Presente elcome everyone and thanks for coming. We’re very pleased to have Doctor Galina Mindlin here today. Doctor Mindlin is an assistant clinical professor of psychology at Columbia University and a supervising attending physician in the St. Luke’s Roosevelt Psychiatry department. She also has a PhD in neurophysiology and neuropsychology and studied at the Moscow Medical Academy with the developer of brain music therapy clinical treatment. She’s the founder and exclusive provider of this treatment in the U.S. and she recently co authored the book, Your Playlist Can Change Your Life which describes this therapy and other ways music can enhance your life. She’ll discuss this book here today and be sure to pick up a copy of it in the back. Please welcome Doctor Galina Mindlin. [Applause] Galina Mindli ood afternoon. Let’s see how it’s working. I’m working right? Yeah, so that’s cool. Thank you guys so much for having me. How are you doing today? [Audience murmurs] Good? Cool. So let’s see. Oh cool, so this is, okay so Your Playlist Can Change Your Life, this is an attempt how we can view something we already love and we use every day; music. Through the lines and frontier of neuroscience which helped us to understand how we can use playlists more effectively. Everybody knows how it feels to put the right music when you wake up, right? This is very cool that if you have your playlist ready so you can retune yourself to the day but if you don’t you just like hear those annoying sounds. So in the book we’re going through several places, like we’re advising you what would be the best wake up playlist. Of course everybody has different styles and preferences. But what we are playing for you in this book is a variety of different playlists and why do we do this? The playlists can relieve your anxiety, really enhance your focus, can make you happy, can actually get you into better shape, create your calm and put you in the optimum mindset. So what is music? Even we think music is a mystery by Darwin but it still has very organized oscillation, of rhythms, harmony, resonance. This is something we should apply to the brainwaves. Music is a stimuli, you can really think about the music as if it’s a logical stimuli which can trigger the different states in your mindset. And, again, this is what I mentioned that, interestingly enough, that music and brainwaves, they have a lot in common. And sometimes described in technical terms, as I mentioned amplitude, resonance, applied to the brainwaves and the music. Music expresses differently by different datas but really can influence and enhance your ability and language and other skills. Music can send a signal to our brain for us like when we were born and genetic competence was really important, really plays a big role for us in many stages of our lives. And the calmness, which is interesting, requires the most power, much more power than your activated mind. So the calmness require more energy for you to stay active. Music like a scent and usually bypass many pathways in your brainwaves. Not all but just after the smell is the second one and that’s not rare talent. You can practice your musical ability and you can even expand some the areas in your brain. And, again, your brainwaves can be translated into the music so everyone in this room has its own music so your brain plays music and I can tell you little bit later how you can do it. So music, we perceive the music as condition stimuli; it can influence many states and this is just without taking medication so you can do the same with the certain frequencies of music as you do with the medications, stimulants but you just don’t need to use the stimulants or some rare type of brain stimulator. So we talk about, in the book, in details how you can bring the change in your life and put yourself in the optimal set, mindset. How you can make your mind flow cause it’s very important that you make your mind flow through the day. How you can create calmness in different states and basically how you can bring your brain in an automatic creation of calmness when you need it; if you talk to your boss or, for example, you have a conflict with somebody. You can increase your alertness and intensify the release of feel good hormones without taking substances. And I can stimulate into the best organizational mode. This is probably lot of us would need this through the day. Remembering, memory, you can use the music of certain frequencies to improve your memory. And what is interesting that you can use the music to enhance your creative ability to build the bridges and to build in you your own pathways. And, again, you can tap into your own soundtracks, if you wish, because every brain plays different music which belongs to you and your brain as a signature. So this is probably one the last times we were stress free, would you agree? When we were in our mom’s womb and just, you know kind of floating around. And this is the first sound, the first music, which is engraved in our brain; those vibrations of the placenta. And the first beat. [Snapping] It’s a heartbeat. So everything starts with frequencies. This is why the musical frequencies is very important. They deeply ingrain while the brain