I agree totally with Db — he sounded like a 60′s pseudo-intellectual — very hard to follow. You did a great job, Ruth, trying to keep him focused, but his quantum mechanics/physics (whatever the h__ it was) wasn’t working well — LOL Having said that, I am going to revisit “Brain Lock” for a young patient I am going to see who has Trichotillomania.
I am an evangelical Christian, and a Registered Nurse who is much involved in energy healing, and organizations such as ACEP and NICABM. I loved how Jeffrey CLARIFIED and UNIFIED how people of different spiritual heritages can approach this beautiful body of work. I greatly appreciated his “evangelical zeal” and would simply add this: BRING IT ON!! Our world, and our scientific and our religious communities need to hear messages like this. It was perhaps the jewel of the whole NICABM call. I will definitely use this information to reach out– particularly to fellow Christians who are generally suspicious and cautious in forging into these waters.
I have read and reread Dr Schwartz first book “The Mind and the Brain”. I was delighted and excited to find when I read his work that I was not alone in seeing the source of our healing potential being found in mindfulness. I found his talk refreshing and very informative. I went to ocduk.org and found it to be a wonderful resource site as well. I highly recommend that anyone who wants to be on the cutting edge of mind/body healing will not be disappointed. Ruth I wish you could have gone into overtime : )!!!! ocduk.org is a wonderful resource. Thank you both for a wonderful talk. Best thoughts, jo/yona : )!
I am very appreciative of Dr. Schwartz’ combination of quantum mechanics and spiritual philosophy–that has not been easy to find in traditional training. I have a client who can benefit from combining the ‘helper’ with her strong Christian beliefs. Thanks again, too, Ruth and NICABM for making these seminars available!
The complication some experienced with Jeffery’s presentation is dealing with a philosophical level most are not used to operating at. If you were to choose to listen to his contribution a second time you might note how profoundly he is addressing — at a meta-level — the underlying concepts that have gathered together his work. We are looking at someone who lives in the stratosphere of thought, which is virtually necessary before one can develop a treatment approach to something {OCD} many of us know is extremely difficult to successfully treat.
As far as useful information that might be applied, regrettably there was very little of value. Dr.Schwartz, in this presentation, was over-detailing, digressive and scattered. Undoubtedly, he has broad experience and probably his books are of value. I will find out by reading them.
I love Dr. Schwartz’s passion. I so much appreciate the work he has done. I have already helped clients with serious mental disorders to transform their lives with mindfulness practices as well as transforming my own disorders. I’ve seen serious OCD turn into a “non-issue.” Today’s teleseminar just reinforces my own passion to continue working in the way that I am.
Let me begin by thanking you, Ruth for this wonderful series. The session today, however,is a good example of interview gone haywire. Perhaps Dr Schwartz could have been briefed on the questions and the audiences’ needs prior to the broadcast. This would have given him the opportunity to prepare his comments. He obviously has a wealth of knowledge and information but the presentation today left the 4 clinicians in my office feeling disappointed and frustrated. Maybe in the future, Ruth, you could direct the interview more. Thank you.
I agree with Michelle from NY. I was very gratified that he mentioned he spiritual context of having a helper, ie, the Holy Spirit, to help patients with OCD overcome their obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. I will definitely use this with my Christian patients.
I think that being already engaged in a mindfulness practice and having done MBSR training,(Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)as well as yoga and Reiki, I came already primed to take in new information. My spiritual beliefs resonate with Dr. Schwartz’s and I am very excited about the research on neuroplasticity. I have been combining talk and touch for over 10 years and the changes I see in my clients are significant. The seminar validates and adds to my beliefs and practice. Thank you so much for this series.
About the sound problem. I am on a mac and I find if I try to access the program through Safari there is no sound. If I use Firefox and have no sound problems : )! This might help for next time.
For sound resolution try using Firefox next time. I have found when using Safari I get no sound but as soon as I switch to Firefox and sound works just fine.
We have used Dr. Swartz’s 4 steps (presented well in Brainlock) for many years now–very helpful to our clients. Kudos to Dr. Swartz for his courageous stand that mindfulness need not be “Little Raft” vipassana based, and therefore atheistic. The majority of Buddhists worldwide follow a devotional form of Buddhism. I’d refer Christian practitioners to explore the work of Thomas Keating, with centering prayer, which offers mindfulness in a form very accessible to Christians.
My appreciation goes out to the institute for its attempt to clarify issues and offer solutions for practitioners to help patients. However, I do not believe that the topic of what quantum physics teaches us about neuroplasticity was adequately addressed. I think most of us know that brain scans show activity when behavioral modifications are implemented and that these modifications do work to rewiring the brain. It is the why or how it works that was not covered. That could be because science does not know at this point in the research. Perhaps more focus on the specific question would be useful to listeners in this type of format. Self directed neuroplasticity was touched on so briefly, that if I did not know what it was, or ‘blinked’ during the interview, I would have missed it entirely.
I found this lecture fascinating. It shored up the background for EFT and supported many other readings in quantum mechanics and the importance in mindfulness in all our activities.
At this very moment, my 14 yr. old son is missing. He never got on the school bus. This is the third time in a week. I was glued to this session in between calling for professional help. Everything I heard made perfect sense to me and it was as clear as a bell. I noticed the other practitioners who seemed to miss the point said they would still buy Dr. Schwartz’s books. So will I. Right after I find my son.
