BAND OF BROTHERS # 10 / CONNECTION AND SELF HEALING

Seven more active duty multi-tour combat veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam, diagnosed with PTSD, shared their life charts and aloneness, faced their fears and buried feelings, opened their hearts through gratefulness, and became instantly connected together through their between sessions internet conversations ~ thus inspired each other to face their fears and begin to dramatically heal themselves in only eight weeks: Allen L Roland

I have long felt and have now clearly proved that PTSD is quite often Post Traumatic Heart Disorder for a common symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is the inability to give or receive love ~ which can obviously apply to non-veterans who have also suffered significant loss or emotional childhood and/or adult pain.

I have also clearly demonstrated that only after the heart is opened can true self-healing occur for only then does the client (veterans or otherwise) truly want to heal.  Using the premise that what is deepest within us is love (not pain and anger) and utilizing an action oriented approach to face and go through their fears ~ these veterans, soon discover that beneath their pain, anger and shame is not only love and joy but most importantly their true authentic self.

The purpose then of the Healing the Wounded Heart Workshops is to penetrate the grey zone of guilt, aloneness and unworthiness, that many War Veterans diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) experience, and this is done within a supportive group setting through heart centered self-exploration, group sharing, guided visualization and action oriented homework ~ where love and joy eventually overcome fear and separation.

The ultimate fire fight is on the battleground of the heart for it is there that we meet our deepest fears and issues of unworthiness. Combat veterans are often bonded in combat whereas the loss of their buddies is just as traumatic as the loss of a family member. A heart centered approach to PTSD re-opens their closed hearts, reconnecting them to an innocent and loving child within themselves which accelerates the self-healing process

The first meeting of the Healing The Wounded Heart Veterans Workshop #10 was held on June 22, 2012 at 6 PM in Danville, California ~ and was sponsored by the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley.

All had done a pre- workshop assessment before the first session but I had them do another assessment regarding current feelings of love, joy and peace of mind at the start of the first session ~ on a scale of 1 – 10 with one being the worst and ten being the most positive rating. They all averaged between three and four ~ with many ongoing symptoms of unworthiness and depression.

Eight weeks later their final assessment regarding feelings of love, joy and peace of mind found them all averaged between 8 and 10 ~ with many of their ongoing symptoms of PTSD no longer occurring.

We met once a week for approximately three hours. All of them had many symptoms of PTSD and even TBI but all had the common symptom of a closed heart and the inability to love and receive love ~ mainly because of deep unworthiness issues that originally started in childhood and were reinforced through their military experience.

All of them were looking for a light at the end of their personal dark tunnel of unworthiness ~ and all of them found it within themselves.

I told them that this was an action based heart centered transformation workshop and if they did their homework they would reach a place of not only another choice but would open their closed hearts in the process. They would also begin to see through different eyes ~ eyes unclouded by fear, anger and unworthiness.  I also explained through my Cycle Of Life chart how psychic pain will override Joy to the extent that most people have no idea that beneath their deepest pain and aloneness is love, joy and connectedness ~ a Unified Field of love, joy and soul consciousness.

After each session ~ part of their homework was to read each session in my book RADICAL THERAPY / SURRENDER TO LOVE AND HEAL YOURSELF IN SEVEN SESSIONS (NOT SEVEN YEARS ) which reinforced the previous group session. I also told them that these sessions were all about transformation and that these action based sessions could well bring up painful memories ~ but that beneath that deep pain was as even deeper thread of love, joy and innocence ~ which all of them had experienced at one time in their childhood

Of course, that first session I shared my own heart's journey (as well as my life chart) to find a lost and alone little boy within myself who not only wanted to fly, and became a Navy Fighter pilot, but also to love as deeply as I loved my beloved grandfather before I was torn away from him at six years old. We talked about the war and all of them briefly shared their individual journey and by the end of three hours ~ they began to feel a sense of commonality.  Their homework was to produce a life chart of the path of their own heart's journey ~ which they would share, one by one, with the group over the next three sessions. The objective of the life chart is for the participant to see their life as a quest, versus a struggle, to find their authentic self and how every love relationship has played a significant role in that quest.

I told them that I was their coach, not their therapist, and that they had free access to me by telephone or email at any time during this process of self-discovery. But they also had free access to everyone else in the group and encouraged them to share their individual insights and progress with each other ~ which greatly accelerated their self-healing process because they, in essence, inspired each other in this healing process.

The life chart is something like a crime scene where something happened and somebody was lost in childhood. In essence, I assist them, one by one,  in connecting the dots to help them find where they separated from their original innocent state of being, when they made the decision to be something other than themselves and how their whole life has been an inner QUEST, not a struggle, to find and fully experience their authentic self again. I help them see how all of their love relationships, regardless of the pain that may have ensued, have all been gifts on that quest as they most certainly have been in my life.