is developing the frequencies are changing and with the first spark of life you really inhale in those frequencies. So while, then, you know, we’re going through the different stage of development and even when, you know, when you ask people, for example, when I do the EG recording and ask people what is the most relaxing state, just how you can put yourself in relax mind, like what you can envision; 90 percent of people would say ocean waves. So, let’s see. [Ocean waves] Those are the sound, the wonderful sound of Niagara Falls waterfall. Let’s talk about a concrete example, for example, let’s call her "Jane," this is one of my patients, so she’s about to enter her boss office and she’s extremely stressed out and she’s always stressed out and she comes to her boss office but she instantly goes to her iPod and she hears waterfall. And she really discovered that when she traveled to Niagara Falls to see her Grandma several years ago. She wasn’t actually able to understand why it’s so hard for her here. So her Grandma, even she came to the U.S. when she was two years old, her Grandma was sitting, hours listening to this sound of waterfalls, the same as her mom did when she was pregnant with her. So now she can really use the sound, the cues of waterfalls, those frequencies, as her prescription for staying calm. Cause there’s this, I wanna actually share with you the sound of my calm. It’s a beautiful sound of white snow in Russia; I was born in North Pole where my father is polar aviator pilot. And every time I’d go to Kindergarten, you know, every time the sled would put with deer, so dogs, I would go to, just to this like, kind of like white bright snow and this is the sound this white bright snow it’s deeply engrained in me so I every time I want to just pursue some task, I have to take all the sounds off even for the minute and it works for me very well. Actually this is not my pair but I had a pair in fox, station in fox. Then this is like I wanted to do some exercise with you guys, that’s interesting, the exercise I wanted to do with you also was a movie, which was supposed to work. And this is something you guys try to imagine, okay, try to use your imagination, close your eyes. I know it’s hard cause we don’t have a sound. [Laughs] And we don’t have an image in it. But we have so much brain power in our head so we can easily put ourself in this relaxed state. And really try to envision the ocean waves and try to envision those nice frequencies. They actually would match your alpha wave which is from 8 to 12 hertz. This is why we’re so drawn to the ocean. Most of the oceans meets those frequencies and just stay there. Imagine the blue sky and the breeze around you; beautiful. You open your eyes. Thank you guys, you know, working with me on that cause you know there’s no image. So those the brainwaves, right? I mean the brainwaves1 you probably know and I’ll just, you know, really quickly.1 Beta state is you state, like there different beta waves but the subset beta in beat you’ll1 really appreciate, those the beta from the like 12 to 15 up to 18 hertz. This is when1 your brain really is maximal effective, like an optimal state. The alpha state you just1 demonstrate yourself, everybody can do this. It’s from 8 to 12 hertz when you sitting1 with your closed eyes and try to relax and try to take all your worries away. When you1 wanna drive little bit deeper to the theta state which is 4 to 7 hertz, you’re going1 to the dream state. To sometimes the people that have problem with attention, adult or1 children, they very often stay in the state for awhile. See though they’re very [inaudible]1 the kid with ADD, pick up your garbage, call your friend, do your homework and the child1 is looking at this like, “Huh?” So that is a theta deep state which is very hard to1 come out of. This is like listening to the kids or someone is blasting the techno music1 or electronic music like, “What is he doing?” What he’s actually doing, it’s very therapeutic,1 really trying to get himself or herself from the theta state and bring to the marks of1 beta state as best they can. So when you see kids or yourself, when you stuck in the theta1 state it’s very actually important to bring yourself into higher frequence mode. And delta,1 this is something trance state, you can reach out by doing the meditation. Some of the people1 are very good in that. But that would be very much physical with training. Music changes1 brain wiring. Remember like when we get older we’re losing some neuro connections and1 that’s something you can restore with music, with certain frequencies. Actually, you can1 expand your neuro circuit which is, it’s like learning to surf, if you arc your playlist1 you will be able to keep that memory flow, that neuro circuitry, much longer. How does1 it work? I mean, it may seem like very simple. We know we found something we like, right,1 like our favorite song sounds very good. And then about the music, the great thing about1 music it effect all areas of the brain. I will just show you the areas of Brodmann and1 you see that music really kind of tap in to affect all areas. It may help you through1 the day. In the book really guiding you through how to create the task