WDDTY

WHAT DOCTORS DON’T TELL YOU

Mind Medicine
Heal the mind, heal the body

Contents
Mind-body connections Energy medicine
2 Staying connected 27 Tapping away the past
3 Stress: the pain of going it alone 28 Tapping into healing
7 The great depression myth 29 Healing through the hands
11 Hope for Alzheimer’s? 30 Rapid eye recovery
15 Crazy about chemicals 31 Instant connection
32 Changing the body’s frequency
33 The power of the pulse
Healing thoughts 34 The lightness of being
16 Healing with intention 36 Music as medicine
21 Accentuate the positive
22 Laughter: funny medicine
23 When the body responds to ‘orders’
24 Imagine yourself healthy
25 Meditation is good medicine
26 Hypnotherapy

WWW.WDDTY.COM
Mind-body connections over a five-year period. Inexplicably,

Staying connected the benefit seemed to be almost

entirely attributable to fewer cancer
deaths—from 20.6 deaths to just 8.9

I
n the last 30 years, scientific nearly 20,000 people observed for up deaths per 1000 person-years (Ann
evidence has been stacking up to nine years, those who were lonely Intern Med, 2007; 146: 689–98). Having
that there’s a potentially huge and lacking in relationships were two someone to talk to, it appears, may
mental component to health and to three times more likely to die from prove to be a lifesaver.
disease. Once thought to be entirely heart disease or all other causes than Connectedness can even help us
separate, the mind and body have now those who felt connected to others. fight off infectious disease. Among
been discovered to be intimately These results occurred regardless of 276 healthy volunteers, aged 18 to 55,
connected—so much so that, in fact, risk factors such as high cholesterol those who had more diverse social
they even share the same ‘messenger or high blood pressure, smoking or a networks had a greater resistance to
chemicals’. family history (Am J Epidemiol, 1979; 109: the common cold. Those who had the
Mind–body research is now one of 186–204; Am J Epidemiol, 1988; 128: 370–80). fewest social roles (such as being
the most exciting new areas in A recent US study found that older married, a parent, a friend or a
modern medicine, opening up a whole people who are lonely are twice as colleague) were four times more likely
new understanding of how to recover likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as to develop a cold than those with the
from illness as well as how to stay those who are not (Arch Gen Psychiatry, widest variety of social ties (J A M A, 1997;
healthy. 2007; 64: 234–40). “It may be that 277: 1940–4).
Among the most important loneliness may affect systems in the
findings is that connectedness to brain dealing with cognition and Potential mechanisms
other people is crucial for memory, making lonely people more The structure of our social networks,
maintaining health. vulnerable to the effects of age-related the support we receive from others,
Studies show that people who have decline in neural pathways,” suggested the quality and quantity of our social
social networks and a support system the researchers. interactions, and our feelings of
are healthier and live longer than In other words, loneliness has a isolation and loneliness are all known
those who are lonely and socially physical impact. predictors of health and wellbeing (Am
isolated. Conversely, having social networks Psychol, 2004; 59: 676–84). However, why
Isolation from others appears to and social support can protect people they are so remains unclear.
have serious adverse consequences on against disease—from heart and lung One possibility is that social
health—and not just the obviously disease to diabetes and cancer (J Aging isolation and the feelings that come
mentally related psychosomatic Health, 2006; 18: 359–84). with it—loneliness, alienation, low self-
conditions, but also objectively In one study—a controlled trial of esteem—can lead to chronic stress,
diagnosable physical illnesses such as nearly 400 elderly patients with severe which has known physical effects on
cancer and heart attack. depression—those who were assigned a the body.
In one study in San Francisco and ‘depression coach’, or depression care Not only can stress promote coping
another in Eastern Finland, of the manager, were far less likely to die responses—such as smoking, alcohol
abuse, illicit drug use or sleep loss—
that are harmful to health, it can also
Getting connected trigger the sympathetic nervous
system and hypothalamic–pituitary–
◆ Work on not being disconnected from your own feelings, from other adrenal cortical axis. Prolonged or
people and from a higher being. Making friends, volunteering, expressing repeated activation of these systems
your feelings, praying or developing your own spirituality can help to can place people at risk of a range of
establish a sense of connectedness—and may just save your life. physical and psychiatric disorders (Am
◆ Avoid having negative relationships and social interactions. Studies Psychol, 2004; 59: 676–84).
show that relationships characterized by conflict and stress can be just as Social connectedness, on the other
deleterious to health as social isolation ( Am J Health Promot, 2000; 14: 362–70). hand, promotes positive psychological
◆ Learn a relaxation technique such as yoga or Transcendental states—for example, a sense of
Meditation, which will help you to get in touch with your own spirituality. identity, purpose and self-worth—that
◆ Get a pet. Pet ownership has been linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular induce health-promoting responses.
disease, and better physical and psychological wellbeing ( BMJ, 2005; 331: Indeed, studies show that people
1252–4). Pet-owning older individuals had lower blood pressure than those involved in positive social interactions
without pets. Interaction with pets as well as the pleasure derived from have lower levels of stress hormones,
stroking were thought to be responsible ( J Behav Med, 1988; 11: 509–17). fewer cardiovascular responses and
◆ Keeping connected includes cultivating a sense of forgiveness—of enhanced immune function (Am J
your friends, enemies, family, parents. Most important of all is to forgive Health Promot, 2000; 14: 362–70).
and love yourself. Joanna Evans, with additional
reporting by Tony Edwards

2 WDDTY Mind Medicine

Stress: the pain of going it alone
Stress is our 21st-century disease, and we consider it an inevitable byproduct of our overly busy lives.
But this report has uncovered some extraordinary findings. Stress, we find, primarily results from a sense of
isolation—from our families, our community and even from our God.
S
tress is one of the great
challenges of modern times.
Unless we learn how to
control and manage it, we
may age prematurely and increase
our chances of suffering from a range
of minor ailments, including fatigue,
indigestion, headaches, constipation,
psoriasis and allergies, as well as life-
threatening problems such as cancer
and heart disease.
In and of itself, stress is not a ‘bad’
thing. It is part of our body’s natural
chemical response to a ‘fight-or-
flight’ stimulus geared to meet an
immediate challenge. This
autonomic (automatic) physical
response includes the release of
hormones such as the catechol-
amines, which include dopamine,
epinephrine (adrenaline) and nor-
epinephrine (noradrenaline), as well
as glucocorticoids such as cortisol—
the primary ‘stress hormone’, which
is also known as ‘hydrocortisone’ in
its synthetic form—and androgens
such as DHEA (dehydro e p i a n d ro-
sterone).
Nevertheless, these chemicals—
however natural—become a slow
poison when stress is chronic, when
the body is continually and inappro-
priately in ‘fight-or-flight’ mode.
Levels of cortisol rise in periods of
chronic stress, and this results in a
fall in DHEA levels.
Such a chemical imbalance can
eventually lead to heart disease,
h y p o t h y roidism (an underactive
thyroid), prostate and breast
cancers, menstrual irregularities,
o s t e o p o rosis, and autoimmune
diseases such as systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE) and rheuma-
toid arthritis (Clin Exp Immunol, 1995; 99:
251–5; Clin Exp Rheumatol, 1992; 10: 25–30).
A recent study found a direct
connection between stress and
coronary heart disease when British
researchers profiled 10,308 London-
based male and female civil servants
(Eur Heart J, 2008; 29: 640–8; online: doi:10.
1093/eurheartj/ehm584).
What is stress?
No one is absolutely certain as to
what we mean by chronic stress.
Medicine still hasn’t come up with
an agreed-upon definition, although
the American Institute of Stress
(www.stress.org) has arrived at two
of the most commonly accepted
descriptions of it: ‘physical, mental
or emotional strain or tension’; and
‘a condition or feeling experienced
when a person perceives that
demands exceed the personal and
social resources that the individual
is able to mobilize’.
Even the term itself has
p roblematic roots. The pioneer of
stress research, Slovakian endocrin-
ologist Hans Selye (1907–1 9 8 2 ) ,
was the first to come up with the
term ‘stress’—and e ver after wished
that he hadn’t. At the time he
coined the term, he wasn’t aware
that the term had been in scientific
usage since the 17th centur y.
Instead, he wished he had called it
‘strain’.
One person’s symptoms of stress
will differ from those of another,
including in their intensity and
duration. In addition, we all have our
own particular stress triggers, or
‘stressors’, as Selye called them.
Pioneering research by Ro l l i n
McCraty and others at the Institute
of HeartMath, in Boulder Creek, CA,
supports the idea that stress isn’t
‘all in the head’. In one study of 26
participants, he found that the hear t
is a receptive organ that can receive
and respond to emotionally arousing
stimuli, sometimes even before it
occurs ( J Altern Complement Med, 2004;
10: 133–4 3).
Medicine’s response
This uncertainty as to what exactly
the condition is makes it difficult for
doctors to decide on the best way to
deal with people who suffer fro m
chronic stress. In very severe cases,
they may prescribe an anti-anxiety
drug such as the benzo-diazepine
diazepam (Valium) or a selective
s e rotonin reuptake inhib-itor (SSRI)
type of antidepressant such as
fluoxetine (Prozac). But often, they
may simply recommend that the
patient either changes the situation
that is causing the chronic stress
response, or change the response to
it.
In fact, sometimes changing the
situation may be enough—for
instance, moving house if you live
right next door to a noisy neighbour
or directly under a flight path—
but often, stress is caused by a
multitude of minor daily events that
are each irritating little stressors
(Psychosom Med, 1994; 56: 216–2 4). This
suggests that stress, which is
cumulative, can also become your
body’s habitual chemical response—
and this habit is what needs to be
changed.
The technical term for stress
control is allostasis, which is the
body’s ability to achieve harmony
through change. It was coined by
Sterling and Eyre in 1988 to
describe “an additional process of re-
establishing homeostasis” (N Engl J
Med, 1998; 338: 171–8).
Fo r t u n a t e l y, there are many
p roven methods that can help us
WDDTY Mind Medicine 3
Mind-body connections
achieve allostasis by altering our
response to life’s events and
challenges.
Mind techniques
There is plenty of evidence that
various meditation and mind
techniques can be highly effective
in changing our response to events
that would usually make us feel
stressed out.
In one study, two techniques—
mindfulness stress reduction (MSR)
and cognitive behavioural therapy
(CBT)—were taught to a group of
50 adults. The MSR programme was
an eight-week course that included
meditation, gentle yoga and body
scanning, while CBT involved
cognitive and behavioural exerc i s e s
to change the way of thinking and to
reduce distress. CBT improved six
of eight markers for stress, whereas
MSR achieved improvements in all
eight (J Altern Complement Med, 2008; 27
March, Epub ahead of print ).
Mindfulness meditation also
helped to lift depression among a
g roup of 91 women who were
sufferers of fibromyalgia. These
women were divided into two
g roups: one, comprising 51 partici-
pants, was taught the meditation
technique while the remaining 40
women were used as the control for
later comparisons. The meditation
g roup reported significant impro v e -
ments in depressive symptoms by
the end of the eight-week study
(Arthritis Rheum, 2007; 57: 77–8 5).
Are you stressed?
These are some of the main symptoms of chronic stress. Although it’s
possible to have some of these symptoms without being chronically
depressed, you may be if you find that you have a majority of the following:
❖ periods of irritability or anger
❖ apathy or depression
❖ constant anxiety
❖ irrational behaviour
❖ loss of appetite
❖ comfort eating
❖ lack of concentration
❖ loss of sex drive
❖ increased smoking, drinking
or taking recreational drugs
❖ excessive tiredness
4 WDDTY Mind Medicine
CBT fared even better in a study of
11 patients, all of whom reported a
dramatic reduction in anxiety, worry,
depression and mood swings by the
end of a course of treatment (J Anxiety
Disord, 2007, 22 July, Epub ahead of print).
Transcendental Meditation (TM)
is an effective method for reducing
stress, and may even help us to live
longer. Ac c o rding to the pooled data
f rom 202 patients participating in
two randomized, controlled studies,
who were either in the prehyper-
tensive stage or in the early, stage I
phase of the disease, those who
practised TM over an 18-year follow-
up period had a 23-per-cent better
survival rate, a 30-per-cent decrease
in fatal heart problems and a 49-per-
cent decrease in deaths due to
cancer.
The researchers concluded that
the stress-reducing approach of TM
was a main reason for these patie nts’
longevity and good health (Am J
Cardiol, 2005; 95: 1060–4).
Yogic meditation had a similarly
positive effect on 12 patients when it
was compared with mindfulness
meditation. After three months, the
yoga meditation group—who were
practising kundalini yoga—showed
greater improvements in mood,
stress levels and obsessive–
compulsive disord e r. What’s more,
these improvements were still
evident at the end of the study, 15
months later ( CNS Spectr, 1999; 4:
3 4–4 7 ).
In a meta-analysis of seven
❖ skin problems such as
eczema
❖ aches and pains from tense
muscles
❖ increased pain from arthritis
and other conditions
❖ heart palpitations
❖ feeling sick
❖ stomach problems
❖ missed periods.
studies, mindfulness meditation
apparently helped to improve the
participants’ ability to sleep, usually
because it was able to reduce worry
and anxiety ( Explore [NY], 2007; 3:
585–9 1).
Guided imagery is another
effective way to reduce stress. This
technique was tested in 176
individuals who had all practised
guided imagery before the trial
started. The researchers found that
it was most effective among those
who were the most adept ( BMC
Complement Altern Med, 2005; 5: 21) .
Another study of guided imagery,
this time involving 148 participants,
came to a similar conclusion. Again,
it was most effective among those
who were more experienced with the
technique and who were better at
doing it (Altern Ther Health Med, 2006; 12:
6 0–6 ).
Touch and massage
Touch is a simple and effective way of
reducing stress. Indeed, it appears
that even those who were hugged a
great deal in their childhood by their
parents are better able to cope with
stress as adults (Science, 1997; 277:
1 8 5 9–61 ). It may have something to do
with the release of oxytocin, a
nonapeptide that can reduce stress
levels, and lower levels of blood
pressure and cortisol. Oxytocin
release is stimulated by touch, and
also by a positive outlook, and by
having a sense of warmth and
empathy towards others (Z Psychosom
Med Psychother, 2005; 51: 57–80).
Massage therapy was a more
effective stress reliever than guided
relaxation when a group of 54
people, aged 60 or over, tested the
two methods. The participants
received either massage—including
Swedish, neuromuscular and myo-
fascial massage—or guided relaxa-
tion, which incorporated visualiza-
tion and muscle relaxation, for 50
minutes in twice-weekly sessions for
four weeks. At the end of the trial,
the massage group reported signif-
icant improvements in their levels
of anxiety, depression, vitality and
general health compared with the
relaxation group ( Complement Ther Med,
2007; 15: 157–6 3 ).
 Gentle touch massage was also
effective when it was tested on 147
participants with ‘psychological
problems’. After four treatments,
most reported an improvement in
their stress, anxiety and depression
levels ( Evidence-based Compl Alt Med,
2007; 4: 115–23).
Another technique is HeartTouch,
which teaches participants how to
become conscious of their thoughts
and feelings, and then how to reduce
the stress they create thro u g h
touch. Its effectiveness was tested on
58 nurses, who had been practising
HeartTouch for at least a month, and
their results were compared with a
group of 40 nurses who did not use
the technique. By the end of the
study period, the HeartTouch gro u p
reported signifi-cant improvements
in stress, ‘hardiness’ and spiritual
wellbeing ( J Holist Nurs, 2006; 24:
1 6 4–75).
Even something as simple as a 15-
minute back massage once a week
can reduce stress. Sixty nurses were
recruited into just such a 2006; 16: 341–7).
p rogramme and, after five weeks,
they reported a lowering in their
levels of stress (Aust J Adv Nurs, 2006; 23:
2 8–3 3).
Furthermore, doing it yourself can
be as effective as having somebody
else massage you. One study tested
the effectiveness of self-massage of
the foot, using reflexology, with 46
women. After they had massaged
their own feet for six weeks, the
r e s e a rchers reported that there was
a “statistically significant”
reduction in depression, perceived
stress and systolic blood pressure
( Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi, 2006; 36:
1 7 9–88).
A therapy combining massage
with music and aromatherapy helped
to reduce stress levels among
e m e rg e n c y - room nurses, who
reported very high levels of anxiety,
especially during the winter months
(J Clin Nurs, 2007; 16: 1695–7 0 3).
Exercise and yoga
Strenuous exercise can help a
stressed person relax and also lower
blood pressure in people
who are hypertensive. A group of 30
participants who either had normal
or high blood pressure reported
blood-pressure reductions. Indeed,
they also felt more relaxed, even
Keeping a journal
Keeping a Stress Journal is an effective way to cope with your stress and
to make yourself more conscious of the entire process. To create your
journal, you should divide a piece of paper into four columns, with the
following headings:
1. The cause of your stress
2. How you felt, both physically and emotionally
3. How you acted in response
4. What you did to cope or feel better.
After a few days, you will start noticing patterns or themes in what makes
you feel stressed (your stressors) and how you are dealing with them.
Another journal that can give you a different view of the way you
respond to events is a Gratitude Journal. As the name suggests, it is a way
of expressing gratitude for the people and events in your daily life. Unlike
the Stress Journal, it does not need a fixed format. Instead, it could be a
daily essay in which you outline the things in your life for which you are
grateful. This could include anything from simply waking up in the morning,
and having a job or a family (even if this may also be a cause of stress), or
the fact that you have a nice home or neighbourhood to live in.
The key is to keep writing, at least several times a week, and to keep it
going. After a while, you may become aware of less obvious things for
which you are grateful, such as the taste of a hot cup of coffee.
after just one session of exerc i s e Complement Med, 2007; 13: 419–26).
using a gym bike (Clin J Sport Med, In fact, yoga can have a beneficial
effect even after a relatively short
Tai Chi, the gentle contro l l e d - time. One study of patients with
movement Eastern form of exerc i s e , anxiety disorders discovered that it
is very effective at reducing stress helped them after just 10 days of
levels, according to objective daily yoga exercise (Indian J Physiol
measures such as blood pressure, Pharmacol, 2006; 50: 41–7).
heart rate and amounts of cortisol It can even help cancer patients
in saliva. Twenty-one beginners who who are going through the rigours of
had been performing Tai Chi chemotherapy. Of 68 breast cancer
e x e rcises for only 18 weeks all patients who were anxious and
showed improvements in the three depressed because of their chemo-
objective measurements mentioned and radiotherapy, half of them did
above, as well as in the more yoga while the remainder served as
subjective areas of general health c o n t rols. Not only did those in the
and psycho logical wellbeing ( Med Sci yoga group report improvements in
Monit, 2007; 13: CR488–9 7). their anxiety and depression, but
The effectiveness of yoga as a even their DNA was less damaged
stress reducer is supported by more subsequent to radiotherapy,
trials than any other type of compared with the non-yoga-
e x e rcise regime. As with other practising controls (Integr Cancer Ther,
practices such as guided imagery, 2007; 6: 242–5 0).
the effect is greater among those
who are more adept. One study Spirituality and religion
plotted the brain activity of eight A sense of connectedness and
experienced yoga practitioners, and purpose are also powerful ways of
found that their brain levels of countering stress, as researchers
gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), have repeatedly discovered on
a neurotransmitter that induces investigating people who are
relaxation and sleep, were raised members of religious and social
after a 60-minute session. As g roups.
depression and anxiety are People who have strong religious
associated with low GA B A beliefs are better able to cope
concentrations, the researc h e r s following a stro ke. This was the
recommend yoga as an effecti ve way conclusion of researchers who
of treating these conditions (J Altern followed 132 post-stro ke patients,
WDDTY Mind Medicine 5
Mind-body connections
chosen at random, all of whom were
being treated in hospital to help
them rehabilitate. Those who held
to religious or spiritual beliefs had
less anxiety and depression than
those who were agnostic or atheist
(Stroke, 2007; 38: 993–7).
A similar picture was seen among
C roatian war veterans. Those with
strong religious beliefs were far less
likely to attempt suicide, and had
less chronic post-traumatic stress,
than those who had no religious
faith (J Nerv Ment Dis, 2008; 196: 79–8 3).
Indeed, people who attend
c h u rch regularly and engage in
private prayer are almost never
depressed or stressed, even when
their income is low. These were the
findings when researchers looked at
the psychological profiles of 230
older US-born and immigrant
Latinos living in the US (Health Soc
Work, 2008; 33: 9–21).
Even people who did not belong
to a church, but still held religious
or spiritual beliefs, enjoyed better
mental equilibrium. Re s e a rc h e r s
tested one of two strategies in 165
patients with mood disturbances.
For eight weeks, pati ents undertook
either spiritual exercises through a
home-study course, a meditation-
based stress-reduction pro g r a m m e ,
or did nothing (controls). By the
end of the study, those in the
spiritual group had significantly
lower scores (–43.1 per cent) on an
assessment of mood states than did
the meditation group (–22.6 per
cent) which, nevertheless, still
reduced their scores by more than
twice that of the controls (–10.3 per
cent). Also, this positive effect
continued for at least four weeks
after stopping the study ( Altern Ther
Health Med, 2006; 12: 26–3 5).
Stress can also be reduced by
heartfelt forgiveness and empathy.
When 99 subjects with
psychological problems underwent
an ‘emotional education pro g -
ramme’ for one year, with 47 others
as controls, at the end of the
course, the education group showed
large reductions in their depression
and stress, while increasing positive
outcomes such as master y,
e m p a t h y, emotional intelligence,
6 WDDTY Mind Medicine
forgiveness and s piritual experiences
(Explore [NY], 2006; 2: 498–5 0 8).
Other techniques
◆ Music therapy. Listening to music
can help you relax and reduce stress
levels—but what you listen to
apparently matters. Mozart’s Eine
Kleine Nachtmusik was more
effective than so-called New Age
music. When 63 students either
listened to the Mozart or to New Age
ambient music, or read recreational
magazines, for 28 minutes on three
consecutive days, the Mozart
listeners reported higher levels of
peace and lower levels of negative
emotions than did the other two
groups (J Music Ther, 2004; 41: 215–24).
Classical music also came out on
top in a separate study of 56 college
students who had gone through a
stressful test before listening to
music of their choice or sitting in
silence. Again, those who chose
classical music report-ed higher
levels of relaxation than those who
listened to heavy metal or sat in
silence (Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback,
2007; 32: 163–8).
◆ Owning a pet. Having a pet can help
to calm us. In a study of 25 children
(aged five to 18) who were in pain
following surgery, those who had a
visit from a dog while in hospital
said their pain levels were lower
afterwards (J Holist Nurs, 2006; 24: 51–7).
◆ Acupuncture. Electro-acupunc-
ture, administered at both 5 Hz and
100 Hz, can reduce mental stress
when 25 volunteers were
immediately assessed after they had
performed difficult mental
arithmetic calculations (Auton
Neurosci, 2005; 118: 93–101).
◆ B i o f e e d b a c k. Although muscle
relaxation training using biofeed-
back failed to lower perceived stress
levels in 36 women who underwent
such training for eight weeks, twice
a week, it did reduce the
physiological symptoms of stress
such as pulse rate, blood pressure
and muscle relaxation (Taehan Kanho
Hakhoe Chi, 2004; 34: 213–2 4).
Supplements and herbs
Supplements and herbs can also help
reduce stress, but their role seems
to be secondar y, acting more as
enablers to other approaches.
The herbs Ginkgo biloba and
Panax ginseng can reverse the
biochemical responses to acute
and chronic stress.
In rats (so not necessarily in
humans), Ginkgo was better in
cases of acute stress, whereas
ginseng was better for chro n i c
stress ( J Pharmacol Sci, 2003; 93:
4 5 8–6 4 ). A standardized leaf
extract of G i n k g o can also
alleviate stress ( J Food Sci, 2008; 73:
R14–9). In a mouse study, ginseng
was effective in countering the
s t a n d a rd markers of stress
( Pharmacol Res, 2006; 54: 46–9).
Antioxidants, including vita-
mins A, C and E, and the
polyphenolic compounds found in
berry fruits, such as strawberries
and blue-berries, can help to
p rotect against the age-related
physical and mental effects of
stress—at least in a review of
studies using rodent models ( J
Agric Food Chem, 2008; 56: 636–41) .
A matter of lifestyle
Stress has rightly been described
as a disease of modern life. While
most of us believe it’s because of
our hectic lifestyles, in fact, it
may have more to do with the
sense of isolation that we now
experience as the nuclear family
becomes less involved with the
wider community.
It appears that the ro o t
emotions of stress are a sense of
helplessness and loneliness, so it’s
not surprising that touch or
massage therapies, or belonging
to a spiritual or social group can
do much to help these negative
feelings. Meditation helps to still
the emotions that stir up the
d a n g e rous chemical soup that can
lead to heart disease and cancer.
Stress is a lifestyle disease, but
in this sense: it is challenging you
to decide how you wish to live
your life, and to find ways to cope
and respond to everyday events
that don’t involve either running
away or aggressively attacking
them.
Bryan Hubbard
The great depression myth
SSRI drugs sell on the basis of the false ‘chemical imbalance’ theory.

