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Analyst Essay Topic – Response To Monash Report

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Analyst Essay Topic - My Response To Monash Report By Francesca Vaccaro

 

Analyst Essay Topic – My Response To Monash Report

By Francesca Vaccaro

In the report Newbrook & Curtain (2001) challenge David Oates’ theory of Reverse Speech (RS). The authors immediately contend that Oates’ definitions of both genuine and coincidental reversals are the same simply because it is stated that both are built upon phonetic structures. This is however a misinterpretation: what Oates probably meant is that both are built upon phonetics. Nevertheless how/where FS and RS originate and how they are processed delineates a very different picture: how the brain can process the two forms of communication (forward and backward) so differently, on such a variety of levels, simultaneously and in direct relation with each other, constitutes a huge difference in definition. The authors of the Monash Report fail to understand the importance of the electroencephalogram testing conducted by Oates and Tomlian in 1988. These tests proved that Forward and Reverse Speech stem, respectively, from the left and the right brain. Therefore the phonetics that we produce are processed under a completely different set of cognitive templates, with RS being regulated through the emotional literacy of the subconscious and other layers rather than left brain logic. These tests provide a huge step forward in the study of Reverse Speech because they give scope for scientific research. They can be reproduced under the same conditions or under modified variables that may account for extraneous factors such as researcher bias or different population samples. The study revealed something quite astonishing in that Reverse Speech not only outlines deeper truths about the self or higher knowledge held by the speaker, but it also affects cognitive functions in unaware listeners. This has huge repercussions in understanding the potential impact of public talks, music and the like. Unfortunately, the authors of the Monash report did not pick up on the importance of this data. Their whole report seems to use left brain thinking as a frame of reference throughout, in their attempt to assess right brain processes. Their comparative study looks at conscious retrieval of backward messages, but this involves only a segment of the process of RS. If their aim is truly to verify the existence of RS they should pay closer attention to brain activity. In the study by Oates brain activity shows in pictures exactly what the left or right brains pick up and what functions operate during speech. The importance of this particular study is that it does not just show conscious activity but rather what we may not be aware that has been activated, therefore providing photographic evidence of information processing at various levels of consciousness.

Moreover, there is a contention in the report that because spoken language is purely grounded on phonetics reversals will always be the same for the same forward sentence regardless of who speaks it. Again this assumption is based purely on the conscious activities of the brain and it completely disregards the complex cognitive processing behind it. Nonetheless, in their argument, some allowance is given for minor variation due to accent, but again the authors state that this is negligible.
Even so, looking at the evidence of actual reversals can present a very different picture. To give an example, when I first started practising Reverse Speech I found a reversal which could have, though only at a glance, supported the authors’ assumptions. The forward word is relationship and the reversal that is usually found is ‘something shallow’. Now this is recognised by Oates as a universal reversal and is usually dismissed as coincidental due to the phonetic structure. However if one tried to read the word backwards phonetically the word would be spihsnoitaler. How can so many different people reverse ‘relationship’ into a whole different phrase, and in fact the same different phrase, from the one word? There is also a second spoiler because I was the person who mentioned the word ‘relationship’ in the recording, and in my case found it not to reverse as ‘something shallow’, but rather ‘the fears’.  At the cost of giving away personal information, this is exactly how I feel about people who become ‘too close for comfort’. Findings such as this are in clear contradiction to the authors’ statements around the impossibility of different reversals being found for same-phonetic forward sentences.
Other examples extracted from David Oates’ (2016) own website include:

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah – “That is my religion. I know that what I’m thinking and [therefore going] to act on is going to come back to me in a circular motion.” – And I’m afraid.

President Obama
President – “..so this is a sobering reminder that attacks on any Americans, [regardless of race, ethnicity, religion]…” – Your villain hear the sender, sell the survivor.

Mark Zuckerberg
Mark – “We took a step back and I thought all right well our mission inst actually to get 1 in 7 people in the world to be connected, we want to connect everyone, so its a big issue that only around a [third of the people in the world] had access to the internet.” – Whirlwind, I’ll beat with that Earth.
 
Newbrook and Curtain (2001) consider the reversals ‘obscure’ but do not back up their claim other than by questioning the use of metaphors. There is much evidence in the literature to suggest that the subconscious speaks not through direct left-brain language but rather in pictures and archetypes (Brenner, 2013). In Brennan’s own words:

“What is so poignant here is that words are unnecessary to communicate or convey a message. The symbol, the representational picture or image, conveys the complete thought, concept, or ideal without the use of words to describe it; the proverbial, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This idea is tremendously powerful, for the way we “talk” to ourselves, our inner language, the way we know who we are, does not come from words, but rather from the timeless source within that knows who we are.”

Furthermore, Oates has devised a methodological framework for the retrieval and identification of reversals, to account for possible coincidental reversals and Researcher Effect (namely the potential interference of a researcher’s intention and beliefs). In the field of social research I have counteracted this through the Voice-centred approach (Mauthner and Doucet, 1998). In the area of Reverse Speech this method can be applied through the feedback of ‘fresh ears’ such as those of potential clients or fellow analysts. During the course this was very much the case, much to the frustration of those of us who had initially thought we’d found Kryptonite.

