BOOK2-AUTO-BIO OUTLINE

Customer (gerry llindgren) - 09/03/2008 03:55 PM "WHEN THE SINGINGS OF BIRDS ARE JUST SONGS"once i was a boyfull of smiles and joypeace and love within meuntil i loooked at the treea dying little birdso precious and absurdin the clasp of my handsthe last song-oh how sadonce i was a manfull of fear-thus, i ransingings of birds all aroundmoving to every soundmy spirit-it was savedlove-to my soul i gavewhen i freely walk alongsingings of birds are just songsTHE RELEVANCE OF MY POEM TO WHEN MY BELOVED MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER, LOUISE POTTER, FROM TEXAS, WHOM I WAS CLOSER TO THAN ANY OTHER HUMAN, HELPED ME BURY A LITTLE BIRD IN THE BACKYARD OF HER HOUSE WHEN I WAS 5. LATER, SHE DEVELOPED LUNG AND THYROID CANCER (DYING WHEN I WAS 12) AND HAD A HORRIBLE COUGH (I STAYED AWAY FROM HER WHEN SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT I WAS PYSICALLY NURTURED BY) AND THE REALIZATION THAT LATER IN YOUNG ADULTHOOD, I HAD PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES FROM BIRDS SONGS AND COUGHS AND CORRUPT LAW ENFORCEMENT UTILIZED THIS UPON REALIZATION IN THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE/TORTURE ATROCITIES. IN 2000, IN COLLEGE IN DURANGO, CO, I REALIZED THIS AND THESE IRRATIONAL FEARS GRADUALLY BECAME OBSOLETE IN REGAINING MENTAL STRENGTH AND LATER IN 2001 DURING MY PSYCHOLOGICAL SHOCK AND HYSTREICALAMNESIA AND THE YEARS REQUIRED TO HEAL.UNIQUE HEALING METHODS FOR CHILDHOOD AND ADULT LIFE TRAUMAS'AN UNORTHODOX PERSPECTIVE"BYGERRY ALAN LINDGREN574-52-0295TABLE OF CONTENTS1. BRIEF EXPLANATIONS OF ACCEPTED THEORIESA. TRAUMAS: AN INDEPTH EXAMINATIONDefine major traumas in general while expanding upon the preconceptions and pre-judgmental experiences that the people who lack effective coping mechanisms experience and how negative and linear societal responses to them usually exacerbates the harm of the individuals whom are all different from one another pertaining to genetics, cultures, personal histories, education and social status’.B. PHYSIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL EFFECTS OF TRAUMASDefine the 4 major traumas to be discussed in later chapters for a foundation to expound in further detail with the focus to be on attaining a more comprehensive and benevolent attitude toward such individuals and being proactive towards assisting people without imposed preconditions unless mutually agreed upon for best results.C. TRADITIONAL COPING MECHANISMS: HEALTHY & UNHEALTHYGenerally list the already accepted healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms to traumas while alluding to the psychological likes and dislikes of a specific individual and the stimuli that is currently being used that has both positive and negative results.D. A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON TRAUMAS & SOCIETYIdentify the aspects of society, essentially politics, economics, education, and religions’ power and control over other people and the disparity between the wealthy and the poor that precipitates social ills in people and that in effect, is the root cause of most traumas that are not caused by people who are innately evil (this will lead to a counter-attack, yet utilize a Christian (Godlike) theme from a scientific approach.E. THE GAPS IN EDUCATION OF TRAUMASThe linear approaches and condescending actions and non-actions of the social programs and society that that contributes to homelessness (utilize homeless shelters’, and other social programs excessive focus on accountability and apologizing to other people, essentially tearing people down, rather than a more moderate approach with the emphasized focus on giving people who already have low self-esteem to bring them up, their spirits, and to give them the tools to succeed with a support group if they so choose.) USE JESUS CHRIST’S EXAMPLES.F. PHYSICAL ABUSE TRAUMASBriefly define already accepted examples with citations and a few others.G. SEXUAL ABUSE TRAUMASBriefly define already accepted examples with citations and a few others.H. MILTARY TRAUMASBriefly define already accepted examples with citations and a few others.I. CHANGES IN LIFE TRAUMAS-EMOTIONALBriefly define already accepted examples with citations and a few others.J. TRADITIONAL HEALING METHODS OF TRAUMASBriefly define already accepted examples with citations.K. BRAIN CELL CHEMICAL PROCESSES: MEMORIES, DREAMS, MUSIC & MOREBriefly define already accepted examples with citations.L. NEW HEALING METHODS OF TRAUMASProfile the patients’ specific likes and dislikes. Continually utilize the specific likes of the specific individual, non-judgmental approaches, electro-magnetism (M.I.T./MILITARY EXPERIMENTS), music, ocean waves, WITH UNKNOWN VARIABLES, E.G., BRAIN CELL REGENERATION, BRAIN CELL ACTIVATION VIA ASYSTEMATIC METHODS (UNAPPROVED CHEMICALS) IN SIMULATED TRAUMATIC EPISODES ENVIRONMENTS, THE BRAIN ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY UPON EPILEPTIC EPISODES, and gravity combiant with traditional methods of healing in the beginning, e.g., pharmacological, and adjusting to such variables that are consistent with the improvement of such specific individual.2. A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: Gerry lindgren (specifc references to aforementioned general references)a. early childhood physical/psychological traumas generally alluded to-grandmother's death at 12 and marijuana as an escape mechanismb. early teen years physical/psychological traumas generally alluded toc. life in a religious sect: the good, the bad, the uglyd. leaving a religious sect, weho 1988-1999 (j.w., then homelessness)e. early adult life physical/psychological traumas generally alluded tof. the 20's (silvio, switzerland, los angeles, northridge earthquake, etc...)g. college (ft. lauderdale, stripping, etc...THEN DURANGO, CO WHERE I GRADUATED COLLEGE)h. 2001 l.a. psychological shock and hysterical amnesisa (MAYHEM & MUSIC)i. the afterEffects of the shock (4.4.02 HERMO'S DEATH WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS ALIVE, NOT DEAD)j. lonnie's death: physical/psychological traumas generally alluded tok. usa police and federal corruption ("we know the story" 1989-2008) -name the individuals with code names unless instructed otherwise LAW ENFORCEMENT TECHNOLOGICAL SECRETSl. exposure therapy in a new light: the usa, swiss and the unnot recommended for everyone as i was either going to go insane or healm. tie in the whole book with this chapter: all must be combined3. revelations and the doors of new, more comprehensive types of healinga. tie in the whole book with this chapter: all must be combinedhttp://www.brainlightning.com/regen.html"WHILE THE ADULT BRAIN WAS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT