1.
First and Second Person Subjective Qualitative
Approaches to Achieving Whole Brain Synchrony for
Peak Experience and Peak Performance
with
Robert Wright, Jr., PhD, COFT (TSD, '13)
Consciousness Society
San Francisco, May 31, 2014
www.StressFreeNow.info

2.
 Studies are peer reviewed.
 Study outcomes are tested for replicability.
 Random assignments and blinding are used to reduce
experimenter biases.
 Control groups are used as a way to help and correct for
data interpretations.
 Hypotheses are used to suggest explanations for observed
phenomena.
 Statistical measures are used to shift data results for
reliability and statistically significant correlations in an
attempt to validate or invalidate results.
 Emphasis on maintaining “objectivity” by measuring from
3rd person perspective.
There are many good things about the way scientific
and scholarly inquiry is currently conducted using the
scientific method paradigm:

3.
Why We Require New Approaches to Inquiry
This approach to scientific and scholarly inquiry has
resulted in many remarkable discoveries but as
quantum science shows, there may not be any truly
“objective” approach to inquiry; according to this
view, all inquiry is “subjective”.
For over half a century, modern neuroscience has been on a
reductionist path, breaking things down into ever smaller parts with
the hope that understanding all the little pieces will eventually explain
the whole. Unfortunately, many people think that because
reductionism is so often useful in solving problems, it is therefore also
sufficient for solving them, and generations of neuroscientists have
been raised on this dogma. This misapplication of reductionism leads
to the perverse and tenacious belief that somehow reductionism itself
will tell us how the brain works, when what is really needed are
attempts to bridge different levels of discourse.
---Ramachandran and Blakeslee, 1998, p. 264

4.
3rd Person Emphasis
 In terms of human science research, the standard
paradigm for inquiry emphasizes the 3rd person
perspective; regardless of whether the study method is
quantitative, mixed, or qualitative [Wilber Quadrant 3].
 The 3rd person perspective operates by and emphasizes
bracketing out the researcher’s own influence or
experience in an attempt to maintain “objectivity” and/or
reduce biases.
 This necessarily results in a knowledge gap since not all
phenomena is measurable as quantifiable data. Moreover,
certain types of Statebound experience can only be
“known” or witnessed in or at that Statebound level from a
1st or 2nd person perspective, e.g. How do you measure an
idea or where ideas come from? How do you measure the
source of the mind or where the mind ends or begins?
(Fisher, 1971, 1973; Momen, 1984).

5.
 My Mother Died When I Was 9 Years Old.
 Hospitalized for Stress Burnout.
 Experimented with Holistic Solutions for
Wellness.
 Stumbled Across Field of
Psychoneuroimmunology.
 Successfully Used Applied Guided Mental
Imagery.
My Unexpected Journey to the Land of
1st & 2nd Person Method

6.
 Completed Masters Level Studies in
Neuropsychology and Psychophysiology of Stress
Reduction.
 Dear Friend Commits Suicide Unexpectedly.
 Friend’s Death Triggers Motherloss & Existential
Grief.
 Completed Dissertation Study on Motherloss &
Existential Grief Recovery.
 Wellness/Stress Reduction Coaching, Author,
Speaker.
My Unexpected Journey to the Land of
1st & 2nd Person Method

7.
Meaning and Point of Catastrophic Bifurcation
This is any place where an event occurs and your life is
never the same afterwards, e.g. Anne Marie’s
unexpected suicide re-triggers my Motherloss and
Existential grief and leads to “clarity” of meaning and
direction for my study.
Why continue in the doctoral program and do the work
entailed to complete a doctoral dissertation if it had no
real meaning for me? Combs (2002, p. 51) refers to this
type of “liberating” dilemma as a point of catastrophic
bifurcation.

8.
Consequences of “Over-Thinking”
and Complexity
Gregory Bateson (2000, 2002) and Edgar Morin (2008) concluded
that human beings have suffered as a result of our over-reliance upon
thinking processes. Both Bateson and Morin indicate that thinking,
especially over thinking, is a disease which has inflicted much pain
and sorrow upon humanity.
Bateson (2000, 2002), Krishnamurti (1975, 2007), and Morin (2008)
all say that as complexity increases, the need to remove the
“disease” of thinking increases. During the film panel discussion, Dr.
Leslie Combs intimated that movies which seemed “complex” when
first viewed years ago; viewed years later, no longer presented
themselves as being “complex”. This may be an example of the mind
reordering itself to higher levels of complexity.

