety because it can train your mind to think positively and ultimately control your thoughts more efficiently, thus minimizing fear, panic, and insecurity. However, Mendi is not a medical device, and you should consult with your doctor before using it for anxiety.

Does Mendi work for ADHD?

Mendi can potentially alleviate ADHD symptoms because it trains your ability to focus and improves your attention span. However, Mendi is not a medical device, and you should consult with your doctor before using it for ADHD.

How does Mendi work?

The Mendi device monitors brain activity using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology, which tracks blood flow and oxygen levels in the prefrontal cortex. Then, the Mendi headband uses the collected data to deliver real-time feedback through a game in the Mendi app. The more you concentrate on the game, the higher your score. Over time, this improves brain function and overall well-being.

What are the benefits of using Mendi?

Using Mendi can help you improve focus and brain health, regulate your emotions better, become resilient to stress, and improve sleep patterns.

Is Mendi safe to use?

Mendi is generally deemed safe for use as it does not imply taking any medication. Plus, the near-infrared light is non-invasive. However, it is advisable to talk to your doctor before using Mendi if you have any pre-existing health conditions.