OF AS A NON-REGENERATIVE SYSTEM FOR PATHWAY FORMATION, RECENT STUDIES SHOW HOW DISASSOCIATED PRIMORDIAL NEURONS OR STEM CELLS IMPLANTED INTO THE ADULT CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CAN GROW TO RECONNECT NEURONAL PATHWAYS AND INTEGRATE IN A MOLECULAR AND PHYSIOLOGICAL FASHION. THUS, ANATOMICAL AND NEURO-CHEMICAL, MOLECULAR , BEHAVIORAL AND FUNCTIONAL MRI PARAMETERS INDICATE THAT REGENERATIVE AND RECONSTRUCTIVE EVENTS CAN ALSO TAKE PLACE IN THE DEGENERATIVE ADULT BRAIN." NEUROGENERATION LABORATORIES, MCLEAN HOSPITAL, PROGRAM IN NEUROSCIENCE, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL.For More Information, Call:Michael Stebbinsat (516) 367-8881stebbins@cshl.org Embargoed for Release at2:00 PM U.S. Eastern Timeon November 29, 2000 Scientists Reveal Details of Brain Cell Communication: Implications for Learning & MemoryCold Spring Harbor, NY -- Forget gigabytes. Even the most powerful computers available today are mere playthings compared to the complexity, efficiency, and information processing capacity of the human brain. Underlying the brain's far superior design are the billion-million or so connections between brain cells-called synapses-that form vast neural networks in which brain cells, or neurons, are each connected to thousands of other neurons. These networks-and their ability to be shaped by experience-enable us to receive, process, store, and retrieve all manner of information about our world. Unfortunately, the extremely tiny size of synapses and the limitations of conventional experimental techniques have hampered detailed studies of these essential structures. (One trillion synapticcompartments, or "dendritic spines," could fit into a thimble). Now, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have overcome these technical obstacles to gain an extremely close look at the properties of dendritic spines and synapses that govern brain function. "Our findings reveal fundamental properties of synapses that enables them to trigger the changes in neurons that underlie learning and memory," says Karel Svoboda, the principal author of the study which will be published tomorrow in Nature. Svoboda, an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, helped pioneer the use of a high resolution imaging technique called "two-photon microscopy" in neuroscience. In the current study, Svoboda and his colleague Bernardo Sabatini electrically stimulated brain neurons and used two-photon microscopy to watch as calcium rushed-in to single dendritic spines of these neurons (see figure). These measurements enabled the researchers to determine the number and type of "calcium channels" present at synapses in a region of the brain important for learning and memory, the hippocampus. Calcium channels are molecular gates that open in response to electrical stimulation and allow calcium to flow into dendritic spines. Calcium, in turn, triggers biochemical events in the spine which modify synaptic strength and thereby encode memories. In their study, Sabatini and Svoboda could detect if single calcium channels opened or, by chance, remained closed following stimulation. Measuring the probability of channel opening, "like tossing a coin, where heads is open and tails is closed," says Svoboda, enabled him and Sabatini to determine the number of calcium channels per spine. The scientists discovered that depending on their size, spines contain from one to twenty, and typically three, calcium channels. "Visually examining calcium fluctuations in a single dendritic spine in the brain as we have done is akin to examining the wrinkles on a raisin sitting on the 50 yard line of a football stadium from the Goodyear blimp," says Sabatini. But nothing is that simple in the brain. Which type of channel is causing these changes in calcium? There are at least six known varieties of calcium channels that could be present in spines, each having different properties. Using chemical probes, Sabatini and Svoboda were able to demonstrate that one specific type of channel (the R type) is solely responsible for the influx of calcium that they observed. "We are looking at the behavior of single calcium channels in their natural environment, the brain." said Sabatini. "The local influx of calcium we have observed in spines is a fundamental measure of the information carried in one particular brain neuron and how it is processed locally. The information encoded in the messages passed between neurons is simple," says Sabatini. "It's not unlike computer programming code where a single command can be either one for a positive response or zero for a negative response." When an action potential causes a calcium channel to open, that's a one, when it fails to open that's a zero. Scientists believe that the strengthening of synapses between neurons in response to experience ultimately gives rise to networks of neurons that govern complex brain functions like learning and memory. Moreover, communication within these networks forms the basis of thinking and self-awareness that we call cognition. Visualizing how neurons communicate with each other on the most basic level, as Sabatini and Svoboda have done, provides important clues for understanding how our brains outperform the most sophisticated computers and enable us to grasp the human experience. (see figure below) Left: Single neuron in hippocampus. Note highly branched structures called dendrites which receive signals from other neurons. Note small red box, which is magnified on Right Right: Single dendritic spine, a tiny, bulbous structure that contains a synapse or a connection to another neuron. Yellow blob to the left is a snapshot of calcium rushing into the spine in response to electrical stimulation. This is the basis of brain Science News Share Blog Cite Print Email BookmarkEpilepsy And Brain Pathology Linked Together By The Protein ADKScienceDaily (Jan. 7, 2008) — The brain of individuals who suffer from epilepsy is characterized by astrogliosis, a brain pathology evidenced by a complex series of changes in the morphology and function of brain cells known as astrocytes.