hemispheres begin to communicate more freely with each other and transcend the defensive barriers. How can we facilitate this communication? Hemi-Sync and Hemispheric Communication It has been approximately one year since I began to study the effects of Hemi-Sync on cortical activity. Study after study I was able to demonstrate objectively that Hemi-Sync does indeed do what it is meant to do: synchronize the two hemispheres. What are the implications of this inter-hemispheric synchronization? Once I recovered from the euphoria of observing synchronized brain states after exposure to the Hemi-Sync signals, I began to explore what was happening cognitively, as well as effectively, to each subject. The results of my pilot study have been elating and quite exciting. In two studies, while psychotherapy patients were exposed to the Hemi-Sync signals, they were asked to free- associate—that is, to talk about whatever came to their minds. In both cases, from an objective standpoint (cortical activity) two observations were made. Initially, there was a tendency toward inter-hemispheric synchronization followed by brief moments of total bilateral synchrony. It was during these moments of whole-brain synchrony that subjects often had an aha, or clarity, experience. Based on these observations, I have come to believe that one of the many states that Hemi-Sync facilitates is that of hemispheric communication or, perhaps,
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Hemi-Sync® Journal 1991-2 (Spring) · 2 Hemi-Sync® and Insight Oriented Psychotherapy - A Theoretical Model.pdf
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as a psychotherapist would put it, “an integration of content and affect”. This, to a large extent, is what psychotherapy is all about, and it is remarkable to observe that Hemi-Sync may indeed facilitate and expedite such a process. A number of groundbreaking papers stating that meditation played an important role in psychotherapy (Smith 1976) appeared in psychotherapy journals in the late seventies. The authors of such papers, however, failed to propose a convincing explanation for why or how meditation contributed to the process of psychotherapy. At last, it appears that we may have an answer. In our neuropsychological laboratory we have already demonstrated that experienced meditators tend to synchronize their brains. More recently, we are beginning to see that moments of bilateral synchrony coincide with moments of clarity. Hence, perhaps the reason meditation is such an important tool in facilitating psychotherapy is because it promotes whole-brain synchrony; it opens a channel of communication between the two hemispheres which may allow certain unconscious defenses to be transcended. If we can systematically and consistently demonstrate this process in more elaborate and well controlled studies, that is, hemispheric synchrony followed by clarification of affect and thoughts, I believe we will be making a giant leap toward better understanding of how the human mind operates and how to facilitate its healing. Summary
Psychoanalytic explanations of how inter-psychic conflicts come about and how psychotherapy attempts to resolve such conflicts were presented. Based on the findings of two pilot studies, it was proposed that Hemi-Sync may indeed facilitate inter-hemispheric communication which, in turn, promotes psychotherapy and assists in the resolution of unconscious conflicts. Further systematic and well controlled studies are needed to support the findings and the theoretical model presented in this paper. References Freud, S. 1915. The Unconscious. Standard Edition 14:159-204. Freud, S. 1913. On Beginning the Treatment. Standard Edition 12:121-144. Smith, J. 1976. Psychotherapeutic effects of transcendental meditation with controls of expectation of belief and daily sitting. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 44:630- 637. Hemi-Sync® is a registered trademark of Interstate Industries, Inc. © 1991 The Monroe Institute