By Kevin Maney
USA Today
A 25-year-old quadriplegic sits in a wheelchair with wires coming out of a bottle-cap-size connector stuck in his skull.
The wires run from 100 tiny sensors implanted in his brain and out to a computer. Using just his thoughts, this former high school football player is playing the computer game Pong.
It is part of a breakthrough trial, the first of its kind, with far-reaching implications. Friday, early results were revealed at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation annual conference. Cyberkinetics Neurotechnology Systems, the Foxborough-based company behind the technology, told attendees the man can use his thoughts to control a computer well enough to operate a TV, open e-mail and play Pong with 70% accuracy. (Related: Christopher Reeve, advocate for spinal cord research, dies.)
"The patient tells me this device has changed his life," says Jon Mukand, a physician caring for him at a rehabilitation facility in Warwick, R.I. The patient, who had the sensors implanted in June, has not been publicly identified.
The trial is approved by the FDA. Cyberkinetics has permission to do four more this year.
The significance of the technology, which Cyberkinetics calls Braingate, goes far beyond the initial effort to help quadriplegics. It is an early step toward learning to read signals from an array of neurons and use computers and algorithms to translate the signals into action. That could lead to artificial limbs that work like the real thing: The user could think of moving a finger, and the finger would move.
"It's Luke Skywalker," says John Donoghue, the neuroscientist who led development of the technology at Brown University and in 2001 founded Cyberkinetics.
The brain in control
Further out, some experts believe, the technology could be built into a helmet or other device that could read neural signals from outside the skull, non-invasively. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is funding research in this field, broadly known as Brain Machine Interface, or BMI.
DARPA envisions a day when a fighter pilot, for instance, might operate some controls just by thinking.
BMI is a field about to explode. At Duke University, a research team has employed different methods to read and interpret neural signals directly from the human brain. Other research is underway at universities around the world. Atlanta-based Neural Signals — a pioneer in BMI for the handicapped — has also been developing a system for tapping directly into the brain.
To be certain, the technology today is experimental and crude, perhaps at a stage similar to the first pacemaker in 1950, which was the size of a boombox and delivered jolts through wires implanted in the heart.
The Cyberkinetics trial "is great," says Jeff Hawkins, author of On Intelligence, a book about the brain out this month. But measuring enough neurons to do complex tasks like grasp a cup or speak words isn't close to feasible today. "Hooking your brain up to a machine in a way that the two could communicate rapidly and accurately is still science fiction," Hawkins says.
Layered on all of the BMI research are ethical and societal issues about messing with the brain to improve people. But those, too, are a long way from the research happening now.
Monkeys chasing dots
The Cyberkinetics technology grew out of experiments with monkeys at Brown.
Donoghue and his research team implanted sensors in the brains of monkeys, and got them to play a simple computer game — chasing dots around a screen with a cursor using a mouse — to get a food reward. As the monkeys played, computers read signals from the sensors and looked for patterns. From the patterns, the team developed mathematical models to determine which signals meant to move left, right, up, down and so on. After a while, the team disconnected the mouse and ran the cursor off the monkeys' thoughts. It worked: The monkeys could chase the dots by thinking of what they'd normally do with their hands.
A driving concept is to make the computer control natural, so a patient doesn't have to learn new skills.
The reason it works has to do with a discovery made by neuroscientists in the 1990s. The billions of neurons in each region of the brain work on physical tasks like an orchestra, and each neuron is one instrument.
With an orchestra, if you listen to only a few of the instruments, you could probably pick up what song is being played, but you wouldn't get all its richness and subtlety. Similarly, scientists found that if you can listen to any random group of neurons in a region, you can decipher generally what the region is trying to do — but you wouldn't get the richness and subtlety that might let a person do complex tasks.
The more neurons you can listen to, the more precisely you can pick out the song.
Cyberkinetics' big breakthrough is listening to up to 100 neurons at once and applying the computing power to make sense of that data almost instantly. The 100 sensors stick out from a chip the size of a contact lens. Through a hole in the skull, the chip is pressed into the cortex surface "like a thumbtack," Donoghue says.
Most of the sensors get near enough to a neuron to read its pattern of electrical pulses as they turn on and off, much like the 1s and 0s that are the basis for computing. Wires carry the signals out through a connector in the skull, and the computer does the rest.
Patient gaining accuracy
Cyberkinetics technicians work with the former football player three times a week, trying to fine-tune the system so he can do more tasks. He can move a cursor around a screen. If he leaves the cursor on a spot and dwells on it, that works like a mouse click.
Once he can control a computer, the possibilities get interesting. A computer could drive a motorized wheelchair, allowing him to go where he thinks about going. It could control his environment — lights, heat, locking or unlocking doors. And he could tap out e-mails, albeit slowly.
At this point, though, the equipment is unwieldy. The computer, two screens and other parts of the system are stacked on a tall cart. The processor and software can't do all the computations quite fast enough to move the cursor in real time — not instantly, the way your hand moves when you tell it to move. And because the sensors tap no more than 100 neurons, the cursor doesn't always move precisely. That's why a one-time athlete can play Pong at only 70% accuracy.
Though implanting a chip in the brain might seem alarming, devices are already regularly implanted in brains to help people who have severe epilepsy, Parkinson's disease or other neurological disorders. "We put drugs in our brains to improve them, even caffeine," says Arthur Caplan, head of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. "I don't think the brain is some sacrosanct organ you can't touch."
Not everyone is a fan of Cyberkinetics' human trials. "I am very skeptical," says Miguel Nicolelis, co-director of the Duke center doing similar research. "They seem to want to simply push their views and make a buck without much consideration of what is appropriate and safe to suggest to different patients."
At the moment, though, "The patient is very, very happy," says Mukand, who is also functioning as the FDA's investigator on the case.
Help with prosthetic limbs?
One way or another, neuroscience and technology are crashing together.
The Duke team has not implanted a permanent device in a human, but it has implanted sensors in monkeys who then move a robot arm by thought. Duke's results, published in July in the journal Neuroscience, show that the idea of using neurons to guide a prosthetic device can work.
To really be useful, the technology will have to get smaller, cheaper and wireless — perhaps a computer worn behind the ear. Down the road, it will have to tap many more neurons, and then the challenge will be building software to analyze more complicated patterns from so many more neurons.
"Brains are incredibly complex organs," author Hawkins says. "There are 100,000 neurons in a square millimeter of cortex. There are very precise codes in the neurons. The details matter."
A yet bigger challenge — the one DARPA faces — will be reading neural signals without drilling holes in people's skulls. Over the past decade, researchers have used the electroencephalogram (EEG) to pick up brain waves through electrodes attached to the head. After months of training, users can learn to play simple video games — such as making a wheel turn faster — with their thoughts. But EEG readings are too broad and weak to drive more specific tasks.
In June, researchers at Washington University, St. Louis, reported using a different external device — an electrocorticographic (ECoG) — to get more precise readings from outside the head. With a few hours of training, users could track targets on a screen.
But researchers at Duke, Brown and Cyberkinetics believe that the only way to get signals that can operate a robot arm, do e-mail or move a wheelchair is to touch the brain directly.
As with most technological developments, the devices will get smaller and better and the software will be made smarter, until some of what now seems bizarre becomes real. Society will be forced to debate the questions the technology raises.
"There are those who say this is slippery slope stuff — that this technology is opening the door to dangerous technologies that could enhance, improve and optimize someone," says bioethicist Caplan. "But I'm unwilling to hold hostage this kind of exciting medical research for those kinds of fears."
Monday, October 11, 2004
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Gaining Respect and Appreciation From Others
By Nikola Grubisa and Boris Vene
www.EnlightenedSalesperson.com
You can influence others to feel and sometimes even do things you want – without words.
How does it work?
Simply – when another person approaches you and is open, he or she will “tune into” your energy state, especially if your energy is strong and determined and if that person trusts you, as you will see in continuation.
In the next step, this energy will begin to resonate with him.
The consequence?
He will begin to feel it. Further, he will “listen to it” and even move his consciousness into that energy. (Whatever you are engaged in, your consciousness will gradually move into.)
What does it mean to “move your consciousness into a specific energy?”
It means that you gradually concentrate and focus your thoughts, feelings, activities and perceptions around that energy.
So whatever you feel, do, think, etc. will have to match that energy. And because this energy (or vibration) acts as a filter, whatever comes in has to go through it; likewise, whatever comes out of you has to match its rules – so your life is strictly limited to a those perceptions that match this vibration… and everything else doesn’t even touch you, much less influence you.
Just like a radio that you tune to a specific frequency – you only hear “that” frequency and all other frequencies, those they exist in the universe, simply “don’t exist” at that moment.
By expressing the “energy of respect,” the other one resonates with you (at that certain vibration). The more and stronger he resonates, the more his consciousness drops into the energy of respect.
For the other person – he feels the energy as “his own” energy! He probably won’t know what happened and why (or even when), he will only feel the strong energy of respect.
Because you are standing in front of him, he will direct, most likely, this energy of respect toward you.
If this new state of energy is not this person’s “usual state,” then they may feel strange, so it could happen that they won’t want to express that energy toward you.
To summarize: whatever energy you are in, you will see and awaken that same energy in others (according to the Law of Resonance), because it works as a kind of magnet. In addition, other people – if they remain open – will take on your energy when they are near you.
While they remain open, they will see and appeal to you according to the energy you express: because they now feel it like their own energy, they speak out of it.
What happens if they are not open, and therefore cannot resonate with you? Simply – they will “feel you” from their own patterns and through their own “filters”…
The strange thing is, some of them will put a negative label on that and will have nothing to do with you; which happens in cases where they “feel you” through their own energy and remain closed – so whatever they think they feel about you, they are really just feeling their own energy.
This means, it doesn’t matter who stands in front of them, they will always feel their own patterns…
Can you apply this powerful knowledge to your sales activities? It can be crucial for someone to realize and understand that people often feel themselves and act out of their own vibration. Sometimes we can influence them – if they are “open” and ready to accept us – and sometimes just not… no matter what.
Knowing this should protect you from feeling offended or angry when they tell you something you don’t like! Even more – understanding this means that whatever they do it need not disturb you and you can therefore remain in your (higher) vibration.
Understanding the process will help you understand it with compassion and even forgive them.
Successful sales are always based on transferring energy from one person to another. Can you do it? Would you like to learn how to do it in order to achieve extraordinary sales success? Is it easier for you to go to your dentist than to think of selling something? Yet you need to sell for your business? Learn more here: www.EnlightenedSalesperson.com
www.EnlightenedSalesperson.com
You can influence others to feel and sometimes even do things you want – without words.
How does it work?
Simply – when another person approaches you and is open, he or she will “tune into” your energy state, especially if your energy is strong and determined and if that person trusts you, as you will see in continuation.
In the next step, this energy will begin to resonate with him.
The consequence?
He will begin to feel it. Further, he will “listen to it” and even move his consciousness into that energy. (Whatever you are engaged in, your consciousness will gradually move into.)
What does it mean to “move your consciousness into a specific energy?”
It means that you gradually concentrate and focus your thoughts, feelings, activities and perceptions around that energy.
So whatever you feel, do, think, etc. will have to match that energy. And because this energy (or vibration) acts as a filter, whatever comes in has to go through it; likewise, whatever comes out of you has to match its rules – so your life is strictly limited to a those perceptions that match this vibration… and everything else doesn’t even touch you, much less influence you.
Just like a radio that you tune to a specific frequency – you only hear “that” frequency and all other frequencies, those they exist in the universe, simply “don’t exist” at that moment.
By expressing the “energy of respect,” the other one resonates with you (at that certain vibration). The more and stronger he resonates, the more his consciousness drops into the energy of respect.
For the other person – he feels the energy as “his own” energy! He probably won’t know what happened and why (or even when), he will only feel the strong energy of respect.
Because you are standing in front of him, he will direct, most likely, this energy of respect toward you.
If this new state of energy is not this person’s “usual state,” then they may feel strange, so it could happen that they won’t want to express that energy toward you.
