I'm sixteen months into the loss of hearing in my right ear. A year ago I got bi-cross hearing aids. There is a hearing aid in my good ear and a mic in my other.
I have watched as my brain has adapted to my new situation. Ironically, I am finding that the hearing aid is not my referred way of listening. There is too much noise that the technology cannot differentiate. My brain does do that. I was out with my family the other day. The noise in the restaurant made it difficult to hear with my hearing aid. I pulled it out of my ear, and I could then hear what was being said. To me, this is a remarkable turn around from where I was a year ago.
Thank you for mentioning "The Brain's way of healing". I agree with you. My personal experience is that it all depends on the stage and type of neurological challenge. While I was caring for my mum I found that loving presence and gentle voice were equally helpful as doing something. Also company of the loving, nice people even if she has never seen them before. She had an impeccable "gut" feeling about whether or not a person is "good" for her. Amazing and true.
I also want to thank you for your substack. It is a rare and highly valuable source on how to approach living with neurological challengies. It will become more and more valuable and "in demand" in the years to come as more and more people develop early onsets of dementias and multiple other neurological disorders due to Covid 19 (vax and/or not vaxed).
Finally, from the bottom of my heart I am wishing you Happy New year.
Yes, feeling safe is very important, especially for folks who have "noisy brains" in Doidge's parlance. I agree that it depends on stages, and it really requires the person to be able to mindfully engage with the stimulation. Doidges mentions this in the book in the chapter on the PoNS device. Late stage dementia is very hard to do anything about...
I really liked reading your review of this book , as I probably don't have the time to read the book , its a good short cut . I believe that artists who stand in empty rooms and image or create sound , or sit at quiet desks and write thoughts , be they stories or poems , are people who are working out balances that then can be transmitted to another person . I think finding an artists work that you really like , and studying it , or ... doing some art yourself is extremely theraputic . I find that a simple project that I am anticipating doing , be it musical or visual , allows my mind to totally balance out of the "noisy " which in your article was named as actually damaging to the brain . I thought it was just a problem , now that I know that it is damaging I will be really serious about resolving it . I really appreciate your approach to healing things that supposedly are not supposed to be healed ! But they do ! Happy New Year Gary !
Yes, I believe art is therapeutic due to the neuromodulaton and neurorelaxation aspects of it. I also find my writing is very therapeutic for me. Happy New Year, Jennifer,
I love Charles Eisensteins question "what is it like to be you?". It has become one of my favourite questions to ask folk with whom I work. Each one of us is a unique, limited edition human. Unrepeatable in every sense. Coming from this perspective, as I do, calls forth my constant companion, curiosity. Do we truly embrace the invitation to "know thyself "? For me, no one size fits all. Homogeneity has its place, but not when it comes to our personal human and evolutionary healing journeys. In reclaiming our bodily autonomy and trusting the innate wisdom and intelligence of the body, we can set ourselves free.
I've been drawn to breathwork and more lately working with sound, crystal quartz technologies, the voice and toning to rebalance and recalibrate the body (we are like tuning forks). Singing (particularly songs with devotional intent) feels incredible to my body vessel and the way sacred sounds are organically embedded in Taize, mantras (especially bija mantras) hymns, chants, light language etc has a magical and profound effect. AH, for example, is the sacred sound of the heart. I invite you to be mindful of how the expressing the sacred seed syllable of "ah" arises in words, songs or even as a deep sigh, and how that feels.
Singing can be one the best "vagus nerve stimulating" exercises there is, especially singing along with others. There sis also a type of therapy where people touch vibrating tuning forks to the body - very good for fascia health apparently! Happy New Year, Aurora.
Absolutely. It can help us to be vagal superstars! I am grateful to be part of a local harmony singing gathering and it is such a beautiful experience. I feel like all my mitochondria are fizzing and popping when we sing together.
I have crystal quartz tuning forks (432 and 528 hertz) which do exactly what you say and much more.
Excellent book/s by Dr Norman Doidge. When his books came out it opened my mind to the all the real possibilities of our brain's elasticity and regenerative abilities.
I read this book also 5 years ago and loved it and still mention it often and reccommend it to others. I have a question though: you mention fast walking, but as far as I can remember was it slow walking, this also makes more sense to me. The guy with Parkinson did slow walking, didn’t he?