I’m the resident tech guy here at NICABM. If you have or are experiencing any sound issues please send me an email at josh@nicabm.com and we’ll work to get them resolved. We’ve been unable to reproduce any of the sound issues so your feedback is critical.
I got the lecture in the end, you are on DST. I’ve just received a patient with obsessive thoughts and I will buy and read the book to be able to use the 4 steps. I am fascinated by the applications of quantic physics in medicine, specially in the brain functioning. Thanks Ruth and Dr Jeffrey for the opportunity of learning.
I received the teleseminar clearly and enjoyed Dr. Schwartz’s presentation. I am currently involved with a group in which we are learning how to use mindfulness and focusing in order to change limiting thoughts and beliefs. I’m looking forward to the next seminar.
I found the end comments interesting, about adapting Mindfulness to the Judeo Christian tradition. I would add that Christian tradition postulates that every human has a soul – indeed is a soul, manifesting through a body. While we do need to overcome the tricks our minds and egos play on us, we are individuals evolving toward greater consciousness – not destined to be absorbed into the oblivion of amorphous consciousness, as the “illusory self” philosophies would suggest.
I recieved the teleseminar quite clearly. Nice to listen to someone with such passion. I have used the four steps with my clients with various levels of success.
Dr. Schwartz had very little to say on the subject of the webinar. Was too personal. Never heard any one talk for an hour and leave my brain so empty of information! Turned off the tape recorder and logged out after 20 minutes. Maybe the written word might convey the thoughts better.
I found Dr. Swartz difficult to listen to, while his concepts were interesting. I wondered if he was unfamiliar with doing a phone interview. A little digressive and not enough back and forth with the questions. Not sure about the idea that we are somehow not our brain — seems rather contrary to a wholistic way of thinking about a person, but I understood his point that we do not have to act upon all our thoughts and feelings. However, that kind of dualism (we are not fully in our bodies) has been very prevalent in religious ideology for hundreds of years. My father is slowly declining with dementia, and I would say that he is fully who is now even though he is different than he was without the dementia. Just as a case in point.
I found the conversation to be revealing concerning mind and body relationship versus me. I am excited to find a mind that thinks like mine. I use mindfulness with my clients and the results are astounding. I watch change in front of my eyes. Linda
Surely you had no way of knowing – perhaps Dr Schwartz himself had no way of knowing that he would be driven by the need to justify himself in the world of his scientific peers. A good interview addresses the interests of listeners. Almost none of Schwartz’ talk addressed to our interests. He seemed to be addressing inner voices that accuse him of being unscientific, of slipping religious beliefs into scientific research, Every promising statement he started was interrupted in the middle by him explaining that his view was really compatible with good science, and that he really knows someone who knew the founders of quantum physics. It seems that he was driven by a very real and unexpected panic attack. Perhaps you could ask him to try again with a pre-written lecture, interpolated with your comments and questions. I would really like to know what he knows.
I wonder if someone could suggest the best book to recommend to clients on mindfulness. They are always so busy and rushed. I enjoyed to program and appreciate everything NICABM does.
What I walked away with to use is the OCD information of separating the self from the dis-ease behaviors/symptoms. It gave me pause in the development of suggestions and visualization to hypnosis clients. It clarified for me a direction to go that has been tested and found to work. Parts Therapy works well here. Quoting an M.D. on mindfulness and quantum zero effects is useful in presentations and in enforcing suggestions as repetitive necessities for change. Self directed neuroplasticity certainly supports my work. ;) THANKS!
In contrast to much of what I just read of colleagues comments, I had an dramatically opposite opinion and response to Dr. Schwartz’ presentation. I found him extremely lucid, grasped precisely what he was saying, was able to think of ways to incorporate his thoughts into ongoing clinical work and look forward to the references made to his writintgs and past lectures. The contrast he made between understanding how the mind changes through the application of non physical factors in addition to physical factors was articulated with that kind of lucidity I spoke of. Repeating this several times left no doubt about this concept, among others. His energy, even passion about what he said made this presentation come alive for me in ways that all good teachers can learn from. How will I apply this thinking in practice? Easy question: to myself to begin with.
I have a mac and had no sound issues. Great information! I so appreciated the clarification that the mind does not create reality but does influence
it. Also his understanding of mindfulness for Christians was very good. Self directed neuroplasticity will help clients who want to get their lives back, control of their lives. Thank you!
I greatly enjoyed Dr. Schwartz’s comments. I have a bit of a background in physics and greatly enjoyed hearing another mental health professional talk about quantum physics in an informed way. on the call and on Dr. Schwartz’s website I was slightly disappointed with his treatment of who or what the “real” self is. There are some interesting points of contact between the Buddhist, Jewish and radical behavioral approaches to this issue. I have found the perspective of Relational Frame Theory and functional contextual psychology which underlie Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to be extremely helpful. Stephen Hayes’ article “Making Sense of Spirituality (available to members of ACBS on the contextual psychology.com website)points to some interesting parallels between “soul” and the Observer self.
