TMI Journal 2009-1&2 (Winter/Spring)

Hemi-Sync sleep processor. Boulder, CO: Colorado My Big TOE speaks to each individual reader about his Association for Psychophysiologic Research. or her innate capabilities. Readers will learn to appreciate that their human potential stretches far beyond the limita- tions of the physical universe. The acronym “TOE” is a stan- dard term in the physics community that stands for “Theory Of Everything” and has been the Holy Grail of that com- munity for fifty years. My Big TOE delivers the solution to that scientific quest at the layman’s level with precision and clarity. Please join us in March to hear Tom share the knowledge and wisdom he has acquired since following his personal inclination to “find out for himself.” Next Page xvi TMI JOURNAL Winter/Spring 2009 RESEARCH UPDATE THE MONROE INSTITUTE BOARD OF ADVISORS “Brief Meditation Training Can Improve Perceived Stress and Negative Mood” by James D. Lane, PhD, et James Beal, MS al., was published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, vol. 13, no. 1 ( Jan./Feb. 2007), pp. 38–44. Dr. Barbara Bullard, MA Lane has been a professional member of The Monroe Institute since 1999. Wilson Bullard, PhD The study objectives were to test a brief, nonsectarian Gregory D. Carroll, PhD program of meditation training for effects on perceived stress and negative emotion, to determine the effects of practice Harriet Carter, JD frequency, and to test the possible moderating effects of neu- Eric B. Dahlauser, CPA/PFS roticism on treatment outcome. A single-group, open-label, pretest-posttest design was used, and the study was con- Joseph Gallenberger, PhD ducted at a university medical center. Two hundred healthy Helene Guttman, PhD adults were enrolled. One hundred and thirty-three of them completed at least one follow-up visit. Participants learned a Fowler Jones, EdD simple mantra-based meditation technique in four one-hour sessions and then practiced for 15–20 minutes twice daily. Suzanne Evans Morris, PhD Outcome measures were evaluated with the Profile of Mood Joseph Chilton Pearce States, Perceived Stress Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Jill Russell, LCSP, MF All four outcome measures improved significantly, Peter Russell, MA, DCS with reductions from baseline that ranged from 14 percent (STAI) to 36 percent (BSI). More frequent practice resulted Ronald Russell, MA in a better outcome. Subjects with higher baseline neu- Carol Sabick de la Herran, PhD, MBA roticism scores showed greater improvement. Preliminary evidence suggests that even brief instruction in a simple Bill D. Schul, PhD meditation technique can improve negative mood and per- ceived stress in healthy adults, which could yield long-term David Stanley, MD health benefits. Charles Tart, PhD, Emeritus An abstract of the study “Hemispheric Synchronized Sounds and Perioperative Analgesic Requirements” by Susan Constance M. Townsend, MD M. Dabu-Bondoc, MD, et al., was presented at the annual Stanley J. Townsend, PhD meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists held October 18–22, 2008, in Orlando, Florida. Sixty patients Raymond O. Waldkoetter, EdD were randomized into three groups: the treatment group (n=20) had Hemi-Sync® sounds; the music group (n=20) had music tapes of their choice; the control/placebo group (n=20) had blank cassette tapes. The Hemi-Sync group had significantly reduced intra- operative analgesic consumption compared to the music and control groups. Pain scores in the Hemi-Sync group were significantly less one hour and 24 hours after surgery but analgesic requirements were similar among all three groups over the 24-hour postop period. Time to discharge trended lower in patients who had Hemi-Sync. The researchers concluded that Hemi-Sync sounds before and during general anesthesia decreased intraoperative but not postoperative analgesic requirements. [This paper has been Back to page 1 submitted for publication.] xvii