I am NOT a medical doctor, but I do honestly believe, having experienced it firsthand myself, that you can wean yourself off your medication. Now, I know this isn't for everyone, but perhaps if you follow my protocols of walking as fast as you can for 1 hour every second day, over a long period of time - anything from 6 months - 1 year, you should be able to wean yourself off your meds. I wouldn't try it until you're up to 1 hour - 7 km/hour and 1 year in , before you start to wean yourself off your medication.
You may find you can only walk for 15 seconds at the fastest rate. That is fine. Walk that same time every second day for two weeks and then on each 3rd week you see how much further you can walk and stick to that new time for the next two weeks. When you are walking for one hour, at that fastest speed then do not go for more than one hour, but continually keep trying to walk faster. I believe once you've been doing this for 6 months, you will start to feel better and that is when you can consider starting to wean yourself off your medication.
That's what I did, but it was a slow process and now I'm med-free. Good luck and you can email me if you would like more information"
That is a quick reply and thank you for restoring my memory, it is a strange thing, memory;-) I should reread the book I guess! Unfortunately I have stacks of unread books that go first...
I agree with your recommendation of this book, Gary. I was probably reading it around when you were- it was in 2017. I recall having stumbled across it at the library and had previously read Dr. Doidge's book "The Brain that Changes Itself". I found this newer book also fascinating and recommended it to a few coworkers hungry for such information. It was so relevant to my position as a Speech-L:anguage Pathologist in neuro-rehab working in a hospital affiliated small interdisciplinary clinic with OT's and PT's. I was recommending it to some family members of patients also. Great book!
Hi Gary. I came across your substack a couple weeks ago and have enjoyed reading your articles. I suffered a very serious neurological side effect after getting the covid vaccine in March 2021. A few hours after I received the vaccine, I felt my entire being suddenly move and my head felt strange. That is when the debilitating tinnitus started in both of my ears. I used to have a quiet head. I was the person that would seek out the quiet room in the library to study when I was in college. I have headphones not to listen to music but to block out the sounds around me when I'm working. I am a scientist who prefers a quiet place so that I can focus. That all changed after the vaccine.
In the weeks following my serious vaccine injury, I was either gas lighted by the doctors I saw (e.g, are you sure it's from the vaccine? Yes!) or told that I would need to live with the tinnitus and that it may never go away. That was so depressing to hear and totally changed my outlook on life and my job. I scored a 92 out of 100 on a self-assessment of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, which is absolutely awful (it's considered debilitating tinnitus). About two weeks into my ordeal, I had stopped sleeping, lost a lot of weight, etc. I wasn't sure if I could keep living like that. I finally went to urgent care. The doctor diagnosed me with a headache! Worthless doctor.
It was at that point, that I started to take things under my own control because I knew that the doctors were going to be worthless. I've largely given up on Western medicine and have instead explored a lot of other modalities since then. I have found that acupuncture is good for my body. I meditate a few times a week on average. I listen to calming music. I have also started taking a lot of supplements, and have found that ones targeting inflammation help me the most.
My ears still ring all the time. I think the volume has gone down during the past nearly two years, but I think most of it is just that my brain has adapted. I still hear it but it seldom controls my life anymore.
Happy New Year and I look forward to reading more of your articles!
Very sorry that you have suffered a vaccine injury. I think it is disgusting the way the injured have been gaslit and demonized. It is a stunning indictment of the medical system. Glad you have managed to find your own way forward.
Thank you Gary. A positive outcome of this is that it has really opened my eyes to the immense of corruption in our medical and regulatory systems. I do not trust them. Once enough of the the Democrats realize that they have been played, then the gloves are really going to come off. Right now, they still won't admit that the vaccines are one of the reasons why they keep getting sick and have other new and unexpected health problems.
This is great!
I'm sixteen months into the loss of hearing in my right ear. A year ago I got bi-cross hearing aids. There is a hearing aid in my good ear and a mic in my other.
I have watched as my brain has adapted to my new situation. Ironically, I am finding that the hearing aid is not my referred way of listening. There is too much noise that the technology cannot differentiate. My brain does do that. I was out with my family the other day. The noise in the restaurant made it difficult to hear with my hearing aid. I pulled it out of my ear, and I could then hear what was being said. To me, this is a remarkable turn around from where I was a year ago.