Sharing their individual life charts, with my guidance, in front of the entire group not only established commonality but was a major step in coming out of their self-imposed cocoons of fear as well as the important realization that it is safe and exciting  to be honest, real and authentic. The life charts set the stage for all of the exercises and transformation that would occur later in the sessions. All of them were looking for a light at the end of a dark tunnel of unworthiness, self-doubt and guilt ~ and all of them found that light within themselves

I’ll let their post workshop evaluations tell the story of their eight week inner journey through fear to love, self-acceptance and joy;

DF ~ " I enjoyed coach Allen, the book and exercises and I trust myself more. I also think other people trust me more since I trust myself and my feelings "

MB ~ " I loved the inner child exercise, I've gone beyond my anger and I honestly love myself and can accept who I am. "

EB ~ " I loved the group dynamic and connectivity ~ doing this alone might not have worked and it brought me back to my wife and kids "

CO ~ " I enjoyed the life chart and exercises particularly the Victim/Accountability exercise as well as meeting the inner child. I significantly changed from a completely negative world view "

ME ~ " This is the most powerful love I have ever experienced ~ this is the single most important step I have taken towards being myself "

RF ~ " I learned that all I have to do is just be truly myself and everything will be all right "

RQ ~ " I realized that I'm loved and all I have to do is be real and start acting like I'm loved "

In addition, every effort was made to involve the wives and partners of the workshop participants and they were all invited to the last celebration session on August 10th ~ where EB's wife tearfully shared that she finally had her husband back and their children were finally experiencing the person she married. Each participant also has a free session with their partner and myself at the conclusion of the sessions ~  in order to fully integrate their partner with the heart centered approach and process.

In summary ~ Healing the wounded heart workshop #10 was truly unique because they constantly emailed each other and shared their homework experiences and inspired each other to take risks and truly experience themselves in the process ~ thus accelerating their individual self-healing process. They were all coming from gratitude toward the people in their life who they had never thanked within two sessions and all of their closed hearts had opened by the sixth session.

These combat veterans had been trained to kill and many had faced significant fear in the process of their military experience ~ many had gone to the dark side and were still living on the outskirts.

All of them wanted to experience another heartfelt choice and they all experienced it in this workshop ~ that's all I can do as a coach and therapist ~ the gift I gave them was myself as well as the tools to sustain that choice.

Band of Brothers #11 starts on August 17th and many of these same graduates will welcome them and share their experience at the opening session.

I am indebted to the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley and their board for their commitment to returning GWOT veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf as well as their financial commitment to this life changing heart centered work.

Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2012/08/band-of-brothers-10-connection-and-self.html

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations  allen@allenroland.com

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on  www.conscioustalk.net

RISING VETS SUICIDES / HEART CENTERED APPROACH NEEDED

A bag filled with violence inducing psychotropic drugs are not the answer for treating our returning veterans, especially since for every US soldier killed this year, 25 veterans commit suicide. The US military has lost more troops to suicide than to combat for the second year in a row and a better cause versus symptom based understanding of combat-related risk factors for suicide is now critical. Dr Allen L Roland

A new SFVA study strongly suggests that soldiers who experience killing experiences are twice as likely to attempt suicide ~ which strongly supports the reality of soul damage as a contributing factor for veteran’s suicide as well as the obvious need for a proven heart centered approach toward veteran rehabilitation.

An American soldier dies every day and a half, on average, in Iraq or Afghanistan while Veterans kill themselves at the rate of one every 80 minutes. More than 6,500 veteran suicides are logged every year ~ more than the total number of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined since those wars and occupations began.

Nicholas D. Kristof, The New York Times rightfully calls it “The Nations Shame“  See article ~ http://nyti.ms/HJF1rL

Last year, General Peter Chiarelli,  the Army's No. 2 officer, acknowledged there are more effective ways to treat PTSD than just drugs ~ a fact that I have been proving for over two years with our heart centered Healing The Wounded Heart workshops for combat veterans with PTSD in Northern California.

Last year, Megan Sully, The national Journal, interviewed Gen. Peter Chiarelli , the Army's No. 2 officer, who has long been an advocate for soldiers suffering from the invisible wounds of war ~ such as PTSD and TBI. Here are some pertinent excerpts of General Chiarelli’s important interview with the National Journal (NJ);

NJ: Statistics show that more members of the military kill themselves than die in combat. Has the Army made progress in this area?

CHIARELLI: “I definitely think that we have made progress, but we're fighting an uphill battle. The underlying causes, the stress on the force, the things that are causing the stress on the force, still remain when you have operational-tempo levels that are at what they are right now, especially after 10 years of conflict.”