Dr. Schwartz’s presentation was excellent; he spoke with knowledge and experience on some of the key issues relevant to Behavioral Medicine today. I began studies years ago to become a medical doctor at the University of Michigan School and took a leave of absence and explored alternative medicine, including study at Bastyr University for my doctorate in naturopathic medicine and MS Acupuncture. I have a deep appreciation for the powerful impact of religious affiliation in individual mental/physical health. Listening to Dr. Schwartz brought almost a physical feeling of soothing cleansing as he described his experience learning how to describe the focus technique to Christian and Jewish people. He helped me feel much less uncomfortable about the possible stress that Christians and others might feel when being told about “Mindfulness”, which has deep ties to Buddhist philosophy. These are important days for physical/mental medicine because of the work being done with the Autonomic Nervous System and its expansion into the Triune ANS (the newest being the Social Engagement system, as setting us apart from animals) as Stephen Porges, Ph.D., describes. I have been preparing to do some research on the ANS using the AcuGraph digital meridian imaging which has correlations to emotions related to organ system status. I have links to the information of that company on my website: http://www.naturalconnectionshealthcare.com/acugraph.htm. It is my fervent hope that the acupuncture meridian energy changes that have been seen to change and follow emotional states can be tracked by AcuGraph and correlated with the clinical reports of therapists counsling the clients tested. I appreciated Dr. Schwartz’s caveat about the weakness of the claim, “it is quantum physics”; I will remember that when I deal with various treatments (for physical as well as mental conditions) that have been described as being based on “quantum physics.” We need to gather as much scientifically plausible information as possible, and I am looking forward to reading his website and other writings of Dr. Schwartz. Thanks so much for introducing him to us; he gave us a lot to think about and re-think about. In the end, your NICABM community of dynamic individuals around the globe is evidence that there is something much greater than ourselves that engenders the creative lives we are living. Such a marvelous diversity. It was beyond words how rich his presentation was. Thank you once again.
This is the first teleseminar that I have been able to access and I quite enjoyed it, not just because the information transfer method is new to me but the subject matter most certainly is. I enjoyed Dr.Schwartz enthusiasm and thank him, Dr. Ruth and NICABM for their gift of revealing another world.
Bit chaotic. But loving Jeffrey Schwartz for that too, for not being on a pedestal as academic people so often are. Appreciated his mentioning of the scientific elite still holding on to the materialistic belief theories. Sometimes the ‘fight’ feels lonely, filling one with feelings with powerlessness and hopelessness, in a world that does not seem to get it. Here in the Netherlands we are dealing with national mourning over 12 year old Milly, missing for a week, than found dead, murdered in the backyard of her neighbour, a policeman, the night before last night. We are all not our diseases. Am practicing Mindfulness for 2 years now, loving it for its acceptance of what is, each moment.
I too found some of the concepts abit fuzzy but overall informative. I will be looking at his books because I like the idea of seeing your symptoms as part of your brain playing ‘tricks’ on you and that you do have the ability to make choices about your reactions to these ‘tricks’. Each seminar has deepened my curiosity about mindfullness as a method to rewire the brain. Great stuff. I would like to know what happened to the sesion that was originally scheduled for yesterday – The neuroscience of Psychotherapy with Louis Cozolino. Was there an email sent out cancelling and rescheduling this one. I see that next weeks seminar is on Buddha’s Brain which is slated for March 31st.
I went on at 9.30 ish UK time and was surprised that it was being broadcast early and enjoyed what I heard from then on – I think I’m grateful not to have heard the first part. I particularly enjoyed his talking about Judeo/Christian having God as their helper. I have a few Christians in my present group and I will put this to them! Have you changed your clocks in the US. I have gone online at 10pm GMT usually.??
I greatly enjoyed Dr. Schwartz’s presentation. His enthusiasm and passion for his work is contagious – as is the case for most of NICABM’s speakers. As a long term student of mindfulness I am delighted with his research. It’s thrilling to hear these early findings on quantum physics and neuroscience, although I found it a bit confusing I have to admit. How will I use the information, well since I’m not a therapist or medical doctor,I can do my own self-directed neuroplasticity, although I know that’s not what Dr. Schwartz is referring to here. But truly, aren’t we all trying to move into a state of greater love and happiness for ourselves and for our clients? Exciting stuff!
Dr. Schwartz made some important points that are very helpful in treating clients. As a long-time practitioner of CBT/DBT, what I got out of it is that: 1) you are not your brain. When clients are re-directed to exam the behavior of their brain it allows them to become observers of themselves. This is a powerful thing and has given my clients permission to become more detached observers–less judgmental. Which brings me to 2) he said, …how you observe influences the thing that is being observed. Not being attached to an expectation or outcome changes the observation. I’ve seen it work countless times–creating powerful shifts in thinking. Clients stop identifying with the diagnostic labels, the judgments of others, and the internal critic. Apparently this shift of attention physically re-wires the brain. Schwartz introduced the concept that we are self-healing, not machines that require an expert to fix us because we do have the ability to “intropect” to exam and re-think how we think. My brain hurts from all this thinking…
The idea of these teleseminars is great. I appreciate an opportunity to listen to Dr. Schwartz’s presentation. It would be helpfull to have a certain background to quantum mechanic/physic then to comment on a principal thought of this seminar; using its assumptions in reasoning how mind change a brain. The seminar left me with the interest big enough to look for additional information. Thank you again.