oriented playlist,1 it’s very important; driving to work, talking to your boss, unwinding after the job, going1 to the date, going to gym. And then again, I mean, technically speaking music really1 affect the way you think, the way you feel, the way you behave. So those areas of the1 Brodmann, right, so if you see I was trying to put for you the how we can respond, how1 our brain respond in terms of the music tape. The music comprehension, area Brodmann 221 and 42, they’re responsible for harmony, melody and rhythm and those little bit of1 details. But the main thing that you can actually hear the sound.1 [Coughing]1 You can see the sound with area 19 and musicians have little bit bigger area of 19 and they1 recover from stroke much easier than non-musicians because the area is bigger. But the good news1 for you guys you don’t have to be musician, you have to practice, not necessarily playing1 but listening. Listening is a great practice as well. So, for example, just before we were1 setting up the sound I think one gentleman came and said, “Can you make temperature1 little bit higher?” So because it’s hard to take information in when there’s something1 uncomfortable, the same for the brain, you have to adjust those frequencies. So the brain1 is in a maximum state for you, everybody’s different, when it’s balanced between the1 relaxed and activated. What we call the best mindset. It’s like cup of coffee, unless1 like you’re like not in a French bistro and you have to make cup of coffee, you put1 coffee in microwave, it just get a little bit hot, you pour the milk, it get a little1 bit colder and you put the sugar, so basically you’re trying to make the adjustments. The1 same for the brain, you have to make the adjustments to make it work. You have to power the sound1 with imagery, it’s very important cause I was showing you data of the brain, the temporal1 area is emotionally and especially bright and brilliant, very sensitive to the imagery.1 So if you can power the sound with imagery just try to think of something nice like when1 you’re on vacation, when you had a good time, not a time when you had a conflict with1 somebody. Just kind of when you went away for several days and your mind were completely1 relaxed and try to use those frequencies as something you might use to listen to your1 vacation, something nice frequencies. Try to power up with this and really will replay1 a time for you when you get anxious. Emotional memory is very powerful. You know, some of1 you probably remember when they were on top of the game. So that I think you will do much1 better if you practice this playlist and the competition, you know like many of us have1 the very significant moments in our life. When we power that visual image, we saw a1 memory; wedding song, birth of a child, your favorite date, falling in love, winning the1 competition; tons of those moments powering specific sound frequencies. So this is the1 example of how music can really triumph over tragedy. This is Russian figure skater Ekaterina1 Gordeeva who was skating with her husband who basically they were winning all the competitions1 before Sergei died on the ice. He died just after they won two gold medals, making history1 while training for the competition that on ice. He just dropped dead on the ice from1 heart condition. Ekaterina in two years she came onto the ice and she was dancing. Like1 two years she was rehearsing the certain movements, under the certain frequencies of the Mahler1 5 symphony. And that, actually, would make you stronger and your objective, your objective1 actually feedback from that fullness, was that she felt double strong because she really1 felt that Sergei was with her and she was embraced and those music frequencies they1 were dancing together actually helped her to survive the tragedy. And for some us who1 watched their performance really felt like healing power in the heart. So dealing with1 stress. [Laughs]1 I mean you know, sometimes lose the file or something happened like sounds is not working1 [Laughs]1 This is how the people would react. And she probably would not be excited to hear anything1 at that moment but if she would listen to her playlist before, if she would try probably1 she would react little less tense. And this is also the one way, like how many people1 resort to something destructive? And in our minds sometimes there are destructive paths1 because there is a hopelessness and, as you know, like you gain three quarters more brain1 power to go to some creative way but also you can really help yourself to use the training1 of the certain stimuli not to get to that stage. This is on the one side of the town.1 In the other side of the town there’s this lady, I don’t wanna say patient, the young1 lady who has a passion for [inaudible] and fire dancing and she was diagnosed with terminal1 form of Leukemia while she was preparing for competition. And she got the green light from1 her doctor, from her oncologist to stay in competition and it was supposed to be for1 in 6 months. All she doing, almost 24/7, she was dancing and she was embracing herself1 with those frequencies that she loved, something she was listening from her childhood. And1 if it’s something you loved