Hemi-Sync® Journal 1998-4 (Fall)

--- PAGE 1 (OCR) --- Vol. XVI Fall 1998 A Research and Educational Publication of The Monroe Institute IN THIS ISSUE PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR OVERVIEW ...... i HEMISYNC INTERVENTION FOR INSOMNIA AND IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION ............ ii Personal and professional experiences have motivated OUTREACH Trainer Scott Taylor's quest to under- stand the intimate relationship between the sleep cycle and health. He shares his findings in this paper based on his presentation at the 1998 Professional Seminar SEMINAR TAPE ORDER FORM............ vi PROFESSIONAL DIVISION OVERVIEW From July 25 through August 1, 1998, members of The Monroe Institute's Professional Division and special guests gathered for the Sixteenth Annual Professional Seminar, Discovering the Inner Healer with Hemi-Sync. Under that banner, presenters and participants embarked on a quest to examine existing applications of Hemi-Sync and to expand its potential as a global force for healing. The opening address was delivered by Ann Gill Taylor, RN, EdD, director of the Center for the Study of Complementary and Alternative Therapies (CSCAT) at the University of Virginia, Dr. Taylor shared conclusive positive data on the “Effects of Therapeutic Touch in Reducing Pain and Anxiety in an Elderly Population” and mentioned HemiSyncspecific research in progress at CSCAT. This set the stage for a host of presentations showcasing Hemi-Sync as a holistic health intervention. - Robert T. Hayduk, MA, illuminated parallels between the Resonant Tuning in Hemi-Sync exercises and other ancient and modern methods of vocalizing to promote health. In the spirit of “Practice makes perfect,” Bob generously led the group in toning exercises before each presentation. - Carol Sabick-Quinn, LLB, MBA, told the story of Hemi- Sync's continuing contribution to the healing haven she has created in downtown Madrid, Spain. - Gari Carter and Reverend Natalia Beck described and demonstrated the healing outreach work of The Pilgrimage, work now intertwined with Hemi-Sync. After explaining polarity therapy, Gari led a lively interlude of polarity yoga. - James Akenhead, EdD, and Charlene Akenhead, EdD, dramatized the hidden patterns that, all too frequently, drive our lives and pinpointed Hemi-Sync's effectiveness as a tool for breaking through and breaking free of them. - James Beal, ME, zeroed in on Hemi-Sync for stress relief and its importance for those (especially women) confronting the growing host of autoimmune syndromes. - Joan D. Lundgren, PhD, shared her Hemi-Sync-centered techniques for piercing the veil between realities and accessing healing within the dream temple. © 1998, The Monroe Institute 62 Roberts Mountain Road, Faber, VA 22938 804-361-1252 --- PAGE 2 (OCR) --- HEMI-SYNC® JOURNAL - Debra D. Davis, MEd, has become our unofficial “canta- dora.” Her stories of introducing Hemi-Sync in nursing homes are quiet miracles of dedication and persistence. - Roberta Shoemaker-Beal, MFA, used graphics and lyrical prose to imbue her audience with a sense of sacred, healthy space and its unmistakable similarity to any space permeated by Hemi-Sync. - In a fitting finale, TMI Research Director F. Holmes “Skip” Atwater, BS, revealed the neurochemical mechanisms through which Hemi-Sync alters cortical arousal levels and stimulates corresponding changes in consciousness. A ‘Birds of a Fin” gathering generated a lively exchange on the inner workings of the Dolphin Energy Club. Experiential sessions included traditional Sufi “Dances of Universal Peace,” instruction in Reiki I healing, the ever-popular Hemi-Sync Tape Day Intensive, and construction of a permanent seven-ycle labyrinth. Many of those attending this year's seminar broke ground for Roberts Mountain Retreat in 1997. Therefore, the highlight of the week was the retreat's dedication and a beautiful reception at the former home of Robert and Nancy Penn @ HEMISYNC INTERVENTION FOR INSOMNIA AND IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION Monroe, which sits at its heart. by Scott M. Taylor, PhD candidate Scott M. Taylor is cofounder of the Expanded Awareness Institute (EAI) in St. Peter, Minnesota. An accredited Monroe Institute OUTREACH Trainer since 1985, he conducts EXCURSION Workshops and created the Sleep Better Workshop™. Scott's workshops address the areas of personal growth, health, and business. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Mankato State University. Scott is a doctoral candidate at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He earned his BA from Coe College and MM from Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and is a New Seminary minister specializing in spiritual counseling. I was immersed in watching Top Gun with my new larger-thandife surround-sound system when Sharon, soon to be my wife, appeared in the doorway with tears streaming down her face. Searing pain down the entire right side of her body made it impossible to stand, sit, walk, or lie down comfortably. Her pain and frustration were unbearable. I felt helpless and powerless. Those minutes were burned into my brain as if branded there—a memory not soon, if ever, forgotten. Sharon could not be still and yet moving only intensified the agony. When she finally sought help, her doctor patted her on the knee and told her, “We all have a few aches and pains now and then.” We knew better. Sharon had to do something. We were fortunate to secure an appointment at a regional medical center within the next few weeks. After weeks of anxious waiting, plus more tests than I could remember and definitely more than Sharon wanted to endure, we had a definitive diagnosis: fibromyalgia. This muscle pain syndrome is not degenerative, is extremely painful, and can be debilitating. They were sorry, but Sharon would have to learn to live with it. A nurse gave Sharon a pamphlet on fibromyalgia, some stretching exercises, and sent her home because there was nothing more to