This is good news, and a real world example of neuroplascity in action. Another related example: Neuroscientist David Eagleman has invited a wrist strap which allows deaf people to learn to "hear" through vibrations on the wrist. https://eagleman.com/latest/neosensory-launches-clarify-a-wrist-worn-hearing-aid-alternative/
I am going to see my audiologist in a couple weeks. I'll ask her about this.
My experience is that physicians are the last to learn of these innovations because they are overwhelmed with patient care. Thanks.
Dear Gary
Thank you for mentioning "The Brain's way of healing". I agree with you. My personal experience is that it all depends on the stage and type of neurological challenge. While I was caring for my mum I found that loving presence and gentle voice were equally helpful as doing something. Also company of the loving, nice people even if she has never seen them before. She had an impeccable "gut" feeling about whether or not a person is "good" for her. Amazing and true.
I also want to thank you for your substack. It is a rare and highly valuable source on how to approach living with neurological challengies. It will become more and more valuable and "in demand" in the years to come as more and more people develop early onsets of dementias and multiple other neurological disorders due to Covid 19 (vax and/or not vaxed).
Finally, from the bottom of my heart I am wishing you Happy New year.
Yes, feeling safe is very important, especially for folks who have "noisy brains" in Doidge's parlance. I agree that it depends on stages, and it really requires the person to be able to mindfully engage with the stimulation. Doidges mentions this in the book in the chapter on the PoNS device. Late stage dementia is very hard to do anything about...
Happy New Year ,Bibi.
Thank you!
Best wishes for you in the New Year!!!!!
And the same to you.
Another great post! Excellent book. Peace and Health to you in 2023.
Thankyou, and the same wishes for you.
I really liked reading your review of this book , as I probably don't have the time to read the book , its a good short cut . I believe that artists who stand in empty rooms and image or create sound , or sit at quiet desks and write thoughts , be they stories or poems , are people who are working out balances that then can be transmitted to another person . I think finding an artists work that you really like , and studying it , or ... doing some art yourself is extremely theraputic . I find that a simple project that I am anticipating doing , be it musical or visual , allows my mind to totally balance out of the "noisy " which in your article was named as actually damaging to the brain . I thought it was just a problem , now that I know that it is damaging I will be really serious about resolving it . I really appreciate your approach to healing things that supposedly are not supposed to be healed ! But they do ! Happy New Year Gary !
Yes, I believe art is therapeutic due to the neuromodulaton and neurorelaxation aspects of it. I also find my writing is very therapeutic for me. Happy New Year, Jennifer,
Thank you. His insights resonate.
I love Charles Eisensteins question "what is it like to be you?". It has become one of my favourite questions to ask folk with whom I work. Each one of us is a unique, limited edition human. Unrepeatable in every sense. Coming from this perspective, as I do, calls forth my constant companion, curiosity. Do we truly embrace the invitation to "know thyself "? For me, no one size fits all. Homogeneity has its place, but not when it comes to our personal human and evolutionary healing journeys. In reclaiming our bodily autonomy and trusting the innate wisdom and intelligence of the body, we can set ourselves free.
I've been drawn to breathwork and more lately working with sound, crystal quartz technologies, the voice and toning to rebalance and recalibrate the body (we are like tuning forks). Singing (particularly songs with devotional intent) feels incredible to my body vessel and the way sacred sounds are organically embedded in Taize, mantras (especially bija mantras) hymns, chants, light language etc has a magical and profound effect. AH, for example, is the sacred sound of the heart. I invite you to be mindful of how the expressing the sacred seed syllable of "ah" arises in words, songs or even as a deep sigh, and how that feels.
Singing can be one the best "vagus nerve stimulating" exercises there is, especially singing along with others. There sis also a type of therapy where people touch vibrating tuning forks to the body - very good for fascia health apparently! Happy New Year, Aurora.
Absolutely. It can help us to be vagal superstars! I am grateful to be part of a local harmony singing gathering and it is such a beautiful experience. I feel like all my mitochondria are fizzing and popping when we sing together.
I have crystal quartz tuning forks (432 and 528 hertz) which do exactly what you say and much more.
Happy ever evolving moment...
Excellent book/s by Dr Norman Doidge. When his books came out it opened my mind to the all the real possibilities of our brain's elasticity and regenerative abilities.