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------See also: Health & MedicineEpilepsy Research Brain Tumor Nervous System Mind & BrainEpilepsy Disorders and Syndromes Brain Injury ReferenceSeizure Brain damage Alpha wave Astrocyte Little is known about how astrogliosis relates to the dysfunction of brain cells known as neurons in individuals with epilepsy, but filling in the blanks in our knowledge could lead to new possibilities for therapeutic intervention.A study using mice by Detlev Boison and colleagues at Legacy Clinical Research, Portland, has now identified the protein ADK in astrocytes as a molecular link between astrogliosis and neuronal dysfunction in epilepsy.The authors observed in a mouse model of epilepsy that ADK upregulation and spontaneous seizures occurred in the region of the brain affected by astrogliosis. In addition, overexpression of ADK in a specific region of the brain triggered seizures in the absence of astrogliosis. Conversely, mice engineered to express less ADK in specific regions of the brain were protected from chemical-induced epilepsy.Furthermore, as ADK-deficient ES cell--derived implants protected normal mice from chemical-induced astrogliosis, ADK upregulation, and seizures, it was suggested that ADK-based treatment strategies might provide a new approach for the treatment of individuals with epilepsy.Journal article: Adenosine kinase is a target for the prediction and prevention of epileptogenesis in mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation. January 2, 2008.Do brain cells regenerate?New discoveries about neurogenesis prompt reevaluation of cerebral developmentBy Ken Howard Elizabeth Gould (photo by Denise Applewhite) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------For the past several decades, scientists believed that brain cells were a finite resource; that unlike other cells in the body, those in the brain did not regenerate.But psychology professor Elizabeth Gould recently proved such is not the case for the hippocampal formation of the brain in Old World monkeys, primates closely related to man. And Fred Gage at the Salk Institute in La Jolla has showed that adult humans also generate new neurons in their hippocampus. These discoveries, along with Gould's later findings about the relationship between learning and neuronal regeneration, could change the way scientists look at the brain.The hippocampus is part of the limbic system, a cluster of nuclei in the lower part of the mammalian forebrain that interacts with the cerebral cortex in determining emotions and processing memories. It is a phylogenetically ancient collection of cells found not only in primates but also in birds, rats and lizards. While its specific function and processes are not very well understood, studies of hippocampal-damaged people who experience amnesia indicate that it is involved in learning and memory."There is a theory that the hippocampus is a transient memory holder, storing memories temporarily, before they're stored elsewhere in the brain," says Gould. Researchers have described it operating like a sponge: memories are picked up and then squeezed out into other areas of the brain before new information can be stored.New granule neuronsGould first reported neurogenesis in an adult primate in spring of 1998, when she observed that a significant number of new granule neurons (which get their name from their small size) were being produced in the hippocampus of adult marmoset monkeys. She followed this discovery the following fall with the same observation in mature macaque monkeys, Old World primates closely related to humans. While scientists, including Gould, had previously observed neurogenesis in other animals, including canaries, rats and tree shrews, Gould's discovery brought the focus to primates and supported Gage's parallel findings in adult humans.This past March, Gould extended knowledge about neurogenesis when she published research findings that indicate the number of neurons lost and new neurons generated in adult rats might be related to the degree of cognitive challenges an animal encounters. In other words, "use it or lose it" may have grounding in science.Visible, invisible platformIn a series of experiments, Gould presented rats with both hippocampal-dependent and independent tasks and conditioning. To test the effects of specific learning on new neurons, Gould filled a small circular pool with water and white paint, making it impossible to see below the surface. For hippocampal-dependent learning, a platform was submerged and invisible; for independent learning, it was above the surface, visible. The rats were divided into groups and trained to swim to the platform under different setups.In the conditioning experiments, a noise and eyelid stimulation were used to elicit an eye-blink response. For hippocampal-dependent conditioning, there was a time interval between the noise and the stimulation. For independent conditioning, the noise and the stimulation were delivered simultaneously.After testing was complete, the rat's neurons were examined for staining by a chemical that had been injected at the beginning of the experiment; the stain was picked up only by newly-formed cells. Gould found that hippocampal-dependent learning led to an increase in newly generated neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, the "gateway" to that region of the brain. Learning independent of the hippocampus did not change the number of neurons, compared to the control.Alternative cellular mechanismThe discovery of a correlation between learning and neurogenesis could "provide an alternative cellular mechanism for how learning may occur," says Gould. One widely accepted theory holds that learning occurs at the synapses of existing neurons. "The traditional view says that learning must involve changes at the synapse," explains psychology professor Charles Gross. "Elizabeth Gould's demonstration of the existence of new cells and the relationship to learning requires the reevaluation of our previous notions of how the brain develops and how learning takes place and memories are stored."One possibility is that cell function is tied to cell age, explains Gould. "In the hippocampus, the population of neurons ranges in age from days to years. It is very likely that cells of different ages perform different functions. Perhaps new neurons are more plastic, allowing them to play a unique role in learning. This would be a radical restructuring of our notion of adult primate brains."Chronic negative regulators of neurogenesis in humans, such as aging and stress, have been associated with impaired hippocampal-dependent learning. Previous research by Gould has suggested that stressful conditions may suppress the production of granule neurons in the hippocampus of tree shrews and rats. These and the more recent discoveries about neurogenesis, she says, may eventually point the way towards treatment of brain trauma and diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's.THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC ( updated )By Marion M. GoughFoundation for Mind-Being ResearchYou may hear the applause when you sing, but do you really know the power of your voice on the people for whom you are singing? Does your audience even know what you just