1. Welcome to Issue #108 (FEBRUARY 16, 2003) of MIND CHATTER, the twice-monthly e-mail newsletter of Centerpointe Research Institute: www.centerpointe.com 2. Update on new Mind Chatter format: Still no progress! I promised you a several issues ago that we were going to a new format in which the actual Mind Chatter email would be much smaller, with links to a web page containing the full articles. You may have noticed as you view this issue that (again) we did not do what we said we would do. Well, we ARE going to change to this new format (which will allow us to make Mind Chatter much better, add graphics and illustrations, and do some other great things), but we found there were a few technical challenges that we needed to solve first. I am working on this--really! I've just had several minor emergencies that have taken all my time lately. Some people have told us they do not want this new format, so when we launch it, it will be a choice, and if you don't want it you can still receive Mind Chatter in the old format. So please accept my apologies. we just jumped the gun in announcing the change. As soon as we are able, we WILL be going to this new format. Promise. 3. Do you want to Unsubscribe?? Gasp!! Please don't! You can manage your account via the links at the beginning and end of the newsletter. 4. In This Issue: **Mind Quotes. **Improve Your Relationship by Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks, creators of ATTRACTING GENUINE LOVE and other cyber-courses on transformation **Letters, Letters, I Get Letters by Bill Harris, Director **Glowing Testimonial of the Month **BOOK REVIEW, By Marc Gilson Change Your Brain, Change Your Life Daniel G. Amen, M. D. **Important Announcements 5. MIND CHATTER contains articles about: ** How you create your life -- and how you can stop unconsciously creating experiences and outcomes you do not want, and instead begin to create exactly what you do want. **Personal and spiritual growth in general. **Meditation (high and low-tech) **Recovery from emotional trauma. **Pretty much any other subject I get excited about and want to write about. 6. Free on-line Holosync demo: If you aren't in the program now and would like to hear and experience a sample, please listen to our on-line Holosync demo: Online Demo Click Here for Holosync Demo. 7. Finally, if you aren't already benefiting from the Centerpointe program--PLEASE JOIN! (What are you waiting for??) There's a RISK FREE one-year money-back guarantee and you can even pay in convenient payments on your credit card. You can join by calling 1-800-945-2741 or 503-672-7117 - 24 hours a day. Or, just click here: Puchase Awakening Prologue We look forward to having you in the program and helping you dramatically accelerate your mental, emotional, and spiritual growth, as over 100,000 people in 172 countries have already done! 8. Mind Quotes Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness. - Seneca How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and the strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these. - George Washington Carver Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, this time more wisely. - unknown Great changes may not happen right away, but with effort even the difficult may become easy. - Bill Blackman The willow knows what the storm does not: that the power to endure harm outlives the power to inflict it. - Blood of the Martyr 9. News Flash: In the last couple of issues I mentioned that I was recently interviewed by Tim Miejan, editor-in-chief of The EDGE, a newspaper with editions in both Minneapolis/St. Paul and Kansas City. It turned out to be a great interview, I know you will benefit from it, and I'd like you to be able to read it. The interview will appear in the February issue of The Edge, which will hit the streets on about January 31st. Not only that, but beginning with the March issue, The Edge will begin featuring a series of my articles in each issue. The EDGE's has over 100,000 readers, with content focusing on personal growth, meditation, integrative healing, and other topics I know you'll be interested in. Each month, contributors from throughout the nation offer their perspective on such topics as meditation, personal empowerment, freedom, preparing our children for the future, and other cutting edge topics. The paper regularly contains interviews with such internationally known contributors as Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, physicist Peter Russell, artist Alex Grey, futurist Barbara Marx Hubbard -- and now, me! I have known about The Edge for some time now, and have great respect for what they are doing. Just recently, I've been lucky enough to get to know both Tim Miejan, the chief editor, and Gary Beckman, the owner. The Edge may be the best newspaper of its kind in the entire US, and I think Mind Chatter readers would benefit from subscribing. My interview will appear in the next issue, which comes out in about 2 weeks, and after that they will carry a regular article written by me. A one-year subscription