hearing actually turned in the competition and put in the power1 imagery when she was little she would love to go to the ocean and watch the eagle coming1 through the sky free. This is how she was imagining herself, like moving very slowly1 under those frequencies and she really embracing herself and connecting herself with this eagle1 who flying free. When you watch this woman you would never think that any disease or2 any terminal illness can steal that power she has in her through her movement and those2 frequencies she has engrained. So she’s becoming an eagle.2 Let’s look at the concrete things because that’s something that help you in creating2 your playlist and this is something we are sharing with you in the book extensively,2 this is just a snapshot, low frequencies something like very familiar. And, again, everybody2 has different styles, different preferences and this is something that you guys will prescribe2 or it will be prescribed of your playlist. We just advising you the ropes, you know how2 to get there. So very low frequency, New York, New York, right, 40 up to 50 beats per minute.2 If you’re going to something everybody knows, Strawberry Field that would be about 90 beats2 per minute. Then we go higher like something we could do, I don’t know, like some disco2 pop songs like Adele, “Set Fire,” 125. High alert you probably go like high techno.2 There was a Pandora station playing like when I came there was about, I think, 140, something2 like 140, 150. And then you can actually match your playlist with a specific task. We also2 advising you how you can actually get yourself in better shape if you would put the certain2 playlist while you exercising. It’s very important what exactly, what frequencies you2 put while you’re exercising. When you’re jogging, when you’re light walking, when2 you do the cardio, the weight lifting, that is something you can also create yourself2 cause I don’t know your preferences; you love what you love. But the frequencies is2 very important for you to get into the shape and just remind yourself that mind and body2 is very connected.2 So assembling your playlist; you first pick out the song you like, that’s easy. And2 then you pay attention when the song works and when it doesn’t. It also depends on2 your mood, depends how you feel through the day. Do you guys hear the sound?2 [Music plays]2 It’s kind of going to space. Okay, then you ingrain some in your memory, it’s very2 important. It should be filed, right? You know how to file the certain things you do,2 like in projects on the computer there’s a file keeping it in your brain, don’t forget2 to file it. After you file it, make it task oriented, it should be task oriented to drive2 into work, again, some important meeting, you have a speech, you have the deadline.2 You show many playlists as you wish. We’re telling this in the book how effectively to2 do this. You have to train. You have to train your brain the same way as you train the muscle2 because sometimes we forget we have to train our circuitry, right, we’re going to gym,2 we’re trying to build a beautiful shape but the mind is the same; you have to train2 it and you can use something fun to do this. Look for new songs, old songs, you have to2 arc your playlist. Guided imagery, BPM is important. Emotional connection is very important.2 So, again, how you can influence the amount of exciting neurotransmitters in your brain,2 how you can do this guys? How do you do that? How someone can enhance their faucet of neurotransmitter2 performance, many ways, right? Many ways, many pleasurable activities but some pleasurable2 activities are very exciting for us. We waiting for them, we’re anticipating them it’s2 even going higher when anticipating the pleasurable activities but some of the pleasurable activities2 are not that great for the brain. Maybe they feel good but they’re not that cool in the2 long run. Like substances, in a big amount, or things like that.2 So you can really use the same frequencies because what you’re doing for the brain2 waves and basic time and you put them like in a very high beta like, almost gamma state,2 like when you using lots of substances, let’s say. Or when your dopamine is like really2 going up to the roof so you have to get it balanced. But in order to get yourself there2 you can certainly use the certain frequencies. And we actually tell you in the book how to2 do this. You can certainly use that song which brings you to this happy moment in a healthy2 way. And then you can train it. You remember that happy moment when you have when you use2 that song and you would do this every time you wanna dive into this moment and stay there2 as much as you want. Memory, that I think is also, cause you would appreciate, working2 in Google, how music can enhance your memory. This is a very interesting story about Paul2 McCartney’s first album. He actually wanted to record in some exotic place; he went to2 Lagos, Nigeria and that was actually the beginning of a very cool journey but it took a couple2 of unfortunate turns; his band left besides his wife Linda and Blue Moon guitarist, John2 Wayne. And what happened was he was stripped of his valuables at the gun point and he had2 to give his