9.
Ken Wilber’s Four (4) Quadrants of Knowledge
for Stress, Anxiety, Physical Pain and/or Grief
Adapted from Wilber (1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004).
Upper Left Quadrant 1
Interior - “I”
Intentional
Subjective
Question: What is my
experience (feeling) of my
stress, anxiety, physical pain
and/or grief?
Upper Right Quadrant 2
Exterior- “you” (it) – thinking
self
Behavioral
Objective
Question: What is the
experience (essence) of my
stress, anxiety, physical pain
and/or grief?
Lower Right Quadrant
Interior – “We”
Intersubjective
Cultural
Question: What is the
experience (essence) of our
stress, anxiety, physical pain
and/or grief?
Lower Right Quadrant
Exterior – “Them” (it)
Interobjective
Social
Question: What is the
(systemic) experience of
societal stress, anxiety,
physical pain and/or grief?

10.
 Wilber Quadrant 1 Experience: how you feel in your
body – Bodily Feltsense – interior subjective.
 Example: What is my experience of my stress? What is
my experience of my anxiety? What is my experience of
my physical pain? What is my experience of my grief?
 Wilber Quadrant 2 Experience: how you describe your
feeling – objective thinking self – exterior objective.
 Example: What is the experience of my stress? What is
the experience of my anxiety? What is the experience of
my physical pain? What is the experience of my grief?
The Phenomenological Experience “Gap” Missed By 3rd
Person Reductionist/Deconstructionist Methods: What
does it FEEL like in your body to live the experience,
not merely quantify or “describe” the “essence” of the
experience? e.g. Bodily Feltsense

11.
Quotation
What is heart-breaking about the paradigm-shifting process
is that people tend to believe that the values they hear
expounded about by the new worldview...can simply be
incorporated into the Newtonian worldview. This would be
like putting four-dimensional vision into an animal that has
only three-dimensional faculties. A paradigm shift is not a
matter of fine tuning what we already use, or even seeing it
in greater detail. Instead, an entirely new dimension(s)
emerges to show us that the world is very different from
what we had previously envisioned.
--Miller, 1996, p. 31

12.
Examples of 1st & 2nd Person Methods
 Heuristic Inquiry
 Heuristic Self Search Inquiry [HSSI]
 Dreaming
 Focusing
 Introspection
 Lucid Dreaming
 Meditation
 Phenomenology
 Modified Neuropsychological/Psychophysiological
HSSI

13.
Range of Experience:
Global Hyper-Hypo Arousal Model
 According to Fisher (1971, 1973, 1975) and Momen
(1984), all experience can be classified as either hyper
or hypo Statebound experience. These researchers
indicate that there are two (2) directions in which
consciousness can be altered.
 First, the Ergotropic pathway represents experiences
which engender increases in arousal, culminating in the
extreme of mystical ecstasy.
 Second, the Trophotropic pathway represents
experiences where decreased arousal culminates in
deep trance.
 The next diagram presents a visual comparison of the
Ergotropic and the Trophotropic pathways representing
aspects of human experience as Statebound knowledge.

14.
Ergotropic
Pathway
Tropotropic
Pathway
Hyperarousal
Hyper-
Stimulatory
Levels of
Statebound
Experience
Hypoarousal
Hypo-
Stimulatory
Beta
Brainwave
State
Routine Activity
Ordinary Waking
Consciousness
Beta
Brainwave
State
Hi Beta
Brainwave
State
Excitement
Daydreaming/Rel
axation Hypnotic
Trance
Alpha
Brainwave
State
Unknown
Brainwave
State
Anxiety/Mania
Hypnopompic/
Hypnogogic
Imagery-Twilight
State
Theta
Brainwave
State
Unknown
Brainwave
State
Mystical
Experience
Ecstatic Trance
Bidirectionality
Abreaction
Mystical
Experience
Deep Trance or
Samadhi
Delta
Brainwave
State
Statebound Experience: Comparison of Ergotropic and Tropotropic Pathways
Adapted from Fisher (1971, 1973, 1975); Momen (1984).