NJ: The Army has long had a stigma about mental health.

CHIARELLI: “Not the Army, not the military. It's everybody. I believe that the stigma associated with behavioral health issues is something that is shared by the general public. We're just admitting it. And what the Army's trying to do internal to itself is to change that culture. We have a lot of folks who are very focused on the mission who don't want to let their buddies down. Sometimes that gets in the way of seeking the help that they want and need.”

NJ: You have expressed concern about the level of research into post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. What worries you?

CHIARELLI: “We do not know how to treat post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury with the same kind of assurance that we know how to treat what I call the mechanical injuries of this war. The science is just not there. There is a lot of wonderful, very important research going on. The problem is if you're an operator like me who likes to fix things quickly. It takes a long time.”

NJ: Is the military's medical culture changing to address these problems?

CHIARELLI: “There's no doubt that we've changed. We've totally done a 180. But have we done enough? No. I want to do more, quicker. I want to have more of these secrets unlocked faster. I want to understand what drugs we should use to treat these symptoms, if we should use any drugs at all. I want to look into alternative pain management. We are finding there are other ways to handle pain that are more effective and allow a person to feel a lot better than throwing a bagful of drugs at them.”

See full article ~

http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0611/062411-Chiarelli.htm

In 2007, the US Department of Defense issued $3 billion in contracts for bulk pharmaceutical purchases, many of which are option periods from an original award and that number is significantly higher now ~ we’re talking big money here!

Here’s one of those drugs in that bag. After the recent massacre of 16 Afghan civilians by a U.S. soldier, as well as scores of military and veteran suicides and homicides, more light is being shed on the military's zombie potion, Mefloquine (Lariam).

Mefloquine is an anti-malaria drug, invented by the military that has been known for sometime to have severe psychiatric side effects including psychotic behavior, paranoia and hallucinations. The drug has been implicated in numerous suicides and homicides, including deaths in the U.S. military as well as Peace Corps. With so many other anti-malarial medications available, one has to wonder why the military continues to distribute Mefloquine (Lariam) at all.

A must see 13 minute Video: Democracy Now

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/10157.html

So let’s take a closer look at the bagful of drugs (Care of big Pharma) that are currently being thrown at Veterans as well as their adverse effects.

A recent study published in the Public Library of Science online journal (PloS One @ www.plosone.org) by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP @ www.ismp.org) listed the top 31 prescription drugs that can cause violent or aggressive behavior in those consuming them. Note that Prozac, Paxil and the amphetamine drugs as well as Lariam are # 2, # 3 # 4 and #5 on the top-ten list:

10. Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) ~ Pfizer’s newest antidepressant (a knock-off of Effexor, note the similarity of the generic terms) that artificially stimulates both serotonin and noradrenaline. The drug is 7.9 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.

9. Venlafaxine (Effexor) ~ An antidepressant that has marketing approval for both depression and anxiety. The drug is 8.3 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.

8. Fluvoxamine (Luvox) - A so-called “selective” serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) A drug that is 8.4 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.

7. Triazolam (Halcion) - A benzodiazepine (a so-called “minor” but highly addictive tranquilizer) drug for insomnia that is 8.7 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.

6. Atomoxetine (Strattera) – A psychostimulant drug that is 9 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.

5. Mefoquine (Lariam) – An anti-malaria drug that is 9.5 times more likely to be associated with violence (including homicide and suicide) than other drugs.

4. Amphetamines - This general class of dangerous and highly addictive psychostimulant drugs is 9.6 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.

3. Paroxetine (Paxil) - An SSRI antidepressant, (with psychostimulating, mania-inducing effects) that is 10.3 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs. It is also linked to severe withdrawal symptoms and birth defects.

2. Fluoxetine (Prozac) - A popular SSRI antidepressant drug that is 10.9 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.

1. Varenicline (Chantix) – A dopaminergic anti-smoking drug that is a shocking 18 times more likely to be associated with violence than other drugs.

The original article can be accessed at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0015337

Are their lingering psychological or psychosocial effects on combat veterans with killing experiences in combat ~ particularly as relating to suicide?

In an important recent April 13, 2012 research study abstract entitled ~ KILLING IN COMBAT MAY BE INDEPENDENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH SUICIDAL IDEATION ~ the SFVA released the following abstract:

BACKGROUND:

The United States military has lost more troops to suicide than to combat for the second year in a row and better understanding combat-related risk factors for suicide is critical. We examined the association of killing and suicide among war veterans after accounting for PTSD, depression, and substance use disorders.

METHODS:

We utilized a cross-sectional, retrospective, nationally representative sample of Vietnam veterans from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). In order to perform a more in depth analysis, we utilized a subsample of these data, the NVVRS Clinical Interview Sample (CIS), which is representative of 1.3 million veterans who were eligible for the clinical interview by virtue of living in proximity to an interview site, located within 28 standard metropolitan regions throughout the United States.