is $35, a real bargain considering what you get. (Neither I nor Centerpointe receive any money from any of this, by the way.) To subscribe, just send a check for $35, or your credit card number with expiration date, to: The EDGE, 14590 Bowers Dr. NW, Ramsey, MN 55303, or call toll-free 1 (888) 776-7616. Major credit cards accepted. For more on The EDGE, go to THE EDGE 10. Improve Your Relationship by Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks, creators of ATTRACTING GENUINE LOVE and other cyber-courses on transformation. RELATIONSHIP QUESTION OF THE WEEK: QUESTION: I have noticed my life is so full with raising my young daughter as a single parent-and maintaining my career while retraining for a new career, that I have put love on the back burner. Finally, there seems to be space to explore dating again. I notice in these 6 years after my divorce I have built a life full of friendships and other responsibilities with little time left over for the activities of dating/searching for a single partner. I sense that it is partly my own coping strategy. I spend satisfying times with known friends where the connecting is predictable, and many of the singles events are far less genuine and satisfying. Any ideas for moving into a new behavior that makes room for integrating new single folks in my life -- without completely sacrificing the rewarding network of friendships that have filled the void in emotional support all these years? Answer: We recommend two things: First, open your intention to enjoy love in your life. In other words, let yourself know that it is okay to let someone in again. In Attracting Genuine Love we have an entire section on opening yourself up to your intention for love again. It is normal and natural to go through a period of healing after a divorce, and there is no way to tell just how long that will take. Second, do not focus on doing the typical singles thing like going to singles events. Instead, focus on doing more of what you love to do. If you love browsing in bookstores, go browse. You are just as likely to meet someone doing that than you are going to a traditional singles event. Enjoy! RELATIONSHIP TIPS: THE SEVEN ESSENTIAL COMMITMENTS YOU NEED TO MAKE BEFORE YOU INVITE LOVE INTO YOUR LIFE In our last issue we covered the third Personal Commitment: Take 100% responsibility for what happens in your life. Here is Personal Commitment Four. Commitment 4 When faced with the choice between being happy and being defensive, I commit to choosing happiness. I commit to doing this especially in those situations when my defensiveness seems most warranted and when it is totally obvious to me that I am right and the other person is wrong. One way to keep a bad relationship going is to play the blame game. Blame is a tool that people use to avoid looking into themselves. Blame keeps the game focused on externals and prevents us from looking at what is really going on inside ourselves. The moment we start to play the blame game, we have forgotten that we are the source for what is happening in our lives. Remember, what you get in relationship is a direct result of what you have decided you want, even if this decision was made on an unconscious level. In ATTRACTING GENUINE LOVE we lead you step-by-step through the process of identifying exactly what you want in a relationship. You are very powerful, and you can have what you want. TO BEGIN THE JOURNEY TO THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOUR DREAMS CLICK HERE 11. My new book Thresholds of the Mind, is back from the printer and available for sale. Thresholds of the Mind has been enthusiastically endorsed by a long list of personal growth leaders and authors, including Jack Canfield, Gay Hendricks, Daphne Rose Kingma, Dr. Margaret Paul, and others. I know you will find it to be very helpful. See the Announcement section at the end of this issue for some of what has been said about this book, and for information about ordering. 12. This Issue's Feature Article: Letters, Letters, I Get Letters by Bill Harris, Director Centerpointe Research Institute Here are a few letters I have received lately from Centerpointe program participants and readers of Mind Chatter, along with my answers. I hope they are helpful to you in your own growth. I always love receiving your questions and comments--especially when you do not agree with what I have said here, or do not understand what I have said. So please do write and let me know what you think. Dear Bill Harris, I have query to you. What is achievement in Life? Actually, each individual runs behind something. Some run behind money. Some run behind name and fame. Some get into spirituality (which has no ends) to feel the sense of completion/achievement. Each one's perception towards achievement differs according to their back ground or mind set. What should be the actual drive? I very often get a question as to what are you driven for in life. What is that you do coming here on earth? Is it relationship management? I met several people and asked the same