RELAXATION—Crucial for HEALTH
C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D.
As early as 1929, Edmund Jacobson, in his masterpiece, PROGRESSIVE RELAXATION, demonstrated that 80% of what were at that time called psychomatic diseases (and I would call stress diseases) could be controlled by his form of deep relaxation. By 1932, J.H. Schultz had demonstrated the same effect with his technique, autogenic training. By 1969, the first of 6 volumes on Autogenic Therapy, with 2600 scientific references, demonstrated the effectiveness of autogenic training in improving athletic performance, business effectiveness, and student grades, as well as successful treatment for a majority of stress illnesses, such as hypertension, anxiety, many types of pain, etc. There are thousands of studies on the benefits of deep relaxation. In the 1970’s Herb Benson demonstrated that relaxation lowered adrenalin production and insulin requirement by 50% for 24 hours!
There are many roads to Rome and at least as many to relaxation. All of them take time and most take mental effort. For those who are not able or willing to take the time or do the mental approach, there is the Shealy RelaxMate, II. This pair of glasses with flashing lights at one to seven cycles per second provides a simple and equally effective method of deep relaxation, with no effort. It can be used 20 minutes up to twice a day to help the most anxious people. But for those unable to use it during the day, it can be set to stay on for one hour as you fall asleep at night. The lights go off automatically and you do not have to take it off. If you awaken during the night, you can turn it back on or take it off. Ninety percent of individuals experience deep relaxation within five to ten minutes, with no thinking, no mental effort, etc. Most report deeper sleep and more dreaming-a sign of deep sleep! It is at least the easiest assistant for deep relaxation. Superb for anxiety and all stress situations.
