Ronald Russell - Focusing the Whole Brain

Over 40 years ago my father, Robert Monroe, had no idea the breadth and scope into which his early research would grow. This book, so beautifully compiled by Ron Russell, illustrates the remarkable range of applications of the Hemi-Sync sound technology, from the very practical to the exploration of the farthest reaches of human consciousness. I am so grateful for this compelling tribute to Bob's legacy and to all who continue his work with such dedication and devotion. Together, we ARE making a difference!

Laurie Monroe, President
The Monroe Institute

Other Books by Ronald Russell

The Vast Enquiring Soul

Using the Whole Brain (ed.)

Swimming for Life: The Therapy of Swimming

The Country Canal

and 11 other titles

Copyright 2004

by Ronald Russell

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this work in any form whatsoever, without permission in writing from the publisher, except for brief passages in connection with a review.

Cover design by Marjoram Productions

Cover art by 2003 Image Source/Picture Quest. All rights reserved.

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The following are registered trademarks of The Monroe Institute:

Metamusic

Gateway Voyage

Gateway Experience

Mind Food

H-PLUS

Human Plus

Hemi-Sync

Going Home

Exploration 27

Guidelines

Lifelines

If you are unable to order this book from your local bookseller, you may order directly from the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Russell, Ronald.

Focusing the whole brain : transforming your life with hemispheric synchronization / Ronald Russell.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 1-57174-378-2 (alk. paper)

1. Cerebral hemispheres. 2. Sound--Psychological aspects. 3. Mind and body therapies. 4. Imagery (Psychology) 5. Brain. I. Title.

QP381.R876 2004

158.1--dc22

2003021781

ISBN 1-57174-378-2

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Printed on acid-free paper in Canada

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Laurie Monroe

Robert Monroe was a leader in the production of radio network programs in New York City in the forties and fifties. In 1956, he became interested in the feasibility of learning during sleep. He was curious about that third of our life in which our time and energy might be wasted. Since he was an expert in sound, he began to experiment with frequency patterns that could evoke various stages of sleep. As a child, I remember being one of the subjects for a learning experiment.

In 1958, my father began to experience states of consciousness that were totally unfamiliar to him. He experienced himself as totally separate and apart from his physical body. Since he had no formal religious training or spiritual background, he looked to Western science to find the reason for these occurrences.

Through the years, his work was diverted into the exploration of consciousness. Researchers, engineers, scientists, educators, psychotherapists and many others joined him in this quest. Their interest and participation have brought the Hemi-Sync process to its current level of development. Many books now reference Robert Monroe's work as a pioneer in the exploration of the non-locality of consciousness.

Using the Whole Brain, edited by Ronald Russell, M.A., and originally published in 1993, contained a wealth of information pertaining to the use of the Hemi-Sync technology as a tool that has benefited thousands of people in understanding more deeply the conscious mind. I am eternally grateful to him for the enormous amount of time and energy he has invested in compiling this new edition. Russ was a friend and colleague of my father's for many, many years. He is dedicated to the work of The Monroe Institute and to sharing the many practical applications and benefits of the Hemi-Sync process. This book is a measure of his support and commitment to our work and a testament to the effectiveness of the Hemi-Sync technology.

Thank you, Russ, for your contribution, assisting others to better understand how they may use Hemi-Sync to further their own personal growth and develop their unlimited potential.

Robert A. Monroe (1915-1995)

Reprinted from the preface to Using the Whole Brain, 1993

The inescapable law of cause and effect can't be ignored, whatever the situation or the reaction.We may or may not like or anticipate the result. Yet there will be one, even many years later.

That is the case in Hemi-Sync, our acronym for hemispheric synchronization. Back in 1956, our New York-based company had been a leader in the production of radio network programs, using voices, music, and specialized sound. With the rising power of television, a decision had to be made whether to convert to this new medium or to try something else.

A possibility came to our attention: learning during sleep, that third of our lives over which we had little or no control and where much of our time and energy may well be wasted.We set up a research and development program to explore the prospect and immediately ran into the basic problem.We couldn't get our subjects to go to sleep when we needed them to do so for test periods, and the use of sleepinducing drugs seemed contradictory to our basic purpose.

Using our area of expertise, we began testing subjects with various sound patterns to find those that would evoke various stages of sleep. It was slow work, but we did have just enough early success to lure us to continue.

When EEG testing of subjects showed waveforms similar if not identical to the sound patterns we were using, we began to call the result frequency-following response (FFR). Later, as we began using binaural beat sound, we found similar waveforms in both sides of the brain at the same moment. This synchronization of the brain's hemispheres came to be known as Hemi-Sync.

I had been one of the leading subjects in our tests. In 1958, I began to experience states of consciousness totally unknown to me. They seemed both dangerous and exciting. Other subjects did not experience the phenomenon. As a result, we diverted our research into this new area.

Through the years, our work progressed steadily in this seemingly new direction, attracting the attention, interest, and participation of several hundred researchers, scientists, engineers, educators, physicians, psychologists, and many others. They are the ones, not I, who have brought the Hemi-Sync processes to the level where they are today. I am still not sure I was the sole cause.

The effects? Over 200,000 people now have a good night's sleep without drugs, as a baseline.Many thousands more have learned better understanding and control of their mental, emotional, and physical selves.We believe it is an emerging learning system that might be called Lifespan, applicable from cradle to grave.

Thus the purpose of this volume is to acquaint you with the various practical applications of the Hemi-Sync process, so that you too will begin to consider how you can make use of it, not only in your personal life but in many other areas as well.

Ronald Russell

The predecessor of this book, Using the Whole Brain, was published in 1993. On the whole, I think it achieved its purpose as expressed by Robert Monroe: to introduce the audio technology known as Hemispheric Synchronization (Hemi-Sync) to the public at large and to describe the many ways in which it was used. So far, so good. But things move along. Many of the hopes and wishes of the thirty-five contributors to that volume have been fulfilled; tests and trials have provided more validation, scientifically acceptable, of the claims made for this technology. The technology itself has been further improved and has been employed in new areas, such as achieving lucid dreaming, coping with autism, working with chemotherapy, and providing personal growth courses for teenagers. Courses and workshops are now available in 17 countries outside the United States and people from at least 50 countries have attended courses at The Monroe Institute.