Body Harmonization : Using Body Wisdom to Evaluate and Address Anxiety and Depression in a ...

432 Pages·2005·1.07 MB·English

©
Body Harmonization : Using Body Wisdom
to Evaluate and Address Anxiety and Depression
in a Select Group
Karin V. Cremasco, Ph.D.
Dissertation
Submitted to the
Holos University Graduate Seminary
In partial fulfillment of the requirements
For the degree of
DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY
DEDICATION
To
G. W. Harvey Steel, M.S., D.C.
October 1, 1939-April 9, 1997
“Remember, you’re not the One doin’ the work!”
~Harvey Steel
Copyright by Karin V. Cremasco 2004
All Rights Reserved
ii
The work reported in this dissertation is original and carried out by me solely, except for
the acknowledged direction and assistance gratefully received from colleagues and
mentors.
_____________________________________________
Karin V. Cremasco
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
It is my honour to walk with this supportive group, without whom I would not be where I am today:
God—for allowing me to come home to serve; for continuing to be there always and in all ways; and for
finding me in the abyss; for allowing me to see that you are in each and every one of us. We are One.
Harvey Steel—for giving us back our health and our life, for teaching me to reach for the stars, that all
things are possible when we come from our heart; for your continuing support for so many of us. Thank
you Harvey, for teaching me your remarkable work and for letting me into your heart.
David Eichler—for your wonderful expertise and your ‘raise the bar’ standards, for your warmth and
your gentle guidance towards excellence; for your friendship, support, and trust; for being the beacon of
guidance in search of excellence as chair of my committee.
Monika Eichler—for being my angel of numbers; for expert, patient, gentle assistance to me; for
midwifing my dissertation; for taking me safely where I have not been before and making it fun! For your
support, confidence, trust in me and the work; for allowing me to feel I am a member of your family.
Mei-fei Elrick—for your wisdom offered at just the right moment; for your expertise and for serving on
my committee; for your thorough editing of my dissertation, for your kind friendship; for believing in the
work, and my ability to bring it forward.
Evelyn Mackay—for teaching me about angels, energy, and truth; for teaching me the difference
between heal and cure; for showing me the blessings/gifts the dying offer; for being a living example of
what you teach.
Bev MacLean—for being my dear friend; for teaching me to trust, to be open, to listen to the animals,
and that we have many of the answers ourselves; for being there when I needed you!
Andrea Mathieson—for creating the Raven Essences, and their descriptions which seem to evolve into
different perfect wisdom with every offering.
Ann Nunley—for being my mentor, for welcoming me into your Kansas home, for developing the
remarkable tool of the Inner Counselor™ which changed my life, for teaching me to trust myself and
know my limitations, for trusting me and teaching me, for showing me the teacher whom I aspire to be;
for believing in the work I do and sharing it with so many; for trusting me with your work and with that
which is most dear to you; for sharing “the boys” with me.
BoB Nunley— for being my mentor, for believing in my work and guiding me; for being my chair for
my Ph.D., inspiring me to go where I had no idea I could; for teaching me how to connect with God and
how to love, for realizing dreams with me, for helping me to rediscover music within me, for inspiration
to do the impossible well, for teaching me to breathe and take in life to the fullest, for being my soul
friend; for your guidance when I needed it most; for all of our connections at 333 levels.
John Nunley—Jock--for being my technical advisor and helping us to create a teaching manual so this
work can be easily taught to many; for creating a template for Holos to make writing a dissertation fun;
for helping and teaching me how to create a professional piece of work; for your support; for being my
friend.
Norm Shealy—for being the frontier of Energy Medicine and founding the graduate programs in
Greenwich and in Holos University Graduate Seminary; for inspiring me to focus; for sharing your
brilliance with all of us; for helping me to reconstruct my spirituality from the bottom up so it is more
solid than ever; for steadfastly standing by your truth; for embracing the spirituality of all humanity
however we uniquely choose to embrace Divinity; for sharing the mandala with us; for the ordination by
God.
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Larry Steel—for being my dear friend, colleague, teacher, and healer; for carrying the torch of BOS™;
for coming straight from the heart while doing amazing work; for believing in me and BES™; for being
team teacher with me in ever expanding horizons!
Martina Steiger—for being my steadfast friend, healing facilitator, student, and faculty colleague; for
allowing me to share your sacred journey with such confidence and trust; for sharing mine with you; for
teaching me to find God in the abyss.
Laurel Thom--for teaching me unconditional love and supporting me so that I could grow into who I am,
how to be there for others while looking after my inner child; for showing me how to have wings to fly
and roots to grow; to be grounded.
