FAQ about the Hemi-Sync® Process
Q: What should I do if I feel not quite awake
and alert after listening to an exercise?
A:
There are many effective methods for grounding. You can slowly count from 10 to
1; drink cool water; take a cold shower or splash cold water on your face, neck
and wrists. Weather permitting, walk barefoot outdoors, taking deep breaths and
releasing excess energy through your feet. While outside, place your back
against a tree and imagine energy flowing from your head to the branches above
and from your feet to the tree's roots and down into the very center of the
earth's core.
Q: Will I always need to use the tapes and
CDs?
A: Absolutely not. They are like training
wheels on a bicycle: wonderful for practice but possibly inhibiting as you learn
to ride far and free.
Q: What if I fall asleep when I listen to a
tape or CD?
A: There may be times when you
"click out" of the exercise, especially as you begin to move up to and beyond
your level of experience. Clicking-out is different from falling asleep. There
is a sense of having dropped out of the exercise. Upon returning to or finishing
the exercise, there is no perception of time having passed. You will have stored
the memory of your experience but will have no immediate recall. Clicking-out is
a common, frequently reported experience. When you have progressed to a given
stage it won't happen and you will have total recall. Meanwhile, try putting the
idea or picture of sleep in your Energy Conversion Box. If you are still falling
asleep, try sitting up during the exercise. And finally practice, practice,
practice! It is through patience and continued practice that you learn to
maintain balance in the hypnagogic state between deep relaxation and sleep.
Q: What should I do when various images or
dream-like thoughts interfere with what I'm trying to do on a tape?
A: Do not suppress or force the images away. Rather,
acknowledge them without getting involved with them; otherwise you may fall into
a sleep state. Look at them and let them go. You can always go back to them
later.
Q: I am not able or willing to vocalize with
the Resonant Tuning. I go into a very deep relaxed state and my mouth doesn't
seem to want to work. I either sing along in my head, click-out, or start some
kind of thought dream. What should I do?
A:
It
is important to discipline yourself to participate in Resonant Tuning because
this is a method which will help you perceive nonphysical energy. Resonant Tuning
promotes an accelerated gathering of your vibrational energy while reducing
internal dialogue. Discomfort about vocalizing with the tapes will eventually
wane.
Q: When using the tapes, I am aware of a
buzzing pressure in my forehead and also an acceleration of my heartbeat. Is
this normal?
A: A light buzzing or pressure
happens frequently to some people. It means that you are responding to the
Hemi-Sync process. However, if you are experiencing a great degree of
discomfort, you may have the volume too loud. For best results, the volume
should be just loud enough for you to hear the verbal instructions. Remember,
you are expanding your state of awareness; consequently, you are more conscious
of your heartbeat, breathing, etc. This is a phenomenon common to the shift in
energy levels such as the shift from Consciousness 1 to Focus 10.
Q: I don't seem to feel the high-energy states
and have trouble visualizing. What should they feel like?
A: Everyone perceives his/her experiences in a
different way, so these high-energy states will not necessarily be visual. Some
people report seeing light, color, and form, but others quite frequently
perceive sensations. You may experience vibration(s), or what seems to be an
electric tingling, or a shaking of your body, bed, or room. Some people hear a
rushing sound, buzzing, voices, verbal messages, or even music. Others may just
"know" when they have achieved these states. Just relax and observe your own
perceptions without judging how you should feel.
Q: Is God appearing when I see a flood
of light during an exercise?
A:
The perception
of light suggests that your potential for nonphysical awareness is developing
but it is up to you to decide on its meaning. Such light is widely reported by
explores of higher consciousness and people who have had near-death experiences.
It is often accompanied by euphoria, a feeling of oneness with the universe, and
a sense of overwhelming love. A Buddhist might associate this with Buddha; a
Christian with Christ. The Monroe Institute does not endorse any particular
interpretation and encourages you to find your own.
Q: Why not combine mind-altering drugs with
Hemi-Sync?
A: These exercises train you to
take control over your states of consciousness. Drugs often interfere with that
control. Also, your interpretations and understanding of your experiences will
likely be more accurate without the unpredictable influences of drugs or other
mind-altering substances.
Q: Are Hemi-Sync methods useful for experienced
meditator or people who have long practice in other disciplines?
A: The many such people who participate say,
"Definitely yes!" They appreciate such benefits as the speed and ease of
attaining the expanded state; the ability to sustain the state; the tools and
guidelines for exploration. Hemi-Sync seems to meet people wherever they are in
their development and assists them in moving forward into even deeper levels of
self-discovery.