very year around the world, we

E take $13bn (£6.6bn)-worth of

antidepressants, and more
than 80 per cent of those is an
SSRI (serotonin selective reuptake
inhibitors) such as Prozac, Paxil and
Zoloft.
SSRIs are among the best-selling
drugs in medicine, and their enormous
success is based on the ‘chemical
imbalance theory’, which proposes that
people are depressed because they are
low in serotonin, a brain chemical and
neurotransmitter that acts on the
n e rvous system.
An SSRI redresses such a chemical
imbalance by helping to promote
serotonin, and can treat not only
depression, the manufacturers claim,
but also other psychiatric problems
such as social anxiety disorder and
obsessive–compulsive disorder. imbalance and, especially, low levels of dence to support the theory.
The SSRI signalled a revolution in the neurotransmitter serotonin in Re s e a rchers who analyzed the
mental care. Suddenly, clinical and particular. Joseph Schildkraut was one cerebrospinal fluid of clinically
severe depression wasn’t something of the pioneers of the general theory depressed and suicidal patients
that the sufferer just had to endure or that chemical imbalances cause couldn’t find any differences in their
learn to get over. Instead, here’s a depression and, in 1965, he postulated serotonin levels compared with healthy
simple remedy to hand: a chemical that depression was associated with low controls. Even participants
to treat a chemical. As a result, we’ve levels of a neurotransmitter. These in medical trials whose levels of
become a ‘Prozac Nation’, as Elizabeth imbalances caused mood swings, and serotonin were deliberately lowered
Wurtzel’s best-selling book says. the problem could be corrected by failed to become depressed (Pharmaco-
The pharmaceutical industry has drugs, he believed. Two years later, psychiatry, 1996; 29: 2–1 1). Similarly,
been the major promoter of the researchers zoned in on serotonin as depressed people who were given huge
depression–s e rotonin theory—for the neurotransmitter responsible (Br J increases of serotonin failed to witness
obvious reasons. Yet, astonishingly, the Psychiatry, 1967; 13: 1237–64). any improvements in their condition
concept has never been actually proven But this acceptance has far more to (Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1975; 32: 22–30).
since it was first postulated in 1967— do with aggressive marketing by the Not only has neuroscience been
and not because there haven’t been drug companies, who sell their SSRIs unable to prove the theory in
many attempts to do so. on the basis of the theory, than independent studies, it has found
Given that the theory remains research from neuroscientists, who plenty of evidence to suggest that
unproven, it’s not surprising that the have tried—unsuccessfully—for 40 depression and other mental disorders
SSRI antidepressant is far less effective years to come up with conclusive evi- are the result of far more complex
than the drug companies are claiming.
In a meta-analysis of both published
and unpublished trials so far,
Further reading
researchers found that the trials,
The WDDTY book Depression: Treating it Naturally is a comprehensive
usually funded by the drug
review of depression, including the many ways in which it can be treated
manufacturer itself, either put an
without the use of SSRIs or other antidepressant drugs. The book costs
unwarranted positive spin on the
£12.99 and is available from:
results or were suppressed if the results
Esco Business Services
were not positive (N Engl J Med, 2008; 358:
Trinity House, Sculpins Lane
252–60).
Wethersfield, Braintree
Essex, CM7 4AY
What’s the idea?
Credit card orders can be sent via e-mail to wddty@escosubs.co.uk or by
It’s generally accepted by doctors—as
telephoning 01371 851 883. The book is also available online from the
well as the general public—that severe
WDDTY shop at www.wddtyhealthshop.com.
depression is the result of a chemical

WDDTY Mind Medicine 7

Mind-body connections
Do you have depression?
When considering whether or not you have depression, it’s important to
remember that the following symptoms should persist over time. We all feel
inadequate on occasions, for example, but that doesn’t necessarily indicate
depression unless you feel it all the time. Having five of the symptoms from
either category below could suggest moderate or severe depression.
Symptoms of mild depression
❖ Being bothered by things that
aren’t usually a problem
❖ Poor appetite
❖ Overeating
❖ Feelings of inadequacy
❖ Inability to concentrate
❖ Finding that doing things is an
effort
❖ Fearful of the future
❖ Restless sleep
❖ Feeling people are unfriendly
❖ Loneliness
❖ Increased irritability
❖ Persistently feeling ‘blue’.
factors than a simple neurotransmitter
deficiency.
The lack of substantiating evidence
isn’t helped by the fact that
no one knows what an ideal serotonin
level is supposed to look like, let alone
the profile of a pathological imbalance.
“There is not a single peer-reviewed
article that can be accurately cited to
directly support claims of serotonin
deficiency in any mental disorder,” says
Jeffrey Lacasse, a PhD candidate from
Florida State University and co-author
(with neuroanatomy professor Dr
Jonathan Leo of La ke Erie College of
Osteopathic Medicine) of the essay
‘Serotonin and Depression: A www.marketresearch.com/search/results.asp?sid
Disconnect Between the Advertise-
ments and the Scientific Literature’
(PLoS Med, 2005; 12: 1211–6).
The psychiatric ‘bible’, The Diag-
nostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-IV; published by the
American Psychiatric Association), lists
the definitions of all psychiatric
diagnoses, and does not list serotonin
as a cause of any mental disorder.
However, the Textbook of Clinical
Psychiatry, 4th edn (Hales RE, Yudofsky
SC, eds. Washington, DC: American
Psychiatric Publishing, 2003) does
describe serotonin deficiency as “an
unconfirmed hypothesis”, adding:
8 WDDTY Mind Medicine
Symptoms of severe depression
❖ Tearfulness
❖ Getting no pleasure at all from life
❖ Persistent fatigue and exhaustion
❖ Unreasonably low self-esteem
❖ High anxiety levels
❖ Lack of interest in sex
❖ Poor concentration, memory loss
❖ Lack of motivation
❖ Feeling a burden to others
❖ Early-morning waking
❖ Persistent sleeping
❖ Fear of being alone/extreme
self-isolation
❖ Unexplained aches and pains
❖ Suicidal thoughts.
“Additional experience has not
confirmed the monoamine depletion
hypothesis.”
The SSRI explosion
Nevertheless, and despite the lack of
evidence, SSRI drug sales increased by
353 per cent between 1981 and 2000
(Ann Pharmacother, 2002; 36: 1375– 9).
Indeed, it’s even anticipated that SSRI
sales will peak in 2010 with global
revenues of $14.6bn, and Japan is
expected to be a major market for
growth over the next couple of years,
with sales there anticipated to increase
by 52 per cent (Datamonitor; at
=92042647406931770490552493&query=ssri+f
uture+use+Japan&vendorid=72&publisher=Da
tamonitor&cmdSubmitLt=Go).
The first blockbuster SSRI, Prozac
(fluoxetine hydrochloride), was
launched in 1986, and is “the most
widely prescribed antidepressant
medication in history”, according to its
manufacturer, Eli Lilly. Another SSRI,
Pfizer’s Zoloft (sertraline), was the 10th
best-selling drug in the world in 2003,
with sales of $3.4bn.
Before the SSRIs were developed,
only 100 people per one million
population were diagnosed as being
depressed; today, this figure now stands
at 100,000 people per million
population (Healy D. Let Them Eat Prozac.
New York: NYU Press, 2006).
The depression–serotonin hypoth-
esis has been actively promoted by drug
companies in advertisements
to both doctors and the general public,
and in seminars to health
professionals—and so successfully that
it has been widely accepted as
a physiological fact.
In the US, where drug companies are
permitted to market directly to
consumers, Pfizer’s TV advertising for
Zoloft has claimed that depression may
be due to a chemical imbalance, and
that “Zoloft works to correct this
imbalance”.
In the support literature for its SSRI,
Pfizer states that “scientists believe
that it (depression) could be linked
with an imbalance of a chemical in the
brain called serotonin”.
SmithKline Beecham, the manu-
facturer in the US of the SSRI Paxil
(paroxetine), has this to say on its
website: “Scientific evidence suggests
that depression and certain anxiety
disorders may be caused by
a chemical imbalance in the brain.
Paxil helps balance your brain’s
chemistry.”
The idea is repeated constantly by
SSRI manufacturers, even though the
US drugs regulatory body, the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), has sent
out 10 warning letters to them since
1997.
In fact, the Irish Medical Board has
banned GlaxoSmithKline from claiming
in its patient information that Paxil
corrects a chemical imbalance.
Nevertheless, the company continues to
make the claim on its website and in
other countries.
However, despite these occasional
slaps across the wrist, manufacturers
are generally allowed to continue
promoting the hypothesis.
The SSRIs don’t work
Not surprisingly for drugs based on a
false hypothesis, they aren’t effective. In
a recent meta-analysis of 74 trials
involving 12 antidepressants that
had been logged with the FDA ,
researchers from the Oregon Health
and Science University discovered that
the manufacturers either tried to hide
the fact or put a positive spin on any
results that suggested that their drug
was not helpful.
 As for 22 studies that had negative
results, the researchers found that none
of them had been published, while a
further 11 reported positive
conclusions that were not backed
up by the research findings.
Of the published trials, 94 per cent
were positive, suggesting that the drug
was considerably better than a placebo
in treating depression. Yet, the FDA’s
analyses of the same trials concluded
that only 51 per cent presented positive
findings (N Engl J Med, 2008; 358: 252–60).
In a separate analysis of clinical trials
involving SSRIs submitted to the FDA,
researchers discovered that a placebo,
or sugar pill, replicated up to 80 per
cent of the benefits of the so-called
active agent, and that 57 per cent of all
trials, published and unpublished, failed
to demonstrate any statistically
significant differences between the
drug and a placebo (Prev Treat, 2002; 5:
article 23; online at http://content.apa.org/
journals/pre/5/1/23).
Other drugs and remedies for
depression appear to work just as well
as—if not better than—an SSRI drug,
which serves to further challenge the
depression–serotonin hypothesis.
A Cochrane review of various
antidepressants found that there was
no major difference in effectiveness
between SSRIs and tricyclics, an older
class of antidepressants that was
developed in the 1950s (Cochrane
Database Syst Rev, 2000; 3: CD002791).
In randomized trials, bupropion
(Wellbutrin; Zyban), an antidepressant
that is more commonly used today as a
stop-smoking drug, and reboxetine
(Edronax; Norebox) were found to be
equally as effective as SSRIs for treating
depression and, yet, neither interferes
with serotonin levels (J Clin Psychiatry,
1997; 58: 532–7; J Clin Psychiatry, 2000; 61
[Suppl 10]: 31–8).
The herbal remedy St John’s wort
(Hypericum perforatum) was more
effective than an SSRI in one trial
involving patients with moderate-to-
severe depression (BMJ, 2005; 330: 503),
and the SSRI sertraline was even bested
by a placebo in another trial involving
patients who were severely depressed
(JAMA, 2002; 287: 1807–14).
Indeed, exercise was just as effective
a remedy against depression when
pitted against Zoloft in a randomized
trial of older patients with severe
depression (Arch Intern Med, 1999; 159:
2349–56).
SSRI dangers “America’s drug watchdog needs to
The FDA has issued more public come clean because it’s been approv-
warnings and black-box notices— ing depressants as antidepressants. The
prominent announcements in the primary data on suicidality has been
drug’s literature and patient infor- generated in short-term controlled
mation sheets—regarding the dangers clinical trials planned by drug
of SSRIs than for almost companies, carried out by drug
any other family of drugs. Although the company hacks, and evaluated by drug
drugs come with a vast array of adverse company employees at corporate
reactions, drugs regulators are headquarters. If that kind of carefully
especially concerned over the SSRI cultivated evaluation bears such bad
potential to increase the risk fruit, imagine what the real data must
of suicide. show.”
The risk was thought to be greatest Despite these very real dangers,
among adolescents and teenagers, but doctors continue to prescribe SSRIs to
the FDA has admitted that anyone who children. In one study, researchers
takes an SSRI is at greater risk of discovered that children as young as six
committing suicide. years of age were being prescribed an
At an FDA drugs advisory com- SSRI, and they were 52 per cent more
mittee meeting held in December, likely to commit suicide within the
2006, psychiatrist Dr David Healy told following two months. Overall, a child
the members: “The idea that you would on an SSRI was 15 times more likely to
have a risk in one age group but not in kill himself than one not taking such a
another is just wrong.” drug (Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2006; 63: 865–72).
Another psychiatrist, Dr Peter In addition to the suicide risk, SSRIs
Breggin, also testified, and said: have been linked to a wide range of
What can cause depression?
Depression is a chronic and debilitating condition that goes far beyond feeling
down or ‘having the blues’. While doctors recognize that it can take various
forms—such as moderate or severe, or clinical—they don’t know precisely
why some people become depressed, other than accepting that it can be
due to a complex mix of causes. However, the one thing that is known with
certainty is that the oft-repeated theory of a chemical imbalance is simplistic
and not supported by any scientific evidence.
While patients’ help groups often point to obvious causes of depression
such as death in the family, job loss or chronic illness, WDDTY’s scouring
through the literature has uncovered many other, often unsuspected, causes.
◆ Hypothyroidism. Around one in five cases of chronic depression are
believed to be due to the body producing too little thyroid hormone. One
study found that women with even just mildly decreased thyroid function
had three times the rate of depression compared with the average ( Ann Rev
Med, 1995; 30: 37–46). To check if your thyroid gland is underperforming, place
a thermometer under your armpit for 10 minutes immediately upon waking
in the morning. Any temperature below the normal range of 97.8–98.2
degrees F (36.6–37 degrees C) may be indicative of an underactive thyroid.
◆ Low blood sugar. This condition—which has the medical name of ‘reactive
hypoglycaemia’—is a recognized cause of depression. It can occur after
compulsive snacking on sweet or starchy foods and, once these foods and
carbohydrates are removed from your diet, the depression may well lift.
◆ Irritable bowel disease. Gastrointestinal problems are a major cause of
irritability and depression. One-third of all sufferers of Crohn’s disease
complain of headache, eye problems and depression ( South Med J, 1997; 90:
606–10).
◆ Coeliac disease. Depression is associated with this gastrointestinal
condition, where the inner lining of the small intestine is damaged by eating
wheat, rye, oats and barley.
◆ Allergies. One study found that a third of all depressed people also suffer
from some sort of allergy such as to certain foods, or hayfever or bronchial
asthma (J Affect Disord, 1981; 3: 291–6).
WDDTY Mind Medicine 9
Mind-body connections
other adverse reactions. Prozac alone
has 242 different side-effects listed,
including 34 problems of the
genitourinary tract. In one review of
drug reactions, it was found that
“during a 10-year period, Prozac was
associated with more hospital-
izations, deaths or other serious
adverse effects reported to the FDA
than any other drug in America”
(Moore T. Prescription for Disaster. New York:
Dell Publishing, 1998).
The most common problems seen
with SSRIs are neurological (22 per
cent), psychiatric (19.5 per cent),
gastrointestinal (18 per cent) and
dermatological (11.4 per cent) (Drug
Safety, 1999; 20: 277–8 7).
Every SSRI manufacturer has active
lawsuits pending. Forest Lab-
oratories, which makes Lexapro
(escitalopram oxalate) and Celexa
(citalopram), has been involved in at
least 25 lawsuits recently, says US law
firm Pogust & Braslow, and most of
these involve cases of unexplained
suicide or attempted suicide.
Off-label prescribing
One major cause of the enormous
success of the SSRIs has been off-label
prescribing by doctors—where they
prescribe drugs either to people, such
as the very young or very old, for
whom no safety trials have ever been
undertaken, or for problems for which
the drug has never been intended.
Although the SSRIs are labelled as
antidepressants, the FDA has allowed
their use as remedies for eight other
psychiatric disorders, including ‘social
anxiety disord e r’, obsessive–
compulsive disorder (OCD) and pre-
menstrual dysphoric disorder (a
severe form of PMS).
Despite such a loose definition of
an antidepressant, one study found
that 75 per cent of all prescriptions
for SSRIs were off-label, as treat-
ments for conditions for which the
drugs have not been approved
(J Clin Psychiatry, 2006; 67: 972–82). Lead
author Dr Hua Chen, from the
University of Houston, said that the
findings reveal a “significant gap” in
the US drugs-safety system.
Over the years, SSRIs have been
prescribed for pain, insomnia,
shyness, menstrual discomfort,
dementia and restless leg syndrome,
and to every age group, including
young children, and even to pregnant
women, despite evidence that these
drugs are harmful to an expectant
mother as well as to her fetus (N Engl J
Med, 1996; 335: 1010–5).
While it’s not illegal for a doctor to
prescribe a drug off-label, it is not
allowed for drug companies to
promote a drug for such unapproved
uses, although it is known to be a
widespread practice and one that has
been the subject of a US House
Committee hearing.
Mind over matter
The SSRIs are some of the most
d a n g e rous drugs ever developed
and, yet, they are probably the least
effective. Based on an hypothesis
that stubbornly remains unproven,
these agents usually fare little
better than placebo, which suggests
that any benefit while taking them
is very likely being generated by
the patient himself.
Depression can be debilitating,
but it can be resolved without the
use of these powerful, yet ineffect-
ive, drugs. It may be that the most
important contribution of SSRIs
has been to our understanding of
the power and importance of our
own minds in bringing about
health.
Bryan Hubbard

Treating depression without dru g s

There is a range of strategies that can be adopted to help
to overcome depression, depending on its severity, and
they don’t involve the use of toxic—or dubious—drugs
such as the SSRIs.
◆ St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum). This herb,
dubbed ‘Nature’s Prozac’, is a proven remedy for mild-
to-moderate depression, although it has also proved
effective in more severe cases. In Germany, it has
become the standard treatment for depression, and is
even preferred over antidepressant drugs. Numerous
studies have shown that the herb works. One found that
300 mg three times a day cured 75 per cent of depressed
people (J Geriat Psychol Neurol, 1994; 71: 12–4). Doctors in the
UK and Ireland have been opposed to the herb only
because it can interfere with prescription drugs.
◆ Diet. Oily fish can ease depression. Tryptophan-rich
foods, such as turkey, salmon and dairy, may also help,
as may foods rich in vitamin B6, including soybeans,
lentils, meat, poultry, fish, fruit and brown rice. Make
sure that you consume plenty of mono- or poly-
unsaturated fats, and cut out caffeine and refined sugar,
and eat only dark chocolate.
◆ Nutrition. The B-complex vitamins, including B12 and
folic acid, can help with depression, as can calcium,
zinc and the omega-3 essential fatty acids.
◆ Thought Field Therapy. The TFT technique involves
finger tapping on specific acupuncture points around
the body at the same time that the patient is generating
a negative thought or emotion. The tapping is supposed
to release the ‘trapped’ emotion. However dubious it
may sound, the therapy has been tested in several trials,
and the early results are promising.
◆ Cognitive behavioural therapy. This form of ‘talking
therapy’, which is based on the idea that how we
think, act and feel all interact with each other, is one of
the most successful ways to treat mild-to-moderate
depression. It’s as effective as SSRI drugs, but without
the dangerous side-effects (B M J, 2006; 332: 1030–2).
◆ Exercise. Exercise can be surprisingly effective in
combating depression. Even moderate exercise, which
involves just walking briskly or jogging for 40 minutes,
three or four times a week, can help. Those who
already exercise regularly are less likely to become
depressed. One study found that moderate exercise
was as effective as the powerful SSRI sertraline (Zoloft)
(Arch Intern Med, 1999; 159: 2349–5 6 ).