To summarize: whatever energy you are in, you will see and awaken that same energy in others (according to the Law of Resonance), because it works as a kind of magnet. In addition, other people – if they remain open – will take on your energy when they are near you.
While they remain open, they will see and appeal to you according to the energy you express: because they now feel it like their own energy, they speak out of it.
What happens if they are not open, and therefore cannot resonate with you? Simply – they will “feel you” from their own patterns and through their own “filters”…
The strange thing is, some of them will put a negative label on that and will have nothing to do with you; which happens in cases where they “feel you” through their own energy and remain closed – so whatever they think they feel about you, they are really just feeling their own energy.
This means, it doesn’t matter who stands in front of them, they will always feel their own patterns…
Can you apply this powerful knowledge to your sales activities? It can be crucial for someone to realize and understand that people often feel themselves and act out of their own vibration. Sometimes we can influence them – if they are “open” and ready to accept us – and sometimes just not… no matter what.
Knowing this should protect you from feeling offended or angry when they tell you something you don’t like! Even more – understanding this means that whatever they do it need not disturb you and you can therefore remain in your (higher) vibration.
Understanding the process will help you understand it with compassion and even forgive them.
Successful sales are always based on transferring energy from one person to another. Can you do it? Would you like to learn how to do it in order to achieve extraordinary sales success? Is it easier for you to go to your dentist than to think of selling something? Yet you need to sell for your business? Learn more here: www.EnlightenedSalesperson.com
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Patients Use Hypnotherapy To Lose Weight, Stop Smoking
By Valerie Nienberg
Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing
Picture a lemon. You're salivating, aren't you?
The physical reaction to a mental image proves a connection between mind and body, says Dr. Harry Stein, a licensed clinical hypnotherapist.
This link is the theory behind hypnotherapy, a form of complementary medicine that harnesses the mind's energy to make positive changes within the body.
"You make the changes, I'm only your guide," Stein told a group of five women during a recent hypnotherapy session at Martin Memorial Medical Center.
Each client, including Carla King, 50, of Stuart, hoped to get a grip on her weight-management issues. She had attended a similar session a number of years ago and was off to a good start, but felt herself slipping and in need of a tune-up.
"The first time, I don't think I was ready for it to work," King said. "It did for a while, but I guess life and issues and things got in the way."
What it is and isn't
The biggest misconception about hypnotherapy is that the client is not in control, Stein told King and the other participants.
"In reality, it's a natural state of mental and physical relaxation in which the person has an increased reaction to suggestion," he said. "You only do what you really want to do or say what you really want to say."
Participants are so aware that it can be a disadvantage in a group setting, because they may be embarrassed to speak out when others are present, he said.
"Have you ever been driving down the road and suddenly you realize that you missed your exit?" he asked. "You wonder, 'Where was I just then?' That's hypnosis."
Stein derided the entertainment hypnotists often seen on TV, but said TV itself is one of the greatest hypnotizers of all time.
For this session, Stein first taught the participants an emotional freedom technique. They tapped various areas of their bodies — their hands, eyebrows, chins, ribs, shoulders — and silently repeated positive phrases.
He likened the practice to "psychological acupuncture," an Eastern practice that uses needles to unlock a person's blocked energy, or "chi."
Stein then led the women through a series of guided images, including a walk down a long hallway and a count from 10 to zero that ended in "deep relaxation."At one point, he asked them to open their eyes and fill out a questionnaire related to their weight-management issues. Each followed silently down the list, answering questions to themselves, some even marking the answers with a pencil.
After they were finished, Stein snapped his fingers. Instantly and simultaneously, their heads rolled forward and their bodies slumped.
From there, Stein repeated things he had said to their conscious minds. "Imagine yourself drinking lots of water, getting exercise," he said. "See yourself eating slowly, enjoying your food. ... See yourself wearing the size clothes you want."
After about 30 minutes, Stein counted to five and the women woke up.
"I could hear you and then for a while I couldn't," one said.
Believing it so
The root of hypnotherapy is finding the source of negative energy and replacing it with something positive, Stein said. "If you have certain beliefs, you will live your life based on those beliefs."
How long it takes to correct those beliefs depends on their severity. "If your favorite teacher called you stupid when you were young, that's a hard thing to let go of," he said.
Stein first noticed the healing power of the mind while practicing plastic surgery. He used relaxation techniques during procedures that used local anesthesia to help patients with discomfort. Today, as a licensed clinical hypnotherapist, he takes the same approach to helping people through chemotherapy treatments or other painful illnesses.
Stein came to Martin Memorial early this year and conducted his first group session in June. He said results so far have been favorable, but skeptics remain.
In fact, the Skeptic's Dictionary devotes an entire Web page to "debunking" hypnosis. "We know that there is a significant correlation between being imaginative and being responsive to hypnosis," it states. "We know that those who are fantasy-prone are also likely to make excellent hypnotic subjects."
Indeed, the therapy isn't a catch-all. People with below-average intelligence may not respond, and those who really don't want to be hypnotized won't be. But whether hypnotherapy is the key to unlocking a subconscious power or nothing but a psychological placebo, it seems to work for those who really want it to.
About a week after her hypnotherapy session, King said her food cravings still existed, but weren't as intense. "My focus on food is not as great as it used to be," she said. "I'm not so consumed about what I'm going to eat."
Hurricane hypnosis
Whether it's to address a specific mental-health problem or just to relax, hypnosis can help hurricane victims with some issues that may surface in the aftermath of recent storms, according to Dr. Henry Stein of Martin Memorial Medical Center.
Relaxation techniques can take you out of your uprooted life and into a serene, safe place, at least for a little while. A more specific session can address problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and fears.
Participants also can learn self-hypnosis and self-relaxation techniques to use whenever they feel the need.
Copyright 2004
Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing
Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing
Picture a lemon. You're salivating, aren't you?
The physical reaction to a mental image proves a connection between mind and body, says Dr. Harry Stein, a licensed clinical hypnotherapist.
This link is the theory behind hypnotherapy, a form of complementary medicine that harnesses the mind's energy to make positive changes within the body.
"You make the changes, I'm only your guide," Stein told a group of five women during a recent hypnotherapy session at Martin Memorial Medical Center.
Each client, including Carla King, 50, of Stuart, hoped to get a grip on her weight-management issues. She had attended a similar session a number of years ago and was off to a good start, but felt herself slipping and in need of a tune-up.
"The first time, I don't think I was ready for it to work," King said. "It did for a while, but I guess life and issues and things got in the way."
What it is and isn't
The biggest misconception about hypnotherapy is that the client is not in control, Stein told King and the other participants.
"In reality, it's a natural state of mental and physical relaxation in which the person has an increased reaction to suggestion," he said. "You only do what you really want to do or say what you really want to say."
Participants are so aware that it can be a disadvantage in a group setting, because they may be embarrassed to speak out when others are present, he said.
"Have you ever been driving down the road and suddenly you realize that you missed your exit?" he asked. "You wonder, 'Where was I just then?' That's hypnosis."
Stein derided the entertainment hypnotists often seen on TV, but said TV itself is one of the greatest hypnotizers of all time.
For this session, Stein first taught the participants an emotional freedom technique. They tapped various areas of their bodies — their hands, eyebrows, chins, ribs, shoulders — and silently repeated positive phrases.
He likened the practice to "psychological acupuncture," an Eastern practice that uses needles to unlock a person's blocked energy, or "chi."
Stein then led the women through a series of guided images, including a walk down a long hallway and a count from 10 to zero that ended in "deep relaxation."At one point, he asked them to open their eyes and fill out a questionnaire related to their weight-management issues. Each followed silently down the list, answering questions to themselves, some even marking the answers with a pencil.
After they were finished, Stein snapped his fingers. Instantly and simultaneously, their heads rolled forward and their bodies slumped.
From there, Stein repeated things he had said to their conscious minds. "Imagine yourself drinking lots of water, getting exercise," he said. "See yourself eating slowly, enjoying your food. ... See yourself wearing the size clothes you want."
After about 30 minutes, Stein counted to five and the women woke up.
"I could hear you and then for a while I couldn't," one said.
Believing it so
The root of hypnotherapy is finding the source of negative energy and replacing it with something positive, Stein said. "If you have certain beliefs, you will live your life based on those beliefs."
How long it takes to correct those beliefs depends on their severity. "If your favorite teacher called you stupid when you were young, that's a hard thing to let go of," he said.
Stein first noticed the healing power of the mind while practicing plastic surgery. He used relaxation techniques during procedures that used local anesthesia to help patients with discomfort. Today, as a licensed clinical hypnotherapist, he takes the same approach to helping people through chemotherapy treatments or other painful illnesses.
Stein came to Martin Memorial early this year and conducted his first group session in June. He said results so far have been favorable, but skeptics remain.
In fact, the Skeptic's Dictionary devotes an entire Web page to "debunking" hypnosis. "We know that there is a significant correlation between being imaginative and being responsive to hypnosis," it states. "We know that those who are fantasy-prone are also likely to make excellent hypnotic subjects."
Indeed, the therapy isn't a catch-all. People with below-average intelligence may not respond, and those who really don't want to be hypnotized won't be. But whether hypnotherapy is the key to unlocking a subconscious power or nothing but a psychological placebo, it seems to work for those who really want it to.
About a week after her hypnotherapy session, King said her food cravings still existed, but weren't as intense. "My focus on food is not as great as it used to be," she said. "I'm not so consumed about what I'm going to eat."
Hurricane hypnosis
Whether it's to address a specific mental-health problem or just to relax, hypnosis can help hurricane victims with some issues that may surface in the aftermath of recent storms, according to Dr. Henry Stein of Martin Memorial Medical Center.
Relaxation techniques can take you out of your uprooted life and into a serene, safe place, at least for a little while. A more specific session can address problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and fears.
Participants also can learn self-hypnosis and self-relaxation techniques to use whenever they feel the need.
Copyright 2004
Scripps Treasure Coast Publishing
Monday, October 04, 2004
Healing Powers Of Meditation
By Randall Fitzgerald
Phenomena Magazine
What began as a continuous ache in his lower back intensified until my friend Donald Altman could no longer take deep breaths or sleep at night. A physician in Portland, Oregon, did an ultrasound that revealed Donald had one large kidney stone and three smaller stones in the process of formation.
Prior to seeing a urologist to begin a traditional treatment regimen, Altman began doing a meditation that he had learned years earlier from a Buddhist monk. Called the Healing Universal Smile, it is an ancient Buddhist practice of scanning (visualizing and feeling) into the interior of each body part, sending love and gratitude to those parts, and visualizing white light to purify and heal any injuries or imbalances. He did this meditation every night for 30 minutes.
When the urologist looked at the ultrasound results, he ordered a CT scan of the kidney to get a more detailed image of the stones. By the time this scan occurred at a hospital, Altman was no longer feeling much pain at all.
The urologist later called Altman to report that the CT scan was clear, showing no large stone or any formative stones. Altman explained that he had used a healing practice to dissolve the stones, to which the incredulous urologist replied, “No, you must have passed the stones through your urinary tract.”
“But wouldn’t I have felt that?” Altman protested. “Don’t you normally feel a tremendous amount of discomfort in passing them? I didn’t experience any of that.”
Not knowing what to say, which is a typical response by physicians confronting medical anomalies, the urologist simply asked Altman to report any recurrence of his symptoms. This was in February, 2004, and since then the 53-year-old Altman, author of Living Kindness, The Art Of The Inner Meal, and other well-regarded books, has experienced no recurrence.
Altman learned the healing meditation in 1996, from a Burmese monk in his 70’s who had such strong vitality and youthful appearance that Altman was prompted to inquire about how the monk maintained his health. The monk described this meditation practice that he did every morning on awakening.
“Our bodies are miraculous healing instruments,” Altman told me. “Any one of us can learn this meditative technique and put it to work, as I did, to heal any injuries or imbalances in the body.”