15.
Humans were never meant to see the world through a lens of
chronic fear or other negative emotions. We were meant to
experience the world directly as it is. We were meant to form
deep connections to other human beings. With attention
training…we can open our hearts to experience the fullness of
our senses, and reconnect with forgotten parts of ourselves.
We can experience moments of unity and transcendence and
find the world has been reenchanted. It will be a watershed
moment in human evolution when we are able to pay
attention to how we pay attention, control our attention, and
take personal responsibility for the creation of our own
realities.
---Fehmi and Robbins 2007, p. 8
Quotation

16.
Whole Brain Synchrony
 Parts of brain begin to work together harmoniously.
 Brain resonance occurs when neurons begin to
vibrate at the same frequency.
 Neural pathways tend to fire more rapidly.
 Brainwave patterns are “in phase” or synchronized.
 Also known as “Whole Head Synchrony” or “Whole
Brain Functioning” or “Hemispheric Synchronization”
or “Whole Brain Synchronization” (Fehmi & Robbins,
2007).

17.
Why Whole Brain Synchrony
is a Desired and Sought After State
 Increased Creativity.
 Increased Insight.
 Increased Intuition.
 Increased Relaxation Response.
 Increased Accelerated Learning Abilities.
 Increased Mental Clarity.
 Increased Ability to Problem Solve Successfully.
 Increased Compassion and Empathy.
 Increased Parasympathetic Nervous System Reactivity.

18.
Whole Brain Synchrony
Viewed as a Way of Paying Attention
 Experience of whole brain synchronization enhances
healthy well being.
 Open Focus is one way to achieve whole brain
synchrony without equipment.
 Prolonged and excessive stress can negatively impact
almost every aspect of your life.
 Maintaining a narrow focused attentional style for long
periods often leads to chronic stress and pain, and left
unattended to, turns into disease states.
 Developing attentional flexibility gives you the capacity
to enter a beneficial homeostatic state of whole brain
synchronization volitionally.

19.
NO
Flatlining
NO
Spiking
Fully
Associated
Mental
Clarity
Emotional
Clarity
Euphoria Mild
Delirium
Transpersonal
Transcendent
Experience
Sense of Unity
Grief/
Mourning/
Bereavement
Yes No Yes No No No No No
Stress Yes No Yes No No No No No
Healing No Yes Yes Yes Yes Possible Possible Possible
Dopamine
Spike
No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Oxytocin
Spike
No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Serotonin
Spike
No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Possible
Endorphin
Spike
No Yes Depends Yes Yes Yes Yes Possible
Attention:
Open Focus
Global
No Yes Depends Yes Yes Possible Possible Possible
Pain Yes No Yes No No No No No
Fear/Anxiety Yes No Yes No No No No No
Lucid
Dream
State
Unknown Unknown Depends Yes Depends Unknown Unknown Unknown
Example of Richness of Data Collection with Modified HSSI Method

20.
Elements of Peak Performance
 State where an individual performs to the maximum
of her ability.
 Enhanced levels of self awareness.
 High levels of confidence and focused concentration
upon task or goal completion.
 Accomplishment is seemingly effortless.
 Individual experiences a “flow” state of being “in
the zone of excellence.”

21.
Elements of Peak Experience
 Transpersonal and ecstatic state.
 Sense of Unity, Oneness and Awe.
 Sense of interconnectedness.
 Time perception may be altered to witness time
elongation, time quickening and/or timelessness.
 Altered State of Consciousness (ASC).
 Therapeutic increases in creativity, compassion for self
and others, and personal locus of control (stress
reduction).
 Self actualization state or individuation (Maslow Level 5).
 Personal growth, intrinsic meaning and purpose.

22.
Stress-Anxiety-Physical Pain Scale
Rate your current state on a scale from “0” to “10”
“0” you feel great, have no pain, have no distress
“10” you have unbearable pain and are in distress
Category Stress Anxiety Physical
Pain
Mental
Clarity
Before
After

23.
Stress Reduction Exercises
 Open Focus Technique.
 Dissolving Pain Technique (DPT).
 Tension Relieving Technique (TRT).
 Brain Pattern Interrupt Technique (BPI).
 Brain Plasticity Enhancement Technique [BPET].
 Tuning Forks that spike your nitric oxide
rhythm: Biosonics Otto 128 and Otto 64.