I was not able to join the call with Dr.Schwartz, but I have found the ideas in Brain Lock to be highly effective with most of my OCD clients, and I have adapted this approach somewhat to work with other diagnoses as well. In fact, I have recommended his book to so many clients that I should get a commission from him!
I enjoyed the teleseminar but had to piece together the info I was looking for since there was some wandering to the answers. I think we could have been advised to read his book first and then the seminar makes perfect sense but if you had no background, I can understand the confusion of the others who commented. This info does fit in nicely with Dr. Dan Siegel who has a more universal approach to any disorder – his work on how adult attachment issues interfere with brain plasticity fits in here. If you haven’t read Mindsight by Dan Siegel, it is a great explanation for plasticity of the brain and how to apply it in clinical cases. Thanks for your work in these seminars, they are worthwhile.
I was initially quite intrigued by Dr. Schwartz bringing in diverse fields such as quantum physics and religious ideology. Re: quantum physics: I think he could have made it a bit clearer to the audience what were the connections with neuroplasticity, as well as the practical applications to mindfulness. I’m going to read the transcript to see if there’s greater clarity in the written word. Re: his religious opinions (because that is what they are, opinions), I have to respectfully disagree. As we are all aware, mindfulness meditation is based upon contemplative Buddhist practices and philosophies – these are more akin to world views than religious ideologies. Although there is a strong moral aspect to these traditions and practices, and I appreciated Dr. Schwartz not mincing words about this aspect, it is not a religious characteristic per se, as he specifically mentioned Christian and Jewish traditions. From a practical perspective, I would certainly encourage a patient incorporating these concepts into their religious belief system if he/she finds that helpful, but I’m still reluctant to conceptualize them as religous, as opposed to ethical and philosophical, guiding principles. Put simply, invoking religion does not add to the explanatory features of the model for me -
Dr. Schwartz could have avoided sowing a lot of confusion and misleading those who found him clear by distinguishing three viewpoints we can take in discussing the mind and brain. The first is the common sense view that distinguishes roughly between thoughts and feelings on the one hand and neuroscientific events and processes on the other. From this viewpoint, it’s not controversial to say that our thoughts somehow affect our brain and vice versa. The second viewpoint is the scientific, which has many specializations, including neuroscience (study of the material brain) and phenomenology (direct observation of our inner experience). The third viewpoint is the philosophical, which studies the nature of viewpoints themselves and their interrelationships. In the context of these teleseminars, the philosophical puzzle is how neuroscience and phenomenology are related, since our inner experience dramatically differs from our material brain, yet the two are somehow related. One philosophical view of this issue is reductionism, the PHILOSOPHICAL NOT SCIENTIFIC VIEW that there is only material reality. Scientists need no more be reductionist than an actor needs to believe that there are no fields of human endeavor other than acting. Had Dr. Schwartz been clear about these different viewpoints, he could have discussed clinical applications within a common sense perspective, giving both the brain and mind their due without feeling lt that he had to get into the specialized philosophical issues that are largely irrelevant both to good science and sound clinical practice. He would also have avoided discussing quantum physics in relation to consciousness, which at our current level of knowlege is largely premature expostulation.
I believe that Dr. Seigel has such good information to share. He obviously has been immersed in it for long enough to be an expert, and he has scientific backing. He clearly knows what he is talking about. My disappointment is that it was not cohesively presented. It did not hang together. It seemed scattered and incomplete. He may have felt time pressure. That can scatter anyone. The transcript did help to grasp some of it. I guess an hour is not enough time to spell out and deepen such new and complex ideas that really need that. I will read his books and hope they will be more clear. You did your best, Ruth, to keep him on track. It seemed hard to keep him focused. However, I am so glad to have heard the interview. I believe that his ideas are very valuable. I could have done without the evangelical zeal. Mindfulness is neutral and can serve very well all spiritual beliefs, theistic or non-theistic. Thank you, Ruth, and NICABM for such excellent information. Best to all.
I appreciate this discourse. I laugh a bit. Last presentation I offered to peers, I warned them that my presentations can be like a pinata, with little gifts popping out – not so linear, and noted that parts of their brain might not like it. I, Italian from a Jewish neighborhood in NY, heard Dr. Schwartz being “a person”. I wonder if he could write a little ditty on the topics folks felt were incomplete. That way, we could enjoy his passion and abandon as well as the further understanding some would like. In gratitude for such amazing presentations and so much work to create them.
First of all, I apologize. For some reason I got Dr. Schwartz’ name mixed up with Dr. Siegel’s. I stand corrected by myself. I really appreciate Mia Barbera’s comments. What a beautiful perspective! In a world where the negative reigns, she brings a holistic, healthy positive overview. Thanks.
I am relieved to find that others struggled with this content. I plan to go back and read the transcript again in light of the comments made. I agree there was a lot of good information and valuable ideas. Perhaps they are not conducive to this time-limited medium.
I really tried to stay on this call but I just wasn’t getting it. Hopefully his ideas are better articluated in his book.
I agree totally with Db — he sounded like a 60′s pseudo-intellectual — very hard to follow. You did a great job, Ruth, trying to keep him focused, but his quantum mechanics/physics (whatever the h__ it was) wasn’t working well — LOL Having said that, I am going to revisit “Brain Lock” for a young patient I am going to see who has Trichotillomania.