SCIENCE OF MEDITATION
Meditation has been shown in clinical studies to produce greater control of the autonomic nervous system. Heart activity, skin temperature, and blood flow can be selectively regulated by veteran practitioners of mediation. In particular, meditation seems to generate a unique connection and energetic flow between the brain and the heart.
Using the mind to facilitate a feeling of love at the heart center of the body seems to be a catalyst for healing. At the Institute of HeartMath in California, medical researchers have uncovered clinical evidence that feelings of love produce real healing energies in the body, with measurable physiological effects.
Two of these effects warrant mention. Both heart rhythms and brain waves, as measured by electrocardiographs, become highly ordered and more coherent than normal when meditators feel the presence of unconditional love in their heart centers. Even more provocative is the effect on the body’s immune system. Saliva tests have found sharply elevated levels of chemicals indicating enhanced immune system functioning when love feelings are being channeled in the body.
We remain poised on the frontier of research and knowledge about how our minds can affect our health. Mind over matter medicine may be in its infancy, but its healing modalities, revolving around meditation and related subtle energy practices, no longer languish as mere metaphoric tools in the mystic’s toolbox. They are now practical and accessible to us all.
Get you free subscription to Mind Power News at:
www.MindPowerNews.com
Phenomena Magazine
What began as a continuous ache in his lower back intensified until my friend Donald Altman could no longer take deep breaths or sleep at night. A physician in Portland, Oregon, did an ultrasound that revealed Donald had one large kidney stone and three smaller stones in the process of formation.
Prior to seeing a urologist to begin a traditional treatment regimen, Altman began doing a meditation that he had learned years earlier from a Buddhist monk. Called the Healing Universal Smile, it is an ancient Buddhist practice of scanning (visualizing and feeling) into the interior of each body part, sending love and gratitude to those parts, and visualizing white light to purify and heal any injuries or imbalances. He did this meditation every night for 30 minutes.
When the urologist looked at the ultrasound results, he ordered a CT scan of the kidney to get a more detailed image of the stones. By the time this scan occurred at a hospital, Altman was no longer feeling much pain at all.
The urologist later called Altman to report that the CT scan was clear, showing no large stone or any formative stones. Altman explained that he had used a healing practice to dissolve the stones, to which the incredulous urologist replied, “No, you must have passed the stones through your urinary tract.”
“But wouldn’t I have felt that?” Altman protested. “Don’t you normally feel a tremendous amount of discomfort in passing them? I didn’t experience any of that.”
Not knowing what to say, which is a typical response by physicians confronting medical anomalies, the urologist simply asked Altman to report any recurrence of his symptoms. This was in February, 2004, and since then the 53-year-old Altman, author of Living Kindness, The Art Of The Inner Meal, and other well-regarded books, has experienced no recurrence.
Altman learned the healing meditation in 1996, from a Burmese monk in his 70’s who had such strong vitality and youthful appearance that Altman was prompted to inquire about how the monk maintained his health. The monk described this meditation practice that he did every morning on awakening.
“Our bodies are miraculous healing instruments,” Altman told me. “Any one of us can learn this meditative technique and put it to work, as I did, to heal any injuries or imbalances in the body.”
SCIENCE OF MEDITATION
Meditation has been shown in clinical studies to produce greater control of the autonomic nervous system. Heart activity, skin temperature, and blood flow can be selectively regulated by veteran practitioners of mediation. In particular, meditation seems to generate a unique connection and energetic flow between the brain and the heart.
Using the mind to facilitate a feeling of love at the heart center of the body seems to be a catalyst for healing. At the Institute of HeartMath in California, medical researchers have uncovered clinical evidence that feelings of love produce real healing energies in the body, with measurable physiological effects.
Two of these effects warrant mention. Both heart rhythms and brain waves, as measured by electrocardiographs, become highly ordered and more coherent than normal when meditators feel the presence of unconditional love in their heart centers. Even more provocative is the effect on the body’s immune system. Saliva tests have found sharply elevated levels of chemicals indicating enhanced immune system functioning when love feelings are being channeled in the body.
We remain poised on the frontier of research and knowledge about how our minds can affect our health. Mind over matter medicine may be in its infancy, but its healing modalities, revolving around meditation and related subtle energy practices, no longer languish as mere metaphoric tools in the mystic’s toolbox. They are now practical and accessible to us all.
Get you free subscription to Mind Power News at:
www.MindPowerNews.com
Monday, September 27, 2004
How to Gain 3 Hours of Leisure Time Everyday!
3 Shocking Myths About Sleep That You Don't Know About -- Which Are Depriving You of Your Life Energy
By Kacper M. Postawski
PowerfulSleep.com
MYTH #1 ) "If you sleep longer, you'll be more awake and have more energy in your life"
TRUTH: Sleeping Longer ROBS You of Energy and Damages your Sleeping System.
There are several reasons why sleeping longer damages your sleep system. What most people don't know is that there is a very important element of your inner sleep clock which is prior wakefulness. When you sleep longer you limit your prior wakefulness which puts stress on a number of other factors such us your melatonin hormone levels, your exposure to sunlight, and your body temperature rhythm.
Getting longer sleep or "catching up on sleep" only weakens your sleep system, which in turn can even lower your immune system. The common belief that trying to sleep less makes you tired and low on energy is simply because people don't understand how the bio-temperature rhythms work (what you will learn soon).
MYTH #2) You need to "Catch Up on Sleep" if you missed some before.
TRUTH: Unless you...
Unless you go on a huge sleep deprivation marathon, you do not need to "catch up on sleep", if you downloaded the 2 free chapters of the powerful sleep eBook, you learned precisely why this is true. It is only during the first 3 - 4 hours of sleep that we experience most of State 3 and Stage 4 sleep. Sleeping longer than you usually do isn't physically beneficial to you in anyway, and puts your body temperature rhythm out of balance.
MYTH #3) "I feel so low on energy, I Must Get More Sleep"
TRUTH: More Sleep DOES NOT Provide You With more Energy!
You don't need MORE sleep, you need QUALITY sleep.
People think that sleep is a very basic thing. We don't really think about it do we? We sleep, we wake up, and we magically feel refreshed, don't we? In truth, sleep is actually quite a complex and fascinating system that most of us take for granted. Because most of us don't understand how our inner sleep system works, we aren't even aware of all the actions we're taking in our lives that are damaging our sleep systems and depriving us of energy. There is a difference between MORE sleep, and POWERFUL sleep. The only way to make your sleep more physically energizing is to learn about the inner science of sleep! Only once you learn how to optimize your sleeping system for maximum performance, can you try to reduce your sleep.
In this short report we only barely scratched the surface of these vitally important understandings. What we briefly talked about here is completely covered in rich detail in the first two chapters of the Powerful Sleep system, and for a limited time you can get those two chapters FREE right now at the link below.
Power Naps - What Most People Don't Know
By Kacper M. Postawski
PowerfulSleep.com
One of the biggest questions I get asked all the time is “Are naps good for you? Or bad? I've heard both sides of the story.” I'd like to settle this argument once and for all right here, and reveal to you how you can properly manage your sleep to create an abundance of energy in your life, with LESS sleep.
Yes, naps are VERY good for you, IF you understand how the sleep system works, and you know how to nap PROPERLY.
In my “Powerful Sleep” course I teach people how to properly understand their sleep system, circadian rhythm, light exposure, and how it affects their inner sleep system. While we can't get in this article, here's what is true:
Most people don't realize that sleep is actually quite a complex and fascinating inner system. When we're sleeping, we're not just dead zombies off in an unknown universe. Your inner sleep system is a mechanism which follows specific time periods and stages to energize your body.
So how do you nap properly?
You take what are commonly referred to as “Power Naps”, or what I usually refer to as “Stage 2 limited naps.”
You see, when you sleep you go through what are called “sleep stages”, there are 5 stages in total. The first two stages, Stage 1 and 2 are your “Light Sleep”. It's during this stage that we sleep “lightly”, we are easily wakable, and our circadian rhythm isn't altered enough to create a disturbance in the sleep system.
The Energizing effects of Stage 1 and 2 sleeps are very beneficial, just 10 minutes of sleeping in these stages can restore your energy to the point where you feel as if you slept for 8 hours.
However, why do most people do more HARM than GOOD to themselves by napping?
It's simple, they don't know about “deep sleep.” Deep sleep comprises of all the other sleep stages. It's during deep sleep that your body undergoes a MASSIVE physiological change, your body temperature, heart rate, respiration drops. Your blood vessels dilate and all the blood that is usually stored in your main organs during the day is channeled to your muscles to repair them.
If you enter deep sleep during the day, your circadian rhythm, and your “inner sleep clock” (see link below for details) will be altered and out of wack, often resulting in an in-balanced, weak sleep system and lower energy levels all together.
For an average person it takes about 45-90 minutes to enter “deep sleep”, this is why for an effective nap you MUST keep your nap down to a MAXIMUM of 45 minutes. Even 45 minutes is sometimes too much. The most energizing naps are usually 10 to 20 minutes long.
If your naps last too long, you will enter deep sleep. Waking up from a deep sleep phase is more harmful to your sleep system and your energy levels than good! You will often feel lethargic, low on energy, and in that “zombie” state of mind.
If you use naps properly, you can boost your energy levels drastically, and lower your sleep time down drastically.
However, there are still two vital things you must know about napping in order to make them super effective during your day, so that you're capable of lowering your sleep, and boosting your energy.
1. You must know exactly what the best time during the day is to take your nap.
2. You must know what to do AFTER your nap to speed up your body temperature rise.
Kacper Postawski is an innovative sleep science researcher and the creator of the “Powerful Sleep - Secrets of the Inner Sleep Clock”. He can show you how to reduce your sleep by up to 3 hours, create more time, and an abundance of energy in your body by sleeping LESS! Not more. Find out more about Powerful Sleep at http://www.secretmindpower.com/PowerSleep.htm
PowerfulSleep.com
One of the biggest questions I get asked all the time is “Are naps good for you? Or bad? I've heard both sides of the story.” I'd like to settle this argument once and for all right here, and reveal to you how you can properly manage your sleep to create an abundance of energy in your life, with LESS sleep.
Yes, naps are VERY good for you, IF you understand how the sleep system works, and you know how to nap PROPERLY.
In my “Powerful Sleep” course I teach people how to properly understand their sleep system, circadian rhythm, light exposure, and how it affects their inner sleep system. While we can't get in this article, here's what is true:
Most people don't realize that sleep is actually quite a complex and fascinating inner system. When we're sleeping, we're not just dead zombies off in an unknown universe. Your inner sleep system is a mechanism which follows specific time periods and stages to energize your body.
So how do you nap properly?
You take what are commonly referred to as “Power Naps”, or what I usually refer to as “Stage 2 limited naps.”
You see, when you sleep you go through what are called “sleep stages”, there are 5 stages in total. The first two stages, Stage 1 and 2 are your “Light Sleep”. It's during this stage that we sleep “lightly”, we are easily wakable, and our circadian rhythm isn't altered enough to create a disturbance in the sleep system.
The Energizing effects of Stage 1 and 2 sleeps are very beneficial, just 10 minutes of sleeping in these stages can restore your energy to the point where you feel as if you slept for 8 hours.
However, why do most people do more HARM than GOOD to themselves by napping?
It's simple, they don't know about “deep sleep.” Deep sleep comprises of all the other sleep stages. It's during deep sleep that your body undergoes a MASSIVE physiological change, your body temperature, heart rate, respiration drops. Your blood vessels dilate and all the blood that is usually stored in your main organs during the day is channeled to your muscles to repair them.
If you enter deep sleep during the day, your circadian rhythm, and your “inner sleep clock” (see link below for details) will be altered and out of wack, often resulting in an in-balanced, weak sleep system and lower energy levels all together.
For an average person it takes about 45-90 minutes to enter “deep sleep”, this is why for an effective nap you MUST keep your nap down to a MAXIMUM of 45 minutes. Even 45 minutes is sometimes too much. The most energizing naps are usually 10 to 20 minutes long.
