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 implica- tions of this interhemispheric 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 affectively, 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 intrahemispheric synchronization fol- lowed 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 (Hemi-Com) or, perhaps, 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
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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 . . » moments of bilateral synchrony coincide with moments of “clarity.” 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 neuropsychologi- cal laboratory we have already demonstrated that experienced medi- tators 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 be- tween the two hemispheres which may allow certain “unconscious” defenses to be transcended. If we can systematically and consistently demonstrate this process (Hemi-Com) in more elaborate and well- controlled studies, that is, hemispheric synchrony followed by clarifi- cation 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 intrapsychic 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 intrahemispheric communica- tion 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 theo- retical 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 Medita- tion with Controls of Expectation of Relief and Daily Sitting. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 44:630-637. --- PAGE 3 (OCR) --- Spring 1991 USE OF THE HEMI-SYNC CONCENTRATION TAPE WITH DEPRESSIVE SYNDROME by Regis Louis, MD Regis Louis is a psychiatrist in private practice in Melun, France, fifty kilometers south of Paris. In his practice, retaxation techniques, hypnosis, and neurolinguistic programming (NLP) are used. He also has an interest in Transpersonal Psychology and is a member of the American Association of Transpersonal Psychology and the Interna- tional Association for Near Death Studies (IANDS). The following account describes his use of the MIND FOOD Concentration tape to relieve some symptoms of depression. The purpose of this study was to investigate any effects of the Hemi-Sync Concentration tape on patients with depressive syn-