HEMISPHERIC BRAIN SYNCHRONIZATION WITH THE MONROE INSTITUTE© 2009 by Linda Leblanc, Outreach Facilitator of The Monroe Institute

In this high-tech, high-stress world, many people feel the need for easy-to-use techniques to help to relax both the body and the mind. The use of sound and music for healing has a long history and current research reveals that sound has a powerful effect on almost every aspect of the body and the mind of the listener.  For decades music has been a key element in superlearning and it has been discovered that music can naturally synchronize the brain and entrain brainwaves and the heart rate.

          In the 1950s, American Robert Monroe, a successful businessman and broadcast executive, pioneered a new kind of sound technology.  Fascinated with the possibilities of using sound to alter human consciousness, Monroe’s research using audio sound patterns to induce specific states of consciousness was the basis of the patented technology now known as Hemi-Sync®, which uses tones to balance both hemispheres of the brain.  The author of three books describing his many extraordinary experiences, Monroe discovered that specific sound patterns and frequencies have beneficial, measurable effects on an individual’s capabilities.  For example, some frequencies enhance alertness; others may induce sleep and still others evoke meditative states of expanded awareness. 

          Monroe was the founder of The Monroe Institute (TMI), a non-profit educational and research organization based in the USA, which is dedicated to researching the impact of Hemi-Sync and sound on the brain.  Although people in this part of the world may be unfamiliar with Hemi-Sync, TMI has an international reputation for leading-edge research into consciousness.

          Following some 50 years of research, there are today over 300 Hemi-Sync CDs which may be used at home to aid relaxation and stress reduction, to stimulate creativity, to improve sleep and concentration, etc.  There are CDs that are specially designed to enhance the immune system, to support treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, and even to lose weight or to stop smoking.

          Hemi-Sync is combined with music or oral guidance (in English) to enhance its effectiveness. The dozens of “Metamusic^®” selections, which range from  classical  to New  Age, sound like ordinary music to the listener, but have  Hemi-Sync sound patterns embedded beneath the music.  By sending slightly different sounds to each ear through stereo headphones, the two hemispheres of the brain are induced to act together to create a third signal, the difference between the two sounds.  This electrical signal can be perceived only when both hemispheres of the brain are working in unison. 

          In addition to the audio products available for home use, TMI conducts educational courses.  Over 20,000 people have attended  specially-designed week-long residential programmes. There is also a world-wide network of Outreach trainers, who provide local programmes, where one can experience first-hand the effects of Hemi-Sync, in an informal, relaxed workshop setting, with a trained facilitator. 

          The island of Cyprus happens to be home to the only accredited Monroe Institute trainer in this part of the world. Since the year 2000, over 300 participants have attended the courses in Cyprus, which produce overwhelmingly positive comments, such as “a remarkable experience”, “I don’t think it could be better - perfect” and “a treasured experience for me and it opened a little bit more the door to spiritual awakening”.  These courses, held in English, have attracted participants not only from Cyprus, but also from Lebanon, Israel, Greece, UK, France and Ukraine.  The workshops are always a mix of many nationalities and people from all walks of life participate. Many men attend, attracted by the science behind the technology. 

          The two-day “Excursion” is a results-oriented programme designed to assist in expanding awareness and intuition and applying one’s full potential to all areas of life.  Specifically designed exercises with the Hemi-Sync audio-guidance technology form the core of the workshop, together with explanation, discussion and supportive group interaction. 

         During this two-day adventure, participants learn step-by-step how to move comfortably through controlled stages starting with deep relaxation and then gently leading to various states of heightened awareness such as “Mind Awake/Body Asleep“, a deeply relaxed state in which the body is asleep and the mind maintains full alertness and control.  Participants experience first-hand the beneficial deep relaxation, greater levels of creativity and self-awareness.  They explore various states of expanded awareness such as “peak experiences” and even the out-of-body state. They also learn techniques for overcoming fears, solving problems and how to use these practical, easy-to-use tools in everyday life.   Cost of the weekend course (09:00 to 18:00, Saturday & Sunday), is €170, including tuition, a workshop manual, lunch & refreshments.  Also included is a $100 certificate for the Gateway Voyage residential course, now being held in Europe.  

          The world-renowned Gateway Voyage week-long residential program will be coming to sunny Cyprus in 2010, from 29 May to 4 June. Participants explore the far reaches of inner space during a full week of relaxing, as subtle changes in brainwave patterns allow them to:

• Awaken latent abilities and creative powers
• Release fears and blocks
• Advance big steps in meditation
• Connect with other dimensions
• Fast forward your personal/spiritual evolution

          Cost:  €1,495, including tuition, room and full board for six nights and a special Gateway take home CD.  There is a €100 discount for early booking at least one month beforehand.

        Both the Excursion and the Gateway Voyage courses are suitable for all levels, including “first-timers”.  All one needs is a sense of adventure and openness to explore the leading-edge of brain/mind technology, successfully tested by tens of thousands of listeners over many decades. 

          For further information about Hemi-Sync courses and CDs, contact:

   Linda Leblanc, Outreach Facilitator of The Monroe Institute, Tel. 357-26-621272, psygnos@spidernet.com.cy   www.psychognosia.org   www.monroeinstitute.org