I am an evangelical Christian, and a Registered Nurse who is much involved in energy healing, and organizations such as ACEP and NICABM. I loved how Jeffrey CLARIFIED and UNIFIED how people of different spiritual heritages can approach this beautiful body of work. I greatly appreciated his “evangelical zeal” and would simply add this: BRING IT ON!! Our world, and our scientific and our religious communities need to hear messages like this. It was perhaps the jewel of the whole NICABM call. I will definitely use this information to reach out– particularly to fellow Christians who are generally suspicious and cautious in forging into these waters.
I have read and reread Dr Schwartz first book “The Mind and the Brain”. I was delighted and excited to find when I read his work that I was not alone in seeing the source of our healing potential being found in mindfulness. I found his talk refreshing and very informative. I went to ocduk.org and found it to be a wonderful resource site as well. I highly recommend that anyone who wants to be on the cutting edge of mind/body healing will not be disappointed. Ruth I wish you could have gone into overtime : )!!!! ocduk.org is a wonderful resource. Thank you both for a wonderful talk. Best thoughts, jo/yona : )!
I am very appreciative of Dr. Schwartz’ combination of quantum mechanics and spiritual philosophy–that has not been easy to find in traditional training. I have a client who can benefit from combining the ‘helper’ with her strong Christian beliefs. Thanks again, too, Ruth and NICABM for making these seminars available!
The complication some experienced with Jeffery’s presentation is dealing with a philosophical level most are not used to operating at. If you were to choose to listen to his contribution a second time you might note how profoundly he is addressing — at a meta-level — the underlying concepts that have gathered together his work. We are looking at someone who lives in the stratosphere of thought, which is virtually necessary before one can develop a treatment approach to something {OCD} many of us know is extremely difficult to successfully treat.
good evening Still having trouble linking & hearing. Hope It will change some time. T.
As far as useful information that might be applied, regrettably there was very little of value. Dr.Schwartz, in this presentation, was over-detailing, digressive and scattered. Undoubtedly, he has broad experience and probably his books are of value. I will find out by reading them.
I am disappointed as I logged on but no sound
So disappointed. Unable to get any sound. Have tried all the suggestions but to no avail. Didn’t have this problem for other lectures
I love Dr. Schwartz’s passion. I so much appreciate the work he has done. I have already helped clients with serious mental disorders to transform their lives with mindfulness practices as well as transforming my own disorders. I’ve seen serious OCD turn into a “non-issue.” Today’s teleseminar just reinforces my own passion to continue working in the way that I am.
I was unable to log into the session.
Unfortunately I could not get any sound today.
Let me begin by thanking you, Ruth for this wonderful series. The session today, however,is a good example of interview gone haywire. Perhaps Dr Schwartz could have been briefed on the questions and the audiences’ needs prior to the broadcast. This would have given him the opportunity to prepare his comments. He obviously has a wealth of knowledge and information but the presentation today left the 4 clinicians in my office feeling disappointed and frustrated. Maybe in the future, Ruth, you could direct the interview more. Thank you.
No sound. Need to rebroadcast or make available for download.
I agree with Michelle from NY. I was very gratified that he mentioned he spiritual context of having a helper, ie, the Holy Spirit, to help patients with OCD overcome their obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions. I will definitely use this with my Christian patients.
I think that being already engaged in a mindfulness practice and having done MBSR training,(Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction)as well as yoga and Reiki, I came already primed to take in new information. My spiritual beliefs resonate with Dr. Schwartz’s and I am very excited about the research on neuroplasticity. I have been combining talk and touch for over 10 years and the changes I see in my clients are significant. The seminar validates and adds to my beliefs and practice. Thank you so much for this series.
About the sound problem. I am on a mac and I find if I try to access the program through Safari there is no sound. If I use Firefox and have no sound problems : )! This might help for next time.
For sound resolution try using Firefox next time. I have found when using Safari I get no sound but as soon as I switch to Firefox and sound works just fine.
We have used Dr. Swartz’s 4 steps (presented well in Brainlock) for many years now–very helpful to our clients. Kudos to Dr. Swartz for his courageous stand that mindfulness need not be “Little Raft” vipassana based, and therefore atheistic. The majority of Buddhists worldwide follow a devotional form of Buddhism. I’d refer Christian practitioners to explore the work of Thomas Keating, with centering prayer, which offers mindfulness in a form very accessible to Christians.
My appreciation goes out to the institute for its attempt to clarify issues and offer solutions for practitioners to help patients. However, I do not believe that the topic of what quantum physics teaches us about neuroplasticity was adequately addressed. I think most of us know that brain scans show activity when behavioral modifications are implemented and that these modifications do work to rewiring the brain. It is the why or how it works that was not covered. That could be because science does not know at this point in the research. Perhaps more focus on the specific question would be useful to listeners in this type of format. Self directed neuroplasticity was touched on so briefly, that if I did not know what it was, or ‘blinked’ during the interview, I would have missed it entirely.
I found this lecture fascinating. It shored up the background for EFT and supported many other readings in quantum mechanics and the importance in mindfulness in all our activities.
At this very moment, my 14 yr. old son is missing. He never got on the school bus. This is the third time in a week. I was glued to this session in between calling for professional help. Everything I heard made perfect sense to me and it was as clear as a bell. I noticed the other practitioners who seemed to miss the point said they would still buy Dr. Schwartz’s books. So will I. Right after I find my son.
