Blog by Manohar * September 30, 2020
This blog post is about the importance of sleep and dreaming. I believe good sleep and healthy dreaming are especially important as we navigate these pandemic times. Over the past 20 years, scientists have learned a lot more about the adverse effects of not getting enough sleep. Some researchers have even begun to describe sleep deprivation as an “unmet pubic health problem.” Among other things, studies have measured the adverse effects that poor sleep can have on memory, executive function, learning capacities, cognition, metabolic health. vision. attention span, brain detoxing, brain development in children and early aging in adults.
However, the findings I would like to focus on in this blog are the findings that indicate how important sleeping and dreaming are for keeping our immune systems strong. For example, scientists have discovered that during different stages of a night’s sleep, the body is busy developing new T cells that protect us from invasion by external pathogens like viruses, and then distributing these cells to lymph nodes throughout the body.1 Scientists have found that sleep, and the circadian system (our movement through cycles of waking and sleeping over a 24 hour period), are actively involved in “a bi-directional communication between the central nervous and immune system which is mediated by shared signals (neurotransmitters, hormones and cytokines) and direct innervations of the immune system by the autonomic nervous system.”2 It seems that both Non REM sleep (deep,non-dreaming sleep) and REM (dream sleep) are important for initiating effective adaptive immune responses that eventually produce long-lasting immunological memory.”3 In addition, several studies have observed that “prolonged sleep curtailment leads to a general enhancement of markers for inflammatory activity in the body.”4 In other words, inflammation in the body, and the pain that results from it, appear to increase with lack of sufficient sleep. Chronic sleep loss is not only associated with an increase in inflammatory markers but also with immunodeficiency.”5
With the arrival of the pandemic, sleep deprivation is becoming even more of a problem. In a recent NPR podcast, Dr. Rebecca Spencer, a professor of brain sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Dr. Amita Sehgal, a molecular biologist at the University of Pennsylvania, were asked about how the new sleeping habits that people are developing as they stay home during the pandemic may be effecting their health.6 Spencer and Sehgal both agreed that the pandemic has changed our normal routines and caused big changes to our sleep schedules. For example, many adults are now experiencing “bi-phasic sleep,” meaning they wake up for periods of time in the middle of the night. This may adversely effect their health over time. Also, both adults and children are spending considerably more time on the computer. This increased exposure to the light emitted by computer screens may also further reduce our ability to sleep.
Peter Mandel, the originator of Esogetic Colorpuncture, has always been interested in promoting healthy sleep and dreaming in his patients. Many years ago, he concluded that poor sleep prevented both the brain and body from regenerating at night and thus, interfered with his patients’ ability to heal from a wide variety of illnesses and pains. Using his Kirlian Energy Emission Analysis system, he was able to identify signs in the Kirlian photos that indicated whether or not a patient was cycling adequately through the brain waves of sleep (theta and delta) during the night.
As a result of his interest in this topic, Esogetic Colorpunctue includes a variety of techniques and therapies designed to support improved sleep and dreaming. First, within the system of Esogetic Colorpuncture therapy, practitioners use a variety of acu-light treatments to promote improved sleep. Some of these treatments rely on specific frequencies of light (like blue light) to calm the system, and some aim to support improved functioning of the particular systems of the body that are more directly involved in sleep, such as the pineal gland, which produces melatonin in response to changes in the availability of light.
Peter Mandel has also worked with sound specialists to develop a special sound therapy recording (available in cd format at www.colorpuncture.org) that supports the healing of sleep disorders. This cd is easily used at home for self-care. He has also explored several treatment methods to activate dreaming. In Esogetics, dreaming is understood to be involved in helping the brain to regenerate, as well as a way to improve the flow of information from the subconscious to the conscious mind. The Esogetic Dream Therapies help clients gain greater access to their own soul-spirit information and process their psycho-spiritual issues more effectively in the night.
I describe the dream therapies in my book, Energy Psychology Using Light and Color. We also teach these dream activation treatments in the introductory Esogetic Colorpuncture classes. And, when you purchase a bottle of the Esogetic Herb Oil (also available at www.colorpuncture.org/products), it comes with a leaflet providing instructions regarding how to apply this oil to zones on the body to activate dreaming. More recently, Mandel also created a special “Dream Disc,” embedded with crystals, that can be applied to specific areas of the body to promote dreaming. This disc can be purchased in a set with a book of instructions.
Finally, Mandel has spent years developing special “induction” programs that use patterns of brain wave frequencies applied to the skin to influence various phases of dreaming and sleep. This induction tool is designed for self-care use by clients or for use in the office by a trained practitioner.
In conclusion, Esogetic Colorpuncture has long emphasized the importance of sufficient sleep and active dreaming as a way to maintain good health. And in these challenging pandemic times, I would like to remind my readers of the wonderful Esogetic tools and treatments which can help with this. May you stay well-rested and strong in your immune systems through these times.
- Luciana Besedovsky & Tanja Lange & Jan Born, Sleep and immune function
Eur J Physiol (2012) 463:121–137 - Lorton D, Lubahn CL, Estus C, Millar BA, Carter JL, Wood CA, Bellinger DL, Bidirectional communication between the brain and the immune system: implications for physiological sleep and disorders with disrupted sleep.
.Neuroimmunomodulation. 2006;13(5-6):357-74. - Harvey R Colten, Bruce M Altevogt, editors. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem, Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Sleep Medicine and Research, The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2006.
- Freda DeKeyser Ganz, RN, PhD, Sleep and Immune Function, CriticalCareNurse Vol 32, No. 2, APRIL 2012
- Lorton D, Lubahn CL, Estus C, Millar BA, Carter JL, Wood CA, Bellinger DL, Bidirectional communication between the brain and the immune system: implications for physiological sleep and disorders with disrupted sleep.
.Neuroimmunomodulation. 2006;13(5-6):357-74. - The Potency of Sleep. NPR Podcast – Innovative Hub, September 11, 2020