One aspect of retrieval that could be looked into for further investigation are individual abilities to hear different degrees of sound tone and pitch when these deviate from an average. Even though current applications presume that most genuine reversals can be heard by everyone, this may not be always the case. I only propose this as a basis for a new study which could prove or disprove my theory. David Oates particularly insists that reversals are disregarded when other interested parties cannot hear them, or when these do not fulfil a minimum standard, more so in relation to validity factors. This is an understandable measure to ensure the reliability of reversals in professional applications. My view however stems from Akiyama’s (2010) review of a new crime prevention strategy that has been the centre of some controversy: the Mosquito alarm. This alarm emits high pitch sounds that cannot be heard by adults over 25 years of age, but that can be unbearable to younger people. This alarm is meant to stop vandalism and other illicit activities commonly associated with young people. Despite my personal opinion on the prejudiced assumptions of this strategy, what I find interesting is the notion that human hearing can and does vary at least to some extent. Therefore more attention should be placed onto this issue.

Going back to the report, another claim by its authors is that ‘coherent’ speech cannot be generated backwards; yet empirical evidence proves otherwise as coherent reversals can be heard in much of the work by Oates and his students. Furthermore, if an accent alone can produce a variation in the backwards phonetics, isn’t it possible that our emotions or intent can affect how we talk forward which in turn can produce reversals true to our inner and deeper states? As far as I know Oates has never said that now the research can stop because we know everything about the existence of RS and of how backward language is processed. Instead, he has simply confirmed that RS does occur, and that it seems to originate in the right brain. If one wanted to elaborate on its occurrence they would most probably be encouraged to do so. Further claims that the frequency of the reversals is purely dependent on phonetics are yet again another reflection of the authors’ very much misunderstood nature of Reverse Speech.

Professional fields of study are also brought into the discussion to affirm that if there was such a thing as Reverse Speech, it would have been found by now. On the same token not long ago someone said to me that ‘there is nothing more to be discovered in science as no stone has been left unturned’. Faced with both these contentions I feel like Galileo Galilei when he first mentioned that the Earth is not at the centre of the universe: our discoveries evolve continuously and perhaps at some point scholars of existing disciplines will pick up and examine Reverse Speech. Lest not forget that the disciplines named here are embedded in western culture and follow the very left brain western pattern of thinking. I think of a vignette I saw not long ago where various animals including a monkey, a fish in a bowl, and an elephant, were told that the most intelligent would be the fastest one up a tree. On these lines, many will block out the possibility that emotional literacy and right brain thinking could possibly exist and that any form of communication can originate here. Others may be too afraid to propose such controversial subjects. Their focus will be limited to topics that enable them to maintain a ‘safe’ reputation and not lose status and credibility which would then impact their ability to practise. For instance Parapsychology is a very new field of study and research in this area is to this day only conducted in few and far between establishments, while being subjected to very strict standards. Going down this path isn’t a stroll in the park, that’s for certain. Linguistics is a field that personally fascinates me as I have often analysed language (long before coming across Reverse Speech) in my social research studies. Nevertheless the left-brain vs right-brain problem would be the same as for other areas of Psychology. One does not need to be an expert in Linguistics to find reversals or to prove their existence. Linguistics can only provide additional, albeit optional, understanding. Moreover one cannot apply the same criteria to both FS and RS as they are processed in a completely differently fashion.

Newbrook & Curtain (2001) proceed to say that if children develop Reverse Speech at an earlier stage than the forward, this in turn dismisses any existing understanding of child development. This seems quite a dramatic approach. Science has evolved in time through people gradually adding new discoveries and knowledge that step by step built new frameworks or adapted existing ones. Again the authors’ claim is very much based on child development in relation to left brain language rather than pondering on how the right brain can produce communication so soon before the left brain. Language is processed in two completely different brains so one should refrain from making sense of them from a left brain perspective alone.

Newbrook & Curtain (2001) designed a between-subjects study in order to compare the results across groups of participants. In the recruitment process the traits sought included: native English speakers and being unaware of RS. The results are not surprising, after all researcher-bias (the subtle influence of a researcher on the outcome of a study) is a common issue when conducting experimental research. Nevertheless this is by no means sufficient to erase the whole Reverse Speech theory as reversals were in fact, in a more or lesser measure, found by all 4 groups. If anything, the study explains why Oates is so strict in his standard and guidelines for RS identification. And the reason why Oates stated, as reported by the authors, that it takes time for students to learn how to identify reversals is not because they need to be brainwashed into believing that the exist, but rather the opposite: students must learn discernment so that they do not document misguided entries. As per group B in the study not providing the ‘correct’ responses, since they were told only to look out for the fake sentences they would have, justifiably, missed out on the actual reversals as their only attention was for the bogus sentences.

Overall the experiment was conducted scientifically but the findings, as always, are subject to interpretation. If Reverse Speech did not exist, the few correct reversals would not likely have been found by groups B, C or D. Furthermore, the possibility of other extraneous variables is not mentioned in the report. For instance, the level of hearing described above which could very much apply to individual responses in the study. Other tests into the background belief structure of the participants could have ensured a more miscellaneous grouping. The issue of how the authors managed to ensure that the participants were not aware of RS other than by asking them also poses the problem of whether the form of questioning and assessment could have had an influence on their performance.