RESULTS:

Veterans who had higher killing experiences had twice the odds of suicidal ideation, compared to those with lower or no killing experiences, and substance use disorders were each associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation. Endorsement of suicide attempts was most strongly associated with PTSD.

CONCLUSIONS:

Killing experiences are not routinely examined when assessing suicide risk. Our findings have important implications for conducting suicide risk assessments in veterans of war. See Report: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22505038


These findings offer even more justification for our heart centered workshops for combat veterans as well as other heart centered therapy. We’re talking about soul damage here and only a heart centered intervention can effectively treat  that psychic despondency ~ as I have consistently demonstrated with combat veterans who have virtually all participated in killing experiences.

And therein lies my point ~ there are most definitely other effective and proven ways to handle PTSD other than throwing a bagful of drugs at them and one of them is the heart centered Healing The Wounded Heart workshops we are facilitating with Veterans with PTSD in Northern California.  

I have long felt and have now proved that PTSD is really Post Traumatic Heart Disorder for a common symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the inability to give or receive love ~ which can obviously apply to non veterans who have also suffered significant loss or emotional childhood and/or adult pain.

I have clearly demonstrated that only after the heart is touched can true self healing occur for only then does the client (veterans or otherwise) truly want to heal.  Using the premise that what is deepest within us is love (not anger) and utilizing an action oriented approach to face and go through their heart felt fears ~ these veterans, soon discover that beneath their pain, anger and shame is not only love and joy but most importantly their true authentic self.

The purpose then of the Healing the Wounded Heart Workshops is to penetrate the grey zone of guilt, aloneness and unworthiness, that many combat War Veterans diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) experience, and this is done within a supportive group setting through heart centered self exploration, group sharing, guided visualization and action oriented homework ~ where love and joy eventually overcome fear and separation.

I call each one of these 8 week (once a week) workshops The Band of Brothers and nine of them have already been completed since early 2010 and Band of Brothers #10 will commence in early May 2012.

Using Band of Brothers #5 as an example ~ 21 PTSD symptoms were included on the evaluation survey and the veterans were asked to rate their level on the 1-10 scale ( with 1 being “ Very Poor “ and 10 being “ No Problem” for each of the PTSD conditions Before and After the workshop. Here are the after workshop results ~ with an average symptom improvement of 59%.

Symptoms / After workshop % Improvements

Sleep Problem              67%

Nightmares                    62%

Trouble breathing          15%

Avoidance                      63%

Isolation                        69%

Emotional Numbing       74%

Irritability/Anger          70%

Anxiety                            53%

Depression                     65%

Suicidal Ideations          41%

Intrusive Memories        58%

Super alert issues         58%

Concentration issues     55%

Energy                            57%

Feeling Joy                   75%

Fear of intimacy           63%

Physical pain                  36%

Emotional pain             65%

Love                               59%

Peace                             69%

Compassion                 41%

Gratitude                       75%

The figures speak for themselves but the one that leap out at me is the 75% improvement in Joy and gratitude. These combat veterans have not only survived the ultimate firefight of battling fear on the journey to their heart but are now experiencing the delight of not only being themselves but the joy and gratitude that they are truly healing themselves and can finally begin to give and receive love.

Here are two participants comments from their workshop evaluation;  "I have progressed farther in the workshop’s 8 weeks than I have in 25 years of on-and off private therapy. I've been given a very informative look at myself. I understand much more about my own experiences. So many answers to so many questions. I feel alive!  Gaining a different perspective on life helps me to see my true self. It's nice to feel love and a sense of self-worth"

"My quick temper and bouts with anger are gone. My dreams are no longer violent and I have not flown out of bed since the workshop. I am able to fall asleep and remain asleep. My relationships with my wife and family have improved immensely. The comradeship that grew with the other participants was wonderful. I feel very strongly that the “ Healing The wounded Heart “ workshop should be added to the VA’s inventory of most effective tools used in re-adjustment counseling to combat the life destroying effects of PTSD.”

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/veterans-respond-positively-to-heart.html

There can be no more excuses for the VA to not fund a heart centered approach to working with Veterans with PTSD which is now being privately funded by the California Veterans Support foundation, legion Posts such as Jack London Post 489 in Sonoma, California and local Vietnam support groups like VVA Chapter 702 in Napa, California.

If combat veterans are responding positively to these once a week eight week action oriented heart centered workshops ~ it’s time for the VA to open the door to alternative healing methodologies which the rest of the country are already acknowledging, supporting and experiencing.