Berney Williams—for teaching me what a true scholar is, for showing me the passion of knowledge, for
being on my committee, for your expertise, and for supporting me with all your wisdom; for your laugh!
Lori Wilson—for teaching me to trust my inner wisdom, urging me forward to trust that I do know what
I know; for supporting me; for being a mentor for teaching, for teaching me how to attend and stay out of
the way.
Lois Eveleigh (BOS™ chiropractor), Dr. Victor Frank (TBM™),Richard Gerber (Vibrational
Medicine)Elmer Green (Forefather of Energy Medicine), Jeff Levin (BAT™),Dr. Daniel Monti (NET™
Mind),Dr. Doris Rapp (Specialist in Environmental Medicine), Drs. Debbie and Scott Walker
(NET™),Irene Yaychak-Arabei (Self Muscle Testing), George Goodheart, H. Havlic,Jennifer
Lamonica, B. J. Palmer, D.D. Palmer, Robert Ridler, Bob Warwick,—for teaching the teachers;
Kimberley Brawley, RMT, Joel Falk, RMT, Dr. Russell Grabowski, D.C (for tuning my body so I
could type this dissertation.)
My Students, Clients, Research Subjects, and Volunteers—for trusting my work; for allowing me to
walk with you on your sacred journey; for teaching me your wisdom.
My dear husband, Steve—for your gentle support, patience, common sense, and steadfast love; you are
my solid foundation; for brightening my life with your wonderful sense of humour; for believing in what I
am doing; for your acceptance of who I am; for providing so well for us; for lighting up my life.
My daughter, Laura—for blessing me with your life and your friendship; for your truthfulness; for
being the tremendous teacher of love and wisdom, for special daughter/mom times; for lighting my life
with your incredible art; for being you; for sharing your journey--for this, I am grateful.
My son, Darryl—for your joy, inspiration, and passion, for being who you are; for bringing me here; for
teaching me how to take care of my hands; for the depth of your love and belief in my work; for staying
true to who you are; for studying with me; for your careful editing; for your music that lights up my heart.
My Parents—for giving me life, and for teaching me to go for my dream, no matter what the odds; for
teaching me to be the best I can be and accept nothing less; for being an example of faith which directed
me to realize my connection to God; for all my life’s lessons which helped me to grow into who I am.
My Brothers, and all of my in-laws—for supporting me each in your own way. Leif—for your editing!
My Feline Friends--Sassy, Guapita, and Yin—for boundless devotion and wise love; for teaching me
about letting go; for keeping me company during the wee hours; for your gift of joy.
My Teachers—for all the difficult learnings I have had with you and for your courage and your struggle
in gifting those experiences to me, so that I may learn to embrace my shadow. I would not be where I am
without my experiences with you. Please accept my deepest gratitude.
Christ/Christos/Kristus—for through you we can do all things; Laurel Keyes, Gandhi, Mother
Theresa, and all my Guides and Angels—for your continued guidance, protection, inspiration,
assistance, and healing. You have orchestrated the coming home to serve. Accept my gratitude.
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ABSTRACT
“BODY HARMONIZATION©:
USING BODY WISDOM TO EVALUATE AND ADDRESS ANXIETY AND
DEPRESSION, IN A SELECT GROUP”
This study examined changes in levels of anxiety and depression, using a selection of
specific energy balancing techniques called Body Harmonization©. A protocol was
followed for each individual using muscle testing (kinesiology). The study consisted of a
2-period, 2 intervention crossover design. In Period 1, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
and the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale were administered to 86 subjects who had
previous experience with a specific energy balancing technique. The dependant
measurements were completed before and after the interventions, as well as one-week
post-session. Group 1 received Intervention A, a Body Harmonization energy balancing
session. Group 2 received Intervention B, an Education Session. After a six to ten month
period, 74 subjects returned and the dependent measurements were once again
completed. In Period 2, Group 1 received Intervention B, and Group 2 received
Intervention A. Body Harmonization intervention yielded statistically significant
differences in lowering state and trait anxiety, and depression. Body Harmonization
scores were lower relative to Education Session scores for depression and remained
stable over a period of at least 6 months (p<.001). Additional findings also are presented.
Implications and future research recommendations are included.