If your naps last too long, you will enter deep sleep. Waking up from a deep sleep phase is more harmful to your sleep system and your energy levels than good! You will often feel lethargic, low on energy, and in that “zombie” state of mind.
If you use naps properly, you can boost your energy levels drastically, and lower your sleep time down drastically.
However, there are still two vital things you must know about napping in order to make them super effective during your day, so that you're capable of lowering your sleep, and boosting your energy.
1. You must know exactly what the best time during the day is to take your nap.
2. You must know what to do AFTER your nap to speed up your body temperature rise.
Kacper Postawski is an innovative sleep science researcher and the creator of the “Powerful Sleep - Secrets of the Inner Sleep Clock”. He can show you how to reduce your sleep by up to 3 hours, create more time, and an abundance of energy in your body by sleeping LESS! Not more. Find out more about Powerful Sleep at http://www.secretmindpower.com/PowerSleep.htm
Friday, September 24, 2004
Hypnosis Really Changes Your Mind
By Anna Gosline, Exeter
www.NewScientist.com
Hypnosis is more than just a party trick, it measurably changes how the brain works, says a UK researcher.
Hypnosis significantly affects the activity in a part of the brain responsible for detecting and responding to errors, says John Gruzelier, a psychologist at Imperial College in London. Using functional brain imaging, he also found that hypnosis affects an area that controls higher level executive functions.
“This explains why, under hypnosis, people can do outrageous things that ordinarily they wouldn’t dream of doing,” says Gruzelier, who presented his study at the British Association for the Advancement of Science Festival in Exeter, UK.
The finding is one of the first to indicate a biological mechanism underpinning the experience of hypnosis. Gruzelier hopes it will also benefit emerging research showing, for example, that hypnosis can help cancer patients deal with painful treatments.
Highly susceptible
Gruzelier and his colleagues studied brain activity using an fMRI while subjects completed a standard cognitive exercise, called the Stroop task.
The team screened subjects before the study and chose 12 that were highly susceptible to hypnosis and 12 with low susceptibility. They all completed the task in the fMRI under normal conditions and then again under hypnosis.
Throughout the study, both groups were consistent in their task results, achieving similar scores regardless of their mental state. During their first task session, before hypnosis, there were no significant differences in brain activity between the groups.
But under hypnosis, Gruzelier found that the highly susceptible subjects showed significantly more brain activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus than the weakly susceptible subjects. This area of the brain has been shown to respond to errors and evaluate emotional outcomes.
The highly susceptible group also showed much greater brain activity on the left side of the prefrontal cortex than the weakly susceptible group. This is an area involved with higher level cognitive processing and behaviour.
Stage hypnotists
Gruzelier concludes that, under hypnosis, these brain areas are having to work much harder to achieve the same cognitive task results. “This is confirming our model of hypnosis with very direct evidence of brain function,” he says.
Peter Naish, at the UK's Open University, says this moves the understanding of hypnosis away from the popular misconceptions created by showy stage hypnotists.
“We have a technique that has now moved towards evidence-based treatments,” he says. “Gruzelier’s work is showing for sure that the brain is doing quite different things under hypnosis than in normal everyday existence.”
Clinical trials of therapeutic hypnosis are starting to confirm its potential benefits. Christina Liossi, a psychologist at the University of Wales in Swansea, recently conducted a study of 80 cancer patients aged 6 to 16.
She found that those under hypnosis experienced far less pain during treatments than control children, who simply talked to the researchers normally.
Get your free subscription to Mind Power News at
www.MindPowerNews.com
www.NewScientist.com
Hypnosis is more than just a party trick, it measurably changes how the brain works, says a UK researcher.
Hypnosis significantly affects the activity in a part of the brain responsible for detecting and responding to errors, says John Gruzelier, a psychologist at Imperial College in London. Using functional brain imaging, he also found that hypnosis affects an area that controls higher level executive functions.
“This explains why, under hypnosis, people can do outrageous things that ordinarily they wouldn’t dream of doing,” says Gruzelier, who presented his study at the British Association for the Advancement of Science Festival in Exeter, UK.
The finding is one of the first to indicate a biological mechanism underpinning the experience of hypnosis. Gruzelier hopes it will also benefit emerging research showing, for example, that hypnosis can help cancer patients deal with painful treatments.
Highly susceptible
Gruzelier and his colleagues studied brain activity using an fMRI while subjects completed a standard cognitive exercise, called the Stroop task.
The team screened subjects before the study and chose 12 that were highly susceptible to hypnosis and 12 with low susceptibility. They all completed the task in the fMRI under normal conditions and then again under hypnosis.
Throughout the study, both groups were consistent in their task results, achieving similar scores regardless of their mental state. During their first task session, before hypnosis, there were no significant differences in brain activity between the groups.
But under hypnosis, Gruzelier found that the highly susceptible subjects showed significantly more brain activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus than the weakly susceptible subjects. This area of the brain has been shown to respond to errors and evaluate emotional outcomes.
The highly susceptible group also showed much greater brain activity on the left side of the prefrontal cortex than the weakly susceptible group. This is an area involved with higher level cognitive processing and behaviour.
Stage hypnotists
Gruzelier concludes that, under hypnosis, these brain areas are having to work much harder to achieve the same cognitive task results. “This is confirming our model of hypnosis with very direct evidence of brain function,” he says.
Peter Naish, at the UK's Open University, says this moves the understanding of hypnosis away from the popular misconceptions created by showy stage hypnotists.
“We have a technique that has now moved towards evidence-based treatments,” he says. “Gruzelier’s work is showing for sure that the brain is doing quite different things under hypnosis than in normal everyday existence.”
Clinical trials of therapeutic hypnosis are starting to confirm its potential benefits. Christina Liossi, a psychologist at the University of Wales in Swansea, recently conducted a study of 80 cancer patients aged 6 to 16.
She found that those under hypnosis experienced far less pain during treatments than control children, who simply talked to the researchers normally.
Get your free subscription to Mind Power News at
www.MindPowerNews.com
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
5 Ways to Overcome Your Bad Days
By Jon Gordon
www.energyaddict.com
Bad days. They're like pimples. They pop up unexpectedly. Nobody wants them but everyone has them. And some have them more than others. Mine seem to appear during a full moon. Is it any wonder that wolves howl at the moon? Perhaps your bad days start with a nightmare that wakes you up in the morning, an overwhelming project, sick children, rejection at work or an argument with your spouse. Or perhaps nothing sets off your bad day. You just seem to have these intense emotional feelings that life stinks and there's nothing to look forward to. Whatever the reason, bad days are about as fun as getting your teeth pulled. You wonder when it's going to be over but time inches slowly forward and the pain gets worse. Bad days. They make you just want to scream aggghhhhhhhhhh...
As someone who has had a lot of practice with bad days in my own life, I can tell you that bad days don't have to be so... bad. There are ways to overcome your bad days so they don't linger, so they don't cause more bad days and so they don't ruin your life. And I'm not talking about strategies that include a six pack of beer, a bottle of wine or a double fudge chunk, nut, caramel, whip cream sundae. My goal is to share strategies with you that will serve you today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life. Best of all they are free, powerful and at your disposal 24/7. So the next time you are having a bad day reach not for a bottle, but rather deep within yourself and try the following action steps:
Action Steps
1. Don't drown in bad day emotions. Like an unfortunate swimming accident, drowning is often the result of fighting too hard to stay afloat. Instead of fighting against your bad day allow yourself to relax and flow with the day. Accept that it's a bad day and ride it out like a surfer rides a wave. Realize that the more you struggle against it the weaker you will become. Understand that just as the wave has an end so does your bad day. Don't let your mind trick you into thinking that your bad day will last forever. Simply look at your bad day as a bad day that comes and goes. The more you flow the less bad days you will have. Breathe deeply and breathe often.
2. When possible avoid major decisions. During bad days we have a tendency to think about our future, our career, our purpose and our relationships. While there is nothing wrong with thinking about these things we can often get swept away by our negative emotions during bad days. So when possible, don't make any major decisions about your life or career. Be aware that you are having a bad day and say to yourself that you can think about everything another time.
3. Exercise. After a walk, run or bike ride your problems will be smaller and your bad day won't be so bad. Take a walk after lunch. Run before dinner. Just get that blood pumping, those endorphins going and your happy neurotransmitters flowing.
4. Treat yourself. Practice self care. Bad days make you feel wounded and like a wounded animal you must heal yourself. Treat yourself to a nice lunch. Go see a movie. Rent a video. Go shopping or swimming. Read a book. And even once in a while have a double fudge chunk, nut, caramel, whip cream sundae or other dessert. Just not all the time. Use bad days as a time to reflect, relax and recharge.
5. Be thankful. When you appreciate what you have and put things in perspective your bad day won't seem so bad. A bad day will be just a small temporary part of life that pales in comparison to all the things that you are grateful for.
May your day be filled with boundless energy!
Jon Gordon, America's #1 Energy Coach and author of "Energy Addict: 101 Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Ways to Energize Your Life," will be on NBC's Today Show on Monday, October. 4.
www.energyaddict.com
Bad days. They're like pimples. They pop up unexpectedly. Nobody wants them but everyone has them. And some have them more than others. Mine seem to appear during a full moon. Is it any wonder that wolves howl at the moon? Perhaps your bad days start with a nightmare that wakes you up in the morning, an overwhelming project, sick children, rejection at work or an argument with your spouse. Or perhaps nothing sets off your bad day. You just seem to have these intense emotional feelings that life stinks and there's nothing to look forward to. Whatever the reason, bad days are about as fun as getting your teeth pulled. You wonder when it's going to be over but time inches slowly forward and the pain gets worse. Bad days. They make you just want to scream aggghhhhhhhhhh...
As someone who has had a lot of practice with bad days in my own life, I can tell you that bad days don't have to be so... bad. There are ways to overcome your bad days so they don't linger, so they don't cause more bad days and so they don't ruin your life. And I'm not talking about strategies that include a six pack of beer, a bottle of wine or a double fudge chunk, nut, caramel, whip cream sundae. My goal is to share strategies with you that will serve you today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life. Best of all they are free, powerful and at your disposal 24/7. So the next time you are having a bad day reach not for a bottle, but rather deep within yourself and try the following action steps:
Action Steps
1. Don't drown in bad day emotions. Like an unfortunate swimming accident, drowning is often the result of fighting too hard to stay afloat. Instead of fighting against your bad day allow yourself to relax and flow with the day. Accept that it's a bad day and ride it out like a surfer rides a wave. Realize that the more you struggle against it the weaker you will become. Understand that just as the wave has an end so does your bad day. Don't let your mind trick you into thinking that your bad day will last forever. Simply look at your bad day as a bad day that comes and goes. The more you flow the less bad days you will have. Breathe deeply and breathe often.
2. When possible avoid major decisions. During bad days we have a tendency to think about our future, our career, our purpose and our relationships. While there is nothing wrong with thinking about these things we can often get swept away by our negative emotions during bad days. So when possible, don't make any major decisions about your life or career. Be aware that you are having a bad day and say to yourself that you can think about everything another time.
3. Exercise. After a walk, run or bike ride your problems will be smaller and your bad day won't be so bad. Take a walk after lunch. Run before dinner. Just get that blood pumping, those endorphins going and your happy neurotransmitters flowing.
4. Treat yourself. Practice self care. Bad days make you feel wounded and like a wounded animal you must heal yourself. Treat yourself to a nice lunch. Go see a movie. Rent a video. Go shopping or swimming. Read a book. And even once in a while have a double fudge chunk, nut, caramel, whip cream sundae or other dessert. Just not all the time. Use bad days as a time to reflect, relax and recharge.
5. Be thankful. When you appreciate what you have and put things in perspective your bad day won't seem so bad. A bad day will be just a small temporary part of life that pales in comparison to all the things that you are grateful for.
May your day be filled with boundless energy!