Sal Ueda, LSW, an Adjustment counselor at the Concord Vet Center commented on General Chiarelli’s article and the need for a heart centered approach ~ “Unless we finally realize that true peace is never solved by War and stop continuing to use young men to help resolve world differences, we will continue the consequences of the "rude awakening" of wars, with its wounding of the soul. Through the Healing of the Wounded Heart Workshops we are witnessing war veterans go through transformations in reconnecting with their true self (spirituality) and reclaiming inner compassion, Love and Peace. I express my gratefulness to you General Chiarelli for questioning our state of mental health affair and advocacy. I have great faith in our human capacity to heal, and the availability of complimentary heart centered modalities out-side current mainstream treatment boxes that assist the healing process. The system needs to look at these modalities seriously, incorporate or fund them, and make them readily accessible.”

Four star general Peter Chiarelli should be given a fifth star for finally publicly acknowledging that there are more effective ways of dealing with our emotionally wounded veterans than just throwing a bagful of drugs at them ~ and hopefully shift veteran’s treatment focus from just symptom management and coping toward the real impact of trauma experiences on the human soul - the detachment or quite often further disconnection from one's inner spirituality, well being and above all capacity to give and receive love.

Love alone is capable of uniting living beings in such a way as to complete and fulfill them for it alone takes them and joins them to what is deepest within themselves ~ Teilhard de Chardin

Allen L Roland, PH.D
 
http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/rising-vets-suicides-heart-centered.html

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his  weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on  www.conscioustalk.net

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is also available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations ( allen@allenroland.com )

BAND OF BROTHERS # 9 / INTO THE LIGHT

Six more active duty combat veterans with PTSD faced their fears and aloneness, shared their life charts and buried feelings, opened their hearts, and went into the light ~ becoming once again innocent children full of love and life and began to dramatically heal themselves in only eight weeks: Allen L Roland

As Easter draws near, an ongoing real life resurrection story continues to unfold in Yountville, California with the extremely successful heart centered Healing The Wounded Heart workshops for veterans with PTSD.

I have long felt and have now clearly proved that PTSD is quite often Post Traumatic Heart Disorder for a common symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the inability to give or receive love ~ which can obviously apply to non veterans who have also suffered significant loss or emotional childhood and/or adult pain.

I have demonstrated that only after the heart is opened can true self healing occur for only then does the client (veterans or otherwise) truly want to heal. Using the premise that what is deepest within us is love (not pain and anger) and utilizing an action oriented approach to face and go through their fears ~ these veterans, soon discover that beneath their pain, anger and shame is not only love and joy but most importantly their true authentic self.

The purpose then of the Healing the Wounded Heart Workshops is to penetrate the grey zone of guilt, aloneness and unworthiness, that many War Veterans diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) experience, and this is done within a supportive group setting through heart centered self exploration, group sharing, guided visualization and action oriented homework ~ where love and joy eventually overcome fear and separation.

The ultimate fire fight is on the battleground of the heart for it is there that we meet our deepest fears and issues of unworthiness. Combat veterans are often bonded in combat whereas the loss of their buddies is just as traumatic as the loss of a family member. A heart centered approach to PTSD re-opens their closed hearts, reconnects them to an innocent child within themselves and accelerates the self healing process.

The first meeting of the Healing The Wounded Heart Veterans Workshop #9 was held on February 16, 2012 at 11 AM in Yountville, California.

They had never met me but they had been told about me, by their adjustment counselor Sal, and were prepared for an eight week commitment to face their fears and open their hearts in the process. They knew I was a former active duty Naval aviator and that made a big difference.

Five Vietnam combat vets (one woman) and a Korean war vet ~ and all diagnosed with PTSD. All were willing to go to the edge of their fears, take the risk and jump into the unknown ~ if it really meant the possibility of finding another choice of behavior as well as love and joy in their lives.

All had done a pre- workshop assessment before the first session but I had them do another assessment regarding current feelings of love, joy and gratitude at the start of the first session ~ on a scale of 1 – 10 with one being the worst and ten being the most positive rating. They all scored between 2 to 4 ~ with many ongoing symptoms of unworthiness and depression.

Eight weeks later their final assessment regarding feelings of love, joy and gratitude found them all between 8 and 10 ~ with many of their ongoing symptoms of PTSD no longer occurring.

We met once a week for approximately two and a half hours. All of them had many symptoms of PTSD and even TBI but all had the common symptom of a closed heart and the inability to love and receive love ~ mainly because of deep unworthiness issues that originally started in childhood and were reinforced through their military experience.

All of them were looking for a light at the end of their personal dark tunnel of unworthiness.

I told them that this was an action based heart centered transformation workshop and if they did their homework they would reach a place of not only another choice but would open their closed hearts in the process. They would also begin to see through different eyes ~ eyes unclouded by fear, anger and unworthiness. I also explained through my Cycle Of Life chart how psychic pain will override Joy to the extent that most people have no idea that beneath their deepest pain and aloneness is love, joy and connectedness ~ a Unified Field of love, joy and soul consciousness.