did for them? Do you know the power of your voice on your own body? Here are some new ideas to consider which may cause you—at the very least— to run to the practice room the next time you don’t feel well.INTRODUCTION:When music "speaks" our emotions "listen." We have bypassed the intellect and thus have a greater unique power to heal. In this article, we will explore what the characteristics of music are that can provide this power to heal. The effects of the elements of music upon our brain will be addressed. Our reactions to music can vary because of our different emotional makeup and cultural backgrounds. The effects of choice of music upon healing; and techniques to empower healee and healer will be discussed. The entire universe is vibration; those vibrations that we `hear’ are sounds. "Every sound has a physical effect upon your body. Sound is very important. It's the physical part of the spiritual" (Goldner, 1999). During any day there are many sounds, but all sounds, of course, are not music. NOISE AND MUSIC:There are three types of typical noise. All three types of noise can be translated into musical tones. What is created is stochastically composed fractal music based on the different types of noises. The first type is white noise, considered the most restful - such as waterfalls, the ocean, or other nature sounds. However, white noise when written in musical notation using a random process in the computer is perceived as being too random. The third type of noise is Brownian motion or a random walk. Brownian music is perceived to be too correlated. The most interesting type of noise is the second or intermediate type of noise. This type of noise has remained a mystery after more than 60 years of investigation. It is called 1/f noise where f stands for the frequency of vibration, and represents a very easily found fluctuation in nature. For example, it is found in many physical systems like vacuum tubes and semiconducting devices; in all time standards from the most accurate atomic clocks and quartz oscillators to the ancient hour-glass; in ocean flows and the changes in yearly flood levels of the river Nile as recorded by the ancient Egyptians; and in the small voltages measurable across nerve membranes. One of the most exciting discoveries was that music has about the same mix of randomness and predictability as 1/f noise. If a musical score is taken and lines drawn between successive notes of the melody, a graph appears that is very similar to that produced by 1/f noise. When 1/f noise is converted into music it turned out to be the most pleasing and closest type of noise to actual music. In fact it was found that all the music we are used to hearing falls into a "1/f" pattern. There is little to distinguish the measurements on widely different types of music from each other or the "1/f" noise. The pitch fluctuations of the Ba-Benzele Pygmies, traditional music of Japan, classical ragas of India, folk songs of old Russia, medieval music up to 1300, Beethoven's 3rd symphony, Debussy'spiano works, Richard Strauss' ein Heidenlebe, to the Beatles and American blues, are all amazingly similar in their correlations to 1/f noise. (Peitgen and Saupe, 1988, pp. 40-43)MUSIC AND MATHEMATICSThe foundation of modern science is mathematics. Yet we do not know why mathematics can map the physical world so accurately. Interestingly, there is a common link between music and mathematics that goes back to the time of Pythagoras. Also, Joseph Fourier showed that all sounds, vocal and instrumental, simple and complex, can be described in mathematical terms (Kline, 1952). Many mathematicians are also great musicians, such as Ramanujan of India. A possible reason why mathematics and music have such power is that pure mathematics, “sacred” music and other “secular” music with spiritual effects are all intuited from the Absolute, the Generative Ground, the Source. This is what both great mathematicians and musicians are tapping into. (Gough, W.C. & Shacklett, Subtle Energies, 1993, pp. 68-70). Ramanujan, never trained and with limited education, is recognized today as one of the greatest mathematicians. He discovered formulas and theories with not a hint of where they came from. (Peterson 1990). Mozart was a musician who could “intuit” his music, writing a whole symphony in just a few days. (Jourdain 1997). Paul Hindemith, a German musician, calls a composer a “seer,” someone who may see the whole composition at once, just as we can clearly see an entire landscape when it is illuminated by a flash of lightning (Hindemith, 1952). Music is the mind’s direct connection to the vibrations of the Source, since the whole universe is made up of vibrations. This is why music has the power to heal. “The way music heals is that it brings the body and its cells into coherence. Music sets up a resonance between the parts of the body and the whole universe” (Brown, 2000). SOUND, COLOR, AND SYMBOLSSound, color, and symbols, though usually considered different, are all the same at the absolute. Our brain sorts them out for our benefit. But there is a group of people who don’t sort or separate sounds from colors and symbols or patterns so easily. They experience the phenomenon known as synesthesia, seeing colors when music is played, and hearing music when seeing colors or a beautiful painting! Taste also produces colors and sounds for some people. For example, French composer Oliver Messiaen attributes his success to synesthesia, saying, “Whenever I hear music or read music, I see colors…the piece I composed about Bryce Canyon is red and orange…the color of the cliffs.” Alexander Scriabin, the Russian composer, wrote a piece called Mysterium in which he wanted to combine an orchestra, dance, light, and scents. He also cataloged his color-note associations, saying that C sharp was violet, while the note E was “pearly white.” David Hockney, British painter, says his sets for the New York Opera were inspired by synesthesia. “When it came time to paint the tree for Ravel, I put on the tree music from the opera, and it had a certain weight and color…” (Lemley, 1999). ELEMENTS OF MUSIC Just as mathematics has been powerful in mapping the physical world, so music maps the inner world of mind and soul. As was stated, not all sound is music. To be called music, sound has to have these four elements: (1) rhythm, (2) melody, (3) harmony and (4) tone color (timbre). These could be divided into ten or more other elements or dimensions, but for clarity these basic elements will be discussed. RHYTHM is the first of the musical elements. Music probably started with the beating of a drum. Some very old cultures have a music of rhythm alone. Rhythm has such a powerful and direct