Summary
Highlights
James Hart, a 'brain training guru,' promotes his Biocybernaut program, claiming it can increase IQ, creativity, and happiness through neuro-feedback. The program involves intense sessions where participants listen to their brain waves in dark, isolated rooms for hours, and engage in group discussions about traumatic life experiences. Hart describes his program as 'spiritual science' and claims participants can sometimes experience visions.
In 2014, Hart launched a study targeting indigenous children aged 12-15 from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Participants like 12-year-old China gallero and her mother, Alma Stonestand, were offered an all-expenses-paid trip to Victoria for 'brain school.' They were unaware they would be subjected to intense neuro-feedback sessions in pitch-black rooms with electrodes on their heads, causing distress and panic attacks. China also recalls being told she had 'special brainwaves' that could be harnessed to prevent natural disasters.
University of Victoria Social Work Professor Amanda Levallee, who initially considered joining the research team, found the process abusive, especially for children. Alma and China reported negative impacts after the program, with their lives seeming to worsen. Neuro-feedback practitioner Anette Roelle highlights that while neuro-feedback is a strong tool, Hart's methodology is concerning due to excessive session lengths and the absence of practitioners in the rooms with children.
The investigation reveals a significant flaw in the ethics approval process. The research ethics application submitted to the University of Regina failed to adequately describe the actual procedures of 'brain school.' The University of Regina stated it only reviewed a small portion of the study (a questionnaire) and not the Biocybernaut methodology itself. Hart claimed his private company was not subject to ethics review, a statement refuted by experts.
The study's principal investigator, Carrie Barrasa, a rising academic, initially attracted Levallee to the project. However, Levallee's trust in Barrasa waned due to concerns about the study and later, Barrasa's false claims of indigenous ancestry. Levallee speculates that the University of Regina might have given the study less scrutiny, mistakenly believing it was led by an indigenous researcher, leading to a reluctance to challenge it.
Alma Stonestand expresses her hope for answers and accountability, feeling that the children's minds were exploited for the study with empty promises. The University of Regina has since acknowledged potential harm and tightened its rules.