After each session ~ part of their homework was to read each session in my book RADICAL THERAPY / SURRENDER TO LOVE AND HEAL YOURSELF IN SEVEN SESSIONS (NOT SEVEN YEARS ) which reinforced the previous group session. I also told them that these sessions were all about transformation and that these action based sessions could well bring up painful memories ~ but that beneath that deep pain was as even deeper thread of love, joy and innocence ~ which all of them had experienced at one time in their childhood.

Of course, that first session I shared my own heart's journey (as well as my life chart) to find a lost and alone little boy within myself who not only wanted to fly, and became a Navy Fighter pilot, but also to love as deeply as I loved my beloved grandfather before I was torn away from him at six years old. We talked about the war and all of them briefly shared their individual journey and by the end of two hours ~ they began to feel a sense of commonality. Their homework was to produce a life chart of the path of their own heart's journey ~ which they would share with the group over the next two sessions. The objective of the life chart is for the participant to see their life as a quest, versus a struggle, to find their authentic self and how every love relationship has played a role in that quest.

I told them that I was their coach, not their therapist, and that they had free access to me by telephone or email at any time during this process of self discovery.

The life chart is something like a crime scene where something happened and somebody was lost in childhood. In essence, I assist them in connecting the dots to help them find where they separated from their original innocent state of being, when they made the decision to be something other than themselves and how their whole life has been an inner QUEST, not a struggle, to find and fully experience their authentic self again. I help them see how all of their love relationships, regardless of the pain that may have ensued, have been gifts on that quest as they most certainly have been in my life.

Sharing their individual life charts, with my guidance, in front of the entire group not only established commonality but is a major step in coming out of their self imposed cocoons of fear as well as the important realization that it is safe and exciting to be honest, real and authentic. The life charts set the stage for the exercises and transformation that would occur later in the sessions. All of them were looking for a light at the end of a dark tunnel of unworthiness, self doubt and guilt and all of them found that light within themselves.

I’ll let their post workshop evaluations tell the story of their eight week inner journey through fear to love, self acceptance and joy;

BH ~ “The life chart was the most powerful tool for me. Through it, I was able to place the mental jumble of my life into items, events, good and bad memories and so many people who I loved and loved me. It feels so much better seeing my life as a quest versus a struggle. “

MT ~ “ Doing the life chart was helpful in that I was finally able to see how wonderful my life has been “

SO ~ “The life chart and writing in my own sacred journal allowed me to start making connections from my past to my present.”

RR ~ “ The workshop showed me that it is My Turn now and I no longer have to wait for it to ‘just happen’.

TR ~ “ I loved the way we shared all our thoughts and feelings with each other without judgment “

EW ~ “ I finally feel relaxed and my heart feels light “

Here is their response to the question as to what they really enjoyed and went well for them during the workshop;

RR ~ “The joy and emotional experience of finding a little boy within myself ~ that I had lost before Vietnam.”

MT ~ “ The death exercise and having the opportunity to express my heart felt feelings as well as receive them “

BH ~ “ Being pushed, cajoled and challenged by Allen to face and go through my fears “

EW ~ “I enjoyed most of all my new brothers and sister and their stories “

TR ~ “ Being able to speak out and not being afraid of feeling stupid “

SO ~ “ The workshop fully met the expectation of the words ‘ Healing the wounded heart ‘ but it has done so much more than those words ~ it has given me back my life “

Perhaps the best way to share what happens in these workshops is to share a nine minute award-winning Japanese documentary titled Children Full of Life.

In this video, a fourth-grade class in a primary school in Kanazawa, northwest of Tokyo, learns lessons about compassion from their homeroom teacher, Toshiro Kanamori. He instructs each of them to write their true inner feelings in a letter, and read it aloud in front of the class. By sharing their lives and deep feelings, the children begin to realize their commonality as well as the importance of listening and caring for each other ~ which is precisely what Band of Brothers #9 did when they left the gray zone of unworthiness and aloneness, went into the light and once again became children full of life. 9 minute video ~ http://www.truththeory.org/children-full-of-life/

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." Albert Schweitzer

Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/band-of-brothers-9-into-light.htm

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is also available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations ( allen@allenroland.com )

HEART IS THE MASTER / MIND THE SERVANT

A heart grounded Warrior

The Japanese symbol of love is a replica of the heart’s dominance ~ for the mind is always looking for answers that the heart already knows. Armed with this innate compass, synchronistic heart felt events and relationships offer clues that our lives are divinely guided ~ whether or not you can fully accept it. Only the ego stands in the way of this great inner wisdom and awareness of not only a universal loving plan but our individual participation in it as a heart grounded warrior: Allen L Roland

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that my life is divinely guided by my heart and when I fully surrender to love I enter a Unified Field of soul consciousness where there are no accidents and where heart felt synchronistic events and relationships are constant reminders of this universal truth.