I personally have not got the original study by Oates at hand just as the authors haven’t. I am sure that this could provide invaluable data along with perhaps room for improvement and good grounds overall for future research. His electroencephalogram study so far seem to have brought more realistic findings in that it eliminates the problem of conscious hearing and goes straight into what the left and right brains pick up. If anything, this is one study that I would be happy to recreate with some variables. On the whole one should also remember that Reverse Speech is still in its infancy compared to other social sciences. Therefore much more is yet to be discovered around it. Oates’ claims that RS can tap into higher realms of cosmic consciousness can be interpreted at discretion as one is free to speculate on the origins of such reversals. However a true scientist will admit that as much as they may not have tangible proof of a cosmic consciousness, they also have just as much lack of proof of the contrary. The applications of Reverse Speech in therapy aren’t necessarily harmful if the practitioner has a code of ethics. I cannot personally speak strictly for RS practitioners as I do not have that type of training yet. I am nonetheless a therapist in my own professional field and I believe that RS could help by triggering key elements in the therapy room. In this context clients are enabled to accept or reject the content of RS and it does not matter per se. What counts is that it opens up conversations making clients wonder about things that they may not have touched on before.

Last but not least, Newbrook & Curtain (2001) make some unfortunate remarks on Oates’ commercial practices. I agree that when seen in isolation the work may seem expensive. Nevertheless the authors should have invested some time to think beyond the one-hour session view to see the work behind it. If they had, they would have found the amount of effort that in reality goes into each session both during and after. The work does not stop at the hour but proceeds well into however long it takes to say ‘complete’. This could mean 3 or 4 hours of intense expert work and concentration (for an experienced RS practitioner like Mr Oates), not to mention the more immediate effects that can complete within a couple of sessions the work that in psychotherapy could (and often does) take a lifetime. Is this expertise not value for money in itself? If I compare Mr Oates’ charge of US$125 (= GBP £103.5 as per June 25, 2016) per session with the average range of fees in the London area I can immediately put things back in perspective. One should bear in mind that Oates’ fees may, if at all, be doubled where a second session is needed. However this would seal the work completely. When looking at psychoanalysis, one would have to multiply the fee per session over many weeks ahead. In the UK the Relate charity alone (a charity that provides family and relationship counselling) currently charges £60 per session for relationship counselling and £65 per session for sex therapy or family counselling. And Relate is a charity that is not for profit. The range of fees for private psychoanalysis is illustrated in the words of Christine Webber (2014) who rightly asks one to ponder over how much is our mental and emotional health worth to us:

“What can I expect private therapy to cost?
Fees for professional private therapy vary enormously.
In 2013, you’re unlikely to find anything costing less than £40 per hour, and you might encounter much larger fees. Top therapists in Harley Street tend to charge between £150 and £220 per hour.
Outside of the very expensive London areas – which encompass Harley Street, Devonshire Place, Cavendish Square and Wimpole Street – most people should be able to find therapy from a properly qualified practitioner from between at £50 to £80 per hour.
When you consider what people spend on other things that improve their wellbeing – like holidays, gym membership and eating out – this sort of figure, at least for short-term therapy, is not a huge expense.”

REFERENCES

Brenner, A. (2013) The Inner Language of the Subconscious: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words, Sussex Publishers: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-flux/201301/the-inner-language-the-subconscious

Mauthner, N.S. and Doucet, A. (1998) Reflections on a Voice-Centred Relational Method of Data Analysis: Analysing Maternal and Domestic Voices, in: Jane Ribbens and Rosalind Edwards (eds.),Feminist Dilemmas in Qualitative Research: Private Lives and Public Texts, London: Sage: 119-144.

Newbrook, M. & Curtain, J. (2001) Monash University and Blind Testing: David Oates’ Theory of Reverse Speech, Australian Skeptics Inc.

Oates, D. (2016): www.reversespeech.com

Akiyama, M. (2010) Silent Alarm: the Mosquito youth deterrent and the politics of frequency, in: Canadian Journal of Communication, Vol 35 (3): 455-471.

Webber, C. (2014) How to choose a private therapist: find out how you should choose a private therapist, in: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/conditions/depression/a650/how-to-choose-a-private-therapist

 

Disclaimer: This essay was prepared for an assignment in the Reverse Speech Analyst Course. Whilst all material was sourced from the public domain, credit is given to the authors of the original material. All errors, omissions and interpretations are that of the student.

 

 

Practitioner Course Essay – Hypnosis

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Hypnosis - What Is Hypnosis By Jeannette Teagle

 

Hypnosis – What Is Hypnosis?

33

By Jeannette Teagle

Definitions:

Definition: Hypnosis: a mental state like sleep, in which a person’s thoughts can be easily influenced by someone else. Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus Cambridge University Press.

Definition: Hypnosis: a state that resembles sleep but in which you can hear and respond to questions or suggestions. Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary

Definition: Trance is the state in which learning and openness to change are most likely to occur. Trance is a natural state experienced by everyone. My voice will go with you: the teach tales of Milton H Erickson.

There are many and varied definitions of hypnosis depending on whom you follow and the modality that you are using e.g. traditional hypnosis, NLP, etc.

There are various theories about what occurs during hypnosis. Hypnosis is an altered state of mind and most commonly referred to as being in a trance. A trance is a state of consciousness with an internal focus of attention. During our daily life we pay attention to either the inner or outer world depending on our activity and mood. We drift in and out of trance. In NLP term, trance is a type of state known as downtime. Downtime is when you are predominantly paying attention to the internal world. Uptime is when you are predominantly paying attention to the external world.