10 WDDTY Mind Medicine

Hope for Alzheimer’s?
The pharmaceutical companies have spectacularly failed to move beyond the ‘chemical imbalance’ view of
Alzheimer’s disease. But new evidence points to brain poisoning—by processed foods and heavy metals—
as likely causes, and many alternatives offer sound possibilities of treatment without the side-effects of the
current drugs on offer.

tand by for a battle-royal over

S Alzheimer’s disease (AD)—to

take place in the British High
Courts of Justice, no less.
Shortly, in a unique court case, NICE
(National Institute for Clinical
Excellence), the UK’s National Health
Service drugs watchdog, will be
challenged to defend its decision not to
fund Alzheimer’s drugs intended for
use in the early stages of the disease.
Ranged on the prosecution benches
will be two big guns of the pharma-
ceutical industry, Pfizer and its
marketing arm Eisai, aided and abetted
by the Alzheimer’s Society, a vociferous
patient support group that equally
loudly proclaims itself to have no ties
with any drug manufacturers.
What’s all the fuss about? Are the
Alzheimer’s drugs any good at all, and
are there any alternatives? And what
causes the disease in the first place?
Dementia and Alzheimer’s
From near-obscurity only a generation
ago, Alzheimer’s disease is now
probably, after cancer, the most feared
disease of old age. Alzheimer’s has been
chillingly described as an affliction
whose victims suffer the
loss of qualities that define human
existence.
Once considered a rare disorder, it is
now known to be the most common
type of senile dementia, defined as
physical damage to the brain in old age
that results in major changes to
reasoning, memory, personality and
behaviour. Until recently, the only way
to distinguish Alzheimer’s from other
types of dementia was by post-mortem
examination of the brain. A typical AD
brain is found to be partly atrophied,
with the brain cells clumped together
in what are called ‘neurofibrillary
tangles’ or ‘plaques’.
The second major type of dementia
is vascular dementia, where the
interruption of the brain’s blood supply,
usually due to ‘mini-strokes’, causes
brain cells to die.
These two main types of dementia
can now sometimes be distinguished
from each other by brain scans using
either magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) or positron-emission tomog-
raphy (PET).
Senile dementia is not as inevitable
as many people might imagine:
between 25 and 50 per cent of
individuals over 85 are spared it.
Nevertheless, dementia is on the
increase, so the drug companies claim,
because of the simple fact that we’re all
living longer. It is believed to be
incurable.
Big Pharma’s offerings
Any prolonged chronic illness that is
only ended by death is, of course, meat
and drink to the pharmaceutical
industry. And yet, perhaps surprisingly,
there are relatively few drug treat-
ments available for Alzheimer’s. First
on the market was tacrine (marketed as
Cognex) in 1993. Like virtually all of its
successors, tacrine is a so-called
cholinesterase inhibitor, which acts by
artificially maintaining levels of acetyl-
choline in the brain. This important
brain chemical is known to be reduced
by as much as 90 per cent in AD
sufferers; it’s also believed to be
important for memory, so finding a
drug that can preserve the chemical in
the brain makes sense.
In fact, the theory is fine—the
trouble is the side-effects. After just a
decade on the market, tacrine began to
be no longer actively marketed after
reports of severe liver toxicity. As much
as 60 per cent of patients found the
drug’s side-effects to be intolerable at
high doses. The final nail in tacrine’s
coffin was that, after all this, it really
doesn’t work (JAMA, 1998; 280: 1777–82).
Since then, three other drugs have
come onto the market, all of which
attempt to do the same trick of
increasing acetylcholine in the brain. As
expected, these drugs are all deadly
rivals. Pfizer’s Aricept (donepezil), has
an advertising tagline that says ‘when
Alzheimer’s hits home, Aricept can
help’; Novartis’ Exelon (rivastigmine)
claims to be ‘another step forw a rd
against Alzheimer’s disease’; and Shire
Pharmaceuticals/Janssen’s Re m i n y l
(galantamine) sells itself with the
somewhat vague tagline ‘Reminyl is
now’.
So far, Pfizer is the only manu-
facturer to have threatened a lawsuit
against the recent NICE ruling that

WDDTY Mind Medicine 11

Mind-body connections
none of these drugs is really worth
taking in the early stages of AD. Will the
d r u g m a ker win their case? Our
prediction is no—and, frankly, because
the evidence is stacked against them.
The only large-scale, truly indepen-
dent clinical trial of Pfizer’s Aricept was
carried out by a team of British
researchers at the University of
Birmingham. In a double-blind trial
that lasted for more than two years,
Aricept was tested head-to-head against
a placebo in over 500 patients who had
mild-to-moderate AD.
The study’s conclusions? Aricept
works, but its benefits are very small—
“below minimally relevant thresholds”
(Lancet, 2004; 363: 2105–15). As study
director Professor Richard Grey stated
in the report: “Patients and their
families would probably notice no
difference if the drug was stopped.”
What’s more, even clinical trials
funded by the drug companies them-
selves failed to show much benefit with
any of their products. For example,
Oxford University researchers recently
scrutinized data from 24 separate
Pfizer-sponsored Aricept trials, involv-
ing more than 5000 patients at
different stages of AD, and concluded
that “the treatment effects are small
and are not always apparent in
practice”. Add to that the strong
likelihood of “many adverse events”
such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,
muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue and
anorexia, and it’s little wonder that
there’s what the researchers politely
refer to as a “debate” over whether
Aricept is worth a candle (Cochrane
Database Syst Rev, 2006; 1: CD001190).
The same Oxford scientists have also
examined another of Pfizer’s claims—
which is also supported by the strictly
independent Alzheimer’s Society—that
Aricept helps prevent the onset
of AD, stopping what is classified as
‘mild cognitive impairment’ (MCI)
from turning into full-blown Alz-
heimer’s. The researchers’ conclusion?

AD symptoms and risk According to their report: “There is no

evidence to support the use of Aricept
for patients with MCI. The putative
In its early stages, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be difficult to distinguish from
benefits are minor, short-lived and
the usual memory loss, the ‘mild cognitive impairment’ that often arises in old
associated with significant side effects”
age and causes those classic ‘senior moments’.
(Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2006; 3:
Other conditions that can be confused with AD are a thyroid imbalance,
CD006104).
vitamin-B deficiency, brain injury or tumour, severe depression and drug side-
What of Aricept’s two other rivals,
effects.
however? Again, independent studies of
the clinical data have exposed the drug
Major warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease
companies’ marketing hype.
❖ Memory loss severe enough to affect job or life skills
With MCI, for example, Polish
❖ Difficulty performing familiar tasks
researchers concluded earlier this
❖ Language problems
year that the efficacy of all three
❖ Disorientation (of time and place)
cholinesterase-blocking drugs was
❖ Poor or decreased judgement
“questionable”, especially given the
❖ Problems with abstract thinking (such as following directions)
high incidence of side-effects, some
❖ Misplacing things
of which—as in the case of Reminyl—
❖ Changes in mood or behaviour
apparently can be fatal (Neurol Neurochir
❖ Changes in personality
Pol, 2007; 41: 13–21).
❖ Loss of initiative
As for full-blown AD itself, three
❖ Repeating questions
groups of independent researchers all
❖ Getting lost in familiar places.
agree that the three drugs, although
There is no set pattern to AD. It usually comes on gradually, unlike vascular
having slightly different modes of
dementia, which generally has a step-wise worsening (after each ‘mini-stroke’)
action, all produce broadly similar
and may involve mild paralysis or slurred speech.
effects—or rather, a lack of effects.
AD is ultimately fatal, with death occurring an average of eight years after
Their benefit to Alzheimer patients
diagnosis. However, this figure can range from three to as many as 20 years.
is variously described as “not large”
But contrary to popular belief, Alzheimer’s is by no means inevitable.
(Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2006; 1:
CD005593), “limited” (Tijdschr Psychiatr,
Who are most at risk?
2006; 48: 17–26) and “small” (Drugs Aging,
❖ Women
2007; 24: 155–67).
❖ People with:
Nevertheless, Aricept remains the
❖ lower levels of education
market leader in a highly profitable
❖ a significant family history of AD
$3 billion a year business that is fore-
❖ a history of head injury
casted to grow exponentially.
❖ a BMI (body mass index) of under 20 or over 22.5
But there’s one new drug that is
❖ Anyone over 65.
beginning to challenge Aricept. It’s
By age 65, roughly one in 14 people will have developed Alzheimer’s; the
called memantine (marketed as
risk doubles every five years from then onwards, tailing off at around age 85
Ebixa, Axura, Namenda and
(but only in men).
Akatinol). Strictly speaking, it’s not

12 WDDTY Mind Medicine

 Causes of AD Alternative treatments
Meanwhile, gradually emerging into the
Medicine is no less prey to fashion than any other branch of life. Twenty limelight are a number of promising
years ago, aluminium was thought to be the major cause of Alzheimer’s plant-based treatments, some of which
disease (AD); 10 years ago, the idea was firmly pooh-poohed, but now it’s turn out to have properties that seem
back on the agenda again. almost tailor-made for AD.
For this, we partly have to thank the French epidemiologists who Take the humble culinary sage plant,
performed a series of long-term surveys of the incidence of AD and drinking Salvia officinalis. In addition to having
water. The biggest one was an eight-year study tracking the onset of potent antioxidant and anti-
dementia in everyone over the age of 65 in an area of southwest France. inflammatory effects, sage is known to
Within this general area, many local boroughs have their own water supplies. have anticholinergic effects similar to
What the researchers found seemed to be clear-cut. In the boroughs Aricept’s. When tested against placebo
with relatively high levels of natural aluminium in the water (more than in a recent clinical trial, 60 drops of
0.1 mg/L), there was a more than doubling of the number of AD cases sage oil a day was often found to be
(Am J Epidemiol, 2000; 152: 59–66). better than Aricept at maintaining
However, the small print of the data wasn’t quite as simple as that. mental functioning in people with mild-
The same researchers had previously found that there were two other key to-moderate AD—and without any side-
factors, without which the aluminium–AD connection no longer showed up. effects (J Clin Pharm Ther, 2003;
One factor was the acidity of the water. In areas where the water was alkaline, 28: 53–9). Sage oil can also improve
aluminium had no effect. Equally, where there were high natural levels of memory in younger people, too.
silica in the water, high aluminium not only had no effect, but actually Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has
seemed to protect against AD (Epidemiology, 1996; 7: 281–5). been found to bind to the brain
Given apparently paradoxical results like these, the fact that there’s been receptors believed to be involved with
so much to-ing and fro-ing over the dangers of aluminium is hardly anxiety, thus reducing the agitation
surprising. Added to that, it’s known that non-prescription antacids contain symptoms seen with AD. Particular
vastly more aluminium than any water supply does and, yet, chronic strains of the plant have also proved
antacid addicts appear to be at no greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s able to slow the decline of mental
than anyone else (Regul Toxicol Pharmacol, 2001; 33: 66–79). functioning (Curr Pharm Des, 2006; 12:
The current thinking is that aluminium in the water supply must be more 4613–23). However, although some
easily taken up by the body (Brain Res Bull, 2001; 55: 187–96). proponents recommend these plants as
Aluminium is probably not the only metal to be involved in Alzheimer’s. aromatherapy for Alzheimer sufferers,
Copper, zinc and iron have also been fingered as possible culprits (J Biol Inorg the evidence is considered “inconclu-
Chem, 2004; 9: 954–60), as has mercury (see Viewpoint). In these cases, the sive” (Aust NZ J Psychiatry, 1999; 33: 789–99).
evidence comes from either laboratory cell cultures, animal studies or The classic herbal memory-enhancer
autopsies of AD patients rather than from surveys of living people. is Ginkgo biloba, which has been proven
Nevertheless, experts are becoming iconvinced that even small quantities in numerous clinical trials to benefit
of these four metals are involved in AD. The metals are thought to create mental faculties in people
an oxidative inflammatory response in the brain, causing the brain cells to of all ages. Germany is where it’s most
clump into the disease’s characteristic neural plaques (J Alzheimers Dis, 2004; used for Alzheimer’s, as even German
6: 291–301). conventional doctors consider it prefer-
The inflammation theory is further bolstered by the finding that AD able to the pharmaceutical drugs on
sufferers tend to have high levels of homocysteine, a naturally occurring offer.
amino acid. It is best known as a marker for heart disease, but it’s also Although it’s by no means a miracle-
believed to be toxic to brain cells, probably through an inflammatory worker, Ginkgo has been shown to
mechanism (Am J Clin Nutr, 2005; 82: 636–43). benefit virtually all AD patients to some
degree, and about a third of them quite
significantly. The recommended dosage
a drug, as it’s derived from the severe AD, although it generally only is 240 mg/day of the Ginkgo extract
naturally occurring mineral slows mental decline rather than codenamed ‘EGb 761’; the benefits
adamantine, and it also works in a reverses it (Drugs, 2006; 66: 1515–34). normally show up within six months
different way from its Detailed testing has found that it (Pharmacopsychiatry, 2003; 36: 297–303). It’s
pharmaceutical rivals. Developed appears to benefit attention and even been suggested that Ginkgo might
by Merz, a German manufacturer of information-processing speed more help prevent the onset of AD but, so far,
natural health products, the than memory (Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, no research has been done to test its
compound appears to protect brain 2006; Nov 20; epub ahead of print). possible role in Alzheimer’s prevention.
cells against glutamate, the amino Its side-effects are hardly greater What of the other ‘smart drugs’ that
acid that is thought to be toxic to the than a placebo tablet, with a slight are sometimes claimed to be memory-
brain in excess amounts and to tendency to produce tiredness and enhancers for the able-bodied? Of
trigger Alzheimer’s. dizziness. It is widely used in these, only nicergoline (derived from
Clinical trials of memantine have Germany, often in preference to the ergot) appears to have any evidence
been promising, showing it to be standard drugs; however, in Britain, of benefit, with up to a threefold
particularly effective in moderate-to- it is still considered experimental. improvement on some performance

WDDTY Mind Medicine 13

Mind-body connections trial is currently ongoing.
The Chinese also use acupuncture
for Alzheimer’s, and there is evidence
that it may work (Zhongguo Zhen Jiu,
Preventing AD 2005; 25: 390–2). In a Westernized varia-
tion of this, doctors have tested TENS
◆ Drink wine regularly, but in moderation—it can halve your risk of (transcutaneous electrical nerve stim-
Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The data are less clear for beer, however ulation) therapy. Applied to various
(Neurology, 2002; 59: 1313–9). parts of the body (even the face), TENS
◆ Coffee reduces AD risk by a third (Am J Epidemiol, 2002; 156: 445–53). has been shown to have some value,
◆ Get your amalgam fillings removed. See The WDDTY Dental Handbook particularly in the early stages of AD.
for the correct procedure for having this done. However, according to the Japanese
◆ Take a good selenium supplement. A nine-year study of over 1000 old doctors using it, the therapy needs to
people showed that those with the lowest selenium levels had the greatest be repeated to sustain benefits beyond
“cognitive decline” (Epidemiology, 2007; 18: 52–8). six months (Front Med Biol Eng, 2002; 11:
237–47).
◆ Take an omega-3 supplement or eat fatty fish three times a week—both
contain the essential fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). A nine-year
survey found that older people with relatively high DHA levels almost halve Hopeful horizons
their risk of Alzheimer’s (Arch Neurol, 2006; 63: 1545–50). One possible AD treatment is chelation
◆ Supplement with folic acid, or choose foods naturally high in folic acid, therapy. Often derided as mere quack-
such as green, leafy vegetables. High folic-acid levels destroy harmful ery, chelation has been used for decades
homocysteine, with clinical trials showing that high folate levels can halve by frontier-spirited cardiologists to
the risk of AD (Arch Neurol, 2007; 64: 86–92). combat heart disease. The treatment
◆ Exercise regularly. Exercising three times a week reduces the risk of AD involves transfusing a chemical cocktail
by about 30 per cent, even if you’re over 65 (Ann Intern Med, 2006; 144: 73–81). into the bloodstream that will bind
◆ If you can’t or don’t feel like exercising, drink three glasses of fruit or itself to harmful agents and carry them
vegetable juice a week. It can reduce your risk of AD threefold (Am J Med, away. Chelation’s earliest use was to
2006; 119: 751–9).
remove toxic levels of lead from workers
◆ Have your water supply checked for aluminium (it’s a free service from in the battery and paint industries, but
your water provider). If it contains more than 0.1 mg/L of aluminium—and it’s now finding a revival in Alzheimer’ s
one study even suggests that 3.5 mcg/L can be a problem—and has a pH patients.
of less than 7, drink mineral water containing high levels of silica, which will The argument is this: if metal
neutralize the effects of the metal ( Epidemiology, 1996; 7: 281–5). toxicity is involved in AD (see box, page
13), then chelation may be able to bind
and flush away the harmful metals
before they can cause brain damage.
measures in AD (Cochrane Database Syst There is currently excitement over One of the first trials of chelation
Rev, 2001; 4: CD003159). Vinpocetine and one Chinese herb in particular, a rare used clioquinol as the chelating agent.
piracetam, although better known, club moss called Huperzia serrata. Five The results were promising, showing a
don’t appear to have been adequately years ago, an extract of the moss— slight clinical improvement after three
tested in Alzheimer’s patients to come huperzine alpha (Hup-A)—was tested in weeks (Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, 2001;
to any firm conclusions. more than 200 Chinese diagnosed with 12: 408–14). However, the results of
On the near horizon, the curry mild-to-moderate AD. The results were the only subsequent trial were less
spice curcumin is being investigated described as “remarkable”. After taking encouraging (Cochrane Database Syst Rev,
as a potential anti-AD compound, after 400 mcg of Hup-A for less than three 2006; 1: CD005380).
it was recognized that people in India months, 60 per cent of the patients Despite these disappointing find-
have lower rates of the disease. La b were observed to be “clinically on the ings, a whole slew of researchers across
tests by neurologists at UCLA have mend”. Only about a quarter of patients the globe—from Osaka University to
already shown that curcumin can failed to respond. Side-effects were Harv a rd—are actively pursuing the
repair brain cells damaged by AD, and “mild and transient” and, in any case, chelation route in hopes of making a
clinical trials are currently underway affected very few of the patients breakthrough. Some scientists are even
(J Alzheimers Dis, 2006; 10: 1–7). (Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi, 2002; 82: 941–4). suggesting using ‘nanoparticles’ to
Traditional Chinese medicine offers How does Hup-A work? It’s thought trick the brain into allowing more
two sets of herbal mixtures: Yi-Gan to increase acetylcholine levels in the powerful chelating agents past its
San is a combination of seven different brain. But, in fact, it’s much better barriers (Neurosci Lett, 2006; 406: 189–93).
plants, headed by angelica root; and than that. It penetrates the brain more The fact that researchers are being
Ba Wei Di Huang Wan (BDW) com- effectively than the current drugs, and forced to consider such high-tech
prises eight herbs, including lasts longer. It also has a wider range solutions says two things: the existing
cinnamon and peony. Initial research of effects, including protecting cells treatments aren’t working; and
shows that they may be useful in AD against further damage from inflam- Alzheimer’s may be a rather tougher
(Evidence-Based Complement Altern Med, mation and oxidation (Acta Pharmacol nut to crack than we thought.
2006; 3: 441–5). Sin, 2006; 27: 1–26). Here again, a clinical Tony Edwards