Please clarify the time since we are now on Daylight Savings Time. I logged on at 4pm CST and you were signing off so I missed it.
I’m the resident tech guy here at NICABM. If you have or are experiencing any sound issues please send me an email at josh@nicabm.com and we’ll work to get them resolved. We’ve been unable to reproduce any of the sound issues so your feedback is critical.
I got the lecture in the end, you are on DST. I’ve just received a patient with obsessive thoughts and I will buy and read the book to be able to use the 4 steps. I am fascinated by the applications of quantic physics in medicine, specially in the brain functioning. Thanks Ruth and Dr Jeffrey for the opportunity of learning.
I received the teleseminar clearly and enjoyed Dr. Schwartz’s presentation. I am currently involved with a group in which we are learning how to use mindfulness and focusing in order to change limiting thoughts and beliefs. I’m looking forward to the next seminar.
I found the end comments interesting, about adapting Mindfulness to the Judeo Christian tradition. I would add that Christian tradition postulates that every human has a soul – indeed is a soul, manifesting through a body. While we do need to overcome the tricks our minds and egos play on us, we are individuals evolving toward greater consciousness – not destined to be absorbed into the oblivion of amorphous consciousness, as the “illusory self” philosophies would suggest.
I recieved the teleseminar quite clearly. Nice to listen to someone with such passion. I have used the four steps with my clients with various levels of success.
Dr. Schwartz had very little to say on the subject of the webinar. Was too personal. Never heard any one talk for an hour and leave my brain so empty of information! Turned off the tape recorder and logged out after 20 minutes. Maybe the written word might convey the thoughts better.
I found Dr. Swartz difficult to listen to, while his concepts were interesting. I wondered if he was unfamiliar with doing a phone interview. A little digressive and not enough back and forth with the questions. Not sure about the idea that we are somehow not our brain — seems rather contrary to a wholistic way of thinking about a person, but I understood his point that we do not have to act upon all our thoughts and feelings. However, that kind of dualism (we are not fully in our bodies) has been very prevalent in religious ideology for hundreds of years. My father is slowly declining with dementia, and I would say that he is fully who is now even though he is different than he was without the dementia. Just as a case in point.
I found the conversation to be revealing concerning mind and body relationship versus me. I am excited to find a mind that thinks like mine. I use mindfulness with my clients and the results are astounding. I watch change in front of my eyes. Linda
Surely you had no way of knowing – perhaps Dr Schwartz himself had no way of knowing that he would be driven by the need to justify himself in the world of his scientific peers. A good interview addresses the interests of listeners. Almost none of Schwartz’ talk addressed to our interests. He seemed to be addressing inner voices that accuse him of being unscientific, of slipping religious beliefs into scientific research, Every promising statement he started was interrupted in the middle by him explaining that his view was really compatible with good science, and that he really knows someone who knew the founders of quantum physics. It seems that he was driven by a very real and unexpected panic attack. Perhaps you could ask him to try again with a pre-written lecture, interpolated with your comments and questions. I would really like to know what he knows.
I wonder if someone could suggest the best book to recommend to clients on mindfulness. They are always so busy and rushed. I enjoyed to program and appreciate everything NICABM does.
What I walked away with to use is the OCD information of separating the self from the dis-ease behaviors/symptoms. It gave me pause in the development of suggestions and visualization to hypnosis clients. It clarified for me a direction to go that has been tested and found to work. Parts Therapy works well here. Quoting an M.D. on mindfulness and quantum zero effects is useful in presentations and in enforcing suggestions as repetitive necessities for change. Self directed neuroplasticity certainly supports my work. ;) THANKS!
In contrast to much of what I just read of colleagues comments, I had an dramatically opposite opinion and response to Dr. Schwartz’ presentation. I found him extremely lucid, grasped precisely what he was saying, was able to think of ways to incorporate his thoughts into ongoing clinical work and look forward to the references made to his writintgs and past lectures. The contrast he made between understanding how the mind changes through the application of non physical factors in addition to physical factors was articulated with that kind of lucidity I spoke of. Repeating this several times left no doubt about this concept, among others. His energy, even passion about what he said made this presentation come alive for me in ways that all good teachers can learn from. How will I apply this thinking in practice? Easy question: to myself to begin with.
I have a mac and had no sound issues. Great information! I so appreciated the clarification that the mind does not create reality but does influence it. Also his understanding of mindfulness for Christians was very good. Self directed neuroplasticity will help clients who want to get their lives back, control of their lives. Thank you!
I greatly enjoyed Dr. Schwartz’s comments. I have a bit of a background in physics and greatly enjoyed hearing another mental health professional talk about quantum physics in an informed way. on the call and on Dr. Schwartz’s website I was slightly disappointed with his treatment of who or what the “real” self is. There are some interesting points of contact between the Buddhist, Jewish and radical behavioral approaches to this issue. I have found the perspective of Relational Frame Theory and functional contextual psychology which underlie Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to be extremely helpful. Stephen Hayes’ article “Making Sense of Spirituality (available to members of ACBS on the contextual psychology.com website)points to some interesting parallels between “soul” and the Observer self.