Jon Gordon, America's #1 Energy Coach and author of "Energy Addict: 101 Mental, Physical, and Spiritual Ways to Energize Your Life," will be on NBC's Today Show on Monday, October. 4.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Creating A Winning Mindset
By Steve G. Jones
Clinical Hypnotherapist
www.BetterLivingWithHypnosis.com
Recently, we have been examining the nature of powerful thought. Now, with the Olympics recently finished, let's take a moment and examine the nature of using powerful thought to WIN.
life right now to make a postiive change. They are now avaliable in downloadable form...this means you can use them right NOW. Learn more at www.BetterLivingWithHypnosis.com < style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">
Until next time,
Live in abundant possibility!
Clinical Hypnotherapist
www.BetterLivingWithHypnosis.com
Recently, we have been examining the nature of powerful thought. Now, with the Olympics recently finished, let's take a moment and examine the nature of using powerful thought to WIN.
Do you know anyone who always wins? Sure you know that person, everything just works out for them. They go into business and they are an instant success. They enter the dating scene and their phone rings off the hook. If they were in the Olympics, you just know they wouldn't settle for anything less than the gold. It seems as though they always win.
Why is it that some people just have IT and others seem not to? Want to learn the secret to their success? Ready? Here it comes.... the secret to unstoppable success...drumroll please....
Winners EXPECT to win!
That's the big secret. Simple, huh?
But, think about it for a moment...Winners actually SEE their success BEFORE it happens! Do YOU expect to win BEFORE you have even entered a situation...or do you assess your chances AFTER you are already in the situation? Or, even worse, do you imagine failure?
BEFORE selling a piece of real estate, winners EXPECT to get their asking price. BEFORE buying a car, winners EXPECT to get a discount.
Before running an Olympic race, winners EXPECT TO WIN the gold, so they do win! This one small thing gives winners a tremendous advantage over others.
Want to be a winner?
Try this exercise...
Close your eyes for a full minute and THINK about achieving a goal in your life...go ahead, close your eyes for one minute and really THINK about achieving it.
OK, now close your eyes again for one full minute and EXPECT to get it. Did you notice a difference? When we simply THINK about getting something, our thoughts tend to be vague.
There are also two options...getting it or not getting it (winning or losing). But, when we EXPECT to get it, there is only one possibility...getting it (winning).
So now that you know the secret, the next step is applying your powerful knowledge and getting yourself to that point where YOU ALWAYS EXPECT TO WIN. I suggest that you take a full minute pause right before entering any challenging situation. During that minute, close your eyes, and imagine winning. See it, feel it, hear it, imagine yourself already having won. Guess what...you will have programmed your mind to pull you powerfully in the winning direction.
When you do enter that situation, your words and actions will be generated from a winning mindset. Your path will be straight to victory... you will already know the way and EXPECT to get there...so you WILL get there. Want a little more help with this?
Using the power of hypnosis, you can easily program yourself for a constant winning mindset. This is why I have created over 70 powerful hypnosis products to help you achieve all of your desires. I invite you to visit my vast library of tools you can use in yourlife right now to make a postiive change. They are now avaliable in downloadable form...this means you can use them right NOW. Learn more at www.BetterLivingWithHypnosis.com < style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">
Until next time,
Live in abundant possibility!
Steve G. Jones
Clinical Hypnotherapist
Steve G. Jones is a board certified Clinical Hypnotherapist. He is
a member of the National Guild of Hypnotists, American Board of
Hypnotherapy, president of the American Alliance of Hypnotists,
on the board of directors of the Los Angeles chapter of the
American Lung Association, and director of the California state
registered Steve G. Jones School of Hypnotherapy.
Monday, September 20, 2004
The Body/Mind Link for Inner Peace
By Paul R. Scheele
www.BeyondHuman.com
Being at peace is the wonderful state of mind and body where all is calm, where thoughts are quiet and serene, and where muscles are relaxed and comfortable. In this article, you’ll learn how to attain this inner peace in a matter of minutes.
Once you are adept at controlling your mind and body, you are always only one simple thought away from perfect peacefulness. You can “will” perfect peacefulness at any time. You will be able to move out of stressful situations immediately. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps to train yourself. A little practice is all that is required. But, you must take the time to direct the mind and body in positive ways so that you can ensure the pleasures of inner peace.
You’re at the wheel. So let’s drive on!
Let peace happen.
Being at peace is a choice. When we stop struggling and fighting the world around us—and the world within us—peace can happen. Our individual fight is with our thoughts, emotions and physical bodies. The fighting can be directed toward ourselves or those we face each day. Here are several approaches to quickly give up the fight and win at the same time.
There are many ways your physical body can take on struggles you face each day. Maybe you clench your jaw when you get mad. Maybe you collect tension across the back of your neck and shoulders. Maybe butterflies trouble your stomach. The first step is being aware of what you are doing. The second step is to consciously make the choice to release the tension.
Your mind takes on struggles in the form of mental images. Do you tend to imagine the ideal end result or the worst possible situation? Troubling and negative mental images translate into unpleasant emotions and stressful physical reactions. Choose carefully the thoughts you think because they absolutely affect how you feel. Realize that the only person who can change your thoughts is you. You can then take charge and change your thoughts for the better.
Emotions are natural physiological changes that occur when thoughts are held in your mind. You can easily direct your emotional states by changing your posture; for example, sit straight, tilt your head, use facial expressions, walk differently, etc. You can also direct your emotional states by holding brighter and more pleasing visual images in mind. You have the choice, but you must make the choice.
Creating Peace of Mind
To create peace within yourself, simply relax your body and breathing; then, direct the mind.
A still body is the reflection of a calm mind, but the mind cannot be still until the body is still. Begin by making your body comfortable. Then release areas of tension. As example, gentle movements of the neck and shoulder muscles can help stretch and release tension in those areas.
Breathing in an even and steady way will quickly calm both the body and mind. Make the inhale and exhale of equal length without any pauses in between. Your breathing will become smooth and even.
The next step is to quiet the mind. Start by bringing your awareness into this present moment, here and now. By doing this you can effectively eliminate distracting or troubling thoughts. Any anxieties about the future or tensions from the past will leave your mind and body.
Another way to direct the mind is to direct your inner voice--especially if it is anxious or overbearing. Play with the idea of changing the volume of your inner voice. Have it be quieter. Modify the tone of you inner voice until it is pleasant, warm and nurturing. You can have it say pleasant and comforting words to you—words of encouragement and self esteem. Some people even repeat soothing words or phrases in a rhythmic way.
The final step is to hold images that encourage a peaceful mind. For thousands of years, prayerful and meditative people have directed the mind by holding steady mental pictures. For example, the image of a candle flame can be used to concentrate one’s attention and steady the mind. You can use images of a peaceful scene from nature, a vacation setting, an imaginary room of comfort, a cathedral, rose bushes, or anything calming, wonderful, and peaceful.
What To Do Once You’ve Got There.
Getting to a relaxed state of mind and body by the above steps may take 20-30 minutes at first. With practice, however, you’ll be able to accomplish this within a few minutes.
When you try to extend this peaceful feeling for long periods of time, you may find that your mind will race to other thoughts. After all, your mind is trained to race, to go full throttle, all day long. If you suddenly stop for 20 minutes, will your mind to cooperate? No. It will do what you trained it to do for the 16 hours--race!
So, what’s the solution? How do you create a peace-filled life, and not peaceful three-minute spurts? Take it one moment and one thought at a time. Bring peaceful, serene, and positive images and feelings into the rest of your day. Learn to release tensions as they occur. Learn to direct your thoughts and emotions at the time they start getting out of hand. You’ll discover that not only can you create a peacefulness, but you are living a peace-filled life.
Get three free Mind Power tools when you join the Mind Power News ezine at: www.mindpowernews.com
www.BeyondHuman.com
Being at peace is the wonderful state of mind and body where all is calm, where thoughts are quiet and serene, and where muscles are relaxed and comfortable. In this article, you’ll learn how to attain this inner peace in a matter of minutes.
Once you are adept at controlling your mind and body, you are always only one simple thought away from perfect peacefulness. You can “will” perfect peacefulness at any time. You will be able to move out of stressful situations immediately. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps to train yourself. A little practice is all that is required. But, you must take the time to direct the mind and body in positive ways so that you can ensure the pleasures of inner peace.
You’re at the wheel. So let’s drive on!
Let peace happen.
Being at peace is a choice. When we stop struggling and fighting the world around us—and the world within us—peace can happen. Our individual fight is with our thoughts, emotions and physical bodies. The fighting can be directed toward ourselves or those we face each day. Here are several approaches to quickly give up the fight and win at the same time.
There are many ways your physical body can take on struggles you face each day. Maybe you clench your jaw when you get mad. Maybe you collect tension across the back of your neck and shoulders. Maybe butterflies trouble your stomach. The first step is being aware of what you are doing. The second step is to consciously make the choice to release the tension.
Your mind takes on struggles in the form of mental images. Do you tend to imagine the ideal end result or the worst possible situation? Troubling and negative mental images translate into unpleasant emotions and stressful physical reactions. Choose carefully the thoughts you think because they absolutely affect how you feel. Realize that the only person who can change your thoughts is you. You can then take charge and change your thoughts for the better.
Emotions are natural physiological changes that occur when thoughts are held in your mind. You can easily direct your emotional states by changing your posture; for example, sit straight, tilt your head, use facial expressions, walk differently, etc. You can also direct your emotional states by holding brighter and more pleasing visual images in mind. You have the choice, but you must make the choice.
Creating Peace of Mind
To create peace within yourself, simply relax your body and breathing; then, direct the mind.
A still body is the reflection of a calm mind, but the mind cannot be still until the body is still. Begin by making your body comfortable. Then release areas of tension. As example, gentle movements of the neck and shoulder muscles can help stretch and release tension in those areas.
Breathing in an even and steady way will quickly calm both the body and mind. Make the inhale and exhale of equal length without any pauses in between. Your breathing will become smooth and even.
The next step is to quiet the mind. Start by bringing your awareness into this present moment, here and now. By doing this you can effectively eliminate distracting or troubling thoughts. Any anxieties about the future or tensions from the past will leave your mind and body.
Another way to direct the mind is to direct your inner voice--especially if it is anxious or overbearing. Play with the idea of changing the volume of your inner voice. Have it be quieter. Modify the tone of you inner voice until it is pleasant, warm and nurturing. You can have it say pleasant and comforting words to you—words of encouragement and self esteem. Some people even repeat soothing words or phrases in a rhythmic way.
The final step is to hold images that encourage a peaceful mind. For thousands of years, prayerful and meditative people have directed the mind by holding steady mental pictures. For example, the image of a candle flame can be used to concentrate one’s attention and steady the mind. You can use images of a peaceful scene from nature, a vacation setting, an imaginary room of comfort, a cathedral, rose bushes, or anything calming, wonderful, and peaceful.
What To Do Once You’ve Got There.
Getting to a relaxed state of mind and body by the above steps may take 20-30 minutes at first. With practice, however, you’ll be able to accomplish this within a few minutes.
When you try to extend this peaceful feeling for long periods of time, you may find that your mind will race to other thoughts. After all, your mind is trained to race, to go full throttle, all day long. If you suddenly stop for 20 minutes, will your mind to cooperate? No. It will do what you trained it to do for the 16 hours--race!
So, what’s the solution? How do you create a peace-filled life, and not peaceful three-minute spurts? Take it one moment and one thought at a time. Bring peaceful, serene, and positive images and feelings into the rest of your day. Learn to release tensions as they occur. Learn to direct your thoughts and emotions at the time they start getting out of hand. You’ll discover that not only can you create a peacefulness, but you are living a peace-filled life.
Get three free Mind Power tools when you join the Mind Power News ezine at: www.mindpowernews.com
Stress In Pregnancy Puts Babies At Risk
By Jo Revill
Health Editor, The Observer UK
An intriguing link between levels of anxiety in pregnant women and the damaging effect on the brain of the unborn child will be shown this week in a new study of ambidextrous children.
Researchers have discovered that women who are very anxious in the middle of their pregnancies are significantly more likely to have a child who is ambidextrous or 'mixed handed', a condition associated with autism, dyslexia and hyperactivity. It is the first time scientists have found such a link, and they believe it may be necessary for midwives to tackle mothers' stress levels to reduce the effects on the foetus.
