Hemi-Sync® Journal 1994-3 (Summer)

--- PAGE 1 (OCR) --- Vol. XII Summer 1994 No. 3 | | A Publication of The Monroe Institute IN THIS ISSUE HEMI-SYNC AS SUPPORT FOR STYLE FLEXIBILITY. ai Hemi-Sync application to fluidly modify personal interaction preferences in varied situations is the subject of this paper by James and Charlene Akenhead. LEARNING WITH HEMI-SYNC: A PILOT STUDY OF PAL IN SOUTH AFRICA... Cedric van Heerden and Maati Rose- Innes discuss their experiences as leaders of a study workshop combining selected Hemi-Sync exercises with careful attention to individual style. HEMI-SYNC AS SUPPORT FOR STYLE FLEXIBILITY by James Akenhead, EdD, and Charlene Akenhead, EdD As a licensed professional counselor, James Akenhead has been a public- and private-sector organizational consultant for fifteen years. A career educator for thirty years, with twenty-four years of service as a school superintendent, he holds five degrees and has published numerous articles on leadership, team building, management, and human relations. Dr. Akenhead has served as coordinator of a graduate administration degree program and has taught graduate courses in administration and counseling for eighteen years. He is presently Senior Management Consultant for The Ohio Network: Training and Assistance for Schools and Communities, Dr. Charlene Akenhead is senior human resource associate with the Stark County, Ohio, Board of Education, consulting and providing training to school districts and agencies. Drawing on their presentation at the 1993 Professional Seminar, Jim and Charlene explore how the Hemi- Syne technology may be used to manage style in task-, relationship-, and group-oriented situations, Seminar participants completed a personal style profile as part of this exploration. Just as most people would like to find the fountain of youth, so most would also like to find the secrets of success for a satisfy- ing personal and professional life. One of the big factors contribut- ing to this kind of suc is personal style. Style may be thought of as the way people present themselves when relating with other people in a social or professional context. A number of approaches may be used to identify a person’s style. One approach establishes four dimensions or categories based on preferred behavior tenden- cies. These preferred behavior tendencies amount to a favored comfort zone for day-to-day functioning. With this understanding, one may begin to wonder whether there is a most successful or best liked personality style and how closely their own matches up. Surprising as it may seem, the answer to that question is that there is no one style that best pre- dicts success or is the best liked. Rather, success and satisfaction are more likely to be related to how well we understand our style—how our unconscious behavioral tendencies support us in some situations and detract from our desired ends in others. With the knowledge that there is no “best” style or personality, and an awareness of our preferred mode of operation, we are positioned to consciously use the natural strengths of our personal style in ways that best support the achievement of our individual goals. We can operate from the context that the flexibility we bring to our style is the true success factor. So. . . what does it mean to be flexible in the use of personal style and why is this important? Succinctly stated, flexibility is the ability to convey to other people that their needs are as important as ours. This facilitates a sense of éomfort and the impression of a © 1994 The Monroe Institute Route 1, Box 175, Faber, VA 22938-9749 804/361-1252 --- PAGE 2 (OCR) --- ee BERR PRR RE RRR HEMI-SYNC® JOURNAL secure environment. An opening for a more effective communica- tion process is created. Those with whom we are interacting see us as credible. Characteristics of flexibility include: willingness to change behavior; a desire for win-win solutions; the ability to adapt to surroundings; possession of adequate social skills; willingness to compromise; and the ability to function in a state of flux. Sounds simple enough! However, acting with this kind of flexibility some- times requires us to behave, operate, or present ourselves in ways that do not exactly fit our natural, preferred, and most comfortable operating style. In such situations, employment of a support sys- tem is desirable. Identification of Style Dimension A first step in more effective style management is getting a clear picture of that style. One system for making this assessment is The Personal Profile System [Carelson Learning Company, Minneapolis, MN, 1993]. This self-report instrument provides infor- mation about behavioral tendencies within a particular environ- mental focus—at work, in teams, or within a specific relationship. Four general style dimensions are used: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Cautiousness. Respondents discover which dimen- sion best describes their natural behavior preferences. This discov- ery is helpful in understanding why comfort levels shift from situa- tion to situation. Dominance—People whose natural style falls into this catego- ry want immediate results. They act decisively, they are outgoing, and they want to be in control of their environment. Influence—Those who prefer this operating style love contact with people. They exhibit high energy, they love to interact, they are fun-loving, and they place high value on relationships. Steadiness—Those who prefer the steadiness style want a sta- ble environment with standard operating procedures and clear, consistent expectations. They are low-key, and they develop strong loyalties to others. Cautiousness—People who are most comfortable with this style are analytical in most situations. They are naturally invested in quality control. They are cautious and controlled in their actions. Although these are abbreviated descriptions, they give the fla- vor of each style and illustrate how style