question. Many in fact were trying to influence their perception of life. The purpose of life and achievement in life has become a joint quiz for me. If I start something in this search, I go seeking it and by the time I am reaching it, I feel this not complete and leads me to another search. I am mesmerized regarding this path of search. I met a friend of mine. He asked to listen this music of dive and immersion a couple of times. He said probably you might get an answer. After listening to it, my question is coming back to me more frequently than before. I have a good Multinational job. I am successful in my profession. I smile and enjoy my life. But this question ponders me a lot. There is something which I am not able to define in what I am seeking in spite of leading a happy go lucky life. It is not that I am greedy. If I am silent or if I achieve something, immediately I get a question "What Next"?. This what next is optimistic but what it is and why this question is coming to me is my question. Mr. Bill Harris, I will be happy, if you could kindly reply to me at the earliest. I am some how get the feeling that you will give me the right answer. Awaiting your reply. Thank you. Kind Regards, S. Mohan. Mohan, Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." You must agree with him! You are merely asking, as have millions of others, over thousands of years, "Who am I?" "Why am I here?" "What's it all about?" These are uniquely human questions. Since we are probably the only animal that knows it will die, we tend to find the "who am I?" question and the "what is the purpose of it all" question much more poignant and much more important. Mystics say that you are more than your body, emotions, thoughts, and various achievements and roles--that you are the nothingness (or, some say, the everythingness) that all of these things come out of--the background "something" that makes everything possible, the one energy that everything is made of. Spiritual practice is a process of becoming experientially aware of that deeper reality of who you are. You find yourself achieving many things, but are still left with less than full contentment, because all desire-based things and achievements are transitory. They provide temporary fulfillment, but not permanent fulfillment. So, we go from one thing to the next. Some people do this with desperation, all the while unhappy, while others do so because they love the challenge, and do so with happiness. In either case, these achievements have only a momentary effect. There is nothing wrong with playing the achievement game. I love playing the game of challenging myself--I play it to the hilt. But to feel truly fulfilled, there must be a contentment behind it all that is not based on--and is completely independent of--any outside circumstances. And, to come full circle, this contentment is based on knowing who you really are (the nothing/everything out of which all else is born and which makes all else possible). The process of making this discovery, which is not an intellectual discovery, but rather an experiential one, takes many forms. Meditation with Holosync is only one way to get there. It is a very fast and sure way, however, and one that really works. I hope this short description helps you sort things out. Be well. Bill This next exchange concerns the subject of OCD--Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Hi Bill, I found your newsletter particularly good this month. Probably because it is pertinent to me. I also have been and still am frustrated. The changes i have wanted have not happened. What has kept me going is your proof, research and experience. That someday I will break the shell. I'm also one of those guys who has tried many things, along with Holosync. If I may, I would like to tell you some of what I've learned since I last wrote. I recently read a book called Brain lock. I'm not sure if you are familiar with it. I read it because i suspected I had some sort of OCD. It is interesting and reveals something about how the brain works. I seem to have mild OCD or just in my thoughts. I routinely have to "sort things out" repeatedly and often the same things again and again. It would be an understatement to say that it drives me berserk. I am also plagued by worry, this is part of the same problem though. For example, I read your book that came with Al 1. [The Management of Evolutionary Change --Ed.] Tremendous stuff by the way, but became very agitated by what you said about certain therapies that can re-traumatise. Suddenly I went oh shit, I better not ever remember anything that happened to me, could re-traumatise myself or reinforce those core beliefs. Also I became afraid of doing even holistic breathing on issues or something that happened for the same fears. I felt trapped again, by my own thoughts and fears, the desperation to change. It's ridiculous, but yet it still seems like valid worries. Here's the guaranteed saviour Holosync, don't do anything to mess it up Brian! It almost seems too complex a problem for