musical score, he didn’t have it anymore, so he had to rewrite, some of2 you guys probably know that story, he had to rewrite everything from the memory. And,2 still, at the album of 75 who got the Grammy award by Rolling Stones magazine is announced2 one of the best. So it’s really possible to write such a complex musical score by memory.2 I think I have another one. This is German composer, Mendelssohn, he wasn’t robbed2 but he managed to leave his music score in the taxi when he was riding in the taxi, so2 he had to rewrite all of the music composition, all the harmony and frequencies he wrote before2 from memory and he did. Just exactly as it was original. So there was research, evidence2 based research. One of the Mozart sonata, I would love to play it for you guys and I’ll2 try it. [Music plays]2 Mozart Sonata actually was shown, D major K448, improve your memory, increase your IQ.2 And we’re showing you in the book how you can enhance your playlist with the Mozart2 Sonata, how you can do this. Because it really open up the pre-frontal area and then there's2 a certain graphic area in the brain can increase your cognitive ability.2 Healing effect of music, it’s very hard to underestimate that the god of music and2 medicine is the same in Greece. And over the centuries, everywhere you go, right, you go2 to different ceremonies you go to weddings, funerals, music is everywhere. Armies use2 certain frequencies of activation that’s how the brain of the soldier stay aroused2 and this is how they can go without sleep 24 hours. By marching those frequencies, which2 they really ingrain and practice in their brain, this is how they go on. I gave the2 presentation recently to NASA pilots, like after we finished the study in Washington,2 on those responders. So those something for those guys to use while they switching the2 time zones, it’s very important. But this is more involved than music you can really2 create from your own brain. And music is really sort of a human obsession.2 Music therapy, some of you probably know that it’s very effective form of therapy and2 it’s proven, actually, how it helps with stress, helping to improve communication skills,2 reduction of distraction symptoms, reduction of destructive behaviors. There’s huge studies2 right now in Cochrane Review like 2,000 people using just relaxing music for the patients2 with cancer, for the pain, post op, post procedures, post operation.2 Now we’ll be talking about your music, the music which comes from your brain which we2 call brain music treatment. So brain music treatment, brain music waves which are created2 from your own brain wave frequencies and, again, everyone has different frequencies.2 As we say genetic competent is important and the signature of the brain is very important.2 So I would love to play for you, there is two files; activating and relaxing. Activating3 and relaxing, activating files created mostly from your fast waves as we will have, you3 know, high beta and beta. And relaxing is created from your own slow waves which is3 alpha theta [Piano music]3 Okay, it’s activating, I can’t play it very long because I get very activated. It’s3 my activating file; what was I thinking?3 [Music plays]3 Great, and this is my relaxing.3 [Music plays]3 Sorry guys I cannot do this that long cause I would fall asleep. I’m just kidding.3 [Laughter]3 But actually what we showed and across the board, and I’ll show you the studies, it’s3 effective in 85 percent of the people suffering from insomnia and about the same effectiveness3 for people suffering from anxiety or social anxiety. So how does it work, right?3 audience membe o where exactly did the songs come from? You said it’s your song,3 so it’s your brainwaves?3 Galina Mindli es, yes. So I’ll just tell you in a moment. The brainwaves are recorded3 on EEG and then they are converted to the musical sound and they are placed on two files3 for you that you can put them on Mp3 or CD. And they actually based on what you need for3 the day. You can use activating file when you tired through the day, when you feel like3 very relaxed, you want a little bit perk up and relaxing file you use when you feel like3 very high strung, very anxious and you use at night when your brain just can’t shut3 down. Like for some of us we go to bed and what do we do? Just lay there and think, think3 with our brain like a shadowbox this is how you can unwind your brain by using your own3 relaxing file. It’s a pretty complex algorithm and I don’t want to bore you guys but basically3 it’s a translation through harmonic free analysis of alteration of the brainwaves we3 have. With this algorithm we translate allegoration, for those that play a little bit of piano,3 like 36 notes, 3 piano octaves and 8 volume gradation and duration segments. In the first3 study we did we used about 120 algorithms just to show that this treatment is effective.3 So this is what happened. This is the first graph of someone who suffers insomnia. So3 you see there is a stage, you guys know a little bit stage 1, 2, 3, 4, this is a deep3 sleep so this person with insomnia doesn’t have a deep sleep, they just go and they hear3 enough sounds, enough to bring music treatment, the treatment really would allow