do. “Maybe biofeedback and exercising daily would help,” medical personnel suggested. Secluded in her bedroom, Sharon read the pamphlet. Afterward, she fell into a depression and cried for three days. Then, as quickly as the depression had hit, she sat bolt upright with a sudden, new conviction and said, “What do you mean I have to live with this? I don't think so.” She did not yet understand what that meant. She just knew there was an answer somewhere. Fast-forward one year to the fall of 1995 and our marriage in September. The stress of wedding preparations, a honey- moon trip, and her job induced a major flare-up. At the same time, Sharon had made plans to attend a GATEWAY VOYAGE ii --- PAGE 3 (OCR) --- Fall 1998 at The Monroe Institute in October. The travel, new situation, new people, and unfamiliar experiences compounded her existing pain into a severe attack during the first two days of the program. In spite of the discomfort, she found the people interesting and the GATEWAY journeys compelling. By the end of the week, Sharon awakened to the realization that her body no longer hurt! Why? How could a week at the Institute create such a turnaround? Research shows (and both EAI's and Sharon's experience verify) that persons afflicted with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and other immune dysfunction syndromes do not sleep well. They have trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, and achieving restorative sleep. Indeed, their EEG sleeping patterns are abnormal (Fan and Blanton 1994). “Unless sleeping patterns get better, the patient won't get better” (Sherman 1992). Therefore, Hemi-Sync tapes are uniquely suited to help these sufferers. Sharon returned home, and within two weeks, pain flared up again. I suggested that she use a sleep tape each night as she had done at TMI. That was the beginning of a full recovery for her, as well as the birth of the Sleep Better Workshop. The Hemi-Sync technology assists a willing participant to sleep in numerous ways. First, the tones gently lead the brain from normal beta consciousness to deep delta sleep via the Frequency Following Response. Any tape with Focus 10, the state of “mind awake/body asleep,” assists in this process (see “research” link at http://www.Monroelnstitute.org/). Second, ‘on some of the sleep tapes, verbal instruction plays a role in reducing “mind chatter.” Many of our clients’ overactive minds start to solve all the world's problems at bedtime. After that list is finished, these same minds seek out potential new problems to solve or, at least, worry about! Verbal instruction shifts their focus. Third, some Hemi-Sync sleep tapes include a progressive relaxation exercise. Through this exercise, the user learns to identify where stress is stored in the body and let it go. Fourth, other selections use an enjoyable verbally guided tour—a “bed- time story for big kids.” Fifth, for some the simple act of lying in bed is so painful that it prevents sleep. The Pain Control tape addresses this issue directly by helping to reduce the pain signals and subsequently leading them into deep sleep. Hemi-Sync sleep tapes also help break the sleeplessness habit. After a few successes, the tapes reinforce normal sleeping behavior, and falling asleep gets easier and easier. The expecta- tion of sleeping well becomes the norm. Sleeping confidence returns. This positive expectation reinforces other behaviors. After many nights of putting troubles into an Energy Con- version Box, clients begin to do it automatically. Mind chatter becomes markedly reduced and, eventually, almost nonexistent. After many nights of progressive relaxation exercises, the very act of getting into bed triggers a relaxation response. Storing stress in muscles becomes a behavior of the past. In addition, the exercises begin to permeate the waking hours. Most clients, once introduced to Hemi-Sync, slide from normal consciousness to deep restful sleep and need no further reinforcement to stay asleep. The body/mind seems to remem- ber what to do and kicks into “automatic.” These people have normal 90-minute sleep cycles the rest of the night and wake up refreshed. Some, however, do not. They may have a condition called A-spiking in which the brain emits a burst of alpha waves in the midst of the deep sleep cycle (Fan and Blanton 1994). The body interprets this as a wake up signal and begins the arousal sequence. In these cases, we recommend that clients use one of the Institute's auto-reverse sleep titles. The normal 90- minute sleep cycle is recreated on tape or CD to provide con- tinual reinforcement to the brain. The appropriate stage of sleep is maintained for the appropriate duration and in the appropri- ate sequence, overriding the brain's tendency to release alpha waves. Sometimes A-spiking persists even with the influence of Hemi-Sync. When users wake up periodically throughout the night, an auto-teverse Hemi-Sync tape playing softly in the background helps them fall asleep again quickly. This also applies to those who awaken frequently to urinate during the night. It's best to accomplish this trip in minimal ambient light. Night lights work well. Bright overhead lights stimulate the body into wakefulness. Over time, A-spiking decreases markedly due to the entrainment effect of Hemi-Sync. The brain seems to telearn more normal patterns. Persons with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and other immune dysfunction syndromes do not receive the deep delta sleep that is necessary for good health. The affected brain seems to lack the ability to enter delta sleep or, once there, cannot maintain the cycle for the proper amount of time. Our clients and Goldenberg's (1989) describe this awakening unrefreshed pattern as “.. . feeling like a truck had hit them in the night, even though they may have slept eight or nine hours.” During a normal 90-minute sleep cycle, 20 percent of the time should be iti --- PAGE 4 (OCR) --- HEMI-SYNC® JOURNAL spent in delta sleep (Coren 1996, 31). During this crucial