I read this book also 5 years ago and loved it and still mention it often and reccommend it to others. I have a question though: you mention fast walking, but as far as I can remember was it slow walking, this also makes more sense to me. The guy with Parkinson did slow walking, didn’t he?
According to him, it is fast walking. Here is a recent post on facebook from him https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=308998998131568&set=a.111011854596951 "Weaning yourself off of your medication
I am NOT a medical doctor, but I do honestly believe, having experienced it firsthand myself, that you can wean yourself off your medication. Now, I know this isn't for everyone, but perhaps if you follow my protocols of walking as fast as you can for 1 hour every second day, over a long period of time - anything from 6 months - 1 year, you should be able to wean yourself off your meds. I wouldn't try it until you're up to 1 hour - 7 km/hour and 1 year in , before you start to wean yourself off your medication.
You may find you can only walk for 15 seconds at the fastest rate. That is fine. Walk that same time every second day for two weeks and then on each 3rd week you see how much further you can walk and stick to that new time for the next two weeks. When you are walking for one hour, at that fastest speed then do not go for more than one hour, but continually keep trying to walk faster. I believe once you've been doing this for 6 months, you will start to feel better and that is when you can consider starting to wean yourself off your medication.
That's what I did, but it was a slow process and now I'm med-free. Good luck and you can email me if you would like more information"
That is a quick reply and thank you for restoring my memory, it is a strange thing, memory;-) I should reread the book I guess! Unfortunately I have stacks of unread books that go first...
I agree with your recommendation of this book, Gary. I was probably reading it around when you were- it was in 2017. I recall having stumbled across it at the library and had previously read Dr. Doidge's book "The Brain that Changes Itself". I found this newer book also fascinating and recommended it to a few coworkers hungry for such information. It was so relevant to my position as a Speech-L:anguage Pathologist in neuro-rehab working in a hospital affiliated small interdisciplinary clinic with OT's and PT's. I was recommending it to some family members of patients also. Great book!
I loved "The Brain that Changes Itself" and recommend it to my followers. I need to check this one out too.
Hi Gary. I came across your substack a couple weeks ago and have enjoyed reading your articles. I suffered a very serious neurological side effect after getting the covid vaccine in March 2021. A few hours after I received the vaccine, I felt my entire being suddenly move and my head felt strange. That is when the debilitating tinnitus started in both of my ears. I used to have a quiet head. I was the person that would seek out the quiet room in the library to study when I was in college. I have headphones not to listen to music but to block out the sounds around me when I'm working. I am a scientist who prefers a quiet place so that I can focus. That all changed after the vaccine.
In the weeks following my serious vaccine injury, I was either gas lighted by the doctors I saw (e.g, are you sure it's from the vaccine? Yes!) or told that I would need to live with the tinnitus and that it may never go away. That was so depressing to hear and totally changed my outlook on life and my job. I scored a 92 out of 100 on a self-assessment of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, which is absolutely awful (it's considered debilitating tinnitus). About two weeks into my ordeal, I had stopped sleeping, lost a lot of weight, etc. I wasn't sure if I could keep living like that. I finally went to urgent care. The doctor diagnosed me with a headache! Worthless doctor.
It was at that point, that I started to take things under my own control because I knew that the doctors were going to be worthless. I've largely given up on Western medicine and have instead explored a lot of other modalities since then. I have found that acupuncture is good for my body. I meditate a few times a week on average. I listen to calming music. I have also started taking a lot of supplements, and have found that ones targeting inflammation help me the most.
My ears still ring all the time. I think the volume has gone down during the past nearly two years, but I think most of it is just that my brain has adapted. I still hear it but it seldom controls my life anymore.
Happy New Year and I look forward to reading more of your articles!
Very sorry that you have suffered a vaccine injury. I think it is disgusting the way the injured have been gaslit and demonized. It is a stunning indictment of the medical system. Glad you have managed to find your own way forward.
Thank you Gary. A positive outcome of this is that it has really opened my eyes to the immense of corruption in our medical and regulatory systems. I do not trust them. Once enough of the the Democrats realize that they have been played, then the gloves are really going to come off. Right now, they still won't admit that the vaccines are one of the reasons why they keep getting sick and have other new and unexpected health problems.
Great book review, Gary. I love how you summarize the key points.
Excellent thanks. I've been meaning to find a good book on this subject, so perfect - now I know what to get.