effect upon us that its primal origins are felt. There is a close relationship between physical work patterns, bodily movements and basic rhythms. Rhythm expresses physical motion (Copland, 1952, pp.34-35). MELODY, the second element, is a variety of musical tones in succession. It may be long and flowing, with low and high points of interest, and of satisfying proportions. But most important, its expressive quality arouses an emotional response within the listener. (Copland, 1952, pp.50-51). Melody expresses mental and heart motion. HARMONY is the third element and evolved gradually, coming in around the 9th century. When several musical tones or notes are played together, they are called chords. Playing several musical tones together can create harmony. Harmony is the study of chords and their relationship to one another. It is one of the most amazing inventions of man. The history of harmonic development shows a continually changing picture. Daring new harmonies and techniques came in during the “harmonic revolution” of the first part of the 20th century, but our ears are gradually enabled to assimilate chords of greater complexity and dissonance (Copland, 1952, pp.62, 71-77). TONE COLOR (TIMBRE), the fourth element, is the quality of sound of certain instruments or the voice—the difference between a clarinet and cello or soprano and bass. For example, if a screen were put over the stage, it would be easy to recognize the difference between the string section and the wind section of an orchestra, or between a xylophone and a gong in a Gamelan orchestra of Indonesian music. These examples make it quite clear that recognizing tone color is an innate sense most people are born with. Today there are huge resources and unlimited possibilities for variations in tone color because of newly invented instruments, electronic instruments, and computers (Copland, 1952, pp.78-79). These elements—rhythm, melody, harmony and tone color—are mixed together to create the many facets or dimensions of different kinds of music. Some of that music will be healing music. MUSIC’S PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTSAn experiment conducted by The Institute of HeartMath is illustrated by Figure 4: Music’s Effects on Psychological States. It shows clearly how different types of music affect a person’s body and psychological/emotional states. Two groups participated, an adult group and a teenage group. The four types of music used were classical, New Age, designer music (music written specifically to bring up and enhance positive emotional states), and grunge rock. Listed at the bottom of Figure 4 are the positive qualities of caring, mental clarity, relaxation and vigor. Then the last four qualities are negative: hostility, fatigue, sadness and tension. The numbers on the abscissa show the percent of change the music has on the emotions. It can be clearly seen that grunge rock increases the negative qualities of hostility and tension by almost sixty percent, whereas with classical and New Age music those feelings are shown below the zero percent line, i.e. are reduced. Designer music clearly shows the highest readings for the states of caring, mental clarity, relaxation, and vigor; New Age is also almost up to the 20 percent line in relaxation and leads to a decrease in tension. Classical also produces relaxation and is used in hospitals (McCraty, R., 1998, pp.75-81). This study shows how music—and designer music in particular—can reduce stress, fatigue, and negativity. Since there is a connection between attitudes, emotions and health, these results indicate that music can be an inexpensive, easy and enjoyable way of facilitating stress reduction (McCraty, R., 1998, p.84). MUSIC’S PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS Music affects not only the psychological state, but also the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the immune system. It’s known that negative states such as grief or anger can suppress the immune system. The Institute of HeartMath did another experiment on these effects of music on immunity. They measured levels of IgA using saliva samples. Saliva was used as a diagnostic fluid (McCraty, 1996). IgA is defined as an indicator for the strength of the immune system (Malamud, 1993). Figure 5, Music’s Effect on S-IgA , shows the IgA concentration and the percentage of change in the bottom row of numbers. The three types of music used were rock, designer (using Heart Zones CD), and New Age. Then the bottom two lines of the graph show the Heart Lock-in and the Heart Lock-in combined with the Heart Zones CD. It’s clear that using the Heart Lock-in technique of focusing one’s thoughts on appreciation and love with the Heart Zones Designer music gives the highest concentration of IgA. In fact, IgA increases 50 to 55 percent. This shows how sincere, positive thoughts and intentions combine with music to create a significant healing effect. Music has effects on our body chemistry. The proteins in our bodies are the information substances. Within the proteins are peptides; they are the messenger molecules, or “molecules of emotion.” The receptors are the cell’s receivers. Cells are biochemical factories that produce behavioral chemicals. Those chemicals can produce peaceful, restful, calm behavior or angry, destructive behavior (Pert, 1997). For instance, after a summer Rave concert using heavy metal music, police had to be called when most of the audience began destroying stores in the local Sunnyvale, CA shopping mall. (San Jose Mercury News, 2000). Music changes the peptides that change emotions and thus the immune system. Another study by HeartMath Institute has shown if grunge rock music is played, cortisol and adrenalin are produced. These are stress hormones for the immune system. Conversely, if a person listens to designer music (in this case the CD Speed of Balance was used) for one month, DHEA will go up 100%. DHEA is a hormone necessary for the proper functioning of the immune system (McCraty, 1998, p.76). PATH OF MUSIC IN THE BODY Figure 6 shows the vagus nerve and its connection to the internal organs. Sound/music enters the eighth and tenth cranial nerves. These carry sound impulses through the ear to the brain. Motor and sensory impulses are then sent along the vagus nerve to the throat, larynx, heart and diaphragm. The vagus nerve and the emotional responses to the limbic system (part of the brain) are the link between the ear, the brain, and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This may be an important factor in how and why music works in treating physical and emotional disorders (Goldberg Group, 1997). This illustrates how the body signals its organs—by the fast process