Altered state theories see hypnosis as an altered state of mind or trance which is marked by a level of awareness that is different from the ordinary conscious state. Non-state theories see hypnosis as a form of imaginative role-enactment. During hypnosis, a person is said to have heightened focus and concentration.

There is a suggestion that we walk around in a trance and that when we seek assistance via hypnotherapy we are brought out of trance. Erickson said ”patients are patients because they are out of rapport with their own unconscious … patients are people who have had too much programming – so much outside programming that they have lost touch with their inner selves.”

In everyday life we move in and out of trance e.g. becoming engrossed in a book, a movie, TV programme or listening to music which means that we do not take any notice of what is going on around us.

Hypnosis cannot control anyone and it cannot make a person do something that is against their morals and important values. Trance and hypnosis help people to learn about themselves and express themselves better. Hypnosis is distinguished from a trance state in that it is guided by the hypnotist, usually for therapeutic purposes. It is a state of inner absorption that can include intense focus or free reverie.

Harvard psychologist, Deidre Barrett wrote: a hypnotic trance is not therapeutic in itself, but specific suggestions and images fed to clients in a trance can profoundly alter their behaviour. As they rehearse the new ways they want to think and feel, they lay groundwork for changes in their future actions. Psychology Today, January 2001.

There are different types of hypnosis:

  1. Traditional hypnosis – make direct suggestions to the unconscious mind. This type of hypnosis works well for someone who generally accepts what they are told without a lot of questions. Most hypnosis tapes that are sold today are based on “traditional hypnosis” techniques. This method of hypnosis is not effective for people who are critical or analytical in their thinking process.
    1. Ericksonian hypnosis – use stories called metaphors to present suggestions and ideas to the unconscious mind. This is a powerful and effective method because it usually eliminates the blockage of and resistance to suggestions that is often caused by the conscious mind.
    2. Types of metaphors used by Erickson are Isomorphic metaphors or embedded commands. Isomorphic metaphors offer direction to the unconscious through story telling. This leaves the unconscious to make the connections between the story and a problem situation or behaviour. Embedded commands: the hypnotist/hypnotherapist tells a story that engages and distracts the conscious mind. The story contains hidden indirect suggestions that are usually accepted by the unconscious.
    3. Ericksonian hypnosis also includes process instructions which direct the unconscious to find a memory of an appropriate learning experience from the past and apply that experience to making a change in the present.
    4. Much of Erickson’s work was about bringing subconscious resource into play for therapeutic purposes. He blended number things that he knew about, including systems theory, behaviour modification and subconscious mind. He saw the subconscious mind as being a creative, solution generating force all on its own.
  3. Self-hypnosis is more often than not used for individual relaxation. For example a person who travels a lot, may use self-hypnosis to assist in falling asleep or preparing for a big presentation. Many hypnotherapists teach their clients how use self-hypnosis as part of their session work to ensure that the client is able to assist themselves – both between sessions and when they have moved on from seeing a therapist.
  4. Stage hypnosis is for entertainment purposes. The greatest skill of the stage hypnotist is to select the people who want to come on stage and entertain the rest of the audience.

A Brief History of Hypnosis

Avicenna (980-1037) was a Persian physician who documented the characteristics of the “trance” (hypnotic trance) in 1027. At this time hypnosis as a medical treatment was seldom used.

Franz Mesmer (1734-1815) believed that there is a magnetic force within the universe that influences the health of the human body. He experimented with magnets, hence the term mesmerism.

James Braid (1795-1860) developed an interest in mesmerism when he found his patient, staring into an old lamp, with glazed eyes. Braid gave his patient the command to close his eyes and go to sleep. The patient complied and thus Braid’s interest grew.

James Esdaile (1808-1859) used hypnotism as his only anaesthetic while performing major operations while working in India. On his return to England, he was unable to convince his peers in England to use hypnosis for pain relief.

Pierre Janet (1859-1947) reported studies on a hypnotic subject in 1882. He developed his own sophisticated hypnotic psychotherapy based on the concept of psychological dissociation. At the turn of the century rivalled Freud’s attempt to provide a more comprehensive theory of psychotherapy.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) was initially an enthusiast supporter of hypnotherapy. He wrote an article on hypnotism which was published in an influential series of case studies with his colleague, Joseph Breuer. This work was entitled Studies On Hysteria 1895. This became the founding text of the subsequent tradition known as hypno-analysis or regression hypnotherapy. Freud went on to abandon hypnotism in favour of psychoanalysis.

Emile Coue (1857-1926) developed a new orientation called “conscious autosuggestion”. His method did not emphasise sleep or deep relaxation and instead focused upon autosuggestion involving a specific series of suggestions tests – susceptibility.

Clark L Hull (1884-1952) published the first major completion of laboratory studies on hypnosis [Hypnosis & Suggestibility 1933] in which he proved that hypnosis and sleep had nothing in common. He published many quantitative findings from hypnosis and suggestion experiment and encouraged research by mainstream psychologists.

Dave Elman (1900-1967) made his name as a hypnotist and led many courses for physicians. He wrote the classic Findings in Hypnosis 1964 which was later retitled Hypnotherapy (Westwood publishing). The most well-known aspect of his legacy is the use of rapid induction – in under three minutes.

Milton Erickson (1901-1980) was one of the most influential post-war hypnotherapists. In the 1960s he popularised a new branch of hypnotherapy, known as Ericksonian therapy. This is characterised primarily indirect suggestion; metaphors (stories & analogies); confusion techniques and double binds in place of formal hypnotic inductions.

