states of consciousness. These days, brain entrainment modalities are in vogue. Unfortunately, however, entrepre- neurs and business people selling gadgets and tapes seem to benefit more than the consumer. Therefore, it is quite re- freshing to know that there is a brain-entrainment modality that actually works. In fact, | am convinced that Hemi-Sync goes beyond “blind” entrainment and consequently avoids some of the dangers of underdeveloped technologies that clearly have the potential to harm those using them. Although there is a wealth of clinical data with regard to the beneficial effects of Hemi-Sync, there is a lack of empirical theories explaining the phenomenon. And yet, without sound, testable theories, we are liable to lose momentum in our research and clinical work, and something that we know has Sreat value is likely to be considered a fad, a gimmick, some- thing “unscientific.” As Louis Pasteur, the great scientist, once stated to a group of medical students: “Without theory, practice is but routine born of habit. Theory alone can bring forth and develop the spirit of invention. It is you especially who are obliged not to share the opinion of those narrow minds who reject everything in science which has no immedi- ate application” (Reik 1948, ix). Hemi-Sync has many applica- tions, and there are even more applications ready to be unveiled as we attempt to construct new theories. Based on my empirical research, | wish to propose two
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Hemi-Sync® Journal 1992-2 (Spring) · 1 Hemi-Sync® Journal 1992-2 Spring.pdf
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theories of Hemi-Sync in this paper. Before introducing these theories, by merely reflecting on the obtained data and obser- vations in our laboratory, I wish to address a few questions raised in the scientific community with regard to the effective- ness of Hemi-Sync. Dr. Lester Fehmi, one of the foremost authorities in the field of applied psychophysiology and brain 804/361-1252 --- PAGE 2 (OCR) --- HEMI-SYNC™ JOURNAL research, once stated that he believed that Hemi-Sync could drive the brain to enter certain states. At the same time he emphasized, “. but it doesn’t teach you how to get there. It’s like a pill; in a way you don’t know how the pill works . . . and you may end up somewhat refreshed but if you had the option to get on a device that would allow you to learn to create the permissive conditions for the creation of this synchrony, then you’d be in much better shape, because then you could apply that anywhere without the tools and begin to learn how to function in everyday activity while doing that” (Hutchison 1986, 222). Another prominent scientist, Dr. Elmer Green, remarked that we should not try to drive the brain but to help people learn to achieve hemispheric synchro- nization without external sources of brain entrainment (Hutchison 1986). . . it is quite clear that after a brief period of exposure to Hemi-Sync frequencies, subjects can summon the beneficial effects of this technology at will... These are indeed legitimate and important questions that
require scientific and databased answers. Is Hemi-Sync a pill? Are we promoting dependency ona tape and a tape recorder for the rest of one’s life? From solid electroencephalographic data that we have collected in our neuropsychological laboratory, it is quite clear that after a brief period of exposure to Hemi-Sync frequencies, subjects can summon the beneficial effects of this technology at will without the use of any external ‘sources of entrainment. In several studies it was clearly demonstrated that subjects, by merely counting from one to eleven and saying “Access Channel open,” were able to achieve full bilat- eral synchrony (Sadigh 1990, 1991a). Furthermore, unlike EEG biofeedback training, which is limited to training in a specific state of consciousness (i.e., cognitive or somatic relaxation), Hemi-Sync can promote training in a variety of states ranging from active concentration to sleep. To those who have understandably questioned the effectiveness of Hemi-Sync and its potential to be more than an external driver, we offer our data and findings—let them speak for themselves. Theories of Hemi-Sync Based on the findings of several studies presented in the HEMI-SYNC™ JOURNAL (Sadigh 1990, 1991a, 1991b), I wish to propose two theories of Hemi-Sync, namely the State Enhancement Theory (SET), and the Hemispheric Communi- cation Theory (Hemi. Com.). The State Enhancement Theory (SET) One important observation that we made in a number of