14 WDDTY Mind Medicine

Crazy about chemicals
Most of us believe that chemicals cause physical symptoms only in the body, but new evidence—and
a naturopath’s casebook—show that everyday household chemicals may lie behind a raft of so-called
mental symptoms, ranging from panic attacks to hyperactivity.
am (not his real name) was
S such a naughty boy at the
age of six that his school was
planning to expel him
because of his constant angry
outbursts. He also suffered panic
attacks at least four times a day. His
GP could only offer a list of potent
mind-altering drugs to control his
outbursts and his frequent, over-
whelming sense of panic.
As a last resort, his mother took the
advice of an alternative practitioner
and changed her laundry detergent
from an ordinary brand to an environ-
mentally friendly one, without per-
fumes. According to Terri Perry, the
British reflexologist who treated him,
the change was extraordinary. “He
stopped having the panic attacks
immediately and became a model
pupil at school,” she says.
Not long ago, medicine argued that
allergies, particularly to chemicals,
were imaginary. But now we’re begin-
ning to understand that allergies
can cause a range of psychiatric
problems—from mood swings, anxiety
and panic attacks to depression and
obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD)
—and the common triggers are under
your kitchen sink.
Most of Perry’s patients are victims
of chemical perfumes from air fresh-
eners, laundry detergents, fabric con-
ditioners, candles, incense, personal
toiletries, and household cleaners
such as bleach, cream cleaners and
other cleaning materials. Of her latest
35 clients, all but two were sensitive
to the scents used in these products.
In her experience, chemical sensi-
tivity can even manifest as nail-biting,
grief, claustrophobia, bipolar disorder,
phobias and suicidal tendencies.
Perry’s case-book file is backed up
by science. Studies have found that
patients with chemical sensitivity are
more likely to have psychiatric
disorders (Environ Health Perspect, 1997; 105
Suppl 2: 409–15), that there’s a robust
association between environmental
intolerances and lifelong psychiatric
disorders (Occup Med, 2000; 15: 557–70),
and that multiple chemical sensitivity
(MCS) is linked with physical and even low levels of inhaled chemicals
psychiatric symptoms, including
lightheadedness, tremor and panic
disorders (Environ Health Perspect, 2002; 110
[Suppl 4]: 669–71).
Studies of chemically sensitive
and can cause psychiatric dysfunction
(Biol Psychiatry, 1992; 32: 218–4 2).
Perry, a trained Thought Field
Therapist, the energy psychology
created by psychologist Roger Calla-
people find that it often lies behind han, routinely follows Callahan’s
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disord- protocol when testing heart-rate
er (ADHD) in younger children (Environ variability (HRV), which measures
Health Perspect, 1997; 105 Suppl 2: 417–36). how the autonomic system functions
MCS is also linked to depression. in the presence of chemical agents.
Researchers have measured the odour Callahan considered HRV an
detection thresholds for a component excellent predictor of illness and
of rose oil and a common solvent in sensitivity after researchers found an
18 people with MCS, and compared association between HRV and the
their responses to matched non-MCS risk of sudden death (Am J Cardiol, 2002;
controls. The MCS sufferers scored 90: 24–8).
significantly higher on a test that Perry suspects a chemical problem
measured states of depression (Arch when she sees an elevated HRV in the
Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 1988; 114: presence of household chemicals.
1422–27). “Nine out of 10 times it is likely to be
Chemical sensitivity may also run their pungent, dyed laundry
in families. Nearly a third of patients detergent or plug-in air fresheners in
with MCS reported that their relatives the home or car,” she says.
also had it and were more likely than So, whether or not you have
the relatives of controls to have a depression or any strange phobias, it
range of psychiatric problems, too makes sense to clear out any
(Toxicol Ind Health, 1999; 15: 410–4). coloured and perfumed cleansers,
A 1992 review of all MCS research washing products and toiletries, and
suggested that repeated exposure to replace them with environmentally
chemicals can cause ‘kindling’ or friendly products with no added
sensitization of the central nervous artificial colours or scents.
system. This amplifies the reaction to Lynne McTaggart
Perry’s case file
◆ A 69-year-old woman, who was highly nervous, too frightened to cross
the road on her own and subject to obsessive behaviour, had been a
victim of sexual abuse at age 9. Perry found that her situation was
exacerbated by her washing powder, washing-up liquid, perfume,
lipstick and bread. By removing these products from her environment,
she became more relaxed and was able to forget the trauma that had
affected her for 60 years.
◆ A 37-year-old teacher and mother had periodic panic attacks at the
thought of going out or flying, with a fear of vomiting. Even waiting in
line at the supermarket could bring on an attack. Having switched her
laundry detergent, dishwasher tablets, and ordinary toothpaste and
soap for eco-friendly laundry and personal products, she no longer has
panic attacks.
◆ A 69-year-old man had major anxiety symptoms, panic attacks, and
fear and anxiety about eating out. Perry found that he used ordinary
laundry detergent and daily bleach (with his bare hands).
Terri Perry: www.mindbalance.co.uk
WDDTY Mind Medicine 15
Healing thoughts
Healing with intention
The latest evidence shows that the strongest medicine is not a
conventional pill, a surgical technique or even an alternative treatment,
but the power of the mind—and the ‘contract’ of belief between healer
and patient.
urgeon Dr Angel Escudero of
S Valencia, Spain, has carried
out more than 900 cases of
complex surg e r y without
anaesthesia. BBC cameras were
invited into his operating room and
captured on film a woman who was
having such an operation. In this
segment of the Beeb’s Your Life in
Their Hands series (aired in May
1991), Escudero made incisions,
then sawed, drilled and hammered to
break and reset the deformed leg of
his fully conscious patient, who was
using his ‘noesitherapy’ technique of
pain control.
All his patient had to do was make
sure her mouth was full of saliva and
keep repeating to herself, ‘My leg is
anaesthetized’. A dry mouth is one
of the mind’s first warning signals
of danger. When the mouth is kept
lubricated, the brain relaxes,
assumes all is well and turns off its
pain receptors, assured that
anaesthetics have been given.
In fact, her affirmation of
intention was as powerful as any
actual anaesthesia. Her body, which
could not tell the difference between
a lack of pain and the thought of a
lack of pain, turned off its alarms so
that even while her leg was being
sliced open, she relaxed and slept.
E s c u d e ro’s work is only the most
extreme evidence of the power of
the mind as the central mechanism
in healing. Medical doctors already
acknowledge the centrality of belief
in healing through the widespread
use of the placebo.
In the 16 December 2006 issue
of New Scientist, orthodox French
psychiatrist Patrick Lemoine, an
expert on the placebo effect, made
the astonishing admission that up
to 35–40 per cent of all official
prescriptions given to patients are
‘impure’ placebos. By th is, he means
16 WDDTY Mind Medicine
that a pharmacologically inactive
substance—a sugar pill—is ‘contam-
inated’ by a tiny amount of active
ingredient. The result is that the
treatment is not sufficient to
produce a clinical effect, but is just
enough for doctors to claim that it
does.
In other words, more than a third
of all prescriptions are dummy pills
and, if they work at all, it’s because
of the power of the mind—the belief
on the part of the patient that what
the doctor has given him will work.
Placebo power
One recent hospital study estimates
that 60 per cent of doctors regularly
make use of placebos—some at least
once a week—and over half find
them to be highly effective (B M J, 2004;
329: 944–6). The latest estimates are
that placebo or sham treatments much so that it causes the
‘cure’ between 30–70 per cent of all pharmaceutical industry enormous
patients who receive them (JAMA, difficulty when designing drug trials.
1955; 159: 1602–6; Clin Psych Rev, 1993; 13: So many patients receive the same
375–91; J Am Dent Assoc, 1976; 92: 755–8). relief and even the same side-effects
However, doctors are themselves with a placebo as with
taking a placebo, in Lemoine’s view. the drug itself that a plac ebo cannot
They prescribe impure placebos to be considered a true control for
fool themselves, at the same time comparison. Our bodies do not
as they fool their patients, that the distinguish between a chemical
treatment has predictable, scien- p rocess and the thought of a
tifically tested effects.’ chemical process.
The placebo effect demonstrates Indeed, a recent analysis of
that beliefs are powerful healers, 46,000 heart patients, half of whom
even when the belief has no were taking a placebo, made the
foundation. The placebo is a form of astonishing discovery that patients
intention—the expectation that taking the placebo fared as well as
doing one thing will change those taking the heart drug. The
something else—an instance of only factor determining survival
intention trickery. seemed to be a belief that the
When the doctor gives his patient therapy will work and a willingness
a placebo, or sugar pill, he is to follow it religiously.
counting on the patient’s belief that Those who stuck to doctor’s
the drug will work. It is well orders and took their pill three times
documented that belief in a placebo a day fared equally well whether they
will create the same physiological were taking an active drug or just a
effects as that of an active agent, so sugar pill. Patients who tended not
to survive were those who had been
lax with their regimen, regardless of
whether they had been given a
placebo or an actual drug (B M J, 2006;
333: 15–9).
Belief in the effectiveness of a
drug—re g a rdless of whether it is the
‘true’ drug or not—is enough to
marshal the body’s ability to heal.
The power of the placebo has been
well illustrated in patients treated
for Parkinson’s disease, a motor-
system disorder in which the body’s
mechanism for releasing the brain
chemical dopamine is faulty. The
standard treatment for Parkinson’s
is a synthetic form of dopamine. In a
study carried out by the University of
British Columbia in Canada, a team
of doctors used PET scanning to
demonstrate that, when patients
given placebos were told they had
received dopamine, their brain
substantially increased the release of
its own stores of the neurochemical
(Science, 2001; 293: 1164–6).
In another dramatic example, at
Methodist Hospital in Houston,
Texas, Dr Bruce Moseley, a specialist
in orthopaedics, recruited 150
patients with severe osteoarthritis of
the knee and divided them into three
groups. Two of the groups were given
either arthroscopic lavage (which
washed away any degenerative tissue
and debris in the joint with the aid of
an inserted viewing tube) or another
form of debridement (which cleared
out the joint using a tiny vacuum
cleaner). The third group was given
a sham operation: the patients were
surgically prepared, placed under
anaesthesia and wheeled into the
operating room. Incisions were made
in their knees, but no procedure was
carried out.
Over the next two years—
throughout which time none of the
patients knew who had received the
real operations and who had received
the sham placebo treatment—all
three groups of patients reported
moderate improvements in pain and
knee function. In fact, the placebo
group reported better results than
some of those who had been actually
operated on (N Engl J Med, 2002; 347:
81–8).
The mental expectation of healing
was enough to trigger the body’s
own healing mechanisms. The
intention, brought about by the
The stupid brain
How can just the thought of a drug produce the same effect as the active
ingredient? Some clues come from research into mental rehearsal in sport
and intriguing brain research with electromyography (EMG).
EMG offers a real-time snapshot of the brain’s instructions to the body—
when and where it tells it to move—by recording every electrical impulse
sent from motor neurons to specific muscles to cause a contraction.
Ordinarily, EMG offers doctors a useful tool to diagnose neuromuscular
disease and to test whether muscles respond appropriately to stimulation.
But EMG has also been employed to solve an interesting scientific
conundrum: whether the brain differentiates between a thought and an
action. Does the thought of an action create the same pattern in
neurotransmission as the action itself?
This very question was tested by wiring a group of skiers to EMG
equipment while they were carrying out mental rehearsals. As the skiers
mentally rehearsed the downhill runs, the electrical impulses going to their
muscles were just the same as those they used to make the actual turns
and jumps when skiing the run (Behav Ther, 1985; 8: 155–9). The brain sent
the same instructions to the body whether the skiers were simply thinking
of a particular movement or actually carrying it out.
Thought produced the same mental instructions as action.
Research with EEGs has also shown that the electrical activity produced
by the brain is identical whether we are thinking about doing something
or actually doing it. In weightlifters, for instance, EEG patterns in the
brain that would be activated to produce the required motor skills are
activated even when the skill is simply being simulated mentally (Baroga L.
Influence on the sporting result of the concentration of attention process and time
taken in the case of weight lifters, in Proceedings of the Third World Congress of the
International Society of Sports Psychology, vol 3. Madrid, Spain: Istituto Nacional de
Educación Fisica y Deportes, 1973).
Just the thought is enough to produce the neural instructions to carry
out the physical act.
expectation of a successful pleasure centre in the brain, the rats
operation, produced the physical could be trained to decrease their
changes. If the brain cannot heartrate at will, control the rate at
distinguish between a thought and which urine filled their kidneys, even
an action, would the body follow create different dilations of the
mental instructions to heal without blood vessels in each ear (J Comp
the trick of a sugar pill? If I send my Physiol Psychol, 1967; 63: 12–9; Science,
body a mental intention to calm 1969; 163: 434–45).
down or speed up, will it listen to If relatively simple animals like
me? The literature on biofeedback rats could achieve such a remarkable
and mind– body medicine says that it level of internal control, Miller
will. figured, couldn’t human beings, with
their greater intelligence, regulate
Biofeedback more of their bodily processes?
It was in 1961 that Neal Miller, a After these early revelations,
behavioural neuroscientist at Yale many scientists found that
University, first proposed that people information about the autonomic
can be taught to mentally influence nervous system could be fed back to
their autonomic nervous system, and a person as ‘biofeedback’ to pinpoint
c o n t rol mechanisms such as blood where a person should send
pressure and bowel movements, intention to his body.
much as a child learns to ride a In the 1960s, John Basmajian, a
bicycle. professor of medicine at McMaster
Initially, he conducted a series of University in Ontario and a specialist
remarkable conditioning-and-reward in rehabilitative science, began
experiments on rats. Miller training people with spinal-cord
discovered that, if he stimulated the injuries to use electro m y o g r a p h y
WDDTY Mind Medicine 17
Healing thoughts
(EMG) feedback to regain contro l
over single cells in their spinal cord
(Basmajian JV. Muscles Alive: Their Functions
Revealed by Electromyography. Baltimore:
Williams & Wilkins, 1967).
At roughly the same time,
psychologist Elmer Green at the
Menninger Institute in Topeka,
Kansas, pioneered a method of bio-
feedback to treat migraine
headaches that is now an accepted
form of therapy for the condition
( Ps y c h o p h y s i o l o g y, 1969; 6: 371–7; J
Transpers Psychol, 1970; 2: 1–26).
Biofeedback is especially useful
for treating Raynaud’s disease, a vas-
cular condition in which the blood
vessels of the extremities are
constricted when exposed to cold,
causing the fingers and toes to grow
cold, pale and even blue (Biofeedback
S e l f-Regul, 1987; 12: 257–72)
During biofeedback treatment, a
patient is hooked up to a computer.
Transducers applied to different
parts of the patient’s body send
information to a visual display, which
registers activities of the autonomic
nervous system such as brainwaves,
blood pressure and heart rate, or
muscle contractions. The audio or
visual information fed back to the
patient depends o n the conditio n; in
the case of Raynaud’s, as soon as the
arteries to the hands constrict, the
machines record a drop in skin
temperature and a light bulb flashes
or a beeper sounds. This feedback
prompts the patient to send an
intention to his body to adjust the
process in question; in the case of
Raynaud’s, the patient sends an
intention to warm up his hands.
Since those early days,
biofeedback has become well
established as a therapy for virtually
every chronic condition, from
attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) to menopausal hot
flashes. Stro ke patients and victims
of spinal-cord injuries now use
biofeedback to rehabilitate or regain
the use of paralyzed muscles. It has
even proved invaluable in
eliminating the pain felt in a
phantom limb (Am J Clin Biofeed, 1982; 5:
150–3). Even astronauts have used
biofeedback to cure motion sickness
while journeying to outer space
( Aviation Space Environ Med, 1987;
58: 34–41).
The more conventional view of
biofeedback maintains that it has
something to do with relaxation—
learning to calm down the fight-or-
flight responses of our autonomic
nervous system.
However, the sheer breadth of
c o n t rol would argue that the
mechanism has more to do with the
power of intention. Virtually every
bodily process measurable on a
machine—down to a single nerve
cell controlling a muscle fibre—

The colour of the mind appears to be within an individual’s

c o n t rol. Volunteers in studies have
achieved total mental mastery over
A fascinating study by David Spiegel, a professor of psychiatry and the temperature in their bodies
behavioural sciences at Stanford University, offers a glimpse of what (Psychother Psychosom, 1988; 50: 22–8)
happens to the brain when an intention is given under hypnosis. and even the direction of blood flow
Participants were shown a coloured grid painting, similar to a Mondrian, to the brain (Am J Psychiatry, 1981; 138:
and asked to imagine the colour draining from the picture, leaving only 1182–7).
black and white. Through the use of positron-emission tomography
(PET) scanning, which records physical activity in the brain, Spiegel Hypnotherapy
showed that blood flow and activity were noticeably diminishing in the part Hypnosis can be used as a type of
of the brain dealing with the perception of colour, while the areas that healing intention—an instruction to
process black, white and grey images were being stimulated. the brain during an altered state.
When the experiment was reversed and the participants in the study Hypnotists continually demonstrate
were asked to imagine grey images turning into colour, the opposite that the brain or body is particularly
changes in brain-perception patterns resulted (Am J Psychiatry, 2000; 157: susceptible to the power of directed
1279–84). thought when under subconscious
This illustrates another instance in which the brain is the maidservant direction.
of thoughts. The brain’s visual cortex, the area responsible for processing A dramatic example of the power
images, cannot distinguish between a real image and an imagined one. of mental suggestion involved a
The mental instructions were more important than the visual image being small group of people with a
perceived. mysterious congenital condition
In another study, 14 healthy men received an injection in the jaw called ‘ichthyo-siform eryth-
muscles of a concentrated saltwater solution to cause pain. They were then roderma’, also known disparagingly
given a placebo, which they were told was medicine to relieve the pain. as ‘fish-skin disease’ because of the
After the men received the ‘medicine’, the researchers discovered that unsightly fish-scale-like crusts that
they could tolerate more pain than before. Brain scans taken both before cover most of the sufferer’s body. In
and after the placebo was given showed that the activation of endorphins— one study, five patients were
the brain’s natural pain relievers—were activated in areas of the brain with hypnotized and told to focus on a
pain receptors, and increased as soon as the participants were told part of their body and visualize the
they’d be given a medicine to ease the pain. The belief in the medicine skin becoming normal. Within just a
produced an actual physical change in the body that did indeed ease few weeks, 80 per cent of each
the pain (J Neurosci, 2005; 25: 7754–62). patient’s body had completely
healed, with the skin remaining

18 WDDTY Mind Medicine

smooth and clear (Br J Dermatol, 1966;
78: 101–5).
T h rough hypnotic intention,
spinal-surgery patients about to
undergo their operations have
reduced blood loss by nearly half
simply by directing their blood
supply away from the site of the
s u rg e ry ( Advances, 1985; 2: 11–21).
Using mental pictures
Various forms of vivid visualization techniques, now the standard mental
preparation by elite athletes, are also highly effective in treating illness.
Patients have boosted treatments for an array of acute and chronic
conditions—from coronary artery disease (Altern Ther, 1998; 4: 46–61) and
high blood pressure to low-back pain and musculoskeletal diseases (Altern
Ther Health Med, 2000; 6:46–56), including fibromyalgia ( J Rheumatol, 2000; 27:

Pregnant women have been able to 2911–8)—just by using mental pictures or metaphorical representations of

turn their babies from breech their bodies fighting the illness.
positions, burn victims have sped up Visualization has also improved postsurgical outcomes (J Am Board Fam
their healing and people suffering Pract, 2003; 16: 131–47), helped with pain management ( Clin J Pain, 2004; 20:

haemorrhages in the gastro - 27–32) and minimized the side-effects of chemotherapy ( Ann Rev Nurs

intestinal tract have willed their Res, 1999; 17: 57–84).

bleeding to stop (Dienstfrey H. Mind and
mindlessness in mind–body research, in
Schlitz M et al., eds. Consciousness and
Healing: Integral Approaches to Mind-Body
H e a l i n g. St Louis, MO: Elsevier Churchill
Livingstone, 2005). Clearly, during an
altered state that roughly
corresponds to the hyperalert state
of intense meditation, conscious
thought can convince the body to
endure pain, cure many serious
diseases and change virtually any
condition.
Indeed, the outcome of a patient’s illness has been predicted by
examining the types of visualizations used to combat them. Ps y c h o l o g i s t
Jeanne Achterberg, who healed herself of a rare cancer of the eye through
imagery, went on to study cancer patients who were using visualization to
fight their own disease. She predicted with 93-per-cent accuracy which
patients would completely recover and which would become worse or die
simply by examining their visualizations and rating them.
Those who were successful had a greater ability to visualize vividly,
used powerful imagery and symbols, and were able to hold a clear visual
intention, such as imagining themselves overpowering the cancer and the
medical treatment being effective. The successful patients also practised
their visualizations regularly (Achterberg J, Lawlis GF. Bridges of the Bodymind:
Behavioral Approaches for Health Care. Champaign, IL: Institute for Personality and Ability

Mental intention has been used Testing, 1980).