Describe How Oatesian Hypnosis Differs From Regular Hypnosis

The hypnosis used, and taught, by David Oates accesses the metaphoric structural level of the deep unconscious. The inductions are specific in that they direct the conscious mind to relax and let go while directing the deep unconscious mind to rise up so that the “two” minds are on equal footing. This enable the two minds to be able to work together to effect the change desired by the client. Traditional hypnosis tends to only work with the subconscious mind which is just below conscious awareness, and not the deep unconscious mind where the metaphoric structure reside.

The reversals found in analysing the client’s tape are a reflection of who the person is at their deepest level. For example, an image of an eagle who has been shot in the wing may be interpreted as having the wing clipped while the image of God touching the wing to heal it may bring forth the interpretation of being touched by the hand of God a fabulous metaphor for healing.

The Reverse Speech hypnosis has elements of both traditional and Ericksonian hypnosis with the use of directions and metaphors. It differs from Erickson’s use of metaphors in that Erickson used analogies and creative metaphors. Reverse Speech uses specific metaphors as indicated by the client in their reversals.

Bibliography

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hypnosis
  2. Erickson, Milton. My voice will go with you: the teaching tales of Milton H Erickson edited with commentary by Sidney Rosen. NY WW Norton, 1982
  3. Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus Cambridge University Press.
  4. Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary
  5. O’Connor, Joseph NLP Workbook: a practical guide to achieving the results you want London, Thorson, 2001
  6. Vaknin, Shlomo The big book of NLP techniques: 200+ patterns, methods, strategies in NLP 2008
  7. Oates, David John Reverse Speech practitioner training manual. 2015

 

Disclaimer: This essay was prepared for an assignment in the Practitioner’s Course. Whilst all material was sourced from the public domain, credit is given to the authors of the original material. All errors, omissions and interpretations are that of the student.

 

 

Researching a Metaphor – The Eagle

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Researching a Metaphor - The Eagle

 

Researching a Metaphor – The Eagle

By Cathy Read

Eagles are birds of prey, also known as raptors, which is a derivative of the Latin word “raper,” meaning to take by force. (1).

They belong to the hawk family Accipitridae, and are found all over the world.(2).

The word originates from the Latin word “Aquila,” which then became the word “aigle” in Old French, and then evolved into the word “eagle” in Middle English. (2).

They are heavier and bulkier than all other raptors. They have very large heads and bills, long, flat, broad, powerful wings, and large feet with huge, strong talons with which to carry their prey back to their nests.(3). The eagle is renowned for his incredible eyesight. He can spot a mouse a quarter of a mile away from his perch high in a tree top or while soaring in the air. Thus, the phrase “eagle-eyed.” The corollary meaning for a human would be “attention to detail.” To have an eagle eye means to have a keen sense of sight or insight. (4).

This phrase correlates with what the reverse speech metaphor dictionary gives as the definition of eagle:

Eagle: (structural) the part that sees ahead; intuition, insight; sees problems before they arise; Trance image; a large, noble eagle with immense wing spread up to three feet wide. The Eagle works with the Wolf to help hunt and will frequently fly ahead of the Wolf in the desert.

Eagles eat mostly fish (dead or alive), snakes, mice, frogs, rabbits, other birds, and offal. Sometimes a young eagle will eat a smaller, weaker, sibling and his parents will do nothing to stop it. Eagles are dominant and ruthless predators in their environment.

This “bad moral character” factor is purportedly the reason why Benjamin Franklin did not want the eagle to become America’s national bird. He called the eagle “lazy,” and “a coward.” Franklin said that “he does not get his living honestly.” (5).

The American Bald Eagle is the centerpiece of the Great Seal of the United States. It is depicted holding 13 arrows in its left talon (referring to the 13 original states) and an olive branch in its right talon, together symbolizing that the United States has a strong desire for peace, but will always be ready for war. (6).

And after America landed on the moon in 1969, a voice announced “the eagle has landed.” Eagles have long been associated with the highest pursuits. From the time that the Persians and Romans carried eagles into battle, they have symbolized courage, strength, bravery, power, freedom, and transcendence.

A reversal was found on someone a few weeks after 9-11. It said “brave eagle, we’re sad.” So we see how the (bald) eagle has become a metaphor for America. The bald eagle represents characteristics which many cultures have viewed as inspirational, and others have seen as despicable. What a particular thing represents to one culture may differ dramatically from what it means to another. The qualities that are attributed to a symbol may or may not be realistic or accurate. But in any case, a symbol is chosen to represent qualities or characteristics that in some sense are expressions of the ideals of that culture, and their dreams.

The bald eagle has symbolized great power, strength, freedom, elegance, and independence to many cultures throughout history. It was probably a metaphor in the collective unconscious for millennia, being used in reverse by everyone, which is probably why it influenced the founding fathers to want it as their symbol. And those qualities attributed to the bald eagle were particularly attractive to a young nation struggling for its independence. These attributes and the fact that the bald eagle is found only in North America made it a perfect candidate to symbolize the ideals of this new country.

So we see that the eagle can represent a few things: intuition and foresight, or courage, power, and strength, etc. Does it have any psychological meaning, and if so, how does that relate to the definition found in the Reverse Speech Metaphor Dictionary? From my research I find that it can represent powerful intellectual or spiritual abilities. That positively correlates with “the part that sees ahead, and insight.” That is intellectual prowess. Intuition is a form of spirituality.