By fully surrendering to love many years ago and falling through a rabbit hole to another state of consciousness ~ I found and embraced an innocent child within myself who always wanted to love that deeply and who had an intentioned destiny to fulfill as well as a song to sing.

Every love relationship that has ensued since I opened my heart has led me through fear and to the heart grounded place where I am now ~ living in the blissful awareness that I am part of something far greater than myself and, as such, my heart has become a fragment of life's heart. The great Egyptian poet Mahfouz expressed it beautifully ~ “When the heart achieves its desire, you shall transcend time and space” for we are all, in essence, put on this planet a little time to bear the beams of a love that transcends time and space ~ the Unified Field.

We must eventually all come together to change the world and, in that spirit, here is a 5 minute video of one million children singing Composer Howard McCrary’s Change The World ~ which will touch even the most hardened heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4h-R9xDJDk&feature=player_embedded

Thus, by listening and responding to my inner heart call ~ I have not only found direction in my life but have become in sync with my destiny.

R. Adam Crane BCIA Senior Fellow, BCIAEEG, NRNP Diplomate writes in Science of The Heart: The Role of the Heart in Human Performance of the same phenomenon; http://www.mindfitness.com/adam_hrv.htm

" There is now a scientific basis to explain how and why the heart affects mental clarity, creativity, emotional balance and personal effectiveness. Research indicates that the heart is far more than a simple pump. The heart is, in fact, a highly complex, self-organized information processing center with its own functional that communicates with and influences the cranial brain via the nervous system, hormonal system and other pathways. These influences profoundly affect brain function and most of the body's major organs, and ultimately determine the quality of life. "

Note: It is now known that the signals the heart sends the brain can influence perception, emotional processing, and higher cognitive functions.

”Throughout history philosophers have asserted that "when the heart enters the brain wisdom emerges". Now, neurocardiology has demonstrated that there are physiological correlation's for this ancient concept. Furthermore, these discoveries have been translated into a fascinating and enjoyable form of Biofeedback with enormous potential. Part of the reason for this potential is that people are attracted to the simple, common sense notion that there is something that can be done to assure that their thinking will be positively influenced by their hearts. Of course, heart represents one's humanity, compassion, wisdom etc., but most people are keenly aware that feelings in the heart profoundly affects health. "

Note: One of the tenets of modern psychology and learning theory is that what we think determines our reality. "As you think so you are". Since the heart mediates the emotional system, and since thoughts with an "emotional charge" are those thoughts that most influence our life and our reality, it can be suggested that the heart truly is massively influencing the brain and our reality - if not dominating it.

" Biomedical research has revealed that the heart is not just a simple pump, but a highly complex, self-organized information processing center with its own functional "brain." With each beat, the heart continuously communicates with the brain and body via the nervous system, hormonal system, bioelectromagnetic interactions, and other pathways. Scientists are demonstrating that the messages the heart sends the brain not only affect physiological regulation, but can also profoundly influence perception, emotions, behaviors, performance and health. "

Note: The heart produces by far the most powerful rhythmic electromagnetic field in the body. The brain and all the cells in the body are continuously bathed in the heart's electromagnetic field, which can also be detected several feet away from the body by sensitive instruments. The implications are that the heart is an energetic system, and the heart's field is a carrier of emotional information and a mediator of bioelectromagnetic communication both within and outside the body. Many scientists believe that the heart's field changes distinctly as we experience different emotions, and is registered by the brains of people around us.

The heart's field also appears to be capable of affecting cells, water and DNA studied in vitro. The implications of these findings are that people may be capable of affecting their environment in ways not previously understood; and that such "energetic" interactions may be prominently influenced by our emotions. Growing evidence also suggests that energetic interactions involving the heart may underlie intuition and important aspects of human consciousness.

”The term physiological coherence is often used to describe a physiological mode that encompasses entrainment, resonance and synchronization, which are all distinct but related physiological phenomena that are frequently associated with more ordered and harmonious interactions among the body's systems.

Coherence is also used to describe two or more waves (or systems) that are either phase - or frequency-locked. This is also called entrainment. In the coherent mode, respiration, heart rhythms, and blood pressure rhythms become entrained and oscillate at the same frequency. The term cross-coherence is used to specify this type of coherence. "

In terms of physiological functioning, coherence confers a number of benefits to the system. For example, there is increased cardiac output in conjunction with increased efficiency in fluid exchange, filtration, and absorption between the capillaries and tissues; increased ability of the cardiovascular system to adapt to circulatory requirements; and increased temporal synchronization of cells throughout the body. This results in increased system-wide energy efficiency and metabolic energy savings. "

Did you know that this amazing organ, developed in the womb before the brain, this heart that we often times ignore, neglect, and build walls around, is where we can find our greatest strength, our faith, our courage and our compassion, empowering our higher emotional intelligence that can, if we allow it, guide us throughout our lives.