The findings are based on information collected by a project based at the University of Bristol which looked at the lives of more than 7,400 mothers and children.
The data was analysed by Professor Vivette Glover from Imperial College, London, who examined the rates of mixed handedness or atypical laterality as it is known. The condition - where people can use either hands for a range of tasks - is often inherited, but is also thought to be affected by the hormonal levels in the womb, particularly by the rates of testosterone.
Scientists make a distinction between ambidextrous people who can use hands completely interchangeably and those who are mixed handed, who have a favoured hand for each task, although it may not be the same one.
Mothers were asked to report whether, at the age of three-and-a-half, their child used the right or left hand for six tasks - drawing, throwing a ball, colouring, holding a toothbrush, using a knife and hitting things. Children who used either hand for two or more tasks were classified as mixed handed - something they found in 21 per cent of boys and 15 per cent of girls.
After allowing for other factors, Glover found that a heightened level of anxiety at 18 weeks of pregnancy was associated with a 20-30 per cent rise in mixed handedness.
In a study she will present to a conference in Bristol this week, she said: 'Given that there was no effect on postnatal anxiety, the results support the hypothesis that the effect of maternal mood took place in the womb. The results support growing evidence for the importance of foetal programming in humans.'
Previous research in animals has suggested that there might be a link between antenatal stress and laterality - our natural preference for using one side of the body. Until now there has been no research to show if the same effect applies in humans.
One interesting component of the study, published in the journal Early Human Development, is that handedness was only affected by the anxiety in the middle of the pregnancy. No significant effect was seen in mothers who were anxious at 32 weeks, or eight weeks after the birth of the child. Whether the mother was depressed or not made no difference: it was the mother's mood and a feeling of being worried or stressed that counted.
Unlike our closest genetic relative, the chimpanzee, humans tend to heavily favour one hand or the other. Some scientists believe this has been crucial to the evolution of man, because the division between the right and left-hand side of the brain, which governs the handedness, affects the way our brain develops.
The Children Of The 90s study is a continuing project based in Bristol, which enrolled 14,000 mothers during pregnancy in 1991 and 1992, and has followed the lives of both children and parents in minute detail ever since. An earlier study from the project showed that antenatal anxiety in late pregnancy increased the likelihood of the child exhibiting behavioural or emotional problems at both four and seven years.
The new findings do not mean that ambidextrous people will definitely develop the problems such as autism or dyslexia, but they will statistically have more chance of having one of the conditions.
'We should reassure those who are mixed handed that they will probably not have any of these other problems. We are talking about risk factors, not certainties,' said Glover.
'However, it may mean that interventions to reduce maternal stress or anxiety in pregnancy may reduce the incidence of both mixed handedness and other associated developmental disorders such as dyslexia.'
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
Get three free Mind Power tools when you join the Mind Power News ezine at: www.mindpowernews.com
Health Editor, The Observer UK
An intriguing link between levels of anxiety in pregnant women and the damaging effect on the brain of the unborn child will be shown this week in a new study of ambidextrous children.
Researchers have discovered that women who are very anxious in the middle of their pregnancies are significantly more likely to have a child who is ambidextrous or 'mixed handed', a condition associated with autism, dyslexia and hyperactivity. It is the first time scientists have found such a link, and they believe it may be necessary for midwives to tackle mothers' stress levels to reduce the effects on the foetus.
The findings are based on information collected by a project based at the University of Bristol which looked at the lives of more than 7,400 mothers and children.
The data was analysed by Professor Vivette Glover from Imperial College, London, who examined the rates of mixed handedness or atypical laterality as it is known. The condition - where people can use either hands for a range of tasks - is often inherited, but is also thought to be affected by the hormonal levels in the womb, particularly by the rates of testosterone.
Scientists make a distinction between ambidextrous people who can use hands completely interchangeably and those who are mixed handed, who have a favoured hand for each task, although it may not be the same one.
Mothers were asked to report whether, at the age of three-and-a-half, their child used the right or left hand for six tasks - drawing, throwing a ball, colouring, holding a toothbrush, using a knife and hitting things. Children who used either hand for two or more tasks were classified as mixed handed - something they found in 21 per cent of boys and 15 per cent of girls.
After allowing for other factors, Glover found that a heightened level of anxiety at 18 weeks of pregnancy was associated with a 20-30 per cent rise in mixed handedness.
In a study she will present to a conference in Bristol this week, she said: 'Given that there was no effect on postnatal anxiety, the results support the hypothesis that the effect of maternal mood took place in the womb. The results support growing evidence for the importance of foetal programming in humans.'
Previous research in animals has suggested that there might be a link between antenatal stress and laterality - our natural preference for using one side of the body. Until now there has been no research to show if the same effect applies in humans.
One interesting component of the study, published in the journal Early Human Development, is that handedness was only affected by the anxiety in the middle of the pregnancy. No significant effect was seen in mothers who were anxious at 32 weeks, or eight weeks after the birth of the child. Whether the mother was depressed or not made no difference: it was the mother's mood and a feeling of being worried or stressed that counted.
Unlike our closest genetic relative, the chimpanzee, humans tend to heavily favour one hand or the other. Some scientists believe this has been crucial to the evolution of man, because the division between the right and left-hand side of the brain, which governs the handedness, affects the way our brain develops.
The Children Of The 90s study is a continuing project based in Bristol, which enrolled 14,000 mothers during pregnancy in 1991 and 1992, and has followed the lives of both children and parents in minute detail ever since. An earlier study from the project showed that antenatal anxiety in late pregnancy increased the likelihood of the child exhibiting behavioural or emotional problems at both four and seven years.
The new findings do not mean that ambidextrous people will definitely develop the problems such as autism or dyslexia, but they will statistically have more chance of having one of the conditions.
'We should reassure those who are mixed handed that they will probably not have any of these other problems. We are talking about risk factors, not certainties,' said Glover.
'However, it may mean that interventions to reduce maternal stress or anxiety in pregnancy may reduce the incidence of both mixed handedness and other associated developmental disorders such as dyslexia.'
Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
Get three free Mind Power tools when you join the Mind Power News ezine at: www.mindpowernews.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Beyond Positive Thinking
One of my favourite books of all time is "The Ultimate Secrets of Total Self-Confidence," written by one of my favourite authors of all time, Dr. Robert Anthony. His books helped change my entire life back when I was just a snot-nosed punk ;)
Now we have the opportunity to help Dr. Anthony's new book hit No. 1 at Amazon.com. His classic book "The Advanced Formula For Total Success" has been updated, re-written, and revised. And if you get a copy on Friday, Sept. 17, Dr. Anthony will give you a free copy of his brand new software program, the Intention Activator. Read more about it below:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
*BEYOND POSITIVE THINKING* is a completely REVISED version Dr. Anthony’s *The Advanced Formula for Total Success* The new version is better than ever. It includes new chapters and introduction by Dr. Joe Vitale, who recorded the audio version of Beyond Positive Thinking.
We want to help Dr. Anthony make this book a best-seller on Amazon.com on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2004. Will you help us?
In short, spend $14.95 for a copy of *BEYOND POSITIVE THINKING* and receive Dr. Anthony’s powerful new INTENTION ACTIVATOR software program which is now selling for $49.95 on his website as a FREE bonus!
Here's what you need to do right now…….
(1) Click here: http://www.amazon.com
Go to Amazon.com and order at least one copy of Dr. Anthony’s book, *BEYOND POSITIVE THINKING* for only $14.95
(2) When you receive your order receipt from Amazon.com click here http://www.intentionactivator.com/Amazon.htm
(3) Enter your NAME, your EMAIL ADDRESS and your AMAZON ORDER RECEIPT NUMBER.
(4) You will be sent to a secret web address where you can download your F.REE copy of the INTENTION ACTIVATOR software. In addition, Dr. Anthony will also include a copy of *THE POWER OF INTENTION* e-book that will dramatically increase your results when using the INTENTION ACTIVATOR
It's that easy!
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Read all about the new NTENTION ACTIVATOR at http://www.intentionactivator.com – but DO NOT ORDER a copy for $49.95 - because you can have it for F.REE!
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All *you* need to do to receive your FREE INTENTION ACTIVATOR software program is grab ONE copy of Dr. Anthony’s newly revised book - *BEYOND POSITIVE THINKING* at Amazon.com by midnight, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 U.S. Eastern Standard time.
DO NOT ORDER BEFORE this date. All orders must be placed on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2004 to qualify for the bonus. After this day, the offer expires. No exceptions.
Miraculous Messages From Water
How water reflects our consciousness
By Stace Sharp
www.wellnessgoods.com
Water has a very important message for us. Water is telling us to take a much deeper look at ourselves. When we do look at our selves through the mirror of water, the message becomes amazingly, crystal, clear. We know that human life is directly connected to the quality of our water, both within and all around us.
The photographs and information in this article reflect the work of Masaru Emoto, a creative and visionary Japanese researcher. Mr. Emoto has published an important book, "The Message from Water," from the findings of his worldwide research If you have any doubt that your thoughts affect everything in, and around you, the information and photographs that are presented here, taken from the book of his published results, will change your mind and alter your beliefs, profoundly.
From Mr. Emotos work we are provided with factual evidence, that human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that comprises over seventy percent of a mature human body and covers the same amount
of our planet. Water is the very source of all life on this planet, its quality and integrity are vitally important to all forms of life. The body is very much like a sponge and is composed of trillions of chambers called cells that hold liquid. The quality of our life is directly connected
to the quality of our water.
Water is a very malleable substance. Its physical shape easily adapts to whatever environment is present. But its physical appearance is not the only thing that changes; its molecular shape also changes. The energy or vibrations of the environment will change the molecular
shape of water. In this sense water not only has the ability to visually reflect the environment but it also molecularly reflects the environment.
Mr. Emoto has been visually documenting these molecular changes in water by means of his photographic techniques. He freezes droplets of water and then examines them under a dark field microscope that has photographic capabilities. His work clearly demonstrates the diversity
of the molecular structure of water and the effect of the environment upon the structure of the water.
Snow has been falling on the earth for more than a few million years. Each snowflake, as we have been told, has a very unique shape and structure. By freezing water and taking a photograph of the structure, as Mr. Emoto has done, you get incredible information about the water.
Mr. Emoto has discovered many fascinating differences in the crystalline structures of water from many different sources and different conditions around the planet. Water from pristine mountain streams and springs show the beautifully formed geometric designs in their crystalline patterns. Polluted and toxic water from industrial and populated areas and stagnated water from water pipes and storage dams show definitively distorted and randomly formed crystalline structures.
See these photos at www.wellnessgoods.com
These photographs show the incredible reflections of water, as alive and highly responsive to every one of our emotions and thoughts. It is quite clear that water easily takes on the vibrations and energy of its environment, whether toxic and polluted or naturally pristine.
Masaru Emoto's extraordinary work is an awesome display, and powerful tool, that can change our perceptions of ourselves and the world we live in, forever. We now have profound evidence that we can positively heal and transform ourselves and our planet by the thoughts we choose to think and the ways in which we put those thoughts into action.
This article is Copyright Protected by : Stace Sharp and The Wellness Goods Company Inc.
By Stace Sharp
www.wellnessgoods.com
Water has a very important message for us. Water is telling us to take a much deeper look at ourselves. When we do look at our selves through the mirror of water, the message becomes amazingly, crystal, clear. We know that human life is directly connected to the quality of our water, both within and all around us.
The photographs and information in this article reflect the work of Masaru Emoto, a creative and visionary Japanese researcher. Mr. Emoto has published an important book, "The Message from Water," from the findings of his worldwide research If you have any doubt that your thoughts affect everything in, and around you, the information and photographs that are presented here, taken from the book of his published results, will change your mind and alter your beliefs, profoundly.