I also read that for a Christian it may represent John the Evangelist (who was the Apostle John, one of the 12 disciples). (7) In Christian art, John is symbolically represented by an eagle, one of the creatures envisioned by Ezekiel (1:10). In the painting “Saint John the Evangelist” by Domenico Zampieri he is depicted as a young man accompanied with an eagle. (7).

Such images not only spring from our collective unconscious, but help to reinforce them.

Early man considered eagles to be messengers from the Sun God. In your dreams, it may be a messenger from your unconscious. Mythology often has stories of the eagle and the lion, or the eagle and the snake. These stories are dream symbols that represent psychological opposites such as spiritual/animal, male/female, conscious/unconscious, and thought/instinct.

Superstition says that to dream of an eagle is an omen for fame and fortune. (8)

I looked up eagle in the “dream moods dictionary” online, and it said that to see an eagle in your dream symbolizes nobility, pride, fierceness, freedom, superiority, courage, and powerful intellectual ability. It also represents self-renewal and your connection with your spirituality. You will struggle fiercely and courageously to realize your highest ambitions and greatest desires. Alternatively, if you live in the United States, then the national bird could represent your patriotism and devotion to country. This definition from the online dream dictionary springs, of course, from our dreams, which act as an outlet for our unconscious mind, so we see that they match. (9)

The Native Americans felt that eagles had powerful medicine. Eagle medicine is the power of the Great Spirit. It is the gift of clear vision with which one can truly see the things one sees. Eagle feathers are revered by Native American Healers as having powerful medicine. Men in many tribes adorned themselves with eagle feathers given for acts of courage and bravery, and Indian healers wrap their eagle feather in their medicine bundle after a ceremony, such is the reverence for the bird. The definition in the Reverse Speech Dictionary does not talk about healing abilities so in that sense it does not correlate, but the American Indian view of the eagle seems to match other cultures. For example, in ancient Rome, the eagle was a symbol of power and strength.

The eagle is a “power animal” in many American Indian tribes. A power animal is a guardian or protector of a culture, place, or person. Kind of like a guardian angel. The usual meaning of the eagle power animal is: great strength, courage, leadership, and prestige. Again, this more matches the cultural symbolism of eagles, but not the reverse speech dictionary. As a power animal is a guardian and protector one could say that this correlates with the Reverse Speech Dictionary, as in “sees problems before they arise.” Which is what an unseen protector would do. In many tribes, the eagle represents spiritual protection, carries prayers to the creator, and is the “brother” who flies highest and closest to the creator. He brings strength, courage, wisdom, illumination of spirit, and a knowledge of magic. He has the ability to see hidden spiritual truths, rising above the material to see the spiritual. The eagle has an ability to see the overall pattern, and the connection to spirit guides and teachers. This view of the eagle certainly correlates with the definition in the Reverse Speech Dictionary.

Native American lore says that we communicate with the Creator by listening to the spiritual voice of the eagle. The eagle has many important teachings. Through eagle the knowledge of the Creator is channeled to the people. This is intuition and insight.

The eagle is of course seen in the history and mythology of other peoples as well.

In ancient Egypt and Babylon the eagle was the symbol of the noon sun, which signified the Great Spirit. To the Egyptians; the eagle was the messenger to the gods and the sun, a symbol of eternal life.

To the Romans; the eagle was the carrier of Jupiter’s thunderbolts and a sign of power, which was adopted as a symbol of the Roman Emperors, and was carried before the Empire’s legions.

To the Greeks; the eagle was the messenger to the Greek God Zeus, and Zeus took the form of an eagle when he carried his young lover Ganymede to Mount Olympus.

The Welsh Lleu and the Scandinavian Odin both transform into an eagle. Lleu does not die, but is transformed into an eagle and reaches the otherworld in the shape of an eagle. Odin, seeks protection and knowledge as an eagle.

To the Germanic people the eagle was representative of Wodan, the ruler of the Gods, and came to symbolize the German Kaisers.

The eagle is a prominent spiritual link between heaven and earth in many cultures. Sumerian culture refers to the eagle as a means to travel from earth to heaven. One Sumerian king named Etan rode to heaven on the back of a giant eagle so that he could receive the “plant of birth” from Ishtar. He also ascended to heaven on the back of the eagle.

In some religions high-soaring eagles are believed to touch the face of God. I don’t think that these above examples closely match the Reverse Speech Metaphor Dictionary.

The “double headed eagle” is seen in many traditions, including freemasonry and Nazism, but it is not an eagle, but a phoenix bird. (10)

Fairy tales are found all over the world. The chief stories are to be found all throughout history and in almost all countries. Many stories can be traced originally to a very ancient prehistory people called alternatively, Indo-European, Indo-Germanic, or Aryan. These people were the forefathers of Europeans, the Hindus, and the Greeks and Romans. They eventually scattered and dispersed throughout the world, taking their stories with them. Scholars have traced many stories from the Aryans, to then very ancient Hindu legends, then Greek poetry, then to every country in Europe in different languages with a variation in the stories (local flavor so to speak). Fairy tales are still an important part of children’s literature, and they also permeate mass media. They have widespread and enduring popularity. Many symbols in fairy tales are also metaphors. By telling and retelling the stories, the symbols in the stories become unconscious metaphors that we speak in reverse. (11)