Dr. Schwartz’s presentation was excellent; he spoke with knowledge and experience on some of the key issues relevant to Behavioral Medicine today. I began studies years ago to become a medical doctor at the University of Michigan School and took a leave of absence and explored alternative medicine, including study at Bastyr University for my doctorate in naturopathic medicine and MS Acupuncture. I have a deep appreciation for the powerful impact of religious affiliation in individual mental/physical health. Listening to Dr. Schwartz brought almost a physical feeling of soothing cleansing as he described his experience learning how to describe the focus technique to Christian and Jewish people. He helped me feel much less uncomfortable about the possible stress that Christians and others might feel when being told about “Mindfulness”, which has deep ties to Buddhist philosophy. These are important days for physical/mental medicine because of the work being done with the Autonomic Nervous System and its expansion into the Triune ANS (the newest being the Social Engagement system, as setting us apart from animals) as Stephen Porges, Ph.D., describes. I have been preparing to do some research on the ANS using the AcuGraph digital meridian imaging which has correlations to emotions related to organ system status. I have links to the information of that company on my website: http://www.naturalconnectionshealthcare.com/acugraph.htm. It is my fervent hope that the acupuncture meridian energy changes that have been seen to change and follow emotional states can be tracked by AcuGraph and correlated with the clinical reports of therapists counsling the clients tested. I appreciated Dr. Schwartz’s caveat about the weakness of the claim, “it is quantum physics”; I will remember that when I deal with various treatments (for physical as well as mental conditions) that have been described as being based on “quantum physics.” We need to gather as much scientifically plausible information as possible, and I am looking forward to reading his website and other writings of Dr. Schwartz. Thanks so much for introducing him to us; he gave us a lot to think about and re-think about. In the end, your NICABM community of dynamic individuals around the globe is evidence that there is something much greater than ourselves that engenders the creative lives we are living. Such a marvelous diversity. It was beyond words how rich his presentation was. Thank you once again.
Had trouble getting on line. When I did, I lost too much and did try to go online at 6:15. Again, I had problems getting on.
Though the germ of the information was good. It took a great deal of time to get to it.
I had troubles linking too, at the beginning. Maybe this link could help you follow his ideas better: http://www-physics.lbl.gov/~stapp/PTRS.pdf
This is the first teleseminar that I have been able to access and I quite enjoyed it, not just because the information transfer method is new to me but the subject matter most certainly is. I enjoyed Dr.Schwartz enthusiasm and thank him, Dr. Ruth and NICABM for their gift of revealing another world.
Bit chaotic. But loving Jeffrey Schwartz for that too, for not being on a pedestal as academic people so often are. Appreciated his mentioning of the scientific elite still holding on to the materialistic belief theories. Sometimes the ‘fight’ feels lonely, filling one with feelings with powerlessness and hopelessness, in a world that does not seem to get it. Here in the Netherlands we are dealing with national mourning over 12 year old Milly, missing for a week, than found dead, murdered in the backyard of her neighbour, a policeman, the night before last night. We are all not our diseases. Am practicing Mindfulness for 2 years now, loving it for its acceptance of what is, each moment.
I too found some of the concepts abit fuzzy but overall informative. I will be looking at his books because I like the idea of seeing your symptoms as part of your brain playing ‘tricks’ on you and that you do have the ability to make choices about your reactions to these ‘tricks’. Each seminar has deepened my curiosity about mindfullness as a method to rewire the brain. Great stuff. I would like to know what happened to the sesion that was originally scheduled for yesterday – The neuroscience of Psychotherapy with Louis Cozolino. Was there an email sent out cancelling and rescheduling this one. I see that next weeks seminar is on Buddha’s Brain which is slated for March 31st.
I went on at 9.30 ish UK time and was surprised that it was being broadcast early and enjoyed what I heard from then on – I think I’m grateful not to have heard the first part. I particularly enjoyed his talking about Judeo/Christian having God as their helper. I have a few Christians in my present group and I will put this to them! Have you changed your clocks in the US. I have gone online at 10pm GMT usually.??
Could not hear a sound – never had this problem before!
I greatly enjoyed Dr. Schwartz’s presentation. His enthusiasm and passion for his work is contagious – as is the case for most of NICABM’s speakers. As a long term student of mindfulness I am delighted with his research. It’s thrilling to hear these early findings on quantum physics and neuroscience, although I found it a bit confusing I have to admit. How will I use the information, well since I’m not a therapist or medical doctor,I can do my own self-directed neuroplasticity, although I know that’s not what Dr. Schwartz is referring to here. But truly, aren’t we all trying to move into a state of greater love and happiness for ourselves and for our clients? Exciting stuff!
Dr. Schwartz made some important points that are very helpful in treating clients. As a long-time practitioner of CBT/DBT, what I got out of it is that: 1) you are not your brain. When clients are re-directed to exam the behavior of their brain it allows them to become observers of themselves. This is a powerful thing and has given my clients permission to become more detached observers–less judgmental. Which brings me to 2) he said, …how you observe influences the thing that is being observed. Not being attached to an expectation or outcome changes the observation. I’ve seen it work countless times–creating powerful shifts in thinking. Clients stop identifying with the diagnostic labels, the judgments of others, and the internal critic. Apparently this shift of attention physically re-wires the brain. Schwartz introduced the concept that we are self-healing, not machines that require an expert to fix us because we do have the ability to “intropect” to exam and re-think how we think. My brain hurts from all this thinking…
The idea of these teleseminars is great. I appreciate an opportunity to listen to Dr. Schwartz’s presentation. It would be helpfull to have a certain background to quantum mechanic/physic then to comment on a principal thought of this seminar; using its assumptions in reasoning how mind change a brain. The seminar left me with the interest big enough to look for additional information. Thank you again.