you to dive3 to the delta sleep and the amount of sleep cycles would increase after the brain music3 treatment; from 2 to 6 or maybe none to 4 and 6 so this is impressive. You see that3 your total sleep time was increased. SOL, that’s sleep onset latency, this is the3 amount that you just lay in bed and, you know, counting the sheeps or elephants, really decreased3 from an hour to 9 minutes, right? So you’re not awake during the night and your delta3 sleep increased.3 It’s very interesting we also did the comparison with Ambien, and you know that Ambien sometimes3 could be actually quite harmful for you, right, decreasing your short term memory. So those3 is the study we did in Canada. As I mentioned to you the anxiety goes down when using your3 authentic brain music, an insomnia skill and the sleep is better when using your own authentic3 brain waves music compared to I would use some of yours. This is what were the double3 blinded studies we used. We have a group that use their own authentic brain waves and who3 use somebody else.3 So this is the study, just finished the study, so this is the base line with the sleep quality3 and trait anxiety and you see even on the week 3, on the third week when people are3 listening to their own brain music, right, their anxiety goes down and they actually,3 they sleep, the amount of time laying in bed counting the sheep is significantly decreased3 so your insomnia improved. On the week 6 your insomnia continue to improve and the anxiety3 goes down. Those are some complex slides and those something we did in Washington with3 operational chief command, first responders and the control group. Those pretty complex3 graphs for those of you who interested I can tell you more, with insomnia, again, and with3 a peak performance.3 Yes, we can. Actually that is something we can use to practice and repeating certain3 sounds. It’s something a lot of politician would use, right, to engrave some message3 into your right temporal area and the frontal area, the repetition. Yes we can. You guys3 really can find out a lot of things and your playlist can change your life. You can change3 the way you respond to life challenges, which is true, just by the push of the button you3 can do it. And you can walk a path of charged happiness and wellness, it’s true because3 you really can bring a positive change and enhance your life. Many people did and you3 can do this. May the concepts and techniques we described within our book, Your Playlist3 Can Change Your Life, serve you well as they have for me and each of my other co authors.3 Yes, we can. [Laughs]3 Thank you guys. Questions please. [Applause]3 Do you guys have any questions I may answer for you? Yes?3 male # w much are you samples of just, standard population, how much actual musicians3 or separate cultures that have like more melodic based languages, like how much of that was3 taken into consideration?3 Galina Mindli ou know, the gathering data in terms of the playlist there were a3 lot of us and no musicians, just college students. You know, we’ll have the medical students,3 the people who run the corporation in terms of the playlist. In terms of the brain music,3 all the groups we had, I mean there were people who were suffering from insomnia and people3 suffering from anxiety. So there were two target group and in terms of operational chain3 of command and so those were our first responders, firefighters, so those are the people who3 have to be their optimal best. So there were no musicians, I think there was one musician,3 actually, in Canada. Yes?3 male # he civil music you were playing have almost as much effect as the individualized3 one is that because the [inaudible] just someone else’s brainwave music?3 Galina Mindli ou know what happened with the placebo which is somebody else brain music,3 right, could be effective at some way, you know? Not as effective as your own but the3 effect would fade away like on about 7 to 10 days it would fade away. This is the first3 study we did we did with medical school about 25 years ago, something like that, so this3 is when we took the group of medical students and just gave them their own authentic and3 somebody else and it was effective, somewhat, not that effective from the parameters [unintelligible]3 then the effect would fade away like next week. Some more questions for you guys? Yes?3 male # ave you ever tried recreating the custom sound after you use it for a couple3 weeks and see if there were any changes?3 Galina Mindli fter you use your own? Yeah, we recommend actually that you would3 come to retune your first sample. The same that I would adjust the medications and we3 don’t study the follow up, that’s what you’re saying, I mean, like follow some3 sonography after you use it. But we list the changes on baseline, you know, EEG and in3 this study like I said, we did post sonography but not like in a huge sample. Of course,3 I mean, there were like a soft picture of, for example, your fast brain waves they come3 in common so this is what we showed. This is how you can dive into delta sleep. But4 how you can make it more proficient, that is something we are about to study. Like,4 for example, in a year. For example, in Italy we have some