I’ve just returned from a week in the uplifting energetic field of the Smoky Mountains outside of Asheville , North Carolina . I’ve found a special vortex that always makes it easy to get into a deep meditative state. Being there, sitting on the small rock in the middle of the babbling mountain stream, the concept of “earth energy” is a palpable reality.

     If you’ve never been to that area of the country, I highly recommend it. And I also can recommend some great places to stay. Motels on the main streets just don’t do justice to a day hike; you need to sleep in the surroundings for full effect.

     From there I visited a long-time friend, modern mystic and spiritual visionary Master Charles Cannon at the Synchronicity Foundation. Charles worked closely with Swami Muktananda in the 1970s in India , and was tasked with updating the ancient meditative lineage and sharing it with the Western world. Synchronicity High-Tech Meditation and Holistic Lifestyle program™ brings it all together in a very practical and accessible format. His recordings and teachings have made a wonderful contribution to the field.

     Some of you, however, may have been introduced to him via his appearance on Larry King several months ago. His tour group was among those trapped in the hotel massacre in Mumbai. As tragic as those events were (two of his associates were killed), there seems to be a silver lining, as their grace and spiritual perspective on these events has touched millions around the world.

     There is another reason many are visiting the sanctuary, or at least visiting their website. A few years ago, an apparition of the Blessed Mother appeared in the sacred grotto on the property. It’s been photographed, and messages have been received. I have a feeling this may be of interest to many of you, too. Links are on the synchronicity.org front page.

     I also had a chance to sit down with MC, as he’s called, for a seventeen minute interview on music and healing. It’s one of the best I’ve done, and it’s also viewable at their site. Just scroll down to the middle of the News section of the front page.

My Music on YouTube, and Music Education After “American Idol”

     When I checked out recent postings on YouTube, I was surprised, for two reasons, at how many new videos using my music were there, done by other people who I have never been in contact with. First, according to YouTube rules, using copyrighted music requires permission of the copyright holder.

     Second, I was surprised at what I found when I clicked on the video titled “Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major.” It was difficult to focus on or enjoy the imagery—because the music was not even mine! The soundtrack did not have any of the recognizable melodies or chord progressions that this classic composition has contributed to the literature.

     Then I realized what I was hearing. It was the Tibetan bowls from the album Singing Bowls of Shangri-La by Thea Surasu. True, I did produce the recording of his magnificent gold 11th century bowl. But I could only imagine what folks might have thought when they saw my name and heard what they heard: “Wow, what was he thinking? It doesn’t sound anything like the Canon in D Major!”

     Happily, I was able to get in touch with the video artist, and he agreed to correct the title credit. You can see his artistry with many other of my soundtracks, but I’ll leave it to you to figure out which artist he is.

     But the shock of that error was compounded by several other situations, in interviews and conversations, in which the other person could not tell the difference between a piano and a harp, or between a flute and a trumpet. I realized that as the budgets are cut or eliminated for music programs in our schools, it’s possible that entire generations are growing up without experiencing what real instruments sound like.

     On American Idol of course, we hear singers. We sometimes see contestants play guitar or keyboard, and we get brief glimpses of Ricky Minor’s incredible band. But what does it say about our culture if a child’s education is missing an important part of music appreciation? Becoming familiar with how different musical instruments sound and awakening the awareness of how the tones feel, emotionally and physically, is even more important than learning the compositional structure of a classical symphony.

Guitar Hero

     I also had my first experience seeing kids (and a parent) play Guitar Hero. I am always in favor of active participation in music making, but something struck me as quite odd. Then I got it: they were watching the TV screen for the cues—and not listening to the music! When I asked them to play with their eyes closed, they were lost.

     That’s a problem, folks. It’s also not an either/or situation. I’m just saying, let’s include both senses! In all my workshops, I have always included a hand-drumming rhythm circle. In fact, that’s how I got the job as a public school music teacher 36 years ago: I was able to get the most difficult individuals (yes, they were the music teachers) able to play music without reading the little black dots on white paper.

     In the near future, I’ll be uploading a brief tutorial based on what I’ve done in workshops. I’ll also be uploading some more of my own videos on YouTube, as well as on my own website. I invite you to check them out.

Another Word about Subliminals, News & Noise

     Last month, I featured the landmark new book by Dr. Eldon Taylor, Mind Programming. I’m happy to report that it is doing well on the national sales charts, and hopefully stimulating discussion around water coolers and over coffee.

     In the ABCNews.com interview, featured in my May column, I referenced the work of Dr. Eldon Taylor as one of the recognized experts in the field, and as someone I have known and respected as a colleague for about twenty years. Indeed, I often refer skeptics to his prior books for the hard evidence and long lists of scientific studies that prove that subliminal communication, both in visual and audio formats, can be highly effective in evoking specific outcomes.

     There are many sounds in your home or work environment that you are probably not aware of. Nevertheless, these subliminal sounds, in that they are below the threshold of your conscious awareness, can certainly affect your stress level. Take the rumbling noise of your refrigerator. Ever notice that it resonates in the area of your stomach? Is that mere coincidence?

     And what about your computer? Do you have a quiet fan or a noisier one? I notice that when I tried working on a noisy computer, I was always hungry. I was also much more fatigued than I am with the one I’m using now.

Bruce Lipton: “The Biology of Belief”

     I’m always delighted when a colleague who is doing great work and is also a personal friend experiences a quantum leap in getting his message out to the world. That’s the case with Bruce Lipton. Several years ago, I wrote about his breakthrough book, The Biology of Belief. His private publishing company recently signed on with Hay House for worldwide distribution, and the book is featured prominently in Wayne Dyer’s new PBS special, “Excuses Begone.”

     In a nutshell, Bruce’s early research exploded the myth that our destiny was fixed in our genes. He became the major advocate of epigenetics, and introduced the new paradigm into DNA research, namely, that our minds are capable of influencing our DNA.

     This sea change is still being resisted by the old guard, much as the new research on subliminals is still being resisted by so-called experts who have not kept up with the latest findings.

     It’s frustrating to see the “same old same old” with respect to subliminal research, and the oft-quoted “one study showed that subliminal programs didn’t work.” I always counter, “Which study? Who did it? And what about the many studies that do show a positive outcome?” Most studies compare apples to cabbages. I remember vividly when I questioned the test samples of the oft-referenced study that stated that some subliminal programs don’t have any subliminal messages on them. I asked them if they tested my audio programs. I was told “No, we know yours work.”

     The bottom line, of course, is whether a particular program works for you. Just like the ads we see on TV often say, “results may vary.” Summer is a great time to try new things. And when you’re driving, that might be a good time to put Drive Time Rx to your own test.

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Steven Halpern is an award-winning composer, recording artist and pioneering sound healer. He has researched and produced subliminal audio programs for over 35 years. His latest CD, Drive Time Rx, is now available from www.innerpeacemusic.com.

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