to produce actual physiological

changes—and not only in athletes’
bodies. Guang Yue, an exercise
psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic
Foundation in Ohio, carried out
r e s e a rch comparing participants
who went to the gym with those who
performed a virtual workout in their
heads. Those who regularly visited
the gym were able to increase their
muscle strength by 30 per cent. But
those who remained in their arm-
chairs and ran through a mental
rehearsal of the weight training in
their minds increased muscle power
by almost half as much.
Volunteers between 20 and 35
years of age imagined flexing one of
their biceps as hard as they could
during daily training sessions carried
out five times a week.
After ensuring that the
participants were not doing any
actual exercise, including tens-
ing their muscles, the researc h e r s
discovered an astonishing 13.5 per
cent increase in muscle size and
strength after just a few weeks, an
advantage that persisted for three
months after the mental training
stopped ( J Neurophysiol, 1992; 67:
114–23).
In 1997, Dr David Smith at the
University of Chester in the UK came
up with similar results: participants
who worked out could achieve 30 per
cent increases in strength, while
those who just imagined themselves
doing the training achieved a 16 per
cent increase (Smith D et al. The effect of
mental practice on muscle strength and EMG
activity. Proceedings of the British
Psychological Society Annual Conference,
1998; 6: 116).
One study demonstrated that,
under hypnosis, women increased
the dimensions of their breasts
simply by visualizing themselves on
the beach with the sun’s rays
warming their chests ( Barber TX,
Changing ‘unchangeable’ bodily processes by
[hypnotic] suggestions: A new look at
hypnosis, cognitions, imagining and the
mind–body problem, in Sheikh AA, ed.
Imagination and Healing. Farmingdale, NY:
Baywood Publishing, 1984).
The healing contract
But what about the role of the
healer? Studies show that the effect
is enhanced when the practitioner,
as well as the patient, believes that
the the treatment will work. In
nearly 40 per cent of such cases, the
placebo proved effective (Clin Psych
Rev, 1993; 13: 375–91).
Lemoine disclosed that doctors
also grow to believe in the power of
their own placebo ‘sorcery’, and the
power of their minds appears to be
involved in the healing process. It’s
not uncommon, says Lemoine, for a
doctor to lose respect for a patient
when the patient fails to respond to
treatment.
“He may decide the patient is
imagining or faking his symptoms.”
The doctor’s lack of respect is then
transmitted to the patient who, in
turn, is less likely to believe in the
doctor. “Any treatment he then
prescribes is less likely to be
effective and may even produce
unpleasant side-effects,” says
Lemoine.
This is called the ‘nocebo’ effect
and it refers to the power of the
mind to believe that an inert
substance causes harm.
S o, what conditions optimize the
placebo effect? The power of the
mind appears to have the best effects
t h rough a ‘wellness contract’
between doctor and patient—a
mutual belief that the treatment will
work.
◆ A healer optimizes re s u l t s

WDDTY Mind Medicine 19

Healing thoughts
when he himself is healthy and well
in every way.
This was discovered by University
of Arizona psychologist Dr Gary
Schwartz in a study of healing
intention involving 14 Reiki practi-
tioners. Schwartz and his colleagues
used Escherichia coli bacteria that
had been subjected to a sudden blast
of heat. The Reiki practitioners were
asked to heal the bacteria that
survived by transmitting a standard
Reiki treatment for 15 minutes.
Initially, the Reiki apparently
made no difference to the overall
survival of the viable bacteria. On
closer examination, however, the
r e s e a rchers found that the Re i k i
practitioners seemed to be
successful on certain days, but not
on others and, in some instances,
the healers actually had a
deleterious effect on the bacteria.
The scientists decided to admin-
ister the Arizona Integrative Out-
comes Scale (AIOS)—an ingeniously
simple visual means of assessing
spiritual, social, mental, emotional
and physical wellbeing—during the
24 hours before and after the healers
had given their Reiki.
Using these test data, the
r e s e a rchers found an important
trend. On the days when the healers
felt really well in themselves, they
had beneficial effects on the
bacteria. In contrast, on days when
they did not feel so well, not only did
they score lower on the test, but they
actually had a deleterious effect on
the E. coli.
Those practitioners who began
the healing with diminished
wellbeing actually killed off more
bacteria than had naturally died in
the controls. Evidently, the physical
and emotional condition of the
healer has an effect on results: a
practitioner’s own overall health is
an essential factor in his ability to
heal others.
◆ The healer himself has to
believe and send his own healing
i n t e n t i o n.
Schwartz and his fellow
r e s e a rchers carried out a double-
blind study of distant Johrei healing
on cardiac patients ( J Altern
20 WDDTY Mind Medicine
Complement Med, 2005; 11: 455–7). After
three days, the patients were asked if
they had had a sense, feeling or
belief that they had received Johrei.
In both the treatment and contro l
groups, certain patients stro n g l y
believed that they had received
treatment, and others had a stro n g
feeling they had been excluded.
When Schwartz and his co-
w o r kers tabulated the results, a
fascinating picture emerged. The
best outcomes were among those
who had received Johrei and believed
they had received it. The worse
outcomes were those who had not
received Johrei and were certain
they had not.
The other two groups—those who
had received it but did not believe it,
and those who had not received it
but believed they had—fell
somewhere in the middle.
These results tended to
contradict the idea that a positive
outcome is entirely down to a
placebo response, as those who
wrongly believed that they received
the healing did not do
as well as those who rightly believed
they had received it. The belief of the
patient in his treatment—backed up
by a healing intention sent by the
healer—had the strongest effect.
◆ A meaningful or special
‘healing’ relationship between
healer and healee may help the
healing response.
Mind–body psychologist Jeanne
Ac h t e r b e rg of the Institute for
Transpersonal Psychology in Calif-
ornia, carried out a study at a
hospital in Hawaii using experienced
healers, who selected as their
‘patient’ a person with whom they
had a special connection.
Each healer was isolated from his
patient, who was placed in an MRI
scanner. At random intervals, the
healers sent healing intentions to
their patients. Ac h t e r b e rg
discovered significant brain
activation in the same portions of
the brains—mainly the frontal
lobes—of all the patients during the
times that healing energy was being
‘sent’.
When the same procedure was
tried with people the healers did not
know, there was no effect on the
patients’ brain activity. Some sort of
emotional bond or empathetic
connection may be crucial to the
success of both prayer and healing
intentions ( J Altern Complement Med,
2005; 11: 965–71).
Both the energy and intention of
the healing itself and the patient’s
belief that he has received healing
p romotes actual healing. A belief
that the particular treatment or
modality works on the part of both
doctor and patient is another
important factor.
Perhaps the most remarkable case
of the placebo effect, recounted by
Lemoine, concerned Annie, a woman
whose severe depression landed her
in Lemoine’s psychiatric hospital for
more than a decade. Most of her days
were spent curled up in an armchair
in her ward.
After Lemoine struck up a
friendship with her, he persuaded
her to take part in a trial of a new
antidepressant. She agreed and res-
ponded so well to the drug that she
was able to leave hospital.
Eventually, she found both an
apartment and a boyfriend. Her case,
in fact, may have helped put the
drug on the market.
Much later, however, Lemoine
found the pills that Annie was
supposed to have taken buried deep
in the folds of her armchair. On
counting them, he found that she
hadn’t taken a single one. So, either
she didn’t want to disappoint him,
or—more likely—she got better to
avoid taking that new drug.
Instances like this make a powerful
statement about the healing contract.
Just the expectation of—or, in this
last case, the desire to avoid—being
given a healing drug by the doctor
did the trick.
It may well be that we don’t need
drugs, but just our sincere trust—as
doctors and patients—that what-
ever it is we most believe in—drug,
alternative therapy or divine
intervention—will work.
Lynne McTaggart
Some of this research is included in
Lynne McTaggart’s book The Intention
Experiment: Use Your Thoughts to
Change The World. To order a copy, visit
www.amazon.co.uk or, if you live in the
US, www.amazon.com.
Accentuate the positive
s your glass half full or half
I empty? According to the latest
mind–body research, how you
answer—in other
whether you are an optimist or a
pessimist—may affect your health
words,
and longevity.
People who are optimistic—who
tend to believe, expect or hope that
things will turn out well—are not
only happier than their pessimistic
count-erparts, but healthier, too.
They are sick less often and
generally live longer than those
whose outlook on life is less
positive.
In a study of more than 7000
subjects, researchers found that
those who scored high on optimism
in personality tests in the 1960s
were much more likely to be alive
than pessimists 40 years later.
Participants were classified as either
optimists, pessimists or mixed,
based on their Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality Inventory
(MMPI) score. Their ‘explanatory
style’—the way they interpreted
certain life events—was a powerful
predictor of how long they lived
(Mayo Clin Proc, 2006; 81: 1541–4).
These results were consistent
with those from previous studies.
Examining the medical records of
over 800 people, a different team of
researchers found that those who
tend to blame themselves for
negative events, believe that such
events will continue indefinitely and
let such events affect many aspects
of their lives had a 19-per- c e n t
increased risk of death. This
translates to roughly 15 years of life
lost due to a pessimistic outlook
(Mayo Clin Proc, 2000; 75: 140–3).
Optimism, on the other hand, was
associated with a 50-per-cent lower
risk of mortality (Mayo Clin Proc, 2002;
77: 748–53). It also appears to help
fend off disease. Indeed, a 10-year
study from the Harvard School of
Public Health found that people who
look on the bright side of life have
less than half the relative risk of
heart disease as do pessimists—as
big a difference as between smokers
and non-smokers (Psychosom Med,
2001; 63: 910–6).
Other studies show that
pessimists are ill more often than However, the most interesting
optimists, and generally have poorer
physical health (Cognit Ther Res, 1988;
12: 119–32; J Pers Soc Psychol, 1988; 55:
23–7).Conversely, optimists report a
better quality of life than pessimists,
explanation is biology. As American
psychologist Martin Seligman
suggests, the brain registers
optimism and makes changes via
humoral, chemical and neural
and are more physically and pathways that affect cellular
mentally fit (Mayo Clin Proc, 2002; 77: function throughout the
748–53) . body and all of its systems. In fact, a
positive attitude is associated with
Positively healthy stronger immunity and lower levels
But how does optimism foster longer of the stress hormone cortisol (J Pers
and healthier lives? One explanation Soc Psychol, 1998; 74: 1646–55; Br J Health
is that optimistic people don’t Psychol, 2005; 10: 467–84).
become depressed, a known risk How exactly does the mind affect
factor for mortality (Mayo Clin Proc, the body? According to US biologist
2006; 81: 1541–4). Candace Pert, author of Molecules of
They may also have more active Emotion (New York: Scribner, 1997),
coping styles when faced with stress the key is neuropeptides—the
or disease, being more likely to means by which all cells in the body
believe they can become healthy, interact. This includes brain-to-
and so are more inclined to engage brain, brain-to-body, body-to-body
in healthy behaviours and to seek and body-to-brain messenging.
medical advice ( Dossey L. The “The chemicals that are running
Extraordinary Healing Powers of Ordinary our body and our brain are the same
Things. New York: Harmony Books, 2006). chemicals that are involved in
Indeed, when optimists become ill, emotion,” says Pert. “And that says
they are more likely than pessi- to me that . . . we’d better pay more
mists to take active steps to combat attention to emotions with respect
their illness (Behav Res Ther, 1990; 28: to health.”
243–8 ) . Joanna Evans
Learning optimism
◆ Know your ABC D E. Says psychologist Martin Seligman, we must
substitute our habitual behaviours with more adaptive, positive responses
(Dossey L. The Extraordinary Healing Powers of Ordinary Things. New York: Harmony Books,
2006):
❖ A Adversity: imagine an everyday adversity—for example, someone
else has nipped into the parking space you were waiting for
❖ B Belief: identify the thoughts and beliefs you have about this situation—
such as ‘This is just typical’ or ‘This always happens to me’
❖ C Consequences: imagine the consequences of these beliefs—such as
honking your horn or swearing at the other driver
❖ D Disputation: analyze the situation and engage in a self-dialogue—for
example, ‘I don’t own the parking spot’ or ‘Others are available’
❖ E Energization: seek an optimistic perspective—for example, ‘The driver
of the other car was elderly and needed that space more than me’ or
‘Giving it up is an act of kindness and I feel better for doing that’.
◆ Keep a journal and jot down any negative thoughts you have. Try to
replace them with more positive feelings.
◆ Give yourself due credit when something positive happens in your life.
Think of all the ways you contributed, both directly and indirectly, to make
the event occur.
◆ Don’t beat yourself up when something negative happens. Think of the
external factors that could have contributed to the event, and remember that
every failure can be a helpful learning experience.
WDDTY Mind Medicine 21
Healing thoughts
Laughter: funny medicine
New evidence shows that a good hearty chuckle can improve or prevent many conditions.
n the mid-1960s, Norman
I Cousins, a leading American
journalist, fell seriously ill with
ankylosing spondylitis. He was
almost completely paralysed, and his
doctors gave him six months to live.
Cousins decided to enjoy his last few
months, so he checked into a motel,
rented dozens of comedy classics and
a movie projector, and passed his
remaining days with Charlie Chaplin,
the Marx Brothers, and Laurel and
Hardy. Gradually, he improved and, to
his doctors’ astonishment, he began to
walk; within a year, he had returned to
work (N Engl J Med, 1976; 295: 1458–63).
His book, Anatomy of an Illness
(New York: W.W. Norton, 1979), is a
personal account of his cure. It was
not only a bestseller, but it also helped
to kickstart a new medical discipline:
mind–body medicine, or ‘psycho-
neuroimmunology’. PNI, as it’s now
known, has firmly established hor-
monal and other links between the
mind and immune system, helping to
explain, for example, how meditation
and the placebo effect works.
Some of that research has included
humour and laughter and, today, there
is a small—but growing—dossier of
medical studies trying to tease out their
benefits, some of which appear
to be substantial.
Does a lifetime of laughter help you
to live longer? Actually, no. Analysis
of the death rates among professional
comedians has revealed that, in fact,
they die sooner than the rest of us
(Health Psychol, 1992; 11: 262–6). But
laughter can make life easier while
you’re living—and not just by cheering
you up.
Research by cardiologist Dr Michael
Miller, of the University of Maryland,
gives new meaning to the phrase
‘hearty laughter’. Miller carried out a
series of studies on humour and heart
disease after being struck by how
little his cardiac patients seemed to
laugh. He decided to formally test this
observation on the next 150 heart
patients by using a simple question-
naire designed to “measure the
propensity to laugh under a variety of
22 WDDTY Mind Medicine
situations encountered in everyday reductions in the stress hormones
life”.
Compared with 150 healthy con-
trols, he found that the heart patients
“were significantly less likely to
experience laughter during daily
cortisol and epinephrine, both well-
known risk factors for heart disease (Am
J Med Sci, 1989; 298: 390–6).
Encouraged by these results, the
Loma Linda group widened their
activities, surprise situations or social research to the immune system in
interactions”. The statistical signifi- general. This, too, showed that laughter
cance of the effect was far greater than offered major benefits, boosting the
for other standard risk measures such body’s production of natural-killer (NK)
as cholesterol or high blood pressure cells, B cells, helper T cells and
(Int J Cardiol, 2001; 80: 87–8). immunoglobulins. Some of these effects
These findings set Dr Miller to persisted hours after having seen the
wondering how it was that laughter—or humorous video (Altern Ther Health Med,
the lack of it—could have an effect on 2001; 7: 62–72, 74–6).
the body. Following in Norman You’d expect that these positive
Cousins’ footsteps, he used funny findings would have spawned a whole
movies to check it out. He measured raft of laughter therapies. However,
blood flow in viewers’ arteries while although some hospitals have set up
they were watching clips from There’s ‘humour rooms’ and mobile ‘humour
Something About Mary, a comedy, and carts’, they are merely for amusement,
Saving Private Ryan, a war movie. He not cure. Part of the problem is that
found that laughter expanded the blood there’s still little hard clinical
vessels, increasing blood flow to the data that laughter is more than a
heart by 22 per cent. Stress did the stressbuster or mood-enhancer.
reverse, reducing the arterial lumen by However, there’s evidence that it can
35 per cent (Heart, 2006; 92: 261–2). help to relieve pain (Psychol Bull, 2001; 127:
“We believe that there is a direct 504–19), and tantalizing evidence that it
effect of how our endothelium behaves, can help diabetics by reducing blood
and the development and progression sugar and preventing diabetes-related
of heart disease,” says Dr Miller. “We kidney disease (J Psychosom Res, 2007; 62:
know that exercising and not smoking 703–6)—giving us glimpses of its
reduces the risk of heart disease. potential.
Regular, hearty laughter should There’s only one clinic in the world
probably now be added to the list.” that uses laughter as a core therapy—
the Gesundheit Institute in Virginia. Its
Healthy laughter founder, Dr Patch Adams (famously
Just how does laughter affect blood portrayed by actor Robin Williams in
vessels? Researchers at Loma Linda the film of that name), is both a
University in California attempted to qualified doctor and a former clown. He
find the answer. Again, funny films hasn’t published any evidence of his
were shown to volunteers, and their success rates, though—he’s probably
hormone levels measured afterwards. having too much fun to do so.
The researchers found significant Tony Edwards
Laughing your head off
The dictionary defines laughter as “rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory and
involuntary actions". Spontaneous contractions occur in the vocal cords
and in 15 muscles of the face, while the epiglottis half-closes the larynx,
causing gasping. Whereas emotions tend to involve only discrete parts
of the brain, laughter uses most of the brain's primary areas—that is, the
cortex, the frontal lobe and motor regions.
When the body responds to ‘orders’
or years, the prevailing view
F of the human body was that it
works without any conscious
input from its owner.
However, since the 1960s, scientists
have discovered that autonomic
functions such as heart rate, pulse,
digestion, blood pressure, brainwave
activity and muscle movements
could, in fact, be influenced by the
mind.
Neal Miller, a behavioural neuro-
scientist at Yale University, was the
first to propose that people could be
taught to mentally control their
bodily functions and responses much
as a child learns to ride a bicycle. By
conducting a series of conditioning-
and-reward experiments on rats,
Miller found that the animals could
be trained to lower their heart rate,
control the flow rate of urine and
even create different dilations in the
blood vessels of each ear (J Comp
Physiol Psychol, 1967; 63: 12–9). Miller
reasoned that if rats could achieve
such a level of control, then why
shouldn’t humans?
Since Miller’s experiments with
rats, biofeedback—feeding back
information on body functioning to
allow a person to learn how to
actively control these functions—has
become an accepted form of therapy,
with a number of different machines
designed to measure a range of
physical responses.
The conditions that respond best
to biofeedback are generally stress-
related, including headaches, insom-
nia, asthma, gastrointestinal
disorders and mild hypertension.
However, as the research continues,
more and more uses are being
discovered.
Fibromyalgia
Electromyography (EMG) biofeed-
back—which measures the electrical
output of muscles—has helped fibro-
myalgia, characterized by widespread
musculoskeletal pain and tenderness.
Six days of EMG biofeedback treat-
ment decreased the number of tender
points as well as improved patients’
general physical and psychological
status (Indian J Med Sci, 2007; 61: 455–61).
Such improvements were still
present two months after the end of
EMG treatment. Patients also EEG biofeedback is as effective as
experienced significant
including sleep problems and
impro-
vements in other disease symptoms,
headache (Wien Med Wochenschr, 1999;
149: 561–3).
stimulant medications in improving
symptoms of ADHD (Altern Med Rev,
2007; 12: 146–51), and can even raise
IQ—by an average of 12 points (Appl
Psycho-physiol Biofeedback, 1998; 23:
243–63).
Diabetes
In 30 patients with type 2 (non- Acne
insulin-dependent) diabetes, 10 Biofeedback may even be helpful for
sessions of biofeedback and skin conditions such as acne.
relaxation significantly lowered blood Thirty patients given 12
glucose levels. These effects lasted for biofeedback-assisted relaxation and
up to three months after treatment visualization sessions over six weeks
(Diabetes Care, 2005; 28: 2145–9). Similar saw significant reductions in their
results have also been seen in type 1 acne, even compared with
diabetes (Diabetes Care, 1991; 14: 360–5). medication. Those who continued to
practise at home after the trial ended
ADHD maintained their improvement,
Electroencephalography (EEG) bio- whereas those who did not saw their
feedback—or neurofeedback, which acne severity return (J Psychosom Res,
measures brainwaves—shows 1983; 27: 185–91).
promise for attention deficit/ hyper-
activity disorder (ADHD). In the Stroke
largest published controlled trial to Biofeedback has been applied to
date, 100 ADHD children underwent many aspects of stroke rehabilitation,
treatment that included the drug but the results are mixed. A review of
Ritalin, parent counselling and 13 studies involving 269 patients
support at school, but 51 also received found no EMG treatment benefits
neurofeedback therapy. (Cochrane Database Syst Res, 2007; 2:
After one year, although all of the CD004585).
children showed improvement with Nevertheless, researchers conclude
Ritalin, only those who had also that “biofeedback in general can have
received neurofeedback treatment a very positive impact” by boosting
could sustain these gains when tested patients’ self-confidence (Top Stroke
without the drug (Appl Psychophysiol Rehabil, 2007; 14: 59–66).
Biofeedback, 2002; 27: 231–49). Joanna Evans
Getting the feedback
In the UK, biofeedback is now available on the NHS for some conditions. To
find a provider in your area, visit the website of the Association for Applied
Psychophysiology and Biofeedback at www.aapb.org.
State-of-the-art tools now allow you to carry out biofeedback in your own
home. The following home-biofeedback devices, and others, are available
from www.electronichealing.co.uk, www. r e l a x-uk.com and
www.mindmodulations.com (prices may vary).
◆ ThoughtStream (£99): offers feedback using the galvanic skin response
(GSR), represented by a light display that changes with levels of excitement
or relaxation; it comes with Mental Games computer software, which allows
the player to control the ‘game’ through sensors
◆ GSR 2 (£49.99): monitors stress levels by GSR, emitting a higher or lower
tone according to the emotional state
◆ WaveRider (£900): a Windows-based monitor collects signals from the
heart, brain, muscles and skin; music and a visual display help users
monitor and control their state of mind.
WDDTY Mind Medicine 23
Healing thoughts
Imagine yourself healthy
Strong and specific visualization techniques can help with an array of conditions besides cancer.
uided imagery, using men-
G tal images to create a
desired physical outcome,
has recently been identified
as one of the 10 most frequently
recommended complementary cancer
therapies on the Internet (Psycho-Oncol-
ogy, 2005; 14: 607–17). But it’s not just
cancer patients who can benefit from
this remarkable technique.
Guided imagery, or visualization,
can reduce stress, relieve pain, speed
healing and help the body subdue a
variety of illnesses—from high blood
pressure and heart disease to insomnia
and depression. Also, those of us who
have the ability to visualize vividly—
with powerful imagery and symbols—
will see the best results.
Pain control
Guided imagery has proved highly
effective in the management of pain,
particularly the pain associated with
invasive medical procedures.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, in
Ohio, found that patients who used a
guided-imagery tape before and after
colorectal surgery had significantly less
pain than the controls, who received
standard care. They also used less post-
operative pain medication (185 mg vs
326 mg, respectively) and were much
less anxious about their surgical experi-
ence (Dis Colon Rectum, 1997; 40: 172–8).
Studies with patients undergoing
cardiac and joint-replacement surgery
had similar findings (Outcomes Manag,
2002; 6: 132–7; Orthop Nurs, 2004; 23: 335–400).
Guided imagery can also control
the pain of chronic conditions such as
osteoarthritis, cancer and fibromyalgia
(Pain Med, 2007; 8: 359–75; Cancer Nurs, 1997;
20: 79–87; J Psychiatr Res, 2002; 36: 179–87).
In fact, visualizing pleasant images
reduced the pain of fibromyalgia, while
the drug amitriptyline, commonly
given to fibromyalgia sufferers, had no
significant advantage over a placebo
(J Psychiatr Res, 2002; 36: 179–87).
Cancer
Visualization is widely used by patients
with cancer. It improves stress, anxiety
and depression as well as some of the
24 WDDTY Mind Medicine
side-effects of chemotherapy (Psycho- practised over the long term (J Psycho-
Oncology, 2005; 14: 607–17; Annu Rev Nurs
Res, 1999; 17: 57–84).
In women who had been treated for
breast cancer, those using visualization
tended to have less stress, more vigour,
som Res, 2002; 53: 1131–7).
Another study found that guided
imagery significantly increased white
blood cell counts in cancer patients,
as well as in those with AIDS, viral
and an improved functional and social infections and other conditions related
quality of life compared with standard to a low white cell count (Appl Psycho-
care or weekly support-group sessions physiol Biofeedback, 2000; 25: 117–128).
(Altern Ther Health Med, 1997; 3: 62–70).
Some studies also suggest that Other medical uses
imagery can directly affect the immune Guided imagery has been used
system. Researchers at the Oregon successfully in a variety of other
Health and Science University in medical settings. It can help in stroke
Portland, OR, found that breast-cancer rehabilitation (Clin Rehabil, 2001; 15: 233–
patients using hypnosis-guided imagery 40), limit strength loss after sports
for eight weeks increased their natural- injuries (J Sport Rehabil, 2003; 12: 249–
killer cells—immune-system cells that 58), control asthma symptoms (J Altern
play a major role in tumour rejection. Complement Med, 2005; 11: 57–68) and help
However, these changes were not people to give up smoking for good
retained after the treatment ended, (J Nurs Scholarsh, 2005; 37: 245–50).
suggesting that imagery needs to be Joanna Evans
How to do guided imagery
Techniques vary but, in general, they all involve guiding the imagination towards
places (environments or situations) in which the patient feels calm, safe, content,
relaxed and happy. It is often combined with relaxation exercises, but relaxation is
not always necessary (Psycho-Oncology, 2005; 14: 607–17). Types of imagery
techniques include:
◆ Pain-control imagery. This aims to create a mental image of the pain, and then
to transform it into something less threatening and more manageable. Another
technique is to imagine the pain as something completely controllable, such as
an electric current that can be ‘switched off’.
◆ Healing imagery. Patients coping with diseases or injuries may picture
themselves as healthy, happy and symptom-free. There are also scripts for
particular conditions. Cancer patients, for example, may visualize a healing light
shining on the tumour or affected body part, or imagine the immune system or
cancer treatment attacking and destroying the cancer cells.
◆ Relaxation imagery. This involves creating pleasant, relaxing images that can
put the mind and body to rest.
Research shows that the ability to generate mental images and become absorbed
in them as if they were real is a useful predictor of how successful guided imagery
will be (Res Nurs Health, 1998; 21: 189–98). While studying a group of cancer patients,
psychologist Jean Achterberg discovered that she could predict which patients
would recover, get worse or die, simply by examining their visualizations and rating
them. Those who were successful had a greater ability to visualize vividly, with
powerful imagery and symbols. They also practised their visualizations regularly
(Achterberg J, Lawlis GF. Bridges of the Body Mind: Behavioral Approaches for Health Care.
Champaign, IL: Institute for Personality and Ability Testing, 1980).
So, to achieve the most benefit from visualizations, it’s important to focus
on as much detail as possible and to strengthen the images by using all of
the senses—sounds, smells, taste and touch—as well as sight.
Meditation is good medicine
Meditation is more than just an antidote to the stress of modern living;
it’s an important tool for health and longevity.
I
n today’s fast-paced society,
more and more people are
turning to meditation to help
deal with the stress of everyday
life. However, meditation is more than
just a way to switch off and relax. This
age-old technique is a powerful tool
that can benefit an array of health
conditions—from insomnia and
anxiety to cancer and heart disease.
In one of the latest studies, ‘mind-
fulness meditation’ showed a positive
effect on the immune system of those
with the human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV). Researchers from the
Cousins Center for Psychoneuro-
immunology at UCLA tracked CD4+
T lymphocytes—the immune cells
attacked by HIV—in a group of HIV-
positive adults during an eight-week
mindfulness-based stress-reduction
(MBSR) meditation programme.
Surprisingly, the group showed no
loss of CD4+ T lymphocytes during
the study, suggesting that mindfulness
training can buffer these cell declines.
In contrast, the HIV-positive controls
not practising the meditation showed
a significant decline in these immune
cells over the same eight-week period.
These effects were independent of
antiretroviral (ARV) medication to
slow the progression of HIV. Moreover,
the more meditation classes the
participants attended, the better their
cell counts were, indicating a dose–
response relationship (Brain Behav
Immun, 2008 Jul 19; Epub ahead of print).
This new study adds to the growing
evidence suggesting that meditation
has the potential to prevent and treat
a range of medical conditions. Two
recent studies from the University of
Pittsburgh, PA, found that meditation
can help patients with chronic lower
back pain. On analyzing diary entries,
one study found benefits such as less
pain, improved attention, better
sleep, enhanced feelings of wellbeing
and an improved quality of life (J Pain,
2008; 9: 841–8). The other—a random-
ized, controlled preliminary trial—
concluded that meditation “may lead
to improvement in pain acceptance
and physical function” (Pain, 2008; 134:
3 1 0–9).
Meditation can also help the
cardiovascular system. When 60
hypertensive African-Americans with
atherosclerosis (fatty deposits in the
arteries) were encouraged to practise
mantra-based Transcendental Medita-
tion (TM), after nine months, all
showed marked decreases in the
thickness of their arterial walls, while
non-meditators showed increases in
their artery-wall thicknesses. Indeed,
in this study, meditation also resulted
in an 11-per-cent decrease in the risk
of heart attack, and an 8- to 15-per-
cent lower risk of stroke (Stroke, 2000;
31: 568–7 3).
TM was also able to reduce blood
pressure and medication use in a one-
year study of hypertensive patients
(Am J Hypertens, 2005; 18: 88–98).
There are more generalized health
benefits, too. An analysis of US
hospital records revealed that regular
meditators required half the number
of in- and outpatient treatments
compared with non-meditators in 17
treatment categories. Meditating
over-40s fared particularly well, with
hospital admission rates that were a
third of those of non-meditators
(Psychosom Med, 1987; 49: 493–507).
Meditation may even increase
longevity. A three-year study carried
out in eight old-people’s homes found
that 80-year-olds who learned to
meditate were not only happier and
better adjusted than non-meditators,
but they also lived longer (J Pers Soc
Psychol, 1989; 57: 950–6 4).
Future therapeutic roles
More and more uses for this simple
stress-reduction technique are being
uncovered. Meditation has shown
evidence of efficacy in the treatment
of psoriasis, type 2 diabetes, sleep
disturbances, eating disorders and
symptoms associated with cancer.
The connection between medicine
and meditation is further under-
scored by their shared etymological
origins from the Latin word mederi,
which means ‘to heal’ (J A M A, 2008; 300:
1 3 5 0–2).
Perhaps the most interesting
finding so far is that meditation may
help children with learning disabil-
ities and ADHD (attention-deficit/
hyperactivity disorder). A pilot study
of 34 adolescents with learning
disabilities before and after five weeks
of mindfulness meditation reported
that all showed less anxiety, enhanced
social skills and improved academic
performance (Complement Health Pract
Rev, 2008; 13: 34–4 5).
Similarly, mindfulness training
may help ADHD. UCLA researchers
concluded that: “Mindfulness training
is a feasible intervention in a subset
of ADHD adults and adolescents and
may improve behavioural and neuro-
cognitive impairments” (J Atten Disord,
2008; 11: 737–4 6).
Precisely why meditation is so
beneficial for such a wide variety of
cases is unclear, but may be related to
stress hormones. Just four months of
regular meditation reduced levels of
the stress hormone cortisol, impli-
cated in a number of health problems
(Psychoneuroendocrinology, 1997; 22: 277–
95). Meditation can also affect other
factors of wellbeing—physiological
and psychological—and even brain
function (JAMA, 2008; 300: 1350–2).
Whatever the mechanism, it’s clear
that meditation has the potential to
benefit all of us. In the words of the
renowned Buddhist teacher from
Tibet, the Venerable Sogyal Rinpoche,
“The gift of learning to meditate is the
greatest gift you can give yourself for
this life.”
Joanna Evans
WDDTY Mind Medicine 25
Healing thoughts En
Hypnotherapy
Historically associated with magic, superstition and witchcraft, emotional reactions. Under hypnosis,
hypnosis is now taken seriously as a therapy for a variety of mental, the patient links pleasant smells with
psychosomatic and physical disorders. feelings of security and self-control.
The patient then uses this associa-