From Mr. Emotos work we are provided with factual evidence, that human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music, affect the molecular structure of water, the very same water that comprises over seventy percent of a mature human body and covers the same amount
of our planet. Water is the very source of all life on this planet, its quality and integrity are vitally important to all forms of life. The body is very much like a sponge and is composed of trillions of chambers called cells that hold liquid. The quality of our life is directly connected
to the quality of our water.
Water is a very malleable substance. Its physical shape easily adapts to whatever environment is present. But its physical appearance is not the only thing that changes; its molecular shape also changes. The energy or vibrations of the environment will change the molecular
shape of water. In this sense water not only has the ability to visually reflect the environment but it also molecularly reflects the environment.
Mr. Emoto has been visually documenting these molecular changes in water by means of his photographic techniques. He freezes droplets of water and then examines them under a dark field microscope that has photographic capabilities. His work clearly demonstrates the diversity
of the molecular structure of water and the effect of the environment upon the structure of the water.
Snow has been falling on the earth for more than a few million years. Each snowflake, as we have been told, has a very unique shape and structure. By freezing water and taking a photograph of the structure, as Mr. Emoto has done, you get incredible information about the water.
Mr. Emoto has discovered many fascinating differences in the crystalline structures of water from many different sources and different conditions around the planet. Water from pristine mountain streams and springs show the beautifully formed geometric designs in their crystalline patterns. Polluted and toxic water from industrial and populated areas and stagnated water from water pipes and storage dams show definitively distorted and randomly formed crystalline structures.
See these photos at www.wellnessgoods.com
These photographs show the incredible reflections of water, as alive and highly responsive to every one of our emotions and thoughts. It is quite clear that water easily takes on the vibrations and energy of its environment, whether toxic and polluted or naturally pristine.
Masaru Emoto's extraordinary work is an awesome display, and powerful tool, that can change our perceptions of ourselves and the world we live in, forever. We now have profound evidence that we can positively heal and transform ourselves and our planet by the thoughts we choose to think and the ways in which we put those thoughts into action.
This article is Copyright Protected by : Stace Sharp and The Wellness Goods Company Inc.
Monday, September 13, 2004
Sleep Less, Live Longer!
By Daniel F. Kripke, M.D.
UCSD School of Medicine News
Increased Death Rate Associated
With Sleeping 8 Hours or More
Although it’s a common belief that 8 hours of sleep is required for optimal health, a six-year study of more than one million adults ages 30 to 102 has shown that people who get only 6 to 7 hours a night have a lower death rate. Individuals who sleep 8 hours or more, or less than 4 hours a night, were shown to have a significantly increased death rate compared to those who averaged 6 to 7 hours.
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and the American Cancer Society collaborated on the study, which appeared in the February 15, 2002 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a journal of the American Medical Association.
Although the data indicated the highest mortality rates with long-duration sleep, the study could not explain the causes or reasons for this association.
First author Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., a UCSD professor of psychiatry who specializes in sleep research, said “we don’t know if long sleep periods lead to death. Additional studies are needed to determine if setting your alarm clock earlier will actually improve your health.”
But, he added “individuals who now average 6.5 hours of sleep a night, can be reassured that this is a safe amount of sleep. From a health standpoint, there is no reason to sleep longer.”
Kripke is also a member of UCSD's Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging.
The study, which addressed sleep issues as part of the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPSII) of the American Cancer Society, also indicated that participants who reported occasional bouts of insomnia did not have an increased mortality rate, but those individuals who took sleeping pills were more likely to die sooner.
“Insomnia is not synonymous with short sleep,” the authors said in the article. “Patients commonly complain of insomnia when their sleep durations are well within the range of people without sleep symptoms.”
They added that physicians believe most patient complaints about “insomnia” are actually related to depression, rather than a diagnosis of insomnia.
With 1.1 million participants, this was the first large-scale population study of sleep to also take into consideration variables such as age, diet, exercise, previous health problems, and risk factors such as smoking, in comparing longevity among the participants. In other words, individuals with specific characteristics were compared with individuals of a similar age, health background, etc.
Although the study was conducted from 1982-88, the sleep results have not been available until recently due to the length of time required to input and analyze the vast amount and variety of data from the 1.1 million participants.
“Previous sleep studies have indicated that both short- and long-duration sleep had higher mortality rates,” Kripke said. “However, none of those studies were large enough to distinguish the difference between 7 and 8 hours a night, until now.”
The figures above indicate hours of sleep for men (left) and women (right). The hazard ratio, the top bar graph, indicates the mortality risk while the bottom graph shows the percentage of subjects associated with the reported number of hours sleep.
The best survival rates were found among those who slept 7 hours per night. The study showed that a group sleeping 8 hours were 12 percent more likely to die within the six-year period than those sleeping 7 hours, other factors being equal. Even those with as little as 5 hours sleep lived longer than participants with 8 hours or more per night.
The mean age for women in the study was 57, while the mean age for men was 58. Within the six year period, 5.1 percent of the women had died and 9.4 percent of the men. The causes of death resembled the distribution for the general population.
If you'd like to learn how to sleep less and have more energy, I highly recommend a program called "Powerful Sleep." This very simple method has allowed me to shave 3 full hours of my sleep each night! Learn more here: PowerfulSleep.com
UCSD School of Medicine News
Increased Death Rate Associated
With Sleeping 8 Hours or More
Although it’s a common belief that 8 hours of sleep is required for optimal health, a six-year study of more than one million adults ages 30 to 102 has shown that people who get only 6 to 7 hours a night have a lower death rate. Individuals who sleep 8 hours or more, or less than 4 hours a night, were shown to have a significantly increased death rate compared to those who averaged 6 to 7 hours.
Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and the American Cancer Society collaborated on the study, which appeared in the February 15, 2002 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, a journal of the American Medical Association.
Although the data indicated the highest mortality rates with long-duration sleep, the study could not explain the causes or reasons for this association.
First author Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., a UCSD professor of psychiatry who specializes in sleep research, said “we don’t know if long sleep periods lead to death. Additional studies are needed to determine if setting your alarm clock earlier will actually improve your health.”
But, he added “individuals who now average 6.5 hours of sleep a night, can be reassured that this is a safe amount of sleep. From a health standpoint, there is no reason to sleep longer.”
Kripke is also a member of UCSD's Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging.
The study, which addressed sleep issues as part of the Cancer Prevention Study II (CPSII) of the American Cancer Society, also indicated that participants who reported occasional bouts of insomnia did not have an increased mortality rate, but those individuals who took sleeping pills were more likely to die sooner.
“Insomnia is not synonymous with short sleep,” the authors said in the article. “Patients commonly complain of insomnia when their sleep durations are well within the range of people without sleep symptoms.”
They added that physicians believe most patient complaints about “insomnia” are actually related to depression, rather than a diagnosis of insomnia.
With 1.1 million participants, this was the first large-scale population study of sleep to also take into consideration variables such as age, diet, exercise, previous health problems, and risk factors such as smoking, in comparing longevity among the participants. In other words, individuals with specific characteristics were compared with individuals of a similar age, health background, etc.
Although the study was conducted from 1982-88, the sleep results have not been available until recently due to the length of time required to input and analyze the vast amount and variety of data from the 1.1 million participants.
“Previous sleep studies have indicated that both short- and long-duration sleep had higher mortality rates,” Kripke said. “However, none of those studies were large enough to distinguish the difference between 7 and 8 hours a night, until now.”
The figures above indicate hours of sleep for men (left) and women (right). The hazard ratio, the top bar graph, indicates the mortality risk while the bottom graph shows the percentage of subjects associated with the reported number of hours sleep.
The best survival rates were found among those who slept 7 hours per night. The study showed that a group sleeping 8 hours were 12 percent more likely to die within the six-year period than those sleeping 7 hours, other factors being equal. Even those with as little as 5 hours sleep lived longer than participants with 8 hours or more per night.
The mean age for women in the study was 57, while the mean age for men was 58. Within the six year period, 5.1 percent of the women had died and 9.4 percent of the men. The causes of death resembled the distribution for the general population.
If you'd like to learn how to sleep less and have more energy, I highly recommend a program called "Powerful Sleep." This very simple method has allowed me to shave 3 full hours of my sleep each night! Learn more here: PowerfulSleep.com
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Greatness Held Hostage
Get Your Free Copy Of The #1 Best-Selling Book Conversations with Millionaires!
Limited time offer. You get a free copy of this success classic and discover the amazing secrets of 7 famous millionaires. Includes Jim Rohn, Robert Allen, and more. Over 107,197 sold.
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FREE "Greatness Held Hostage" CD!
Limited time offer. You get a free copy of this success classic and discover the amazing secrets of 7 famous millionaires. Includes Jim Rohn, Robert Allen, and more. Over 107,197 sold.
Click here now:
FREE "Greatness Held Hostage" CD!
Challenge Your Senses With This Cool Test
Put you senses to the test with this challenge.
The quiz includes 20 times questions and takes about 10 minutes.
Good Luck!
Click here for the Senses Challenge
The quiz includes 20 times questions and takes about 10 minutes.
Good Luck!
Click here for the Senses Challenge
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Intelligent Design Study Appears
By Trevor Stokes
www.biomedcentral.com
www.biomedcentral.com
The publication in a peer-reviewed biology journal of an article which sounds themes often heard in discussions of "intelligent design"–a theory one critic calls "the old creationist arguments in fancy clothes"–has drawn criticism from the members of the society that publishes the journal, and from others.
In an article entitled "The origin of biological information and the higher taxonomic categories," which was made available online on August 28 by the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, Stephen Meyer concludes: "what natural selection lacks, intelligent selection–purposive or goal-directed design–provides." Meyer is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, which, according to its Web site "supports research by scientists and other scholars developing the scientific theory known as intelligent design."
Intelligent design, or the design hypothesis, is the "idea that the origin of information is best explained by an act of intelligence rather than a strictly materialistic process," Meyer told The Scientist.
Eugenie C. Scott, executive director at the National Center for Science Education, learned of the article when several members of the Biological Society of Washington called her office. "Many members of the society were stunned about the article," she said, describing it as "recycled material quite common in the intelligent design community." Intelligent design, she said, is "an evolved form of creationism that resulted from legal decisions in the 1980s ruling that creationism can't be taught in schools."
"There hasn't been anything in peer-reviewed literature about intelligent design," Scott said. "Members of the intelligent design community are very hungry to get articles in peer-reviewed journals."
The article was the subject of a detailed critique on Panda's Thumb, a Web log that focuses on issues in evolutionary science. The critique calls Meyer's article "a rhetorical edifice out of omission of relevant facts, selective quoting, bad analogies, and tendentious interpretations."
"It's too bad the Proceedings published it," Scott said. "The article doesn't fit the type of content of the journal. The bottom line is that this article is substandard science."
The Biological Society of Washington has about 250 members. The journal has an impact factor of 0.284, according to Thomson Scientific, giving it a rank of 2678 out of 3110 scored journals in all science disciplines. Scott described the journal as a "tiny fairly descriptive journal read by people in museums and systematics."
Richard Sternberg, a staff scientist at the National Center for Biotechnology Information who was an editor of the Proceedings at the time, told The Scientist via E-mail that the three peer reviewers of the paper "all hold faculty positions in biological disciplines at prominent universities and research institutions, one at an Ivy League university, one at a major US public university, and another at a major overseas research institute."
"The reviewers did not necessarily agree with Dr. Meyer's arguments but all found the paper meritorious, warranting publication," Sternberg said.
Sternberg said he was concerned that some in the science community have labeled him and Meyer as creationists. "It's fascinating how the 'creationist' label is falsely applied to anyone who raises any questions about neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory," he said. "The reaction to the paper by some [anti-creationist] extremists suggests that the thought police are alive and well in the scientific community."
Sternberg has ties to the intelligent design community, but he identifies himself as "a structuralist who has given several papers and presentations critiquing creationism." He is on the editorial board of the Baraminology Study Group at Bryan College, Dayton, Tenn. Baraminology, a term introduced in 1990, views biological creation as happening instantly, rather than through evolutionary descent. Sternberg is slated to attend a meeting in October entitled "Evolution, Intelligent Design, and the Future of Biology." The meeting's Web site describes Sternberg's talk as an explanation of why "biology is better understood as a product of intelligent design."