me to weave my way out. Another apt example is that i started carrying a notepad around with me and would jot down my thoughts and feelings(not just about myself, general too) when i felt the urge. Then one day I read that saying "I'm anxious" is bad, you must say "I'm feeling anxious". Suddenly i had to stop that whole practise for fear of f--king myself up. I would think why all the rules, why can't i just be free, write what i like, surely this should be a free practise. Isn't it developing the witness more. If you could offer some insight into this problem for me and the two specific problems i mentioned, i would be very grateful. I understand that there is a pattern to the specific problems as it has happened in many other things also. Each time I wrote a letter of this type your response was very helpful to me. Each time i wrote again, usually a month later, I could explain what was happening a little better. I'm hoping the answer will come, it seems to me anyway to be a very complex problem. Someday, Thanks. Regards, Brian Brian, I have been doing a lot of research on brain physiology and brain function lately, based on research done using SPECT scans of the brain, and how what these pictures of brain function show relates to various mental and emotional problems, only one of which is OCD. I do think, by the way, that you do show signs of OCD in your correspondence with me. Here is what I have learned: OCD is connected with over-activity of a part of the brain called the basal ganglia. Generally there is an over-production of dopamine in the brain in OCD, which results in low production of serotonin in the brain (the two tend to balance each other). High serotonin levels can create ADD, so there is a spectrum between high basal ganglia activity, high dopamine, low serotonin, and OCD on one hand, and low basal ganglia activity, low dopamine, high serotonin, and ADD on the other. The brain, of course, is more complex than this, but overall the above is true in most cases, all other things being equal. In terms of medication, those that increase serotonin could help (Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox), though this is of course a doctor's call. Though I know something about these medications, I am not professionally qualified to diagnose these things, and add this information only because it is something I have recently learned and pass it on as a friend. I am not by nature disposed to recommend drugs as a treatment anyway, though in some cases the suffering is enough that the drugs are a good temporary solution. Again, it is a doctor's call. I am beginning to believe, by the way, that one of the things that Holosync does is to balance basal ganglia function (which means that continued use of Holosync should help--I have seem many people with your condition recover as a result of using Holosync), regulating the relative production of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. I am meeting with researchers this week, in fact, to try to map out some studies to confirm this. I am told that a high protein, low carb diet (like Atkins or the Zone Diet) are good for those with over active basal ganglia, though be sure to see my other dietary comments below. The other part of the brain affected is called the cingulate gyrus, which runs down the middle of the brain from front to back, as if to slice your brain into left and right halves. the cingulate gyrus has a lot to do with a person's ability to shift attention, be cognitively flexible, to adapt to circumstances, to move easily from one idea to another, to "go with the flow," and to be cooperative. Since these are qualities we see pretty universally in those who have been in the program a while, I also am of the opinion that research will show that Holosync modulates and balances over- or under-activity in the cingulate gyrus. This is the part of the brain responsible for much of what I have extensively spoken and written of as "resiliency." When you get stuck on a thought and can't get it out of your head, when you worry, or when you have trouble switching a behavior that isn't working, the cingulate system is not working properly. Seeing many people who are stuck on thoughts (I was one of them) get over this as they use the program, I am very certain that Holosync also balances function in this part of the brain. Here are some ways to deal with the OCD aspects of your situation, based on recommendations from Dr. Daniel Amens, a prominent expert in the use of SPECT imaging to diagnose and treat many mental and emotional problems. 1. Notice when you're stuck, distract yourself, and come back to the problem later. Go do something else for a while and then come back to the problem. Sing a song, listen to music, take a walk, do a chore, play with a pet, meditate. 