Keywords: body wisdom, energy balancing, Body Harmonization©,BOS™ (Biocomputer
Operating System™), BES™ (Biocomputer Emotional Spiritual™) technique,
Inner Counselor™,TBM™ (Total Body Modification™), BAT™ (Body Alignment
Technique™), STAI (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), SDS (Self-rating Depression Scale)
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
Section Page Number
DEDICATION....................................................................................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................................iv
ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS..................................................................................................vii
LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................................xiii
LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................xiv
ABBREVIATIONS..........................................................................................................xv
CHAPTER 1: Literature Review and Problem Overview................................................1
Introduction and Statement of the Problem....................................................................1
Prevalence and Severity of Mental Illness......................................................................2
Definition and Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression...................................................3
Definitions...................................................................................................................3
Depression...............................................................................................................3
Anxiety....................................................................................................................4
Prevalence...................................................................................................................5
Comorbidity....................................................................................................................6
Depression and Anxiety in the Normal Population........................................................7
Review of Conventional Therapies for Anxiety and Depression:..................................8
Treatments and Efficacy of Treatments..........................................................................8
Pharmacological Approaches......................................................................................8
Placebos......................................................................................................................9
Psychotherapeutic Approaches.................................................................................10
Review of Complementary Approaches for Both Anxiety and Depression:................12
Treatments and Efficacy of Treatments........................................................................12
Acupuncture..............................................................................................................13
Relaxation Response and Autogenic Training..........................................................14
Therapeutic Touch™..................................................................................................15
Electrotherapy: TENS...............................................................................................16
Reiki..........................................................................................................................16
Body Wisdom...............................................................................................................17
Etiology of Anxiety and Depression.............................................................................18
Statement of the Problem..............................................................................................20
Purpose of This Research Project.................................................................................20
Hypothesis.....................................................................................................................20
Null Hypothesis............................................................................................................20
CHAPTER 2: Methods...................................................................................................28
Research Design............................................................................................................28
Subjects.........................................................................................................................33
Recruitment of Subjects............................................................................................33
Criteria for Inclusion of Subjects..........................................................................33
Referral Sources....................................................................................................34
vii
Materials.......................................................................................................................34
Procedure......................................................................................................................38
Contact with Subjects...............................................................................................38
Session......................................................................................................................40
Education Session Group......................................................................................41
Body Harmonization© Group................................................................................44
BES™Technique: EMCC Procedure©:.................................................................47
Emotional Meridian-organ Chakra Connection (EMCC) Chart Explanation...47
Example of Body Harmonization.....................................................................48
CHAPTER 3: Results.....................................................................................................53
Independent Variable....................................................................................................53
Subjects Who Did Not Return in Period 2....................................................................54
Descriptive Analysis.....................................................................................................54
Description of Subjects.............................................................................................54
Period 1.................................................................................................................54
Period 2.................................................................................................................55
Age........................................................................................................................55
Stress.....................................................................................................................55
Dependent Variables.....................................................................................................56
Compliance with Questionnaire Completions..............................................................56
Pre-Session Data Point..................................................................................................57
Post-Session (O & O ) and One-Week after Session (O & O ) Data Points.............57
2 5 3 6
State Scores...................................................................................................................58
Paired Samples T-Test..............................................................................................58
Group 1 State Paired Sample T-tests....................................................................58
Group 1 Stability of State Scores Scores Over Time............................................60
Group 2 State Paired Sample T-tests....................................................................61
Group 2 Stability of State Anxiety Scores Over Time.........................................63
Graph of Mean State Scores: Groups 1 and 2.......................................................64
Summary of State Significant Values...................................................................66
Independent Samples T-Test for State Scores..........................................................67
Trait Scores...................................................................................................................69
Paired Samples T-Test..............................................................................................69
Group 1 Trait Paired Sample T-tests....................................................................69
Group 1 Stability of Trait Scores Over Time........................................................71
Group 2 Trait Paired Sample T-tests....................................................................72
Group 2 Stability of Trait Scores Over Time........................................................74
Graph of Mean of Trait Scores.............................................................................74
Summary of Trait Significant Values...................................................................76
Independent Samples T-Test for Trait Anxiety Scores.............................................77
Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) Index..........................................................79
Paired Samples T-Test..............................................................................................79
Group 1 SDS Paired Sample T-tests.....................................................................79
Group 1 Stability of SDS Scores Over Time........................................................82
Group 2 SDS Paired Sample T-tests.....................................................................83
