Reports on leading edge research in the field of consciousness
TASOC (pronounced TAS.OK) is an attempt to integrate numerous arenas of scientific inquiry. In a broad sense these various disciplines are attempting to explore consciousness itself, using their own particular methodologies.
For instance, neuropsychology attempts to map out the neurological patterns and mechanics of mental and emotional experience while Transpersonal Psychology attempts to explore our subjective experience of numinous or mystical states of awareness. It is presumed (and I think rightly so) that any subjective experience we have in consciousness will have a resonance pattern or physical signature in our neurology. Language, for instance, is processed for most people in the left cerebral hemisphere. As you read and decipher the meaning of these words, the neurological network within your language center is highly active. PET scans, for instance, (which measure glucose consumption) show an increase of activity in the language centers when a person hears or reads words.
This is an exquisite example of consciousness riding tandem with neurology. In other words, you are having an experience, right now, of reading my words while simultaneously there are changes occurring in your brain as a result of your reading these words.
If we study only the neurophysiology or biochemistry of an experience, we are only looking at a small portion of the actual event. If we study only the subjective states inherent in consciousness then we also miss the boat. It is my conviction that we need to enroll as many disciplines as possible to more fully understand the immense complexity of consciousness and how we, as humans, can enrich our lives through such an understanding.
Thus, in the course of this monthly article, I intend to report on the breakthroughs now occurring in such diverse fields as neurology, neuropsychology, biochemistry, quantum physics, transpersonal psychology, psychoacoustics (the study of the effects of sound, language and music on human consciousness), subtle energy medicine, linguistics, ethnobiology, interspecies communication, comparative anthropology, sociology and last but certainly not least -- the kitchen sink. Any field of scientific inquiry that seems to offer a piece of the puzzle will be shared in this column.
This is also a calling to researchers in various fields to send me updates of their own research to include in this column. Please submit any and all materials by "snail mail" (U.S. post) to Tom Kenyon, c/o The Kiva Center, PO Box 29196, Bellingham, WA 98260. Credit will be given for any material that is presented, and information on how to contact the researcher(s) will also be posted.
Although it seems rather odd, happy and adjusted individuals have not been studied very much by psychological researchers in this country. Like medicine, psychology has seemed more interested in pathology rather than health and well-being. For instance, between 1967 and 1994 only about 5% of professional articles dealt with happiness or life satisfaction as contrasted with articles on anxiety. Less than 1/8th of 1% of the articles mentioned joy. However, researchers are beginning to turn more attention to well-adjusted individuals with hopes of uncovering their "secret." In a recent article by David Myers and Ed Diener (Scientific American) a few Habits of Happy People were delineated. Here they are for your edification:
1) Happy people tend to like themselves, have high self-esteem and are better able to get along with others,
2) happy people also typically experience themselves as having some degree of control in their lives (prisoners, severely impoverished individuals, nursing home patients, etc. typically feel a loss of control and suffer a deterioration in both mental and physical health),
3) happy people tend to be optimistic. This trait does not have so much to do with what is actually occurring in their lives as it does with a tendency to view things in an upbeat manner, and finally,
4) happy people tend to be extroverted. They are interested in people and events around them. They extend themselves and interact as opposed to withdrawing and isolating themselves.
The writing is on the wall. If you aren't happy, try incorporating one or more of the above four traits into your emotional life. It may turn out that happiness is not so much what we do as it is how we view ourselves.
It has been known for some time that the hippocampus, a seahorse shaped structure of the brain, is connected with memory but recent studies have clarified its function. Based on recent brain scans conducted by Daniel Schacter and his colleagues at Harvard University, it seems that the hippocampus is only part of a more complex process. According to Schacter, areas in the frontal parts of the brain are activated when a person attempts to recall a word, and only when the word is about to become conscious does the hippocampus become activated. Schacter's team contends that the retrieval of information is conducted by other areas than the hippocampus formation, an aggregate of tissues that include the hippocampus and the surrounding tissues. Regions in the back of the brain (the occipital area) associated with vision showed an increase in blood flow when subjects retrieved certain types of information known as "implicit memory." Implicit memory is the unintentional retrieval of previously studied material without any reported conscious memory of the material. In other words, it is what you previously learned but forgot you learned.
Schacter's findings certainly make sense given other brain studies in which it has been found that the brain does not usually isolate functions to one region or structure. The brain tends to interconnect regions and spread functions, such as memory, throughout diverse areas.
In a study conducted by researchers Rollin McCraty, Mile Atkinson and William Tiller (Stanford University), the effects of "coherent emotion" on the autonomic nervous system were analyzed. Using electrocardiograms, it was shown that a person can increase systemic balance within his or her own autonomic nervous system by focusing awareness in the area of the heart while recalling feeling states such as "love" and "appreciation." Specifically, it was found that when individuals went through the above mentioned procedure, there was an enhanced balance between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. (Note: The sympathetic nervous system generally increases cellular activity, mobilizing the body for action. Muscle contraction, for instance, is a sympathetic function. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, decreases cellular activity and slows the body for rest. Sleep can be viewed as a parasympathetic function.) The above finding is significant since it implies that it is possible to affect stress levels through an easy-to-practice intentional activity requiring no paraphernalia, counseling, or medication. The researchers may be contacted at The Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.
Comment - I have seen several studies which have come to similar conclusions as the one mentioned above. It seems quite clear that you and I can affect our emotional and physical well-being by cultivating positive emotional states such as love and appreciation. In my seminars and trainings, I often show people how to take "coherent emotion breaks." Most think they have to have a "reason" for feeling an emotional state such as love, but this is not the case. You can experience an emotion without having a reason, just by recalling it. As you do so, your nervous system actually re-creates it. According to various studies, when you combine recalling one of these positive feeling states with a mental focus in the region of your heart, you will de-stress yourself, increase well-being and establish a balance within your autonomic nervous system. In today's fast-paced world, this is an easy to use technique that will enrich your life directly. I strongly suggest you try it out.
Research conducted by Lozanov in Bulgaria clearly established in the 1970's that certain types of Baroque music, notably largo movements, affect brainwave patterns. Using standard EEG, Lozanov showed that music in the range of 60 beats per minute typically increase alpha activity while decreasing beta activity, heartbeat and respiration. His studies have been replicated numerous times. Since alpha has been found to decrease stress around learning, many accelerated learning methods such as Superlearning incorporate it as part of their methodology. Studies also indicate that such music can be helpful in reducing stress and in enhancing performance (i.e., increased productivity). Recently, a company was formed to promote the use of classical music to enhance performance and to reduce stress. The company, named Nutrient Sound, was formed by conservatory trained orchestral violinist Richard Lawrence and composer/author Joshua Leeds. Dr. Jeffrey Thompson serves as a consultant. I was recently sent a demo copy of their first product, 60 minutes of Vivaldi, Corelli, Albinoni, and Bach. According to Nutrient Sound, the target for this music consists of heavy computer users, writers, students, etc. I personally found the tape to be calming, as expected, and the sound quality to be very good. In a conversation with Joshua Leeds, I asked it they had any plans to reproduce any of the music by Mozart. A recent study indicated that concentration and I.Q. levels were temporarily raised by those who listened to specific Mozart pieces. Leeds said that they would. By the way, I don't know which Mozart pieces were used in the study. When I find out what they were, I'll pass them on to you. Nutrient Sound can be contacted by writing 1001 Bridgeway, #716, Sausalito, CA 94965. Tel: 415-458-3170, Email: Nusound@aol.com.