Mind Machine Blog

From Dr. Lloyd Glauberman, creator of the HPP series:

November 26, 2007 – 3:48 pm

Over the past 15 years the HPP series, aimed at improving one’s “emotional intelligence (EQ)” with speed, power and overall efficacy, has gone through numerous changes. The current series, recorded in three-dimensional sound, allows the listener to feel as if the “doctor” is in the room. Additionally, the technology enhances the synergy between the peripheral messages and the metaphoric content of the stories.

Psychologist Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence recently introduced the idea that emotional skills, which include self control, mood management, persistence, self motivation and getting along with others, are a unique form of intelligence. As Goleman cites, emotional intelligence more than IQ, is responsible for an individual’s success in life. Research suggests that IQ accounts for only 20% of success in life, while EQ accounts for the remaining 80%.

My focus is to help adults and adolescents acquire or refine emotional skills. While IQ is an area that can’t be changed, EQ skills can be improved considerably. One can learn to control the inner world of emotions – or in other words, the rational/emotional split, the feeling/thinking struggle, and deal successfully with life’s tasks. Being able to channel emotion into successful behaviors, as opposed to being overwhelmed by them, is a core component of these living skills.

In the 1960’s, Psychologist Abraham Maslow, one of the fathers of the human potential movement, coined the term self actualization to describe the innate desire for personal fulfillment, the desire to be everything one is capable of being. He believed that having a handle on one’s emotions and using them constructively, striking that perfect balance between thinking and feeling, is essential to self actualization.

The central problem with most self help products is the amount of time and energy needed to maximize benefits. Whether it is a book, audio or video, the user is expected to do more than simply read the book or listen to or watch a tape. Getting the most out of the material involves making a commitment over a period of time. I believe for a personal development product to be valuable it needs to meet four criteria: effective, easy to use, entertaining and expedient.

The HPP series of audio programs successfully meet all the criteria for a personal development audio product. The series modify thoughts, feelings and behavior without conscious effort, and it is easy to use (all you need is a CD or MP3 player, headphones and 30 minutes of uninterrupted time). Recorded in three dimensional sounds and using multiple story-telling as a framework, the CDs create a delightful fantasy world. The relaxation aspect of the programs occurs within minutes, and the emotional/behavioral changes within days after listening.

The HPP series uses the words and the phrases from dual stories to form suggestions for change. These powerful suggestions are heard “peripherally” and stored by one’s unconscious mind for future use. They then generate spontaneous changes in the areas of one’s emotional life, respecting both individuality and specific needs.

Speed has taken over our lives, and while having things move faster offers benefits in the form of increased convenience, the downside is stress. Stress negatively impacts on one’s relationships and productivity. Auto-programmed hormones relating to survival (defense/withdrawal) surge during stress. An estimated 75% of medical complaints are stress related. Everything from heart attacks to backaches, headaches, blood pressure, and skin problems are caused by or exacerbated by stress. And on the psychological side, anger, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, relationship problems, etc., are all stress related. Any successful attempt to manage stress must include relaxation as a core component.

In order to manage stress productively, each of us needs to trigger, what Dr. Herbert Benson described as the relaxation response in which the mind/body goes into a state of profound comfort where breathing and pulse slow, blood pressure drops and muscles become heavy and relaxed. Calming one’s emotional state by triggering the relaxation response has a beneficial effect on the immune system as well. Emotions can clearly influence immune functioning both positively as well as negatively, suggesting that there is a compelling relationship between emotions and health. Stress tends to create negative emotional states. Mood management in a general sense and relaxation in particular, not only are characteristics of emotional intelligence, but play a role in keeping us physically healthy.

In the 1920’s the electroencephalogram (EEG), a device that measures brain wave activity was invented. As a result of research with the EEG, we know the brain produces four distinct types of waves associated with different states of consciousness: beta, alpha, theta and delta.

Beta is the normal waking “active” state focus is upon the outside world and problem-solving. Alpha occurs when one slows down, become more relaxed, and turns toward internal events. As one continues to relax theta waves are generated. The theta or “twilight state,” exists in between waking and sleep and is often accompanied by dreamlike imagery, sudden insights to a problem and vivid memories. Moreover, one’s ability to learn and absorb information is greatly enhanced while in this state. The last of the four brain wave states is the slowest, delta, which is associated with sleep.

In the 1970’s, Elmer and Alyce Green, researchers at the Menninger foundation, explored the theta state in their book, Beyond Biofeedback, which describes the deep state as one where there was a quieting of emotions, body and thought. Dr. Thomas Budzinski, who coined the term “twilight state,” also studied the theta state and focused on the learning properties of the state. He found that subjects in “theta” were highly suggestible, able to learn large amounts of information quickly.

Dr. Milton Erickson, a psychiatrist trained in classical psychoanalysis, noticed that certain nonconformist or “unusual” techniques seemed to be more effective than insight-oriented psychotherapy. The magic behind Erickson’s skill was the use of storytelling, tailoring each metaphoric story to the needs of the individual or couple with whom he was working. His powerful hypnotic technology shut down the logical part of the mind, the “chatter box” that accompanies the waking state, resulting in a very relaxed, receptive state of mind.

Prior to developing the HPP series, I conducted a pilot research project with ten individual subjects referred by clients and provided them with audio programs. Each program began with a story about a person with a problem who was struggling to find a solution. Eight minutes into the story a split occurred whereby two additional stories were told simultaneously. When those stories concluded 15 minutes later, the initial story finished, and underneath the stories, subliminal messages were embedded. Anxiety and drinking among the subjects lessened, and seven out of the ten noted an improved sense of well being, feeling more relaxed, improved relationships and more productivity. And five noted more restful sleep.

As I reviewed the feedback from the research subjects and patients, certain patterns emerged. First, there was the immediate calming effect of listening and the cumulative relaxation effect that listened produced over time. Second, there were specific changes in thinking, feeling and behaving that occurred spontaneously, without conscious awareness. These changes usually occurred within a short period of time after the individual began listening.

Erickson constructed his stories/metaphors to parallel the problems his patients presented to him. He would borrow from his own life experiences or those of his family and patients to construct these therapeutic narratives. The feedback of our research subjects directed us to use “The Myth of the Hero” theme made famous by mythologist Joseph Campbell as a core component of the HPP technology: A person experiencing some difficulty in their life is briefly removed from reality as he knows it, goes through some transformational experience which brings out the best in him, and then returns to everyday life a changed person. I also took the liberty to embellish this theme by including all kinds of magical characters who provide support for the protagonist.

We know that many of our problems as adults began when we were children. That means the thinking, feeling and behaving patterns, which can be conceived as problems in Emotional Intelligence, occurred while we were in the theta brain wave state during childhood. Therefore, it makes sense that reentering this state opens up a therapeutic window of opportunity to grow emotionally.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the category of skills that research shows maximizes the possibility for happiness and success in life. These skills include persistence, empathy, mood management, and self control. And unlike IQ, EQ is not a fixed entity. EQ skills can be improved as well as acquired during adulthood, making our lives richer.

The HPP audio programs provide the ideal vehicle for generating positive emotional shifts for increasing one’s EQ. Combining the latest in communication technology with 3-Dimensional sound, the HPP series gently guide you down into the “theta” state of consciousness. This unique state is a “window” to the unconscious that allows for rapid learning and change. The entire HPP series is available at
www.Mindmachines.com .