2. Write out options and solutions when you feel stuck. Writing things down makes them more concrete and lessens your ability to blow them out of proportion mentally. Write down a description of the problem in one sentence, then write out a list of things you can do about the program, then make a list of the things about the problem you can't do anything about. then take action on the things you can do something about and forget about the things you can't. 3. Try St. Johns Wort, which has been shown to mediate cingulate problems (usual dose is 300 mg a day, though sometimes it can be a much as 900 mg a day). Again, I am not a qualified medical practitioner, so please refer all suggestions for herbs or medication to someone who is qualified. I am merely acting as a resource, telling you what I have read. 4. Though high protein, low carb diets are good for overactive basal ganglia, they can make over-active cyngulate problems worse because they are low in l-tryptophan. Foods containing l-tryptophan include chicken, turkey, salmon, beef, peanut butter, eggs, green peas, potatoes, and milk, so you would think that a high protein diet with these foods work work. However, when you eat a high protein diet, because l-tryptophan is a relatively small amino acid, the larger amino acids compete more successfully to get into the brain, causing lower levels of brain serotonin. Dr. Amens recommends supplementation with 1000 to 3000 mg of l-tryptophan taken at bedtime. Other studies have shown that 12-20 mg of inositol, a B-vitamin, helps with problems of over-focus. Exercise also increases brain levels of l-tryptophan. 5. Keep using Holosync. If you can handle it, add an additional half hour each day. Over time, it will balance everything. It's not the things you are worried about that are the problem, but the worrying itself. You can see around you what most normal people are doing. Are they watching every word they say to make sure they don't phrase what they say to themselves incorrectly? No. and you don't need to, either. Just as a general rule, focus on, and think about, what you want for yourself, and when you notice yourself thinking about something you don't want or are worried about, distract yourself and then end by thinking about and focusing on what you want. All the rest are just details, and since you tend to get hung up on the details right now, I'd say forget about them. You'll get through this just fine. Just keep going. I was pretty messed up myself, and now I'm very happy and very peaceful pretty much all the time and most of whatever I do works out the way I planned it to work out. It can be the same for you. So learn to 1) notice when you are worrying or thinking about something you do not want, 2) distract yourself for a few minutes, 3) think about what you want. I suspect you want to be happy, peaceful, prosperous, have friends who care about you, have a loving relationship, have something engaging and challenging to do with your time. Start by imagining and thinking about those things whenever you find yourself worrying. Time will pass, you'll get better and better at it, and since what you think, you are, you're creating your future all the time. Hope this is helpful. Be well. Bill One more: I have a question for Bill Harris regarding his article in the last e-zine. More specifically about the following comment which appeared in the 10th principle section of the article. "Meditation with Holosync greatly speeds up this process, because it helps you become more conscious and aware of what you are creating, and it takes the emotional charge off things in your life and allows you to look at things from a more dispassionate perspective (i.e., be the witness)." The underlined section of the quote I copied peeked my curiosity in regard to passion or passionate people and if it is possible to be passionate and "be the witness "too? Looking forward to your answer. Have a Great Day! Andre L. Andre, The witness is always dispassionate, and just watches. The "you" it is watching can be as passionate as it wants to be. When you are the watcher, whatever serves you remains, and whatever does not serve you falls away. Passion for some things is good for you, while passion for others can be harmful. Only by being the witness can you easily know which is which. Be well. Bill PS: If you found this article helpful, please email Mind Chatter to a friend. 13. Glowing Testimonials and Letters Dear Bill Harris, Words cannot suffice to describe my inspired feeling after having read your articles you sent me over the e-mail. The depth of your knowledge about the mechanisms involved in reaching meditative levels is phenomenal and the world needs this technique. But I have a comment to make and I ask your forgiveness should it ever be construed as presumptuous on my part. I speak to you from my heart! Meditation is only a tool. Meditation is a means to an end. It is just like learning how to drive a car. Driving technique is only a means to an end. What is the end? What is your "goal", your "destination"? I feel that if you can also include "the purpose of meditation" in your articles, it will be an eye-opener. To me the purpose of meditation is use this God-created, God-given faculty, that is potential and latent within all of us, to enable