A
lthough the word ‘hypnosis’ therapy (CH), hypnosis combined tion to overcome or prevent anxiety.
is derived from the Greek with cognitive-behavioural therapy Indeed, Israel’s Defense Forces Mental
h y p n o s, meaning ‘sleep’, (CBT), 84 depressives were randomly Health Division describes three
hypnosis is, in fact, a wake- assigned to 16 weeks of treatment by patients—with needle phobia, panic
ful state of increased concentration either CH or CBT alone. At the end of disorder and combat-induced PTSD,
and awareness. A hypnotic trance— the treatment, both groups improved, respectively—who were successfully
characterized by focused attention, but the CH group enjoyed 6 per cent, treated by HOC (Int J Clin Exp Hypn, 2009;
bypassing of the usual critical nature 5 per cent and 8 per cent greater 57: 184–97).
of the mind and heightened receptiv- reductions in depression, anxiety and
ity to suggestion—causes distinct hopelessness, respectively. These Sleep disorders
changes in the brain (Ann Acad Med results were still evident a year later Hypnosis may be useful for insomnia,
Singapore, 2008; 37: 683–8; Mayo Clin Proc, (Int J Clin Exp Hypn, 2007; 55: 147–66). nightmares, sleepwalking, bedwetting
2005; 80: 511–24). and other sleep-related disorders (Ann
While its precise mechanisms are Anxiety Acad Med Singapore, 2008; 37: 683–8). In 75
still a mystery, it’s becoming clear that Hypnosis can treat various forms of school-age children with insomnia,
hypnosis has a key role to play in anxiety, such as phobias, panic hypnosis reduced the time taken to
modern medicine. Indeed, hypnosis is attacks and post-traumatic stress fall asleep and the number of night-
showing promise as a therapy for a disorder (PTSD). Just two 50-minute time awakenings in most of them. In
range of difficult-to-treat emotional sessions helped medical practitioners fact, more than half of those with
and psychological problems. overcome examination anxiety (fear nighttime awakenings more than
of failing a test), which was signif- once a week were completely cured
Depression icantly affecting their lives (Am J Clin of the problem (BMC Pediatr, 2006; 6: 23).
Not only can hypnosis help to reduce Hypn, 1993; 35: 198–204). The anxiety As hypnosis is a form of concen-
common symptoms of major depress- associated with medical procedures tration, it may seem paradoxical to
ion, such as agitation and rumination, can also be reduced by hypnosis (J Natl use it to help people to fall asleep. Yet,
it also facilitates the learning of new Cancer Inst, 2007; 99: 1280–1). it induces physical relaxation that is
skills, a core component of all proven One new technique in this field is compatible with sleep, diminishing
treatments for depression (Am J Clin called ‘hypnotherapeutic olfactory the sympathetic arousal usually found
Hypn, 2001; 44: 97–1 0 8). conditioning’ (HOC), which uses the with anxious preoccupation. More-
In a study of cognitive hypno- ability of scents to arouse powerful over, hypnosis can help establish good
sleep habits and a bedtime routine
(Ann Acad Med Singapore, 2008; 37: 683–8).
Other conditions
Addictions
Hypnosis has even been used to treat conditions that are not believed to
In a trial of 286 smokers, researchers
be primarily psychological.
compared hypnosis with standard
◆ Allergies. Hypersensitivity reactions were suppressed in 8 of 12 patients
behavioural counselling to determine
given brief direct suggestions under hypnosis (Br Med J, 1963; 1: 925–9).
which was more effective in helping
Also, self-hypnosis added to standard treatment was helpful to hayfever
them to quit. All participants also
sufferers (Psychother Psychosom, 2005; 74: 165–72).
used nicotine patches.
◆ Skin conditions. Acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, lichen planus, herpes
After six months, 26 per cent of
simplex and a variety of other skin problems have all responded well to
those in the hypnosis group had
hypnosis (Arch Dermatol, 2000; 136: 393–9).
stopped smoking compared with 18
◆ Digestive problems. ‘Gut-focused hypnotherapy’ can help in severe
per cent in the behavioural group.
inflammatory bowel disease, allowing patients to stop or reduce
At 12 months, the abstinence rates
medication and enjoy a better quality of life (Int J Clin Exp Hypn, 2008; 56:
were 20 per cent vs 14 per cent,
306–1 7 ). Peptic ulcer disease and dyspepsia (indigestion) are also
respectively (Nicotine Tob Res, 2008; 10:
improved by hypnosis (Lancet, 1988; 1: 1299–300; Gastroenterology, 2002; 123:
8 1 1–8).
1778–8 5 ).
Hypnosis has also proved to be a
◆ Pa i n. Hypnosis is a powerful pain-reliever ( Mayo Clin Proc, 2005; 80: 511–24).
useful treatment for alcoholism (Am J
S e l f-hypnosis was even able to help women cope with the pain of labour
Clin Hypn, 2004; 47: 21–8).
and childbirth (Int J Clin Exp Hypn, 2009; 57: 174–83).
Joanna Evans

