Just realized my EEG headset was picking up my neck tension, not brain activity

I've been using a Muse headset for about 6 months to track my focus during work. Last week I noticed my calm scores were terrible even when I felt relaxed. Turns out I was clenching my jaw and shoulders without realizing it, and the sensors were reading muscle tension instead of brain waves. I only figured it out when I tried meditating after a chiropractor appointment and my scores jumped 40%. Now I do a quick neck stretch before each session and get way more consistent readings. Has anyone else dealt with false readings from muscle artifacts with these consumer headsets?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai_bennett2d ago

Stretched my neck so hard during a break last week that I pulled a muscle, then spent the next 20 minutes staring at my headset wondering why my focus score was spiking while I was just sitting there in pain. Honestly felt like the universe was trolling me. At this point I'm half convinced my brain is just a side effect of my neck problems.

caseys301d ago

I gotta say @kai_bennett I actually see this a little different. Sitting still and hurting is still a form of distraction even if your focus score says otherwise. The numbers aren't always telling the real story, you know? Sometimes the universe is just reminding us that forcing ourselves to sit still doesn't equal actual focus. Isn't that kind of the joke of it all?