Some may recall my pointing out that the DMS-IV talks about exceptions to the dissociated states if they appear to be induced by meditative/spiritual techniques and have no associated dysfunctional symptoms.
My objection to the DSM-IV critereon was that perhaps there are genuine physiological differences between witnessing and dissociative states. In fact, perhaps there are. We all know that witnessing ala TM is correlated with interhemispheric cohererence in EEG. Here's a study that appears to say that dissociated states show exactly the opposite: http://www.zynet.co.uk/imprint/Tucson/2_feb.htm L-- Abstract No:1328 fMRI measures of hemispheric asymmetry in young adults verbally or sexually abused as children: implications for dissociated states of consciousness C.M.Anderson(Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program & Dept. Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School. McLean Hospital 115 Mill St. Belmont, MA 02178<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>),F.Schiffer<>,C.A.Glod<>A.M.Pol cari<>,S.L.Andersen<>,et.al.<> Previous work from our group has demonstrated the profound and persistent neural and psychological changes induced by early trauma in EEG evidence of asymmetric hemispheric activation during the recall of past trauma, as well as abnormal hemispheric coherence and reductions in the size of the corpus callosum in abused and neglected children treated at McLean Hospital (1). Functional hemispheric asymmetry resulting from childhood abuse may play a role in altered states of consciousness and emotional regulation. Schiffer (2) has recently reported in 70 psychotherapy patients, changes in anxiety levels induced by selective left or right lateral visual field stimulation. In psychiatric interviews 40 of the 70 patients manifested personality changes such that one lateral view induced a more mature world view and greater sense of security while the other view induced a less mature and anxious perspective. As part of our ongoing study of early abuse on brain development, Schiffer et al (3) found that left or right visual stimulation altered the affect and theta EEG laterality of college students. On a separate day each subject underwent an echo planar fMRI scan using a unique T2 stepping procedure to assess T2 relaxation time as an indirect non-invasive estimate of basal blood perfusion in each hemisphere and in anterior temporal lobe (ATL) (GE 1.5T Signa scanner with Advanced NMR systems whole body echo planner coil). Right-sided resting ATL blood flow determined by baseline fMRI appeared to predict EEG and affect responses to lateral visual field stimulation (4). In normal students fMRI analysis indicated an extremely tight coupling between right and left hemisphere T2 measurements (r = 0.995) with a slope that is extremely close to unity (b=1.048). In contrast, abused subjects had a lower correlation (r=0.861) and flatter slope, indicating an excess of right hemispheric activity. Taken together these findings support Schiffer's view (5) that our two hemispheres are like dual joined minds, or mental Siamese twins, who learn in early life to harmoniously share their unique specializations. This harmony is disrupted by abuse or traumatic events which can unbalance the twins and lead to pathological struggles for emotional dominance resulting in a wide range of personality disorders, as well as altered states of consciousness. For example, one twin, the right in many cases, may retain the memory of abuse or trauma and as a result be functionally less mature. In times of stress or anger, it may take control, sabotaging the good efforts of the more mature personality resulting in acts of violence, child abuse, self-destructive behavior or the appearance of alters. Interhemispheric struggles, primarily a result of child abuse, may be the psychological root of drug addiction (6), personality disorders or other dissociated states of consciousness. (Supported by a supplement to [MHT's] NIMH ROI-53636 supporting the recruitment of individuals with disabilities into biomedical research careers.). 1) Teicher MH, Ito Y, Glod CG, Andersen SL, Dumont N, Ackerman E. Preliminary evidence for abnormal cortical development in physically and sexually abused children using EEG coherence and MRI. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1997. 821: 160-175. 2) Schiffer F. Affect changes observed with right versus left lateral visual field stimulation in psychotherapy patients: possible physiological, psychological, and therapeutic implications. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 1997. 38: 289-295. 3) Schiffer F, Anderson CM, Teicher MH. EEG, Bilateral ear temperature, and affect changes induced by lateral visual field stimulation. J Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (submitted). 4) Schiffer F, Anderson CM, Renshaw PF, Maas LC, Teicher MH, fMRI correlates with EEG and affect responses to lateral visual field stimulation, 1998 APA abstract (submitted). 5) Schiffer F. (in press) In Your Right Mind, Free Press:New York. 6) Anderson, CM Ibogaine therapy in chemical dependency and posttraumatic stress disorder: a hypothesis involving the fractal nature of fetal REM sleep and interhemispheric reintegration. MAPS (in press), (http:// remfractal.mclean.org:8080/ibogaine.html) or (http://www.maps.org/news-letters). To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