of electrical signaling. ENHANCING THE HEALING POWER OF MUSICFor the person being healed: Music can be enhanced for the person being healed in the following ways: (1) The person needing to be healed can use the power of their own inner music, i.e., their own natural voice, in toning, singing, and chanting. The human voice is the most expressive instrument, surpassing any one of the instruments in the orchestra. The voice is the physical aspect of spirit. The story of the melancholy monks illustrates the power of chanting. Because a group of monks had become listless, fatigued, and mildly depressed, Dr. Alfred Tomatis was summoned to their Benedictine monastery in France. (Tomatis is a French physician who has had a revolutionary impact on the understanding of the ear, listening, and music.) The monks’ physical symptoms had no clear cause, but Tomatis felt the symptoms resulted from eliminating Gregorian chant from the daily routine. He believedthe chanting had slowed down breathing, lowered blood pressure, and upped the monks’ mood and productivity. Therefore, Tomatis returned the monks to several hours a day of chanting. The effect was dramatic. Within six months, they were again vigorous and healthy. (Campbell 1997). Using one’s voice in chanting or singing sacred music is a way to be in touch with the Source, the Absolute, or God. (2) The whole body can be used by the person being healed. Exercise or dance movements can be done with music. I improvised graceful modern dance movements to the harp music of Georgia Kelly. This was done to help myself heal from the disease of hyperthyroidism. When my thyroid problem was healed in February, 1999, friends commented that my voice had changed and that it had more energy in it. (3) Adding frequencies back into the body or voice is a new technique. Sherry Edwards, Mona Oyos, and others have done experiments based on the theory that your body will absorb the frequencies it needs. They do spectral analysis on a person’s voice to determine which frequencies that person might need. By using certain specific musical tones, you can replace the missing frequencies in your voice! (4) Besides use of the voice and body, there are group effects that can enhance the healing power of music for the person being healed. Groups have non-local linkages. For example, a jazz combo playing together—they know if they do it right; they’ve done something well, and it’s exciting. The Grateful Dead created an environment where a broad range of emotions could be expressed. When they played, the transformational power of the music was felt. As Mickey Hart, the famous leader and drummer of the band said, “You get in touch with something else” (Hart, 1999). What they are in touch with is the Absolute—they’ve all got the same goal, they’re not thinking. They are just getting it together as a unit, and it’s very exhilarating. For a healer: A healer can enhance the healing power of music. Evoking a person’s cellular memory should be considered when choosing the music to be played. This is also discussed in a paper given by me at the 12th International Conference on Shamanism and Alternative Medicine; it concerns a music class for older adults at DeAnza College, using popular songs from the 30s, 40s and 50s (Gough, M. M., 1995). For example, if I played “The Anniversary Waltz,” “Amazing Grace,” or “When You Walk Through a Storm,” for a group of older adults, at least a few of those people would have had a very moving experience with those songs. They are would have deep emotional reactions to the music because of their cellular memories. The melodies would bring back vivid images of meaning to them. As William Gough has discussed, this is “qualia” or subjective experience, which they are tapping into (Gough, W., 2000 28-29). CONCLUSIONSIn conclusion, music is a “carrier wave” for healing thoughts, emotions, and intentions. It’s important that the healer thinks no negative thoughts but instead has a positive attitude with the intention to heal (Weir, 1985). Just playing the right music will be healing, but as shown in Figure 5, if you add positive thoughts, emotions and intentions, the healing process will have an even greater possibility of success. Marion Gough is an Officer, Secretary, and on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Mind-Being Research. She is a member of the California Teacher’s Association and has recently retired as a music teacher at the DeAnza College. She is a pianist and a piano teacher and continues to pursue research into music therapy, sound and healing. She writes, “As a teacher, you often cannot see the effects of your work—like so many of life's best things, they are invisible.”REFERENCES: Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (1997). Compiled by the Burton Goldberg Group, Tiburon, CA: Future Medicine Publishing, Inc. Apel, Willi (1955). The Harvard Dictionary of Music, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press. Awake! Why Music Affects Us,” October 8, 1999, pp.5-8. Bonny, Helen L., (1980). “Music and Sound in Health,” Health for the Whole Person, Boulder, CO, Westview Press, Hastings, A.C., J. Fadiman, J.S. Gordon, eds.Brown, Dean, Personal Communications, Los Altos, CA, (May, June, 2000). Campbell, Don. (1997). The Mozart Effect. NY, Avon Books.Copland, Aaron. (1957). What To Listen For In Music. NY, McGraw Hill Book Co., Inc. Drudis, Eric R., “A Glimpse into the `Rave’ Rage,” San Jose Mercury News. Goldner, Diane (1999). Infinite Grace. Charlotesville, VA, Hampton Roads Publishing Co.Gough, Marion M., (1995). “Music: A Healing Ritual for Older Adults.” Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on the Study of Shamanism and Alternate Modes of Healing, San Rafael, CA. Gough, W.C., (2000). “Three Little Words: Belief, Intention, and Sincerity,” Proceedings of the Seventeenth International Conference on the Study of Shamanism and Alternate Modes of Healing, San Rafael, CA Available on www.fmbr.org.Gough, W.C. and R.L. Shacklett, (1993). “The Science of Connectiveness: Part I, Modeling a Greater Unity; Part II, Mapping Beyond Space-Time, & Part III, The Human Experience,” Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine. Available on www.fmbr.org.Hart, Mickey, Lieberman, Fredric, (1999). Spirit into Sound, Petaluma, CA, Grateful Dead Books. Hindemith, Paul, (1952). A Composer’s World. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press. Ivars, Peterson, (1990). Islands of Truth: A Mathematical Mystery Cruise, New York, W. H. Freeman and Co. Jourdain, Robert (1997). Music, The Brain, and Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination, New York, William Morrow and Co. Kelly, Georgia (1992). Harp And Soul, and (1993) Gardens Of The Sun (CDs or cassettes), Heru Records, Box 8, Sonoma, CA 95476. Kline, Morris (1953). Mathematics in Western Culture, New York, Oxford University Press. Lemly, Brad (December, 1999). “Do You See What They See?” (Synesthesia), Discover magazine, pp.84-85. McCraty, R., Atkinson, M., Rein, G., Watkins, A.D., “Music Enhances the Effect of Positive Emotional States on Salivary IgA,” Stress Med. 1996: 12:167-175. McCraty, R., M. Atkinson, Dana Tomasino. “The Effects of Different Types of Music on Mood, Tension, and Mental Clarity.” Alternative Therapies, January 1998, Vol.4, No.1: pp.75-83. Peitgen, Heinz-Otto; Saupe, Dietmar (ed.) (1988). The Science of Fractal Images, NY, Springer-Verlag. Pert, C.B. (1997). Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel, NY, Scribner Press. Weir, Eve, Personal Communications, Los Altos, CA, 1985. Copyright © 2003, Foundation for Mind-Being Research, Inc, All Rights Reserved This paper was previously published in the Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on the Study of Shamanism and Alternative Modes of Healing, Santa Sabina Center, San Rafael, CA. Sept. 2-4, 2000. Republished with the kind permission of Dr. Ruth-Inge Heinze, Conference Coordinator and Editor, University of California, Berkeley, CA: and the Independent Scholars of Asia, Inc."princeton research on brain cell regeneration-seek and useClues to the Irrational Nature of Dreams E-MAIL Print Single-Page Save ShareLinkedinDiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalinkBy SANDRA BLAKESLEE Published: July 12, 1994FIRST comes drowsiness and a sense that it's time to rest. Eyelids grow heavy. Stray thoughts flicker through the mind as sleep begins, often with a sudden twitch. And then the human brain falls into a state of profound madness filled with hallucinations, delusions and confabulations. Dreams unfold. We walk, run, fly and float through strange landscapes. Characters appear and turn into different people. Objects are transformed. A rope becomes a snake. Uncle Harry turns into a Tibetan monk and it all makes sense in some screwy, dreamlike way. The bizarre nature of dreams is beginning to make sense to scientists who study the biological and physiological changes that occur in the brain during sleep, wakefulness and the many related states, like dreamless sleep, daydreaming and, some say, the writing of poetry and other creative acts. For example, researchers have found that during sleep the brain is bombarded by wild, erratic pulses from the brainstem and flooded with nervous system chemicals that induce the insanity of dreams. Areas that control sleep are near areas that control body movements, which explains why eyelids grow heavy with drowsiness and why dreams are full of fictive movements. Finally, the research is shedding light on the biological basis of some forms of schizophrenia, and may also help explain why deep meditation or isolation tanks can induce hallucinations and offer insight into the nature of consciousness itself. "We study sleeping to understand waking," said Dr. Allan Hobson, a neuroscientist at Harvard University who has helped develop some of the leading theories on the biology of dreams. "We study dreaming to understand madness." Dr. Hobson and his colleagues presented their latest findings at the annual meeting of the Society for Sleep Research in Boston last month. Dream researchers disagree about many of the details, "but the Hobson model is the best thing we have going for us now," said Dr. Stanley Krippner, president of the Association for the Study of Dreams and a veteran dream psychologist. "It can tell us a lot about how memory is constructed and reconstructed and how people use personal myths" to define reality. Machines like electroencephalograms that measure electrical brain activity and others that measure magnetic brain activity cannot distinguish the awake brain from the dreaming brain, Dr. Hobson said in a recent interview. The awake brain receives copious amounts of information from the outside world, mainly in the form of light and sound frequencies, chemical signals and physical touch, Dr. Hobson said. It processes these signals in vast, oscillating networks of brain cells to form representations of the external world and combines these maps with memories, movements, emotions and forethought in a way that gives rise to self-awareness and an ability to navigate the world during waking hours. The dreaming brain employs all of the same systems and networks, Dr. Hobson said, but with a few critical differences. Input from the outside world is screened out. Self-awareness ceases. The body is paralyzed. And everything that the dreaming brain sees, hears or feels is generated from within. During sleep the nondreaming brain falls physiologically somewhere between these two states, Dr. Hobson said. New technology allows researchers to examine the chemical, electrical and physical properties of each state. "We can study each of these states to see what the differences are," he said. The key to dreams is found in several tiny nodes within the brainstem that contain cells which squirt out different chemical transmitters, Dr. Hobson said. These cells have projections that carry the chemicals throughout the brain and modulate its activity. The projections also extend down to the spinal cord and help control movement. The awake brain is dominated by so-called adrenergic chemicals released from two of these nodes, Dr. Hobson said. The cells fire these chemicals in pacemaker fashion, keeping the brain alert, enhancing attention and priming motor activity. In the adrenergic state thought processes are generally stable and the brain is not easily dominated by stray images. 'Gimmick' to Induce Sleep Clues to the Irrational Nature of Dreams E-MAIL Print Single-Page Save ShareLinkedinDiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalinkBy SANDRA BLAKESLEE Published: July 12, 1994As the brain goes to sleep, the adrenergic system begins to shut down, Dr. Hobson said. Other nodes release so-called cholinergic chemicals which, although active in performing important brain functions during the day, begin to dominate the brain's chemistry. Self-awareness ceases and memory is lost. The brain enters a state of dreamless sleep featuring fuzzy images. It is not organized. The cholinergic neurons are located one millimeter away from neurons that control muscles in the eyelids, Dr. Hobson said. This is why the eyelids get heavy when cholinergic signals take over. "It's the body's gimmick to get you to sleep," he said. Soon, Dr. Hobson said, adrenergic neurons cease firing altogether. Cholinergic chemicals decouple the extensive networks used for cognition and behavior. In this