every human being to invoke their powers and capacities to image in thoughts, words and deeds, the image of God within us! The end to all this must be to create true unity, so much so that every human being considers mankind as one family, this planet as one global home, and this transitory life on planet earth as the means to life a life-style in obedience to our Maker and bring about the inauguration of "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" and to give this planet and the body of mankind as a worthy gift to future generations! I pray that you will continue to be inspired to make this world a better world! Warm regards drsreeni {Bill comment: Boy, I don't know how you missed it, but there is actually very little in Mind Chatter about the mechanisms of meditation, and a whole lot about the purpose. In my opinion, the overall purpose is to know who you are, with the next level of purpose being the creation of awareness of how you create your reality, which allows you to stop creating it unconsciously and begin to create whatever you want.] ** Dear Centerpointe Staff, Hello Willy, or is it Billy? Your Dive CD is so silly. Sounds of brainwaves, inner training, But I'm sure I'll see the light when it stops raining.... Lots of pep talks, Lots of promos My enlight'ment still a no show, Still it will be, your insistence That the source of all my woes is my resistance. refrain: Lead me home, oh left brain, right brain Lead me home I want to ho-lo-res-o-nate (not mental masturbate....) So much water, keeps on fallin' Am I growin', synch or swimmin'? Still I practice, every mornin' And my knees and bottom give a constant groanin' So here's some more dough, I can't say no So please send me virtu'l Aud-i-oh I'll be bothered by the devil ('til I pony up and purchase the next level....) So I leave you, with my paycheck It's just money, what the hey! heck! On your hotline, I'll be whining That the light inside my skull is still not shining Lead me home Oh left brain, right brain Lead me home I want to holo-reso-nate not mental masturbate...... Here is my offering for the "after-glowing" testimonial of the month. best, Phil P. Freeport, Maine ** Dear Bill (and company), I say "and company," because I know you have a great staff supporting your work there. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your newsletter and that, although I'm looking forward to your "new format," I don't mind the old one at all. Your newsletters are constantly encouraging, inspiring, and informative and I look forward to reading them each time they arrive in my email. Keep up the good work. I'm sure the "technical issues" will be resolved soon. Blessings, Scott W. ** [This one is from Dr. Eric Robbins, author of the book Your Hands Can Heal, which we reviewed in the January 16, 2003 issue of Mind Chatter.] Hi Bill, Hope this email finds you doing well. I wanted to let you know that Leslie shipped your book/CD to Caroline Myss, who should be getting it by today. Obviously I'll forward along any feedback that I hear, and I'm hoping that she will contact you directly. I am still loving Awakening level 1. My overall anxiety level is down about 75%, and this has dramatically enriched my family and work life. I am actualizing certain spiritual realizations which, hitherto, were only abstractions. Thank you so much for this gift. I believe that I am getting close to 20 people who I have referred to you all. As far as our book, it seems to be doing well. My co-author just left on a 12 city book tour. We are hoping to get some national media publicity. Warm regards, Eric 14. BOOK REVIEW, By Marc Gilson Change Your Brain, Change Your Life Daniel G. Amen, M. D. © 1998, Times Books, Random House [This is a Mind Chatter Book Review "Classic." I am rerunning this because I just read this book myself and was so impressed with it I bought several copies to give to other people. --Bill] The world of neuropsychology is a mysterious one to most people. Of course we know the basic idea: the brain is the major player in terms of our ability to think clearly, remember information, communicate, etc. And when something goes wrong with the brain, it is certain to have an impact on these and other areas of our functioning. Beyond that, most of us do not have a working knowledge of brain anatomy, and few can say they have a comprehensive understanding of how the brain actually determines our moods, attitudes, and even beliefs. In Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, clinical neuroscientist Dr. Daniel G. Amen demonstrates in compelling fashion just how important the brain really is to proper mental, emotional, and physical health. In so doing, he goes a long way toward de-mystifying neuroscience. But rather than referring to the brain in a merely conceptual or generalized manner, Dr. Amen takes us directly into the brain, giving us a clear picture of five major brain structures, what happens when these structure malfunction, and what we can do to actually affect the way these brain structures function. Dr. Amen's