You see animals a lot in fairy tales, and the eagle appears in some. They are usually portrayed in fairy tales as magical agents transporting someone (usually a hero) someplace else. One fairy tale I read was “The Wisdom of the Eagle and the treachery of the Hyena.” It is a story much like an Aesop’s fable, where the eagle saves a monkey from an evil hyena. The eagle locks the hyena in a cage-like trap, so he can’t hurt anyone again. This can be seen as “seeing problems before they arise,” so it does correlate with the Reverse Speech Dictionary.” (12)

There is an Aesop’s fable entitled “The Eagle and the Arrow.” The eagle is flying through the air when it gets shot by an arrow that had been feathered with one of its own plumes. The moral of this fable is: “We often give our enemies the means for our own destruction.” This does not match the Reverse Speech Dictionary. (13)

Some modern stereotypes of animals have a long tradition dating back to Aesops’s fables, which draw upon sources that include ancient Egyptian animal tales. Aesop’s stereotypes were so deeply ingrained over time that they were accepted as representative of the various types of an animal’s true nature. There is no doubt that humans have picked up on this unconsciously to create/change reversals.

There are not a lot of non-biblical references to eagles in Christianity. One story I read was about a sermon written by T. Rhonda Williams about why it is a tradition within the English Church to place a bible on the outstretched wings of an eagle. Her reasoning is such: “In sacred symbolism the eagle stands for that power of rising above the earth, above the physical and the literal, into the heavens of rarefied faith, a mystic intuition, and a penetrating spiritual intuition.” The last part about “a penetrating spiritual intuition” and “mystic intuition” does correlate with the eagle definition in the Reverse Speech Dictionary. (10)

I looked for Gospel songs, especially old-fashioned ones, with eagles in them and could only find one. The song is “On eagle’s wings” and it really doesn’t match the definition in the Reverse Speech Dictionary. Its meaning is that God will hold you up and protect you. (14)

There are 32 references to the eagle in the bible itself. The symbol of the eagle is a common one in the Old Testament. Many are seen in historical/political contexts. One eagle reference (Ezekiel 17:1-24) can be construed as both historical and prophetic, with the eagle symbolizing the United States. (15)

In one eagle reference (Ezekiel 1:14) the eagle was an emblem of kingly power. In Leviticus 11:13, it tells us that we cannot eat the eagle for he is on the “unclean” blacklist. Many use typical eagle symbolism in various ways. Exodus 19:4 “Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle’s wings, and brought you unto myself.” This describes the escape of the Jewish people from the power of the pharaoh. Jeremiah 49:16 is about how God tells those evil people, I believe Edomites, who “dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down…….” He will destroy the wicked!! Some passages use the symbolism in common, descriptive, or comparative ways, such as Jeremiah 4:13 “His horses are swifter than eagles.” And Proverbs 23:5 “When your eyes light upon it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle, toward heaven.” (16)

Interpreting the bible is difficult mostly due to language translating errors. The Hebrew word “nesher,” meaning “to tear with the beak,” or “to lacerate,” literally means vulture. But it appears often in the bible meaning “eagle.” (17)

The book of Revelation is believed to be all symbolism. Some say it is about the “end times,” and other people say it describes “the revelation” one has when one “discovers” one’s true divinity. I read that in a book a long time ago and I can’t remember the title. Most bible eagle references are mundane, and not esoteric. The next two examples are highly esoteric.

Revelation 4:7 says “The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.” Each being is symbolic of some class or some quality of which it is representative. There are too many possibilities to list here.

Revelation 12:14 says “But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent.” The two wings given to the woman could possibly be “intuition and insight.” Insight being spiritual insight. This would allow her to see any problems before they arise and keep her safe.

In Hinduism the eagle is seen most prominently in a figure called “The Garuda,” a Hindu God. He is a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Garuda is the mount of the Lord Vishnu. Garuda is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila. Garuda is the “king of the birds” and often acts as a messenger between the gods and men. He has the head, wings, talons and beak of an eagle, and the body and limbs of a man.

Garuda represents the five “vayus” within us: prana, apana, vyana, udana, samana through his five forms satya, suparna, garuda, tarkshya, vihageshwara. These five vayus through yoga can be controlled through pranayama which can lead to kundalini awakening leading to higher levels of consciousness. High levels of consciousness are associated with psychicism, which include: intuition, insight, and seeing problems before they arise, which can also be called “clairvoyance.” The message to the soul appears through the higher level of consciousness. (18)

Finally, the eagle symbolism is also found in astrology. Scorpio has more than one symbol, and they include the scorpion, the eagle, and the phoenix. Scorpios tend to be like the eagle in that they are able to spot tiny details and see things before they happen. (19)

In my research I found a lot of information about eagle symbolism. Most of it related to the eagle’s physical prowess (soaring, flying etc.) rather than spiritual things. Probably all other animal metaphors are portrayed the same way. But there is enough correlation, to prove the oral tradition of Reverse Speech.

 

 

RESOURCES

1. Bruce Montague, Birds, Bees, and Educated Fleas. An A-Z guide to the sexual predilections of animals from Aardvarks to Zebras. (London, Metro Publishing, 2015). P.74

2. Eagle. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eagle.

3. Kevin T. Karlson and Dale Rosselet, Peterson Reference Guide to Birding by Impression. A Different Aproach to Knowing and Identifying Birds, (Boston, New York, Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, 2015). P78

4. Robert A. Palmatier, Speaking of Animals: A Dictionary of Animal Metaphors, (Connecticut, London, Greenwood Press, 1995) p.130-131

5. American Myths: Benjamin Franklin’s Turkey and the Presidential Seal. (2013, January 25). Retrieved on December 9, 2015, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/american-myths-Benjamin-Franklin’s-turkey-and-the-Presidential-Seal.