state, the brain is ultrasensitive to stray thoughts and can jump from one class of images to another without realizing contradictions. In other words, it dreams. The bifurcations of thought and the bizarre nature of dreams are also driven by cholinergic neurons, he said. Instead of firing steadily, as they do during the day, these cells begin bursting hundreds of times a second and sending erratic pulses into higher brain regions. These pulses, called PGO, or pontine-geniculate-occipital, waves, occur only during dreams and have multiple effects. First, they stimulate the body's motor centers, found in the brainstem. This would cause the dreamer to walk, run and carry out a vast repertoire of movements except that another signal is sent simultaneously to the spinal cord, resulting in total muscle paralysis except for the eyes. This increase in cholinergic activity is what makes many people twitch or startle when they are drifting off to sleep, Dr. Hobson said. And it explains why sleepwalking almost always occurs during nondream sleep, when the muscles are not paralyzed. In dreams, Dr. Hobson continued, complex motor patterns are activated. "It's no accident that we are always in motion," he said. "We are practicing all sorts of movements in a kind of neural gymnastics." The Stuff of Dreams PGO waves also bombard the brain's emotional circuits and give rise to the strong feelings that often accompany dreams, Dr. Hobson said. One-third of all adult dreams involve anxiety and fear, he said, followed by joy, anger, sadness, guilt and eroticism. Finally, the PGO waves shoot into the brain's higher regions where vast networks for processing information reside. Except now, Dr. Hobson said, every sight, sound and sensory input is generated internally by the brain itself. The higher networks, which are used to making representations of the world during the waking state, try to make sense of the internal images and feelings by concocting stories in the cholinergic brain, he said. The repertoire of possible combinations of images, memories and story lines on any given night is extremely large, and chance stimulation probably plays a large role in the content of our dreams. People can enter a cholinergic state without going to sleep, said Dr. Edgar Garcia-Rill, a neuroscientist at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, in an interview after the Boston meeting. He points out that such states exist during meditation, as well as sometimes when people are in sensory isolation tanks. Pilots occasionally experience these states when they stare at nothing but blue sky. Hallucinations, as in dreams, may result. Many scientific insights have occurred in dreams, when the brain is open to unusual associations, Dr. Garcia-Rill said. He suggested that poets may be more naturally cholinergic. And, in work underway in his laboratory, Dr. Garcia-Rill has found that some schizophrenics have an abnormal number of cholinergic neurons in their brainstems, and that this defect may explain the hallucinations that mark the disorder. To explore dreams in a more natural setting than the hospital-based sleep laboratory, Harvard researchers recently invented a device called the Nightcap. It is a cloth bandanna, worn pirate-style around the head, attached to a wallet sized instrument that tucks under the pillow. One lead goes to a tiny box stitched into the bandanna that registers each time a person's head moves. A second lead sticks to one eyelid and records lid movements all night long. The lids move during dream sleep, whereas head movements tend to occur when dreams end and nondream sleep or the transition to wakefulness occurs, said Robert Stickgold, a researcher in the laboratory. Clues to the Irrational Nature of Dreams E-MAIL Print Single-Page Save ShareLinkedinDiggFacebookMixxYahoo! BuzzPermalinkBy SANDRA BLAKESLEE Published: July 12, 1994The Nightcap can record up to 30 nights of sleep, Mr. Stickgold said. The device plugs into a computer so that any individual's sleep patterns can be analyzed in minutes, easily and relatively inexpensively, while he sleeps at home in his own bed. A Nightcap user can program the device to sound a signal during a dream episode to wake him up, so that he can recall the dreams. Alcohol, Prozac and Exercise Home dream reports are four times longer than dream reports taken in laboratories, Mr. Stickgold said. In experiments described in the March issue of the journal Consciousness and Cognition, the Nightcap showed that alcohol use suppresses dream sleep, that Prozac intensifies it and that heavy exercise can result in no body movements throughout the night. Mr. Stickgold said that researchers in Thailand plan to use the device to explore why many young men who live near the Laotian border die suddenly in their sleep. The current explanation is that the men are being visited by the widow ghost who punishes them for infidelity. "We also hope to send the Nightcap into space," Mr. Stickgold said. Astronauts on the Mir space station could use it to study the effects of zero gravity on dreams: "Do you still shift your body after coming out of a dream? Are dream reports going to be different?" he said. The Harvard laboratory is also studying the content of dreams for insights into changing brain states. Dreams are full of discontinuities, incongruities, uncertainties and jumps in plot, scene location, characters and objects. What do these say about dream mentation? Using 453 dream reports from 45 volunteers, the Harvard researchers cut dream reports into segments at discontinuity points -- as when a beach scene abruptly and nonsensically turns into an indoor scene. The segments were spliced together in novel ways, while other dreams were left intact. Independent observers were asked to pick out the spliced dreams. They did no better than chance. The Nature of Consciousness In a second experiment, the researchers studied character and object transformations in dreams. Can a teacher turn into a whale? Can a barn turn into a teacher? Apparently not, for when people were shown two columns of characters and objects and asked to pair those that made sense, they got it right 80 percent of the time. "There are limits to the transformations that can occur at some deep category level," Dr. Hobson said. Eventually, he added, research into sleep and dreaming may help explain the nature of consciousness. People cycle through different brain states every 24 hours, he said. If more can be learned about each state, it might be possible to subtract one from the other to learn how consciousness is engineered. -- Der GMX SmartSurfer hilft bis zu 70% Ihrer Onlinekosten zu sparen! Ideal für Modem und ISDN: http://www.gmx.net/de/go/smartsurfer