research has been focused on the use of a cutting-edge brain imaging process called SPECT, "Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography." Dr. Amen and his colleagues have pioneered the use of this sophisticated tool in order to peer directly into specific brain centers and determine which parts of the brain may be under or over-active. Much of the time, Dr. Amen's SPECT scans correlate directly with particular behavioral or learning problems observed in the patient. This enables Dr. Amen to target treatment directly to the problem area of the brain, rather than taking a more trial-and-error approach by prescribing various medications and doses over a long period of time. With the help of the SPECT scans, Dr. Amen is able to create dramatic changes to the health of his patients by directly impacting the way the brain functions. For Dr. Amen, the SPECT is not just another brain imaging technique. It's a valuable tool which enables him to provide improvement to many people who had previously been "written-off" when more conventional approaches failed to help. Through the first portion of the book, Dr. Amen explains in detail what prompted him to take-up this research, and what has kept him so focused on the SPECT as such a crucial diagnostic tool. Most compelling are the numerous case histories Dr. Amen describes throughout the book. From serious brain trauma, to severe emotional problems, to challenging learning disabilities, time and again the SPECT scans provide a basis for effective treatment. Change Your Brain, Change Your Life is more than a series of interesting case histories, however. In each section, Dr. Amen describes one area of the brain; what role it plays in our emotional states, mental abilities, etc. and what happens when that part of the brain is malfunctioning. Dr. Amen then provides detailed checklists and questions to help the reader pinpoint potential problems with their own brain functioning. Lastly, Dr. Amen provides a series of what he calls "brain prescriptions" that readers can follow to improve their own brain functioning. These prescriptions involve a wide array of techniques and exercises which can actually change the way the brain functions. For example, SPECT scans often show a correlation between depression and problems in the deep limbic system of the brain. Dr. Amen provides numerous suggestions to address this problem such as killing the "ANTs", ("automatic negative thoughts"). He also suggests using pleasant fragrances as a means of directly cooling the deep limbic system, thereby relieving many effects of depression. Many conditions are addressed in Change Your Brain, Change Your Life; depression, anxiety, anger, obsessiveness, PMS, attention deficit and more. While Dr. Amen emphasizes that the advice in his book is not intended to replace the services of a qualified health professional, the purpose of the book is clearly rooted in the idea that many kinds of brain problems can be addressed with some relatively simple - and sometimes all-too-obvious - lifestyle changes. If there's a problem with the book it's that Dr. Amen's portrayal of the formula: brain problem + SPECT scan + brain prescription = cure, is a little too cut-and-dried even for the lay person to accept. While the advice the book gives to optimize brain performance and health is generally simple, little of the brain prescription material is particularly new. Most people who suffer from depression already know, without a SPECT scan, that being around happy people, avoiding negative thinking, and enjoying positive memories can help them feel better. And most people with a compulsive disorder have probably been told that a little physical exercise may help. This isn't news. What may be news to some, however, is that with SPECT imaging Dr. Amen can show that these kinds of simple techniques can actually change brain chemistry. While some may find the book to be an over-simplification of brain problems, Dr. Amen provides visual proof that what we think has as much impact on our physical brains as what we eat has on our bodies. So although the brain prescription information may not be a revolutionary approach to treatment, it's likely to inspire people to take these simple techniques more seriously now that there is physical evidence that they really do make a difference. Change Your Brain, Change Your Life is a valuable contribution to those interested in both brain research and personal growth. It gives us a glimpse directly into the fascinating inner workings of the brain, and provides empowering ways to change our brains, and change our lives. 