Group 2 Stability of SDS Scores Over Time........................................................85
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Graph of Mean SDS Scores..................................................................................86
Summary of SDS Significant p Values.................................................................88
Independent Samples T-Test for SDS Scores...........................................................89
Descriptive Statistics.....................................................................................................91
Verbal Feedback.......................................................................................................91
CHAPTER 4: Discussion................................................................................................93
Did Body Harmonization©Have an Impact on Depression and Anxiety?...................93
Different Than a Crossover Study................................................................................94
Data Points: (O ) to (O ); (O ) to (O ); and (O ) to (O ).............................................94
1 4 1 6 4 6
Data Points (O )Pre-Session Period 1 to (O ) Pre-Session Period 2.......................94
1 4
Depression.............................................................................................................95
SDS Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) Pre-ED.................................95
1 4
SDS Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) Pre-BH................................96
1 4
State Anxiety.........................................................................................................97
State Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) Pre-ED.................................97
1 4
State Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) Pre-BH...............................97
1 4
Trait Anxiety.........................................................................................................97
Trait Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) Pre-ED.................................98
1 4
Trait Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) Pre-BH................................98
1 4
Data Points (O ) Pre-Session Period 1 to (O ) One-week After Session Period 2...98
1 6
SDS Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) One-week ED......................99
1 6
SDS Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) One-week BH.....................99
1 6
State Anxiety.........................................................................................................99
State Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) One-week ED......................99
1 6
State Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) One-week BH...................100
1 6
Trait Anxiety.......................................................................................................100
Trait Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) One-week ED....................100
1 6
Trait Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) One-week BH...................101
1 6
Data Points (O ) Pre-Session Period 2 to (O ) One-week After Session Period 2.101
4 6
Depression...........................................................................................................102
SDS Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) One-week ED.....................102
4 6
SDS Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) One-week BH...................102
4 6
State Anxiety.......................................................................................................102
State Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) One-week ED....................102
4 6
State Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) One-week BH..................103
4 6
Trait Anxiety.......................................................................................................103
Trait Group 1: Data Points (O ) Pre-ED to (O ) One-week ED.....................103
4 6
Trait Group 2: Data Points: (O ) Pre-BH to (O ) One-week BH....................104
4 6
Independent Sample T-tests........................................................................................105
Controls.......................................................................................................................106
Self-rating Diagnosing Scale (SDS) Norms...........................................................106
State Anxiety Inventory National Norms...............................................................107
Trait Anxiety Inventory National Norms................................................................108
Comparison of Body Harmonization© with TT™, Reiki, and Inner Counselor™.......108
Possible Explanations of State, Trait Anxiety, and Depression Score Differences
between Data Points....................................................................................................112
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BOS™/BES™/Inner Counselor™ Model..................................................................112
Placebo....................................................................................................................113
Stress Load Reduction and the Relaxation Response.............................................114
Was There a Delayed Effect of Body Harmonization©?........................................115
Limitations of the Study..............................................................................................116
Considerations, Future Research, and Directions with Body Harmonization©..........117
Implications of Results within the Context of Helping Professions...........................121
Clinical Significance...............................................................................................121
Summary of Results....................................................................................................123
State Anxiety...........................................................................................................123
Trait Anxiety...........................................................................................................123
Depression...............................................................................................................123
Hypothesis Upheld..................................................................................................124
Conclusion..................................................................................................................125
Body Harmonization©: BOS™, BES™, and Inner Counselor™...............................126
A New Beginning…Beginning Anew....................................................................127
REFERENCES and BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................................132
APPENDIX A: CONCEPTUAL CONSTRUCT FOR BODY HARMONIZATION©.A-1
A1. Body Harmonization©.........................................................................................A-2
Introduction.............................................................................................................A-2
Complementary to Other Types of Treatment........................................................A-3
Conceptual models for Body Harmonization©.......................................................A-4
Kinesiology or Muscle Testing...........................................................................A-4
Neuro-Emotional Technique™ (NET™).......................................................A-5
A2. Spiritual Healing, Energy Medicine, and Subtle Energies..................................A-6
Energetic Anatomy.................................................................................................A-8
Subtle Bodies......................................................................................................A-8
Meridians............................................................................................................A-8
Chakras...............................................................................................................A-9
Physiological Anatomy.........................................................................................A-10
A3. Filters................................................................................................................A-11
A4. Body as a Biocomputer.....................................................................................A-12
Total Body Modification™ (TBM™).....................................................................A-12
Biocomputer Operating System™ (BOS™)...........................................................A-13
Laterality©.........................................................................................................A-14
BOS™/BES™ Energy Balancing Flowchart (Figure 2).........................................A-15
Body Harmonization©and Biocomputer Emotional Spiritual™ technique...........A-19
BOS™, BES™, and Inner Counselor™...................................................................A-20
APPENDIX B: RECRUITING PACKAGE...................................................................B-1
B1. Letter to BOS™ Practitioners and BOS™/BES™ Students...............................B-2
B2. Poster for Recruiting Subjects.............................................................................B-3
B3. Letter to Prospective Subjects.............................................................................B-4
APPENDIX C: PARTICIPANT PACKAGE.................................................................C-1
C1. Covering Letter for Period 1 Participant Package...............................................C-2
C2. Participant Intake Form.......................................................................................C-3
C3. Period 1 Consent Form A....................................................................................C-4
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