Q: Sometimes during a tape I feel so much
energy in my body that it actually gets uncomfortable and I want to come out of
the tape. What should I do about this?
A:
Realize that the energy you are feeling is second-state energy, the nonphysical
energy which you first need to perceive before you can consciously use it.
Welcome the energy. Observe the energy move through your whole body. Wait and
see if it speeds up or slows down. Express gratitude for the conscious
experience of the energy. Question the energy - ask (silently in your mind) if
there is a message for you in the experience of the energy. The fact that you
are perceiving this energy is indicative that you are reaching an expanded state
of consciousness.
Q: I usually sleep on my side or stomach and
feel insecure sprawled out on my back. Also, I cannot remain on my back very
long without getting restless. What should I do?
A: You may try sitting upright in a comfortable chair
or in your bed while listening to the tapes. Some people report that they prefer
sitting up because they're less likely to drop off to sleep. Also, if you have a
comfortable set of "ear-bud" headphones, you might be able to arrange pillows so
that you can listen while lying on your side or stomach. Ear-buds are readily
available at stores carrying stereo products.
Q: Even while in Focus 10, I am aware of my
breathing. This makes it impossible for me to detach myself or otherwise
perceive the high-energy states. Any suggestions?
A: This is a very normal reaction. Actually, it can
enhance your experience if used in a positive way. It's your breathing that
helps charge you with energy (hence, the Resonant Tuning exercise) and prepares
you for moving to high-energy states. Be aware of what is happening to you and
just let it be - don't fight it. You can be aware of your breathing and of the
taped exercise. You can always put the worries about your breathing in your
Energy Conversion Box if you want. Once you convince yourself that breathing is
a normal process and not a problem, the awareness of breathing should disappear
by itself. Some even find their breathing or their heartbeat a comforting link
to physical reality and then can move more confidently into other states of
consciousness.
Q: Thus far, I have not been able to visualize
my REBAL energy coming from my head and bending around to my feet. I'm
stuck.
A: Remember that visualization is only
one way of perceiving. Not everyone is adept at mental images. Perhaps you can
feel or know that you are forming your Resonant Energy Balloon (REBAL). Imagine
that you are surrounded by and filled with tingling, sparkling, brilliant bursts
of energy. If you have practiced the technique often, you are possibly forming
the REBAL without even being aware of it. "Popping" your REBAL frequently
without using the tapes will strengthen it. The REBAL is a valuable tool.
Q: I have been using the tapes and do get some
interesting things but I would be more pleased if I knew that I was getting what
was intended.
A: As we review the mail that
comes to the Institute and listen to your phone calls, one of the clearest
messages that comes across to all of us is that no two individuals' experiences
are alike. They range from the cosmic to the mundane and yet are almost
invariably of real meaning and significance to the person having the experience.
Trust the process and know that whatever experience you have, it is just
exactly what is best for you to achieve your divine right purpose.
Q: What if I am not experiencing the
out-of-body state?
A: Many of us have hidden
(subconscious) fears that prevent us from experiencing this perceptual venue.
Others try so hard that the intense effort blocks this experience. The best way
to succeed is to relax, let go of expectations, and become nonchalant about it.
After all, the classic OBE is just a small part of learning to expand and
experience your full potential. Keep working with the exercises. Trust the
process. You may find yourself experiencing the out-of-body perceptual state
when you least expect it.
Q: How can I control or direct my perceptions
during the out-of-body experience?
A:
The
words control and direct are usually associated with body-oriented
ego states. If you set a goal before you begin your OBE, you won't need to
decide what to do once you are in the experience. Experiment with thinking of
someone and contacting his/her energy, rather than arriving at a geographic
destination. Any time you with to return to your in-the-body perceptions, all
you need do is think of your body and/or move a finger or toe. In most cases,
after a period of time your bladder will demand your attention and return your
perceptual perspective to the physical body.
Q: How many times should I use each tape before
going on to the next?
A: That can vary greatly
with the individual. You should be familiar and comfortable with a tape before
advancing to the next one. However, don't feel you must master it completely.
There may be challenges for an individual with a specific technique that can
diminish or disappear with practice or exposure to a more advanced tape. Of
course, don't hesitate to review any of the tapes for reinforcement.
Q: I understand that after a while we really do
not need the tapes to achieve different states of consciousness. How do I
remember Hemi-Sync signals?
A:
It is true that
with practice, you do not need the tape exercises to reach expanded states of
consciousness. After you become proficient with an exercise, all you need to do
is recall the sensations you experienced during what you consider to be your
best, most effective response in the desired states. Simply take a deep breath
and remember the state to trigger the change in consciousness.
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