26 WDDTY Mind Medicine

Energy medicine
Tapping away the past
A new do-it-yourself technique to release yourself from the prison of your emotions is beginning to show
powerful evidence of success.
E
nergy psychology’ is a term
that refers to a number of
techniques that purport to
heal psychological problems
by tapping into the universal energy
field. They claim to be able to heal
some of the most severe psychological
traumas, and the emerging evidence
shows that they do work, even in cases
of post-traumatic stress disorder (see
page 28).
One of the most popular of these
new forms of healing is Emotional
Freedom Techniques (EFT), developed
by Gary Craig, a master practitioner
of NeuroLinguistic Programming
(NLP) and Thought Field Therapy
(TFT). Craig came up with the idea of
modifying the work of Roger Callahan,
the originator of TFT, to make it more
user-friendly.
EFT claims to be a ‘needle-free’ form
of acupuncture that uses ‘tapping’ on
the various energy meridian points of
the body. And rather than requiring the
services of a professional, after training,
EFT can be carried out by
the patient himself through a compre-
hensive, systematic tapping procedure
while making a series of statements
about his condition.
What’s the evidence to support these
claims? In one study, carried
out at Curtin University of Technology
in Western Australia, the researchers
examined whether EFT could reduce
phobias in 35 individuals who feared
small animals. The participants were
divided into two groups and randomly
treated with either 30 minutes of
EFT or diaphragmatic breathing.
An objective statistical measure
revealed that EFT led to significantly
greater psychological improvement
than the breathing technique, although
both groups continued to show an
increase in pulse rate—a physical sign
of stress—when exposed to their
phobia triggers. Also, the improve-
ments brought about by EFT persisted
and were even enhanced over the six to
nine months of follow-up.
The researchers concluded that
even a single treatment of EFT to
reduce specific phobias can produce
valid behavioural improvements in
those with emotional problems (J Clin
Psychol, 2003; 59: 943–66).
Another study examined whether or
not these improvements could be
sustained over time by looking at the
effects of an EFT experiential work-
shop on psychological functioning over
the long term. In this case, 102
participants took the short-form (SA-
45) of a test to measure psychological
distress at the following times: one
month before the EFT workshop; at the
start of the workshop; at the end
of the workshop; one month after the
workshop; and six months after the
workshop. Analyses of the SA-45 test
results revealed a statistically signifi-
cant decrease in all measures of
psychological distress at all of the
measured points of time (Counsel Clin
Psychol J, 2005; 2: 104–11).
Post-traumatic stress
Another study examined the effects of
EFT on nine people involved in motor-
vehicle accidents who reported post-
traumatic stress afterwards. These nine
participants were first given a series of
psychological tests to evaluate their
mental state, levels of anxiety and
depression, and fear of driving or riding
in a motor vehicle. They also took
physical tests to measure their brain-
wave activity.
When asked to give their own
subjective ‘intensity rating’ to describe
their level of distress—based on a score
of 1 to 10 (with 1 representing no
distress and 10 representing severe
distress)—when they thought about
the accident they’d been involved in,
the average rating among these nine
subjects was 8.3 prior to treatment.
However, after two sessions with a
trained EFT therapist and two weeks of
home therapy on their own, their
average intensity rating of distress had
fallen to 2.5.
Nevertheless, although all nine
participants had shown an initial
positive change, these changes were
maintained in only five of them over
time. These changes were also con-
sistent with their own subjective
feelings of improvement. Furthermore,
in the subjects who ended up feeling
less fearful, the ratio of theta to beta
brain waves, associated with beneficial
mental quieting, was increased by an
average of 33.3 per cent, while the
presence of brain waves associated with
physical calm was increased by 40 per
cent.
The most interesting aspect of this
investigation is that all of those who
reported improvement with EFT
displayed measurable physiological
changes related to such improvements
(Subtle Energies Energy Med, 2004; 15: 75–86).
Besides anxiety and trauma, EFT is
also used to help people to clear away
long-held negative emotions and
beliefs. However, so far, the evidence
to support claims of success are mostly
anecdotal.
Nevertheless, these claims are also
supported by impressive case studies.
In one instance, a 45-year-old woman
who had been diagnosed with clinical
depression 10 years earlier and who
was taking antidepressants was given
a psychological test known as the Beck
Depression Inventory (BDI), the most
widely used questionnaire to assess
levels of anxiety and depression. A low
BDI score indicates a low level of
depression, and a high score indicates
greater depression. Energy psychol-
ogist Dawson Church, author of The
Genie in Your Genes (Authors
Publishing Co-operative, 2007), had
the woman take the BDI test before and
after her EFT session. Initially,
she scored 23 out of 63 but, after the
session, her score was 3. Two months
later, she was still showing a 43-per-
cent improvement—and after just one
EFT treatment.
While more studies are needed on all
forms of energy psychology, perhaps
the most laudable aspect of EFT is that
prospective users can get it for free. The
website on the discovery of EFT also
offers a free download of the method
(see www.emofree.com).
Lynne McTaggart
WDDTY Mind Medicine 27
Energy medicine
Tapping into healing
Promising studies show that correcting our ‘thought field’ also corrects our biochemistry.
T
wenty years ago, Dr Roger
Callahan, an US clinical
psychologist, was having one
of his innumerable sessions
with his client Mary. A lifelong
hydrophobic, none of the conventional
techniques seemed to work on her.
Callahan simply could not break her
almost visceral fear of water, which
Mary said was focused in her stomach.
At the time, Callahan was studying
applied kinesiology, and knew that one
of the acupoints for the stomach is on
the face, just below the eye. With little
else to try, he asked Mary to tap her
fingers on the point, as if repeatedly
stimulating it. Almost immediately,
her phobia was gone.
That miracle cure was the start of
what Callahan went on to develop into
Thought Field Therapy (TFT).
Underlying TFT is the idea that
thoughts generate a field that can
carry information patterns or ‘pertur-
bations’. When people are distressed,
says Callahan, those perturbations are
activated and trigger the entire
emotional experience.
In conventional medicine, negative
emotions such as depression and
phobias are believed to be linked to
changes in brain chemistry. However,
Callahan argues that these emotional
states and biochemical changes are
really due to perturbations in the
thought field. Abolish these, says
Callahan, and the biochemistry cor-
rects itself—the patient is cured.
Callahan spent the 1980s testing
his theories and techniques, mapping
out the links between negative
emotions and acupuncture points. He
found that each psychological problem
is related to a number of acupoints,
and that successful treatment involves
the patient tapping on these points in
proper sequence. Callahan calls these
sequences ‘algorithms’—precise
treatment recipes that he says can
cure over 80 per cent of patients
(Callahan R, Callahan J. Stop the Nightmares of
Trauma. Chapel Hill, NC: Professional Press,
2000).
A typical treatment session starts
28 WDDTY Mind Medicine
with the patient deliberately putting
himself in the problem mental state,
thus generating the ‘thought field’ and
the associated perturbations. The
corrective treatment then starts. The
patient may, for example, tap the
eyebrow five times and then continue
tapping on other parts of the body in a
specific sequence, as instructed by the
therapist.
TFT practitioners report success
with a wide variety of psychological
problems—not only phobias and
depression, but also anger, post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
panic, addictions, compulsions and
sexual problems. Some therapists even
claim to have cured phobias in
animals.
Although much of the evidence
for TFT is anecdotal, there have been
clinical trials. In one involving patients
with PTSD, TFT reduced stress—
measured in subjective units of
distress, or SUDs, as assessed by the
patients’ own scores for how they
felt—by more than half (Traumatology,
1999; 5: 18–22).
In another study of people suffering
from a more objectively measurable
psychiatric problem—the fear of
heights, or acrophobia—there was a
statistically significant greater
improvement in sufferers who had
received genuine TFT compared with
those who had received sham TFT—
using random fingertapping over the
body (The Thought Field, 1997; 2: 1–6).
Tapping tragedy away
TFT’s most astonishing success
involved the mentally wounded of
wartorn Kosovo—Albanian refugees
who had fled to Norway and who were
suffering from severe PTSD,
notoriously difficult to treat.
A small team of TFT therapists set
out for Kosovo and met the local
doctors. Ian Graham was among
them. “The inhabitants of Kosovo
were some of the most troubled
people I have ever encountered,” he
recalls. “Their Serbian enemies had
deliberately set out to produce total
community breakdown. By slaugh-
tering only half the members of family
groups, for example, they caused the
survivors severe psychological
trauma—not so much from grief, but
from the guilt of still being alive.”
It is difficult to imagine a greater
challenge than this and, indeed,
conventional psychiatrists working
for relief agencies were not having
much success. When the TFT team
arrived, they were met with
incredulity but, nevertheless, many
patients were referred to them,
including some of the most trauma-
tized patients. Treatment was often
given in family groups, and therapy
sessions were sometimes as brief as
five minutes.
The results were nothing short of
astonishing. “The success for every
patient was 100 per cent and they are
still smiling to this day,” says Graham.
“As chief of medical staff,
I have full authority over medical
decisions in Kosovo. I am starting
a new national programme [where]
the emphasis will be Thought Field
Therapy.”
In one extraord i n a ry intuitive
discovery, Callahan appears to have
found the key to human emotions—by
tapping into The Field of thought
itself.
Tony Edwards
For more information on trained
practitioners offering TFT, go to
www.thoughtfieldtherapy.co.uk (UK)
or www.tftrx.com (US).
Healing through the hands
Despite some bad press surrounding Therapeutic Touch, the evidence shows that it can relieve a myriad of
conditions—from anxiety to headaches.
T
herapeutic touch (TT) is a
form of energy medicine that
uses the hands as a focus to
facilitate healing. From small
beginnings in a New York hospital,
there are now over 40,000 TT-trained
nurses working in more than one
hundred hospitals across the US.
Despite its name, TT is, in fact, a
non-contact modality: the therapist
never touches the patient but, instead,
works on the envelope of subtle energy
that surrounds the body.
The technique is based on the
Eastern notion that the body, like all
living things, has a life-energy field
that extends beyond or outside of
itself. It’s thought that a free-flowing
energy field indicates health, while a
blocked, depleted or unbalanced
energy field means disease. TT
practitioners claim to be able to ‘feel’
and manipulate this energy field with
their hands to restore health and
wellbeing to the patient.
Where’s the evidence?
Despite the considerable amount of
research evidence to support the use of
TT in mainstream medicine, sceptics
continue to cite the widely publicized
1998 study, published in the Journal
of the American Medical Association,
as proof that the claims of TT are
groundless. In this trial, 21 TT practi-
tioners were tested by a nine-year-old
girl on their ability to detect a person’s
energy field. The practitioners extend-
ed both their hands through a screen,
on the other side of which the child
held her hand above one of the
practitioner’s hands. The practitioner
was then asked which hand the girl’s
hand was hovering above.
The practitioner’s guesses proved
to be no more accurate than chance
would allow, leading the authors—
including Stephen Barrett of Quack-
watch Inc.—to conclude that “further
professional use [of TT] is unjustified”
(JAMA, 1998; 279: 1005–10).
But proponents of TT have heavily
criticized this research, highlighting
the poor design and methodology.
Indeed, a re-analysis of the study by a
US nurse-statistician from the Virginia
Commonwealth University School of of the growing official acceptance of
Nursing stated that the study used an TT (J Adv Nurs, 1998; 28: 10–20).
“inappropriate design and analysis as In people with arthritis, two other
well as incorrect statistical assump- comparative studies have confirmed
tions and conclusions” (Altern Ther Health the value of TT in not only reducing
Med, 2003; 9: 58–64). the pain of the condition, but also in
Another challenge to the JAMA making the joints more supple (Nurs
article’s conclusions is the growing Sci Q, 1998; 11: 123–32; J Fam Pract, 1998;
body of evidence showing that TT is 47: 271–7). There’s also evidence that
beneficial to a wide variety of patients, the technique may help to relieve the
reducing pain, stress and anxiety as pain of fibromyalgia syndrome, too
well as enhancing immunity (J Holist (Holist Nurs Pract, 2004; 18: 142–51).
Nurs, 2008; 26: 17–24). TT appears to be particularly good
In addition, the positive results against anxiety. In 20 HIV-infected
appear to be more than just a placebo children, it reduced their anxiety
effect. A number of studies show that, while sham TT did not (J Assoc Nurses
when tested against sham TT—what AIDS Care, 1998; 9: 68–7 7 ). Likewise,
looks like TT, but with alterations to psychiatric patients in a US Veterans
either the technique itself or the Administration hospital were signifi-
mental intention of the therapist—real cantly less anxious after TT than after
TT wins out fairly consistently. relaxation therapy or no treatment at
In one trial, 60 people suffering from all (Arch Psychiatr Nurs, 1994; 8: 184–9).
tension headaches were given either Terminal cancer, Alzheimer’s and
real or sham TT, and then had their dementia patients may also benefit
pain levels assessed over the following from TT’s calming effect (J Holist Nurs,
four hours. Those who received the 1998; 16: 383–98; West J Nurs Res, 2008; 30:
genuine TT reported that their pain 417–3 4).
was reduced, on average, So, even if you don’t accept the
by 70 per cent, while the sham group philosophy behind TT, it appears that
managed only around half that (Nurs concentrated positive attention by a
Res, 1986; 35: 101–6). specifically trained individual can be
TT has also been shown to help widely beneficial to another.
reduce the excruciating pain and Joanna Evans and Tony Edwards
anxiety suffered by burns victims, For a list of TT practitioners in the
again in a trial comparing it against a Directory of Approved Natural Health
sham TT treatment. This was a study Practitioners and Healers, go to www.
conducted by the University of n c h m . n e t / DANHP or contact the
Alabama and paid for by the US Complementary Medical Association
Department of Defense, an indication (tel. 0845 129 8434).
How does TT work?
In conventional medical terms, the answer to this question is that TT
accesses the autonomic nervous system and so, ultimately, the immune
system. Detailed physiological measurements taken while receiving TT
have revealed that the therapy reduces levels of arousal, thus calming the
emotions and allowing the body’s own self-healing processes to take over
(Int J Psychosom, 1993; 40: 47–55).
This ties in closely with the Ayurvedic and Chinese theories of medicine,
where life energy (prana or ch’i) is believed to seek balance by flowing to
areas where it is lacking while leaving areas where it is in excess.
The entire system is designed to be self-regulating, and only requires
therapies such as acupuncture—and now TT—to give it a gentle ‘nudge’ to
free up stubborn and persistent energy blockages.
WDDTY Mind Medicine 29
Energy medicine
Rapid eye recovery
One of the earliest energy-psychology techniques can help to free you
from a range of psychological issues—from distress and depression
to addiction and self-limiting beliefs.
he biggest failing of the
T newest energy-psychology
techniques is the lack of
scientific evidence. One
exception, though, is Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing
(EMDR), the brainchild of psychologist
Francine Shapiro who, while walking in
the park in 1987, realized that focusing
on a moving target appeared to
decrease her own upsetting memories.
After a number of experiments, she
eventually came up with EMDR (see
box below).
The body has an adaptive system—
much like the digestive system—to
process experiences and connect them
with past associations, memories and
other knowledge so that we can
successfully absorb whatever happens
to us, good or bad. However, when we
undergo an upset (even a minor one,
such as being teased at school), such
information processing may be
interrupted. EMDR seeks to undo
negative connections and reconnect
the interrupted circuits so that we can
process the event, get over it and move
on.
Post-traumatic stress
An enormous body of evidence
supports the effectiveness of EMDR for
all sorts of psychological traumas and
anxiety disorders, especially post-
traumatic distress syndrome (PTDS). A
meta-analysis of the studies so far
shows that EMDR is one of the top
treatments of choice for PTDS and
works better than active listening (J
Consult Clin Psychol, 2001; 69: 305–16; Clin
Psychol Psychother, 1998; 5: 126–44). In one
study, 100 per cent of the patients
suffering from a single trauma, and 80
per cent of those surviving multiple
traumas, were free of PTDS after just
six 50-minute sessions (Psychotherapy,
1997; 34: 307–15).
EMDR also works rapidly compared
with more conventional therapies such
as behavioural therapy, with results
30 WDDTY Mind Medicine
with problem behaviour related to
seen in one-third of the time needed for distress in their personal histories (J
most ‘talking’ cures: 70 per cent
achieved a good outcome after just
three sessions compared with 29 per
cent using prolonged-exposure therapy
(J Clin Psychol, 2002; 58: 113–28). Although
Aggress Maltreat Trauma, 2002; 6: 217–36), and
help patients with phobias and panic
disorders (J Anxiety Disord, 1999; 13: 69–85).
It can also offer rapid relief of chronic
pain (J Clin Psychol, 2002; 58: 1505–2 0).
several sessions are usually required, a Even those addicted to drugs or
single EMDR session was able to shift gambling can be cured and their
more than half of 20 traumatized tendency to relapse reduced (J Gambl
children from disturbed to normal Stud, 1996; 12: 395–405; J Psychoact Drugs,
status (Traumatologye, 1997; 3: Article 6). 1994; 26: 379–91).
What’s more, the effects appear to
stick: a 15-month follow-up found that Beyond self-limitations
84 per cent had maintained the positive For those who don’t have debilitating
effects with no symptoms (J Consult Clin memories, EMDR is nevertheless a
Psychol, 1997; 65: 1047–56). useful tool for enhancing personal
Also, EMDR is one of only three performance—whether in business, or
treatments for victims of terrorism (Clin in the performing arts or sports—
Psychol, 1998; 51: 3–16), for soldiers with presumably because we all operate
PTDS after combat (J Trauma Stress, 1998; with self-limiting beliefs (J Appl Sport
11: 3–24) and for children in the wake of Psychol, 1995; 7 [Suppl]: 63; Sport J, 2004;
disasters (J Clin Psychol, 2002; 58: 99–112). It 7: 1–5, online at www.Thesportjournal.org;
also enables victims of sexual assault to Dressage Today, 1996; 28–33).
reestablish normal lives (Soc Work Res, However, EMDR does require the
1999; 23: 103–16). Just three 90-minute presence of a trained therapist as,
sessions eliminated PTDS in 90 per in cases of disturbing or unresolved
cent of, for example, rape victims (Bull memories, it can bring about major
Menninger Clin, 1997; 61: 317–34). emotional release. Check with the
EMDR Institute for a list of trained
Other benefits therapists (www.emdr.com).
Besides trauma, EMDR can treat boys Lynne McTaggart
How EMDR reprogrammes you
Most patients undergoing EMDR are asked to identify their most vivid
visual image related to their upsetting memory, negative self-beliefs, and
other related emotions and bodily sensations, and then to identify a
preferred positive belief. The patient then focuses on the negative image/
thought and bodily sensations while following the therapist’s fingers with
his eyes as they move across his field of vision for 20–30 seconds or more.
(Besides eye movement, therapists also use tapping, auditory tones or any
other tactile stimulation.)
The therapist then asks the patient to notice whatever thought image
or memory comes to mind, and has the patient focus on another thought
or image during the eye movements or other stimulation.
As soon as the patient reports feeling no stress with the particular
targeted memory, the therapist asks him to think of the positive belief while
focusing on the negative incident and still engaging in the eye movements.
After several such sessions, the patient is usually able to readily adopt
the positive belief.
Instant connection
A new form of enlightenment suggests that spiritual awakening is a process of alteration of brain function
that can occur virtually overnight.
A
c c o rding to most spiritual
traditions, the path to
enlightenment is a slow
and tortuous one, to be
arrived at only after years of
contemplation, deprivation, and
mental and physical discipline.
However, 17 years ago, a married
couple of Indian avatars, Sri
Bhagavan and Sri Amma, announced
that they had found a way to speed
up the process.
The couple created the Oneness
Foundation in Batthalavallam, near
Chennai (formerly Madras), in
south-east India. The Oneness
University, near the movement’s
headquarters in Golden City, states
that its purpose is to eliminate
mankind’s fundamental sense of
separation, and to replace it with a
feeling of enlightened awareness of
universal connection.
What distinguishes this pair fro m
most gurus is their assertion that
this state can be achieved through
a system of energy transmission that
rewires the brain. The Oneness
Foundation claims to teach people a
special meditative and psychological
p rocess that eliminates the false
sense of separation.
The process is centred aro u n d
receiving deeksha—a passing on of
energy from the two avatars that
supposedly allows the recipient to
make the leap into enlightenment.
This approach has proved to be
highly popular, with some 20 million
adherents across the globe.
The blessing, usually given with a
laying on of hands by a trained
deeksha practitioner, is said to pour
energy into the Crown chakra (at the
top of the head) to help repattern
the neural functioning of the brain
and, ultimately, dissolve our illusory
sense of separateness.
Once transmitted, deeksha
behaves like electrical energ y,
flowing through the spinal cord and
rest of the nervous system, and the
chakras, or energy centres, of the
body. Practitioners claim that it
mainly focuses on the brain, activa-
ting the frontal lobes while turning
down reception in the parietal lobes,
which occupy the upper rear parts of
the brain’s hemispheres.
But is there any evidence that this
energy transfer—or meditation in
general—can change the brain or
eliminate our sense of self?
Uncovering the brain
Dr Andrew Newberg, professor of
nuclear medicine at the University of
Pennsylvania, and co-author of Why
God Won’t Go Away (Ballantine
Books, 2001), has studied the brain
activity of Tibetan Buddhist practi-
tioners during meditation. Using
special scanning technology, he has
revealed that, during deep medi-
tation, the brain’s prefrontal lobes
show an increase in blood flow and
neural activity, while the parietal
area registers a drop in brain activity.
Newberg has dubbed that part of
the brain the ‘orientation association
area’ (OAA) because it gives us our
ability to orientate ourselves in space
and time, and also provides us with
a sense of separateness from the
rest of the universe. When this
portion of the brain is ‘turned off’,
the person’s sense of physical limits
and personal boundaries disappear.
In this state, the brain cannot
locate the body in physical reality
and so perceives a sense of blissful
i n t e rconnection, a state Newberg
refers to as ‘Absolute Unitary Being’.
During the intense focus of
meditation, the prefrontal cortex, or
attention association area (AAA)—
an area most scientists believe is
involved in higher consciousness—is
strongly activated, with dominance of
the left frontal lobe, which usually
occurs during spiritual integration.
Although deeksha has not yet been
subjected to major scrutiny, German
biochemist Christian Opitz has
carried out extensive tests in India
with a brain scanning device that
measures electromagnetic frequen-
cies in the brain, examining its
electrical activity before and after
deeksha has been given. His tests
have shown significant shifts in brain
activity, with the parietal lobes
deactivated, and the frontal lobes—
the one on the left in particular—
registering greater activity.
Another study in 2006, by Stock-
holm University and the New Brain–
New World organization in Copen-
hagen, carried out EEG brain
mapping of 12 participants before,
during and after a 21-day Oneness
University course. Of 26 EEG
variables, only a few were found to
have statistically significant changes
after deeksha. What the researchers
did find was a tendency, among 11 of
the 12 participants, for the two brain
hemispheres to be more functionally
balanced after the course, especially
in the parietal lobes.
The researchers also found a 50-
per-cent increase in brainwaves, with
a huge increase in gamma activity
(25–42 Hz) in the frontal lobes. Dr
Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist at
the University of Wisconsin, observed
this kind of brainwave activity in
monks during compassionate medi-
tation. Gamma waves, in the highest
band of frequencies, are seen when
the brain is working its hardest:
during a state of rapt attention; when
sifting through working memory;
during deep levels of learning; and in
the midst of great flashes of insight.
As Davidson discovered, when the
brain operates at these extremely
high frequencies, the phases of brain-
waves (when they peak and trough)
across the brain begin to operate
in synchro n y, a state crucial for
achieving heightened awareness (Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA, 2004; 101: 16369–73 ).
The gamma state may even cause
changes in the brain’s synapses—
the neural gaps across which
electrical impulses leap to send
messages to other parts of the
body—and to induce a state of
oneness (Curr Opin Neurobiol, 2000; 10,
1 7 2–9). Newberg and others consider
gamma states to be a signature of
enlightenment. If more scientific
support can be found for these early
findings on d e e k s h a, it may well
p rove to be a fast-track way of
getting there.
Lynne McTaggart
WDDTY Mind Medicine 31