Robert L. Crowther, director of communications at the Discovery Institute, drew a clear distinction "between the scientific theory of intelligent design and creationism."
"Dr. Meyer is a well-known proponent of intelligent design and that is what his paper is about," Crowther wrote in an E-mail to The Scientist. "To try and characterize him as a creationist is just an attempt to stigmatize him and marginalize his paper, all the while avoiding the scientific issues that it raises."
Meyer said: "I have received a number of private communications from scientists expressing their agreement or intrigue with the arguments that I develop in my article. Public reaction to the article, however, has been mainly characterized by hysteria, name-calling and personal attack." Labels, he said, "are ultimately a diversion."
Get your free subscription to Mind Power News at
www.mindpowernews.com
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Crazy Millionaire Giving It All Away
If you haven't heard the name T. Harv Eker yet, you will definitely see it everywhere next spring. That's when Eker is calling in all his favors from the world's top personal development gurus in order to shoot his new book to the #1 position on the New York Times bestseller list.
The release of "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind," will skyrocket Eker into the league of Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, and Mark Victor Hanson.
And when that happens, you'll be kicking yourself if you pass up the offer I'm about to make.
You see, I've been a student of T. Harv Eker for a few years now, and thanks to my relationship with him, I've been given the opportunity to give all of my readers an incredible gift. Right now, for the first 100 people who register, two seats to T. Harv Eker's world famous "Millionaire Mind Intensive," valued at over $1000 each, will be given to you absolutely free!
Please click on this link immediately to register:
Two Free Seats at the Millionaire Mind Intensive
This is an amazing offer! Let me tell you why:
I paid $997 to take this course a few years ago. Utilizing the techniques I learned during that training, I have easily earned back 10 times that amount, and maybe more. Within 11 months of the Millionaire Mind Intensive I left my day job, and six months after that I was earning double what I ever earned working for somebody else.
So I know these techniques work. And I wholeheartedly endorse this program and hope that everyone who reads this message will join. Right now the course costs around $1200 per person. Even if you had to pay that amount I would consider it a great deal. But be one of the first 100 people to register, and you and a friend or family member will get this package worth over $2400 absolutely free. It's an absolute no-brainer.
If you have any interest at all in using the incredible power of your mind to create a happier, more successful life for you and your family, you must be at this training. Remember, this is not an internet course or teleseminar. This is a live event and so seats are limited. I have only been authorized to give away 100 of these packages on a first come, first served basis.
Trust me. Just go to this link and register. You'll be glad you did.
Click Here to Grab Your Two Free Seats at the Millionaire Mind Intensive
To your future,
Andreas
P.S. Read the following post for more information from T. Harv Eker
The release of "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind," will skyrocket Eker into the league of Tony Robbins, Deepak Chopra, and Mark Victor Hanson.
And when that happens, you'll be kicking yourself if you pass up the offer I'm about to make.
You see, I've been a student of T. Harv Eker for a few years now, and thanks to my relationship with him, I've been given the opportunity to give all of my readers an incredible gift. Right now, for the first 100 people who register, two seats to T. Harv Eker's world famous "Millionaire Mind Intensive," valued at over $1000 each, will be given to you absolutely free!
Please click on this link immediately to register:
Two Free Seats at the Millionaire Mind Intensive
This is an amazing offer! Let me tell you why:
I paid $997 to take this course a few years ago. Utilizing the techniques I learned during that training, I have easily earned back 10 times that amount, and maybe more. Within 11 months of the Millionaire Mind Intensive I left my day job, and six months after that I was earning double what I ever earned working for somebody else.
So I know these techniques work. And I wholeheartedly endorse this program and hope that everyone who reads this message will join. Right now the course costs around $1200 per person. Even if you had to pay that amount I would consider it a great deal. But be one of the first 100 people to register, and you and a friend or family member will get this package worth over $2400 absolutely free. It's an absolute no-brainer.
If you have any interest at all in using the incredible power of your mind to create a happier, more successful life for you and your family, you must be at this training. Remember, this is not an internet course or teleseminar. This is a live event and so seats are limited. I have only been authorized to give away 100 of these packages on a first come, first served basis.
Trust me. Just go to this link and register. You'll be glad you did.
Click Here to Grab Your Two Free Seats at the Millionaire Mind Intensive
To your future,
Andreas
P.S. Read the following post for more information from T. Harv Eker
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
How to Develop a Millionaire Mind
"The Secret Psychology of Wealth"
"There is a secret psychology to money," says T. Harv Eker, internationally known speaker and author of 11 top-selling books and courses, "Most people don't know about it, that's why most people never reach their financial potential."
Eker explains, "Your outer world is simply a reflection of your inner world! A lack of money is not a problem, it is merely a symptom of what's going on underneath! The fastest and only way to permanently change your financial situation on the outside, is to first change it on the inside." Eker should know, using this strategy he went from zero to millionaire in only 2 1/2 years!
"Give me 5 minutes," says Eker, "and I can predict your financial future for the rest of your life! How? By identifying your 'personal money and success blueprint'." According to Eker we all have a money and success blueprint already ingrained in our subconscious. "It's imperative to recognize what your own financial blueprint is set for. Is it success, mediocrity or failure, struggle or ease, high or low earnings, consistent or inconsistent income, spending or saving, picking winning investments or picking losers?"
When asked how you can tell, Eker explains, "One way is to look at your results! If the temperature in a room is 72 degrees, chances are the thermostat is set for 72. Regardless of whether you are making $20,000 or $100,000 per year, unless you raise your 'internal money blueprint' you will never substantially raise your income or net worth."
"Unfortunately for most people," says Eker, "your current blueprint will stay with you for the rest of your life, unless you identify it and change it. There is a powerful, one evening seminar that will do just that. It's called The "Millionaire Mind, The Secret Psychology of Wealth." In this seminar you will learn how to completely recondition yourself for financial success. For many people, the change will be immediate and permanent."
Here's just a portion of what you'll learn!
- The 5 critical ways rich people think differently than the poor & middle class.
- The hidden cause of almost all financial problems.
- How your childhood conditioning is affecting you financially today.
- Why knowledge & skill do not create wealth.
- How to attract so-called "luck" with money and success.
- How to train your "mind" to work for you instead of against you.
"Money miracles can occur when we get out of our own way," says Eker. "The problem is, by ourselves, we can never see what's holding us back from reaching our full potential. Einstein said it best, "you can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it." The information in this course is extremely powerful! If you learn the strategies and use them, your financial life will change forever."
Over the past 12 years, Eker has helped over 100,000 people change their lives. Here's what a few of his students have shared.
"Since attending your program several months ago, my income has quadrupled. Thanks!" -Sian Lindem
"I am a real estate agent. After the course, in one weekend I closed four deals!" -Debbie Filippelli
"Since the course my income has taken a quantum leap. I have saved more money in the last 10 months than I have in the previous 10 years. Thank you!" -Robert Hall
Shocking Offer:
Experience the "Secret Psychology of Wealth" that over 250,000 people have spent $Millions to discover! And then Collect your Shocking Gift worth over $2,200.00!
Orgasms Are All In The Mind
By James Doherty and Kath Gourlay
The Scotsman
(Click on headline to read original story)
The Scotsman
(Click on headline to read original story)
It's a scientific fact: human brains are programmed for orgasms - with or without the actual sex act.
Perhaps nobody listening to football commentators will be surprised by the news, claimed to have been proven by one of the lecturers at this week’s Orkney International Science Festival. Dr Robert Lomas - a solid-state physicist and an internationally known author on religious symbolism - says that evolution has allowed humans to develop the sex-free orgasm.
"It’s the same reward mechanism that encourages us to share our DNA," said Dr Lomas. "But it can be achieved without the physical act of copulation."
Only humans have this power to induce mental ecstasy, and it’s a complex set of responses that can be achieved by learned behavioural patterns or triggered by hyper-arousal during peak experiences, he says.
"At times of hyper-arousal, our brains are designed to freeload on the behavioural reward that encourages us to reproduce," he said. "And that is another name for orgasm."
For those who laughed at the idea of the Barbarella-type "orgasmatron" - Jane Fonda popping pills, touching palms with her bemused boyfriend and staying three feet away from him - Dr Lomas says the film is closer to science fact than fiction. "If the orgasmic response in her brain was being triggered by a programmed release of chemically or electrically stimulated hormones, it could be done, if the programming was right," he said.
However, the days of a drug being widely available on the NHS are still a long way off.
"Artificially creating the right combination of neuropeptides is very complex," Dr Lomas explained. "Your tension and relaxation levels have to be in perfect balance before your arousal system is tripped. It’s like trying to balance a marble on the tip of a ballpoint pen."
Dr Lomas said the trigger factors leading to that elusive brain state have to be induced through repetitive behavioural patterns using ritual and posture.
"All these mystics haven’t really given up sex," said Dr Lomas. "It’s just a different form of orgasm."
This analysis forms the basis of the fifth book in the Hiram Key series, which has produced controversial theories on the mindset of man from pre- history to the present day.
Turning the Hiram Key looks like keeping to that tradition, with detailed discussion on how masonic ritual contains the elements needed for inducing mental ecstasy.
Dr Cynthia McVey, a psychologist from Glasgow Caledonian University, said that from puberty onwards, achieving orgasm without sexual contact happens in our dreams.
"With nocturnal emissions, there is no sex act involved there," she said. "That shows the power of the brain over the body. In order to propagate the species, we need sex.
"Pain provides a safety mechanism to preserve the body and, in the same way, we must be programmed to experience a sexual interlude as pleasurable - it helps to propagate the species."
Perhaps nobody listening to football commentators will be surprised by the news, claimed to have been proven by one of the lecturers at this week’s Orkney International Science Festival. Dr Robert Lomas - a solid-state physicist and an internationally known author on religious symbolism - says that evolution has allowed humans to develop the sex-free orgasm.
"It’s the same reward mechanism that encourages us to share our DNA," said Dr Lomas. "But it can be achieved without the physical act of copulation."
Only humans have this power to induce mental ecstasy, and it’s a complex set of responses that can be achieved by learned behavioural patterns or triggered by hyper-arousal during peak experiences, he says.
"At times of hyper-arousal, our brains are designed to freeload on the behavioural reward that encourages us to reproduce," he said. "And that is another name for orgasm."
For those who laughed at the idea of the Barbarella-type "orgasmatron" - Jane Fonda popping pills, touching palms with her bemused boyfriend and staying three feet away from him - Dr Lomas says the film is closer to science fact than fiction. "If the orgasmic response in her brain was being triggered by a programmed release of chemically or electrically stimulated hormones, it could be done, if the programming was right," he said.
However, the days of a drug being widely available on the NHS are still a long way off.
"Artificially creating the right combination of neuropeptides is very complex," Dr Lomas explained. "Your tension and relaxation levels have to be in perfect balance before your arousal system is tripped. It’s like trying to balance a marble on the tip of a ballpoint pen."
Dr Lomas said the trigger factors leading to that elusive brain state have to be induced through repetitive behavioural patterns using ritual and posture.
"All these mystics haven’t really given up sex," said Dr Lomas. "It’s just a different form of orgasm."
This analysis forms the basis of the fifth book in the Hiram Key series, which has produced controversial theories on the mindset of man from pre- history to the present day.
Turning the Hiram Key looks like keeping to that tradition, with detailed discussion on how masonic ritual contains the elements needed for inducing mental ecstasy.
Dr Cynthia McVey, a psychologist from Glasgow Caledonian University, said that from puberty onwards, achieving orgasm without sexual contact happens in our dreams.
"With nocturnal emissions, there is no sex act involved there," she said. "That shows the power of the brain over the body. In order to propagate the species, we need sex.
"Pain provides a safety mechanism to preserve the body and, in the same way, we must be programmed to experience a sexual interlude as pleasurable - it helps to propagate the species."
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