See 3 minute Did You Know video ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyfm5_LLxow&feature=player_detailpage

In my work as a psychotherapist my clients achieve mind heart coherence when I get them to take responsibility for love rather than running away from it. I do that by helping them see that the people they may have felt the deepest pain with were quite often people they deeply loved.

When love and gratitude replaces anger and resentment ~ definite physiological changes occur ~ for the heart is now enlisted in the healing process.

I've seen clients literally lose 10 years of age in appearance when they suddenly opened up their closed hearts ~ but the effect on their immune system is even more dramatic. In my on going Healing The Wounded Heart ( Band of Brothers) eight week Workshops with combat veterans with PTSD, the participants have averaged close to a 60 % improvement in all symptoms of PTSD ~ and in particular feelings of joy and gratitude.

In that regard, I treat PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ) as PTHD or Post traumatic Heart Disorder ~ and enlist their opening hearts in their own self healing process.

In my book RADICAL THERAPY / SURRENDER TO LOVE AND HEAL YOURSELF IN SEVEN SESSIONS ( NOT SEVEN YEARS I demonstrate that the seeming separation from love ( psychic Pain ) is not only capable of stunting our emotional growth as well as effecting our will to live but also can be a dramatic co- factor in effecting our immune system ~ eventually resulting in heart disease or abnormal cell growth such as Cancer.

My own childhood paranormal precognitive vision ( of the golden gate bridge, water and houses ) at six years old ~ after my heart closed when I was taken away from my beloved grandfather while I was living in Massachusetts ( and that memory being erased by psychic pain ) ~ and 40 years later, after my heart opened, walking into that same exact scene in San Francisco and realizing I was seeing through the eyes of a child within myself ( who had obviously been in a state of soul consciousness ) is a classic example that this state of soul consciousness not only lies beyond time and space but part of me obviously knew at six years old that this event would eventually happen ~ but only after I got off the ego’s fear based local and surrendered to the heart based express.

In other words, my heart was the master and my mind became its servant when I eventually totally surrendered to love and its inner guidance.

Many are called, few listen and fewer still respond to this inner call of the heart and the culprit is always the ego ~ which was created ( like a cocoon) to protect us from psychic pain and to maintain control.

But that ego was eventually meant to be shed and only love is capable of moving us beyond its suffocating and limiting walls of control and fear ~ particularly fear of our deepest joy, delight and the unknown.

So, in that sense, being out of control is actually being in the Unified Field for only then do we stop striving and truly be ~ realizing that our life is not only being divinely guided but that we have a part to play in a slowly evolving loving plan.

As such, only the Ego's need to control is in the way of this shift in consciousness which is why the next to last step of ego death is surrender ~ and which is why the entire planet is now in the painful process of making this shift of consciousness ~ fueled from within and without by our innate evolutionary need to unite, cooperate and love one another. The final step of ego death is joy and celebration ~ for you are now no longer confined within the restrictive walls of the ego. You are now flying on the wings of a universal urge to unite and in service from a place of love and gratitude ~ as I most certainly am.

Teilhard de Chardin knew and shared this great secret 50 years ago ~ " If there were no real propensity to unite, even at a prodigiously rudimentary level, indeed, in the molecule itself ~ it would be physically impossible for love to appear in the ' hominized ' or human form. "

As such ~ only by fully surrendering to love can we re-establish the heart as the true master and the mind as the servant ~ and in the process become a heart grounded warrior capable of defeating not only fear but the strategies and devices of the ego as we play our part in a constantly evolving loving plan.

So this Valentine day, remember that ‘that loving feeling’ becomes far more profound and enriched when we surrender to our common empowering tap root of conscious unconditional love. See my Seven Stages of Love and Relationship / few get beyond stage six ~

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/04/21/allen-l-roland-the-seven-stages-of-relationship-few-get-beyond-stage-six/

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.” Rumi

Allen L Roland

http://allenlrolandsweblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/heart-is-master-mind-servant.html

Freelance Alternative Press Online columnist and psychotherapist Allen L Roland is available for comments, interviews, speaking engagements and private consultations ( allen@allenroland.com )

Allen L Roland is a practicing psychotherapist, author and lecturer who also shares a daily political and social commentary on his weblog and website allenroland.com He also guest hosts a monthly national radio show TRUTHTALK on www.conscioustalk.net