I was not able to join the call with Dr.Schwartz, but I have found the ideas in Brain Lock to be highly effective with most of my OCD clients, and I have adapted this approach somewhat to work with other diagnoses as well. In fact, I have recommended his book to so many clients that I should get a commission from him!
I enjoyed the teleseminar but had to piece together the info I was looking for since there was some wandering to the answers. I think we could have been advised to read his book first and then the seminar makes perfect sense but if you had no background, I can understand the confusion of the others who commented. This info does fit in nicely with Dr. Dan Siegel who has a more universal approach to any disorder – his work on how adult attachment issues interfere with brain plasticity fits in here. If you haven’t read Mindsight by Dan Siegel, it is a great explanation for plasticity of the brain and how to apply it in clinical cases. Thanks for your work in these seminars, they are worthwhile.
I was initially quite intrigued by Dr. Schwartz bringing in diverse fields such as quantum physics and religious ideology. Re: quantum physics: I think he could have made it a bit clearer to the audience what were the connections with neuroplasticity, as well as the practical applications to mindfulness. I’m going to read the transcript to see if there’s greater clarity in the written word. Re: his religious opinions (because that is what they are, opinions), I have to respectfully disagree. As we are all aware, mindfulness meditation is based upon contemplative Buddhist practices and philosophies – these are more akin to world views than religious ideologies. Although there is a strong moral aspect to these traditions and practices, and I appreciated Dr. Schwartz not mincing words about this aspect, it is not a religious characteristic per se, as he specifically mentioned Christian and Jewish traditions. From a practical perspective, I would certainly encourage a patient incorporating these concepts into their religious belief system if he/she finds that helpful, but I’m still reluctant to conceptualize them as religous, as opposed to ethical and philosophical, guiding principles. Put simply, invoking religion does not add to the explanatory features of the model for me -
Dr. Schwartz could have avoided sowing a lot of confusion and misleading those who found him clear by distinguishing three viewpoints we can take in discussing the mind and brain. The first is the common sense view that distinguishes roughly between thoughts and feelings on the one hand and neuroscientific events and processes on the other. From this viewpoint, it’s not controversial to say that our thoughts somehow affect our brain and vice versa. The second viewpoint is the scientific, which has many specializations, including neuroscience (study of the material brain) and phenomenology (direct observation of our inner experience). The third viewpoint is the philosophical, which studies the nature of viewpoints themselves and their interrelationships. In the context of these teleseminars, the philosophical puzzle is how neuroscience and phenomenology are related, since our inner experience dramatically differs from our material brain, yet the two are somehow related. One philosophical view of this issue is reductionism, the PHILOSOPHICAL NOT SCIENTIFIC VIEW that there is only material reality. Scientists need no more be reductionist than an actor needs to believe that there are no fields of human endeavor other than acting. Had Dr. Schwartz been clear about these different viewpoints, he could have discussed clinical applications within a common sense perspective, giving both the brain and mind their due without feeling lt that he had to get into the specialized philosophical issues that are largely irrelevant both to good science and sound clinical practice. He would also have avoided discussing quantum physics in relation to consciousness, which at our current level of knowlege is largely premature expostulation.
I believe that Dr. Seigel has such good information to share. He obviously has been immersed in it for long enough to be an expert, and he has scientific backing. He clearly knows what he is talking about. My disappointment is that it was not cohesively presented. It did not hang together. It seemed scattered and incomplete. He may have felt time pressure. That can scatter anyone. The transcript did help to grasp some of it. I guess an hour is not enough time to spell out and deepen such new and complex ideas that really need that. I will read his books and hope they will be more clear. You did your best, Ruth, to keep him on track. It seemed hard to keep him focused. However, I am so glad to have heard the interview. I believe that his ideas are very valuable. I could have done without the evangelical zeal. Mindfulness is neutral and can serve very well all spiritual beliefs, theistic or non-theistic. Thank you, Ruth, and NICABM for such excellent information. Best to all.
I appreciate this discourse. I laugh a bit. Last presentation I offered to peers, I warned them that my presentations can be like a pinata, with little gifts popping out – not so linear, and noted that parts of their brain might not like it. I, Italian from a Jewish neighborhood in NY, heard Dr. Schwartz being “a person”. I wonder if he could write a little ditty on the topics folks felt were incomplete. That way, we could enjoy his passion and abandon as well as the further understanding some would like. In gratitude for such amazing presentations and so much work to create them.
First of all, I apologize. For some reason I got Dr. Schwartz’ name mixed up with Dr. Siegel’s. I stand corrected by myself. I really appreciate Mia Barbera’s comments. What a beautiful perspective! In a world where the negative reigns, she brings a holistic, healthy positive overview. Thanks.
I am relieved to find that others struggled with this content. I plan to go back and read the transcript again in light of the comments made. I agree there was a lot of good information and valuable ideas. Perhaps they are not conducive to this time-limited medium.