15. Important Announcements (and I do mean important): **My new book, Thresholds of the Mind, is back from the printer, and I'd like to you to own a copy and read it. I have found that those who read the book have some tremendous "ah ha's" about their life and how they can do something to make it one of happiness, inner peace, and success. Here are some comments about Thresholds of the Mind from some prominent personal growth leaders: " In Thresholds of the Mind, Bill Harris offers a creative and practical new twist on why we suffer, and how, despite our resistance, we can attain deep happiness and inner peace, regardless of our past or present conditions. Thresholds of the Mind will benefit anyone interested in creating dramatic and powerful positive change." Jack Canfield , Co-author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul¬ series. " For many years Kathlyn and I have taught that the central problem human beings face is what we call the Upper Limits problem-the tendency to settle below the threshold of what is possible to achieve. Bill Harris not only understands this problem, he has created an ingenious technology for breaking through it, With the remarkable Holosync audio technology developed at Centerpointe Research Institute, all of us can now learn to live at a new and higher level of functioning. Do yourself a huge favor by reading Thresholds of the Mind and working with Holosync audio technology. Gay Hendricks, Ph.D. author of CONSCIOUS LIVING and co-author (with Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks ) of CONSCIOUS LOVING President, The Hendricks Institute " Bill Harris comes from deep personal experience with healing and consciousness. Thresholds of the Mind is truly inspiring and filled with profound wisdom. Holosync is the perfect addition to other growth and spiritual processes." Margaret Paul, Ph.D. author/coauthor of Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?, Healing Your Aloneness, Inner Bonding, and Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By God? " With a loving heart, Bill Harris guides us to the thresholds of the mind. This remarkable book is not only a profound tool for healing. It is also an invitation to explore the mystical interface between technology and the soul." Daphne Rose Kingma , author of The Future of Love, Heart & Soul, and Coming Apart Here's how to order a copy of Thresholds of the Mind: Call 800-945-2741 or 503-672-7117, or fax your order to 503-643-3114. If you are a Centerpointe program participant, you can go to the Participants site and click on "Etc" and you will find the book listed for sale there. The cost is $19.95 plus $2.50 shipping (US), $6 shipping (Canada), $10 shipping (all other countries.) Or join the Centerpointe program, if you are not a participant now, and we'll send you one FREE. **Six Months of Growth in Just 5 Days? Impossible? NOT! That is, not if you sign up for the next Centerpointe retreat. Our upcoming retreat in March of 2003 at Glen Ivy Hot Springs and Spa in Corona California is full, and there is even a waiting list, but you can still sign up for the next Breitenbush Hot Springs retreat in July of 2003 in Oregon! We filled the last two US retreats without even sending out a promotional letter, so if you have a big issue you'd like to eliminate, or just want to take your growth to the next level, don't wait -- call Centerpointe and sign up today, even though July might seem to be a long way off. Otherwise, you may find this retreat sold out and you'll be out of luck! Don't delay--I promise, the Breitenbush retreat will fill up fast. What if it doesn't work for you? No problem. We GUARANTEE results! If, at the end of the retreat, you don't think it was 'as advertised' -- and more -- we'll refund your money! You do not need to be a program participant to attend (though most people who attend are). (And if you're not a program participant, why the heck aren't you? Quit procrastinating and join.) Click here for more information: Centerpointe Retreat Information Or, call us between 9:30 and 5:00 Pacific time, M-F, at 1-800-945-2741 or 503-672-7117. **A reminder that Dr. Beverlee Taub, Ph.D therapist, facilitator and life coach, is available to help you maximize your opportunities and overcome your obstacles. She has an international telephone coaching clientele and supports those who wish to combine an in-depth inquiry with their use of the Holosync technology. Even though Dr. Taub has her own independent practice and is not a part of Centerpointe, she has utilized and recommended the Centerpointe program since its development in the late 1980's. She has been a consultant, coach, and friend to Bill Harris for over 17 years. Dr. Taub is a key facilitator at Centerpointe retreats, leading attendees in what she calls "transformational games," as well as meeting privately with those who desire more in depth work. Telephone appointments with Dr. Taub can be arranged by calling Dr. Taub directly at (503) 641-5408. There is no charge for an initial consultation with Dr. Taub and fees for additional sessions may be negotiated directly with her. Appointments are required. Visit the "Participant's Only" section of the Centerpointe web site where you can: Order deeper levels, headphones, and other products on-line. Just go to Centerpointe Home Page - click on "Participants" and follow the instructions. 16. Archives of previous editions of Mind Chatter (great stuff) can be found at: Our Newsletter Archives