Energy medicine
Changing the body’s frequency
A number of new machines or techniques that attempt to modify the body’s
quantum frequencies are being used to treat childhood behavioural and
cognitive problems—from bedwetting to retardation.
he Russians have maintain-
T ed for nearly a century that
bodily communication uses
electromagnetic (EM) waves
and that, when the signals go awry, it
causes both mental and physical
illnesses. Although there are now many
types of equipment to correct EM
waves in the body, the SCENAR system
remains at the forefront.
SCENAR (‘self-controlled energo-
neuroadaptive regulation’) is a device
that stimulates the body’s own EM
frequencies to effect a cure through an
elaborate biofeedback mechanism.
Developed by five research scientists,
two of whom won the Order of Lenin
(the equivalent of the Nobel prize in
Russia), it was originally intended for
use by cosmonauts for injuries or
illness in outer space.
The device resembles a TV remote
control and is powered by a 9-volt
battery. The idea was that it would
serve as “a GP and emergency service
in your pocket”.
SCENAR works by sending pulsed
electrical waves to the body. Its major
claim is that, not only can it detect
abnormalities in the body’s EM fre-
quencies, but it can also change its own
output to correct the anomalies. The
idea is that SCENAR can eliminate any
minor problems before they develop
into full-blown disease.
SCENAR is now a mainstay in
Russian hospitals, and the devices are
even carried by ambulance crews, who
claim extraordinary success with it in
cases of cardiac arrest, accident trauma
or coma. In 2000, Russian Olympic
athletes at the Australian Olympics
used SCENAR to treat minor aches and
pains, and to repair muscle damage.
Since 1992, more than 10,000 Russian
users—including doctors, surgeons,
oncologists and neurologists—have
been trained on its home and hospital
use for most systems of the body.
A survey of 3000 Russian practi-
tioners reporting on their experience
with the device on 50,000 patients
found success with all of the major
32 WDDTY Mind Medicine
bedwetting completely resolved or
subsequent episodes were much less
frequent.
In another dramatic instance, 45
children, from 3 to 14 years of age,
residing at the Kalinin Essentuky
bodily systems. Although it was Sanatorium and suffering from chronic
deemed extraordinarily successful in a
wide range of musculoskeletal and
circulatory problems—effecting cures
in more than three-fourths of cases—
Russian doctors are now also finding
bedwetting (of 3–10 years’ duration) as
well as a host of serious illness—from
colitis to hepatitis—became dry after
SCENAR therapy.
SCENAR is now being attempted
enormous success with neurological on children with mental retardation.
problems, especially in children. One study of 96 such children found
Yet, despite this wealth of clinical that they responded especially well
experience, scientific studies have only to eight months of SCENAR therapy,
recently begun to appear, mainly in showing improvements in vocabulary
Russia, of the use of electro-stimulation and general psychoemotional status.
for paediatric problems related to the In another study of mentally retarded
nervous system. Although many are children between 10 months and 6
only simple case reports, several have years of age, the children were
been published in reputable scientific reported to have experienced
journals (Lik Sprava, 2002; 7: 68–70; J Clin significant psychological and
Neurophysiol, 1995; 12: 230–6; Med Tekh, 2002; emotional improve-ments after just
6: 4–6). six or seven sessions. They became
Perhaps the best scientific study so more interested in toys, responded
far describes its use for the treatment of better to their parents and improved
bedwetting in children (Vopr Kurortol their language skills.
Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult, 1995; 4: 25–6). Although the results of these anec-
In one three-month study in 1998, dotal reports and structured studies
carried out by the Russian Health are extraordinarily impressive, the
Ministry at I.P. Pavlov State Medical actual published evidence remains,
University in St Petersburg, 25 child- nevertheless, thin on the ground.
ren who suffered from bedwetting What’s needed now is more clinical
received four to 10 SCENAR sessions evidence to show that there’s indeed
per week, and were completely cured such a thing as a low-cost, one-size-
by the end of the study. In every child, f i t s -all cure for all diseases.
the results were positive—either the Lynne McTaggart
Finding a SCENAR practitioner
For information about practitioners near you, contact the International
SCENAR Technology Association (ISTA) at www.scenartech.com, by fax at
+44 207 691 9347, by e-mail at ista@scenartech.com or by post to:
The Secretary, ISTA
46 Maskelyne Close, London SW11 4AE, UK.
Or get your own SCENAR—it’s meant to be user-friendly. OKB RITM, the
company set up by some of SCENAR’s inventors, offers its devices through
various websites, including:
◆ Kosmed International, the Dutch branch office of OKB RITM
(www.ritmedic.com/home.html)
◆ RITM SCENAR (www.ritmscenar.com.au)
◆ PNP REMA, in the Republic of Belarus, which offers a wide range of
Prologue devices (http://rema.by)
◆ CCC INVET, which offers RITM devices, Prologues and the ENART
series for home use (www.invet.net/catalog.php)
◆ Denas MS, which offers SCENAR devices called DENAS and DiaDENS,
and even ZooDENS for treating animals (www.denasms.com).
The power of the pulse
Alzheimer’s and other forms of ‘mental’ illness have been found to respond extraordinarily well to tiny
pulses of electromagnetic frequency.
lthough the human body
A reacts badly to the sea of
electrosmog all around us,
some electromagnetic fields
(EMFs) can be good for you. Indeed, it
can be particularly good for your brain
if delivered in rapid bursts of pulses.
Copious evidence from Greek and
Italian researchers have demonstrated
that tiny EM pulses can help memory
loss, confusion and the general ‘brain
fog’ of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and
even more serious disorders such as
schizophrenia.
These therapies rest on the theories
of the late Jacques Benveniste, Dr
Robert Becker and Cyril Smith, whose
experimental evidence has decisively
shown that cells of the body communi-
cate with each other primarily through
EM signalling at low frequencies (less
than 20 kHz), rather than through
chemistry.
On this basis, scientists now
theorize that illness is the result when
this communication system breaks
down. However, outside frequencies
can repair the damage.
It’s known that the brain ‘entrains’
itself to outside stimulation. Copious
evidence shows that, when the brain
receives an auditory or visual stimulus
of a specific frequency, the brain waves
quickly begin to resonate at the same
frequency. Many scientists now believe
that sending cells low-level, alternating
pulsed EMFs (PEMFs) ‘reminds’ them
of the correct frequency and allows
them to repair themselves.
Clinical application of PEMFs began
with the repair of bones, mostly by US
orthopaedic surgeon Dr C.A. (Andy)
Bassett, who discovered that broken
bones targeted by low-energy magnetic
fields healed twice as fast as usual.
After trial and error, it was found that
the best results came with electrical
energy in quick pulsating bursts.
However, scientists have recently
moved on to using PEMFs at even
lower frequencies (‘picoTeslas’) to treat
mental illness, after finding that the
brain waves of epileptics are abnormal
in relation to a particular frequency.
Dr Reuven Sandyk, of The Carrick
Institute for Clinical Ergonomics, in patients with AD. He found that
Rehabilitation, & Applied Neurosci-
ences School of Engineering Technol-
ogies, State University of New York at
Farmingdale, has pioneered work using
tiny PEMFs in the picoTesla range (1
these tiny picoTesla pulses of EMFs
helped to improve visual memory and
other cognitive functions, such as
short-term memory, mental calcula-
tions, patient orientation, judgement
picoTesla = 10-6 microTesla) to reverse and reasoning, social interactions and
brain damage. His devices can produce mood in such patients (Int J Neurosci,
a magnetic field ranging from 5 x 10-8 1994; 76: 185–225).
gauss to 2.5 x 10-7 gauss at frequencies Sandyk and others believe that
of 2 to 7 Hz. the success of PEMFs may have to do
His earlier work used PEMFs to with its effects on the pineal gland,
r everse the damage in patients with the cone-shaped pea-sized gland that
multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkin- sits on the roof of the third ventricle
son’s disease. These tiny pulses not of the brain, directly behind the root
only reduced the need for of the nose.
medication, but also appeared to Pineal dysfunction has been
reverse many of the mental problems implicated in the cause of illnesses
associated with the two conditions. such as MS and AD. The PEMFs are
He also noticed that MS patients aimed through the corpus
exposed to PEMFs improved their callosum—the fissure running
ability to recall dreams (Int J Neurosci, between the brain hemispheres—to
1995; 82: 113–2 5) and manifested less have the greatest effect on the pineal
suicidal behaviour (Int J Neurosci, 1996; gland.
87: 5–15), while improving their In other research by J.I. Jacobson,
cognitive ability (Int J Neurosci, 1997; 90: another pioneer in this field, EMF
5 9–7 4). Parkinson’s patients not only stimulation was directly correlated
showed improvement in visual ability with melatonin, which also resulted
(Int J Neurosci, 1995; 81: 47–6 5), speech (Int in the improvement or resolution of
J Neurosci, 1997; 91: 57–68) and general symptoms in most patients
cognitive ability (Int J Neurosci, 1997; 91: (Panminerva Med, 1994; 36: 201–5).
5 7–6), but also in dual-tasking, such as So far, the studies using PEMFs are
walking and talking at the same time relatively few, but the success of the
(Int J Neurosci, 1997; 92: 95–1 0 2). pioneering work suggests that we
As AD patients share many of the should look further into the possibility
same mental impairments of those that the pineal gland is not only
with Parkinson’s, and many Parkin- involved in circadian rhythms, but also
son’s patients have dementia, Dr in keeping us mentally sharp.
Sandyk also experimented with PEMFs Lynne McTaggart
The master switch
The pineal gland’s true function is still somewhat of a mystery. Although
doctors and biologists know that the gland produces melatonin, which
governs our sleep–wake cycle, some believe that it may also be the body’s
master switch—a sort of neuroendocrine transducer—through which a
neural signal with environmental information is converted into a chemical
message. It also appears to play a part in regulating mental stability, as low
levels of melatonin have been implicated in schizophrenia, autism and
epilepsy.
H o w e v e r, the pineal gland also appears to sense and transmit
electromagnetic and geomagnetic waves. Indeed, researcher J. I .
Jacobson believes that the pineal gland is magnetosensitive and, as such,
serves as a receptor of electromagnetic waves in biological systems.
WDDTY Mind Medicine 33
Energy medicine
The lightness of being
Frontier science at the University of Sunderland has begun to confirm what many pioneer scientists have
long understood: that we are beings of light
D
r Gordon Dougal recently
raised eyebrows after
holding aloft a helmet and
claiming that the light
emitting from it would cure Alz-
heimer’s disease. This extraordinary
claim derives from research at the
University of Sunderland, in North
East England, showing that regular
exposure to low levels of infrared
light—at 1072 nm, a wavelength found
naturally in sunlight—can improve
learning ability.
Low levels of infrared light, such as
we receive with simple exposure to the
sun, can restart the brain’s cognitive
function among people considered
beyond the reach of modern
medicine.
Dr Dougal is the director of Virulite,
a medical research company based in
Newton Aycliffe, in County Durham,
and has pioneered a treatment
approach that uses a lightweight
helmet that is designed to deliver this
frequency of light at regular intervals.
He is now ready to take the concept
one step further by initiating trials
that will use the light helmet to treat
dementia patients, who will be
required to wear the helmet for 10
minutes each day.
Dougal got the idea of regenerating
the brain through his work with
machines that use infrared light to
fight cold sores. The light was found to
boost the immune-system cells
responsible for killing the herpes-virus
that causes cold sores.
SAD research
The research into the use of light to
treat cognitive decline grew out of 25
years’ worth of research on light
therapy to treat seasonal affective
disorder (SAD), a type of depression
caused by a lack of exposure to
sunlight. Scientists first theorized that
geriatric patients who are living in
institutions and confined to their beds
probably receive little natural light
and are likely to be suffering from light
34 WDDTY Mind Medicine
deprivation. A study in which 10
patients were exposed to 10,000 lux of
light for 30 minutes for five days
showed that their depression levels
decreased significantly during this
high-intensity light therapy compared
with lower levels of light exposure. In
fact, after such exposures, half of the
participants no longer scored within
the depressed range. Furthermore,
they found that the more depressed
the patient, according to their
Geriatric Depression Scale scores
(GDS), the greater their improvement
(J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 2001; 56:
M356–60).
Given these findings, scientists
then wondered whether light could be
used to treat any psychiatric
disturbances other than depression.
Their theory rested on two assump-
tions: that timed exposures to light
causes changes in circadian (sleep–
wake) cycles; and that all diseases are
subject to chronobiological features—
that is, cycles that correspond to
sunlight.
Life cycles
That living things are at the mercy of
the sun was first mooted by Dr Franz
Halberg, at the University of
Minnesota, who discovered that many
biological processes appear to run
according to an in-built ‘clock’. All
living things apparently respond to the
same 24-hour rhythm, in tandem with
the earth’s rotation. Halberg coined
the terms ‘chronobiology’—referring
to the influence of time and certain
periodic cycles on biological
functions—and ‘circadian’ (fromc i r c a
= about and dia = day) rhythms to
describe daily biological cycles. He
created the Chronobiology
Laboratories at the University of
Minnesota and became known as the
father of chronobiology. And, as his
lab began to discover, chronobiology is
a ready-made feature of organisms—
not something learned or acquired,
but an inherent property of life.
Besides circadian rhythms, Halberg
also discovered that living things keep
in time with many other periodic
rhythms; indeed, half-weekly, weekly,
monthly and yearly cycles govern
virtually every biological function. The
human pulse and blood pressure, body
temperature and blood-clotting,
circulation of lymphocytes, hormonal
cycles and other automatic functions
of the human body all appear to ebb
and flow according to some basic,
recurring timetable. These rhythms
are not unique to humans, but are
present throughout nature, and
evident even in the fossilized forms of
single-celled organisms that lived
millions of years ago.
Patients with dementia are known
to have disturbed circadian rhythms.
A study of the 24-hour circadian
patterns and the sleep–wake cycles of
77 nursing-home patients found that
the patients slept fitfully, reflected by
their irregular sleep–wake cycles.
Many people with dementia also spend
comparatively less time exposed to
bright light than do other people
(Sleep; 1997; 20: 18–23). Patients with
dementia also have chaotic sleeping
habits, with more frequent bouts of
waking during nighttime sleep and
more frequent napping during the day
(Int J Geriatr Psychiatry, 2006; 21: 945–50).
Thus far, light therapy has been
used to treat such mental illnesses as
adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD), bulimia nervosa and
depression related to Parkinson’s
disease, as well as to regulate
disturbances in the resting and
activity cycles of elderly people with
dementia (CNS Spectr, 2005; 10: 647–6 3 ;
Sleep Med Rev, 2007; 11: 497–507).
Furthermore, a review of all ran-
domized controlled trials of light
treatment for dementia has shown
some improvement in rest–activity
rhythm. Other studies have shown
that it can reduce behavioural symp-
toms of dementia such as agitation
and sleep disturbances (Int J Geriatr
Psychiatry, 2004; 19: 516–22; Psychiatry Res,
1995; 57: 7–12).
Nevertheless, it’s likely that indiv-
idualized systems work best. One
study of bright-light therapy at two
psychiatric hospitals and a residential
care facility specially designed for
dementia cases found considerable
gender differences in responses. Men
and women appeared to react very
differently to the high-intensity, low-
glare lighting system installed in
public areas of the studied units. In
particular, women registered far less
depression than men in the presence
of morning light.
Correcting our light
It could be that light therapy serves as
a corrective of the light emitted
by the patients. Some 30 years ago,
while investigating a cure for cancer,
German physicist Fritz-Albert Popp
stumbled upon the fact that all living
things emit tiny packets of light, which
he called ‘biophoton emissions’. He
came to believe that living systems
maintain a delicate balance of light,
with too much or too little indicating
disease. He also uncovered what he
called ‘delayed luminescence’: when
light was shone on living cells, the cells
would take up the light and, after a
time-lag, shine more intensely. Popp
considered this to be a corrective
effect. Also, in this instance, when a
living system was bombarded with too
much light, it rejected the excess.
Popp has studied these biolight
emissions for many years at the
International Institute of Biophysics in
Neuss, Germany. During this time, he
has discovered that all of the
thousands of chemical reactions in the
body that control each molecule at
every moment are regulated and
coordinated by low-level ultraviolet
(UV) light (380 nm). Light, in a sense,
is the messenger that is because healthy skin didn’t ‘need’ the
communicating the cells’ reactions to light and so ‘got rid’ of it, whereas the
each other. psoriatic regions did need it and so
Popp’s more recent investigations retained it.
concern changes in light production
following medical treatment. In one, Cellular communication
medicated ointment was applied to a Popp believes that he has uncovered
spot on a patient’s arm. In another, a new channel of communications
in a patient with psoriasis affecting within the body that uses light as a
both arms, Popp applied the standard means of instantaneous, ‘non-local’,
treatment for psoriasis, shining a UV signalling to the rest of the
lamp on both psoriatic and healthy organism.
parts of one arm for five minutes. After Popp’s research takes us one step
a few minutes in both these tests, closer to understanding how our
Popp then measured the bio-photon body communicates with itself as
emissions from the treated parts of the well as with the rest of the universe.
arm as well as those from various Parts of the body tell each other the
untreated parts of the body. state of things through tiny notes of
Using exacting equipment—devices light. His findings also suggest why
that count light emissions photon by the tools of modern medicine so
photon—they discovered something often have blunderbuss effects.
remarkable. If emissions from one part Even if a treatment is well-targeted,
of the body either increased or such a non-local communications
decreased, so did those from the other system will cause it to have a global
parts of the body. effect on the living organism.
In his first such experiment, Popp Although light is being explored
found a large change in the light for healing wounds and other skin
emissions not only from where he’d conditions, and for pain relief, light
applied the ointment, but also from research is still in its infancy. Each
distant parts of the body. What’s more, wavelength and frequency appears
the size of the changes correlated to create a different reaction, so it’s
across the entire body; even from important to tread carefully at this
those parts where no ointment had preliminary stage.
been applied, Popp recorded the same Indeed, even light can have side-
increase in light as from where the effects. Patients may experience
medicine had been applied. hypomania (a state between eupho-
In the psoriatic patient after ria and a manic ‘high’) or hyper-
receving the UV therapy, the light activation of the autonomic nervous
emissions roughly quadrupled from system, especially early in the treat-
both healthy and psoriatic areas of ment (CNS Spectr, 2005; 10: 647–63).
skin, again regardless of whether or Nevertheless, this is the first
not they’d been exposed to UV rays. evidence that the signalling and
An hour later, all parts of the exchange of photons constantly
body—treated or untreated, healthy carried on between living things is
or unhealthy—had reverted to iden- not just a means of communication.
tical light emissions, although the As we are truly beings of light, we
healthy regions of skin showed twice may also be able to correct our own
the amount of delayed luminescence light when it goes awry.
as did unhealthy regions. This may be Lynne McTaggart
The role of vitimin D
Low levels of vitamin D may play a role in the cognitive decline typically
experienced by the elderly. Vitamin D deficiency is known to be common
in older adults, and has also been linked to psychiatric and neurological
disorders. In a study of 80 patients, 40 of whom had Alzheimer’s disease
and 40 of whom had no dementia-type disease, and after adjusting for age,
race, gender and season, the study found that vitamin D deficiency was
associated with a poor performance on cognitive tests and with mood
disorders (Am J Geriatr Ps y c h i a t r y, 2006; 14: 1032–4 0).
WDDTY Mind Medicine 35
Energy medicine
Music as medicine
Research shows that using music as medicine can reduce pain, ease
anxiety and even reverse brain damage.
ost of us have listened to
M music for motivation,
relaxation or inspiration.
But few people realize just
how powerful this auditory stimulus
can be. Since ancient times, music has
served as a healing tool for both body
and mind. Now, studies show that
music may be an effective treatment for
conditions as varied as heart disease,
depression and stroke.
Among the latest is a review of 23
trials, involving nearly 1500 partici-
pants, of music in the treatment of
coronary heart disease. Each patient
randomly received standard care with
or without music therapy.
The findings included beneficial
effects on blood pressure, heart and
respiratory rates, and anxiety and pain
as a result of music therapy. In most
cases, this involved listening
to prerecorded music plus the routine
care. Whether a trained music
therapist could elicit further benefits
remains to be seen (Cochrane Database
Syst Rev, 2009; 2: CD006577).
This study adds to a growing body of
evidence that music can be used
in a variety of medical settings. Its
anxiety- and pain-reducing effects
can help cancer patients, those under-
going surgery, and adults and children
alike (South Med J, 2005; 98: 282–8).
In one remarkable study, listening to
music proved to be just as effective as
sedatives in relieving the anxiety
of 207 patients before an operation.
The researchers found no significant
differences in anxiety, cortisol level,
heart rate and blood pressure between
those taking diazepam and those who
listened to music in the run-up to
surgery (Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim, 2007; 54:
3 5 5–8).
In a review of several trials by
scientists from Stanford University,
music therapy was reported to be
effective for the chronic, often
debilitating, pain experienced by
cancer patients. By reducing anxiety,
listening to music indirectly lessened
pain intensity and, so, improved the
36 WDDTY Mind Medicine
patients’ quality of life (Hawaii Med J, 2007;
66: 292–5).
Music and the brain
Perhaps the most exciting music-as-
medicine research is the recent
Another compelling study looked at
the effects of music on three stroke
patients who had lost half their field
of vision, a condition known as ‘visual
neglect’. The patients completed
evidence suggesting a role for music in tasks under three conditions: while
stroke rehabilitation. listening to music they liked; while
According to a study carried out in listening to music they didn’t like; and
Helsinki, Finland, listening to music for in silence. While listening to music of
a few hours every day can boost their choice, all patients were able
cognitive and emotional recovery in the to much more accurately identify
early stages following a stroke. coloured shapes and red lights on the
The researchers compared the depleted side of their visual field (Proc
recovery of 60 stroke patients who Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2009; 106: 6011–6).
listened daily to either music of their The precise mechanisms behind
choice, audio books or nothing at all these effects are still unclear, but one
over a period of two months. In possibility is that music directly
addition, all of the patients received the stimulates recovery in damaged areas
usual standard medical care and of the brain. Another theory is that the
rehabilitation. positive emotions elicited by music
The results showed that the may result in more efficient brain
recovery of verbal memory and focus- neuronal signalling. Although more
ed attention (ability to control and research is needed, a number
perform mental operations, and resolve of experts are now recommending
conflicts) improved significantly more everyday music listening as a valuable
with music than with audio books and addition to the care of stroke patients.
nothing at all. The music group also felt As for the rest of us, it seems that
less depressed and confused than the any type of music can be beneficial—as
no-music group. These differences long as we like it. Indeed, listening to
were still present six months later, our favourite music may be an effective
suggesting that music may have long- way to ease the anxiety and stress of
term effects on brain function and these tough economic times.
mood (Brain, 2008; 131: 866–76). Joanna Evans
Other applications of music
◆ Multiple sclerosis. Music offers a variety of psychosocial and emotional
benefits to MS sufferers, including improvements in self-acceptance,
anxiety and depression (Expert Rev Neurother, 2006; 6: 469–7 7).
◆ Depression. Compared with controls, depressives treated with music
therapy performed significantly better on standardized tests of
depression, distress, self-esteem and mood (J Gerontol, 1994; 49: P265–9).
◆ Insomnia. In a small study of 15 people, music relaxation was better
than muscle relaxation for improving sleep (J Music Ther, 2008; 45: 360–80).
◆ S c h i z o p h r e n i a. Music therapy added to standard care was superior to
standard care alone for patients with schizophrenia (Cochrane Database
Syst Rev, 2005; 2: CD004025).
◆ Alzheimer’s disease. Music therapy can significantly reduce anxiety,
depression and aggressiveness in Alzheimer’s patients. It has also
allowed access to memories that were previously lost (Encephale, 2009;
35: 57–65).