24.
STILLPOINT

25.
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References
Watt, D., Verma, S., & Flynn, L. (1998). Wellness programs: A
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Wegner, D. (2003). The mind’s best trick: How we experience
conscious will. Trends in Cognitive Science, 7, 65-69.
Wilber, K. (1996). A brief history of everything. Boston, MA:
Shambhala.
Wilber, K. (1997). The eye of spirit. Boston, MA: Shambhala.

41.
References
Wilber, K. (2000). Integral psychology: Consciousness, spirit,
psychology, therapy. Boston, MA: Shambhala Press.
Wilber, K. (2002). The spectrum of consciousness. Boston,
MA: Shambhala Press.
Wright, R. (2006). Lifting the veil on success, high
achievement, and what makes winners and champions win:
A neuropsychological examination of the underlying
mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual correlates which
lead to successful peak performance outcomes; elucidation
and analysis of the experience of being in the “flow” state
or “in the zone” which results in remarkable achievements.
(Unpublished Research Paper). Montpelier, VT: Union
Institute & University.
Wright, R. (2007). Stress related health disparities in African
American communities: Can Open Focus provide a modicum
of ameliorative stress relief? (Unpublished Master’s
Thesis). Montpelier, VT: Union Institute & University.

42.
References
Wright, R. (2009). Using transcendental phenomenology for
describing the experience of unresolved grief arising out of
the death of one’s mother: A pilot study. PowerPoint
presentation for Research Paradigms, Methods, and
Designs. California Institute of Integral Studies.
Wright, R. (2012). The role of endogenous cyclic nitric oxide
spiking in Motherloss and Existential grief recovery: A
modified neuropsychological and psychophysiological
Heuristic Self Search Inquiry approach to stress reduction,
homeostasis and healing. (Doctoral Dissertation).
Retrieved from ProQuest May 30, 2014:
http://gradworks.umi.com/35/39/3539752.html
Wright, R. (2013). Orgasmic relaxation: Unleash the power of
your mind to relax using the Tension Relieving Technique
(TRT). Sunrise, FL: Quiet Lake International, LLC.
http://www.amazon.com/Orgasmic-Relaxation-Unleash-
Relieving-Technique-ebook/dp/B00EBZUN4S

43.
First and Second Person Subjective Qualitative
Approaches to Achieving Whole Brain Synchrony
for Peak Experience and Peak Performance
 Whole brain synchrony is a well-known and sought
after state which has the capacity to beneficially
shift consciousness to states of “flow” whereby
right and left cerebral hemispheres and prefrontal
and brain stem regions work in harmonious union,
e.g. brainwave patterns are synchronous or “in
phase.”
 The benefits of entering whole brain synchronous
states are numerous including a sharpening of
mental clarity, enhanced ability to problem solve,
and resultant measurable subtle increases in
creativity, intuition, and insight.

44.
Importantly, whole brain synchronization induces a
Relaxation Response that automatically reduces
pain, stress, and anxiety in the body through the
secretion of helpful homeostatic neurochemicals
such as oxytocin, dopamine, endogenous
morphine, and cyclic nitric oxide.
Dr. Wright’s presentation will explore and make a
case for the scholarly community to re-consider the
historical “normal” science bias against first and
second person subjective methods for inquiry
especially the requirement that a researcher’s own
experience be bracketed out in a quest for
“objectivity.”

45.
Attendees will experience a demonstration of
Open Focus and the Brain Pattern Interrupt
technique as a way of showing experientially how
conscious attention can be shifted such that
attendees can “know” [ontologically] and feel via
bodily feltsense both Wilber Quadrant 1 & 2
phenomena in order to validate the potential rigor
of self reporting as researcher(s).

46.
Robert Wright, Jr., Ph.D., COFT

47.
www.StressFreeNow.info
Robert Wright, Jr., Ph.D., COFT (TSD, '13) is an
author, speaker, and Stress Management Wellness
Coach. His passionate goal is translating the
significance and implications of scholarly stress and
nitric oxide spiking research into language and
practical techniques which can improve the healthy
well-being of the general public. Dr. Wright's most
recent eBook is entitled Orgasmic Relaxation:
Unleash The Power Of Your Mind To Relax Using The
Tension Relieving Technique, and he is the author of
the forthcoming book entitled Orgasmic Relaxation:
Finding Your Sweet Spot Using The Brain Plasticity
Enhancement Technique.