impacts what kinds of actions or situations make us comfortable or uncomfortable. If your preferred style is outgoing, sitting through a long fact-packed meeting may be frustrating. It may take a lot of energy for you to modify your style in this sort of situation. Likewise, a controlled or cautious style makes giving a speech with humor and spontaneous interaction a challenge. A lot of energy may be required to deliver on such expectations and overcome natural discomfort around per- forming in the situation. Hemi-Sync as a Support System It seems evident that awareness of the elements and prefer- ences of style, combined with conscious effort, can contribute greatly to the ability to be flexible and enhance success and satis- faction. So it also seems valuable to consider using a support sys- tem as an aid. The Hemi-Sync technology is such a support system. Hemi-Sync can help to focus attention and induce relaxation, as well as enhance the ability to empathize in situations that are per- sonally uncomfortable. METAMUSIC, music with embedded Hemi-Sync, can be used at breaks and during discussion with groups. This specialized musi- cal background enhances creativity in the process of searching for answers to challenging questions. METAMUSIC assists relaxation when there is anxiety about the need to complete a task. It can also ease a listener into sleep after a day in which maximum energy has been expended to modify style in order to accomplish goals. Certain METAMUSIC audiotapes are frequently used in our workshops. Cloudscapes facilitates relaxation when there is anxi- ety or concern about completing a task. Listening to the tape while working on a project can help sustain a balanced or cen- tered feeling. /nner Journey both relaxes and supports reflection when important issues are under consideration. Sleeping through the Rain eases the tension built up when the day’s activities require operating in less than comfortable modes and subtly encourages restful sleep. H-PLUS (HUMAN PLUS) tapes allow individuals to implant personal anchors or signals. When activated, these cues elicit a pre- dictable response for increasing personal effectiveness. The desired responses may be increased ability to empathize with another or better focus of attention. Relaxing in order to react or respond most appropriately could also be the primary desire. H-PLUS tapes we've found useful in managing style include De-Hab, to keep peo- ple from pushing your buttons; Aéention, to block out distractions; Speak-Up, to converse easily; Empathizing, to increase sensitivity to others, and Re/ax, to lower mental or emotional tension. In addition to METAMUSIC and H-PLUS, the MIND FOOD Concentration tape is helpful for individual or group study and when seminar participants are required to sit through a long series of lectures where focus may waver. Concentration is also a good support system when one must pay attention and function in a non-conducive (e.g., too hot or too cold) environment. The Hemi-Sync tapes cited are a representative sample of those which are suitable adjuncts to the quest for personal effec- tiveness and satisfaction. As awareness of style, comfort, and per- formance elements increases, a search of the available Hemi-Sync technology reveals valuable tools to support both comfort ; and effectiveness in pursuit of practical, real-life goals. LEARNING WITH HEMI-SYNC: A PILOT STUDY OF PAL IN SOUTH AFRICA by Maati Rose-Innes and Cedric van Heerden, MCom The authors were introduced to Hemi-Sync in 1992 through the GATEWAY EXPERIENCE fapes and through marketing a self-improve- ment course incorporating Hemi-Sync locally. Both have experience in the human development field. Cedric van Heerden has completed undergradu- ate studies in business economics and industrial psychology and holds a master’s degree in commerce. He has spent five years in research and development of psychological tests and the major part of his career as a personnel manager. He presently conducts a career counseling practice in Cape Town. Maati contributes a strong background in sales training and a special talent in interpersonal relations. Together, they conduct workshops using H- PLUS and the Progressive Accelerated Learning (PAL) fapes from their base in Cape Town. The following paper was presented by Cedric van Heerden at the 1993 Professional Seminar and. ses observations and results based on initial testing of a study workshop incorporating PAL. @ ey ererrrers @ 088Y-0€8£0A9 >TaI --- PAGE 3 (OCR) --- Summer 1994 INTRODUCTION From his work in career counseling, Cedric had firsthand experience of the problems that students experience, especially in the increasingly integrated classes. References to PAL in the Hemi- Sync literature, particularly in the work of Dr. Devon Edrington in the mid-80s, seemed worth exploring. Experience with the Myers- Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI) indicated a role for a Jungian tem- perament-style model as a foundation for using both the tapes and learning techniques. Cedric and Maati first worked with PAL and METAMUSIC tapes themselves. Concentration, Catnapper, and Cloudscapes were most effective, while results from Retain, Recall, Release were less specific. A private high school was per- suaded to sponsor some of its students, and the pilot pro- ject started with a small sample of seven. The average age of the three girls and four boys was seventeen. The objec- tive was to test whether or not insight into a variety of learning techniques and the use of two Hemi-Sync tapes at home would improve exam performance. STRUCTURE OF THE PAL WORKSHOP ‘The structure of the workshop emerged from Cedric’s career counseling experience. Students received indica- tions of career choice based on perceptual skills and per- sonality factors. Also, insight into stress, self-esteem, and goal setting was processed as a group. The need to review career progress every two years was stressed, and students