6. Great Seal of the United States. (2015, November 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_United_States.

7. John the Evangelist. (2015, December 6). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Evangelist.

8. Craig Hamilton Parker, The Hidden Meaning of Dreams, e-book, (Sterling Publishing Company, Inc, 1999) n.p.

9. Dream Moods Dream Dictionary, Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://dreammoods.com/dreamdictionary.

10. Eagle Spirit Ministry. (n.d.) Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://eaglespiritministry.com/works/ese/htm.

11. John Thackray Bunce, Fairy Tales their Origin and Meaning, with some Account of Dwellers in Fairyland. (The Project Gutenberg, June, 2005, original date 1877) p6-7

12. Frans Timmermans, The Wisdom of the Eagle and the treachery of the Hyena. (n.d.), Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://fairytalesoftheworld.com/quick-reads/the-wisdom-of-the-eagle-and-the-treachery-of-the-hyena.

13. The Eagle and The Arrow an Aesop’s Fable (n.d.) Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://taleswithmorals.com/aesop-fable-the-eagle-and-the-arrow.htm

14. On Eagle’s Wings. (2015, November 25). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Eagle%27s_Wings.

15. 32 Bible Verses about Eagles. (n.d.) Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Eagles.

16. Topical Bible Verses. (n.d.) Knowing Jesus, Eagles. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/eagles.

17. Eagle (n.d.) Bible Study tools. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/eagle.

18. Garuda. (2015, November 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Garuda&oldid=691121932.

19. 8 Scorpio Sign Symbols You Never Knew About! (n.d.) Guy Counseling and Coaching a Bridge to Change. Retrieved December 9, 2015, from http://www.guycounseling.com/8-scorpio-sign-symbols-you-never-knew-about.

 

 

Analyst Essay Topic – Your Response To Skeptics

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Analyst Essay Topic - Your Response To Skeptics And Reverse Speech

Analyst Essay Topic – Your Response To Skeptics

By Debbie Fitzgerald

Reverse Speech, while many find this a truly amazing, extra-ordinary and revolutionary discovery by David Oates in 1984, there are however, those people that are sceptical of its validity and existence. Interestingly, whilst I was thinking about this topic and before finding a sceptical review the word FEAR kept coming to me. I would propose that those people who fear something are more than likely to be sceptical of it as well.

The definition of Sceptic in the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

  • One who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or 
    generally accepted conclusions. (such as a claims or statements)

Sceptical people look at the world with a certain amount of doubt. This also includes a certain amount of fear as the Fear and Doubt seem to be intertwined.

The definition of the word Doubt appears to also include a meaning:

  • Archaic To suspect; fear. (in almost all dictionaries)

I then came across a sceptical forum questioning the topic of Reverse Speech in a manner of ways which I will do my best to give a rebuttal to each sceptical statement. I was also very surprised to see a number of entries relating to fear of Reverse speech. So I stopped here and decided to respond to this forum having thought very much about the “Fear factor” from the beginning. I very much would like to address this fact in relation to Reverse speech.

The website URL I am going to respond to is:

 

 

It has the heading:

This is topic Reverse Speech in forum Urban Legend Archive at snopes.com. 2000

The first post in this forum states:

“The site http://www.reversespeech.com keeps coming up here. Anyone agree with me that it’s kind of a monkeys and typewriters thing? To me, it seems a lot like the well-known phenomena of humans recognizing faces in objects which bear
only a superficial topological resemblance to a face.”

Addressing the first comment regarding it’s a kind of monkeys and typewriter thing is actually quite ironic given the fact that a metaphor has been used.

According to the Wikipedia: The infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type a given text. Such as the complete works of William Shakespeare. In this context “almost surely” is a mathematical term with a precise meaning, and the “monkey’ is not an actual monkey, but a metaphor for an abstract device that produces an endless random sequence of letters and symbols.

With over 32 years of research having gone into Reverse Speech one of its constants is the use of metaphorical language not only in forward speech but also in reverse speech. Maybe if this thread starter, instead of jumping to this conclusion and yes, using a metaphor in his opening comment chose too, he would see that Reverse Speech is not at all random and the actual time it takes to analyse one recording certainly doesn’t equate to hours and hours of listening to recordings backwards to find a valid and clear reversal that matches the strict criteria set out.

There is a reason that David Oates has put forward strict criteria and this will also give an explanation into the second comment the author has suggested in his post.

  • It seems a lot like the well-known phenomena of humans recognizing faces in objects which bear only a superficial topological resemblance to a face.

Yes, it is possible to project into the gibberish without the proper training.

As students of Reverse Speech they are taught in the initial classes by David Oates that:

  1. You will hear nothing but gibberish
  2. You will imagine phrases into the backward sounds that do not exist, like seeing pictures in clouds
  3. You will hear coincidental sounds only and you will hear genuine speech reversals
If in doubt of what you are hearing throw it out and don’t document it.

 

So, it is important to know that Reverse Speech has developed very strict guidelines that if they are followed any one will hear the phrase without prompting. If several people can hear the same phrase without being prompted then surely that implies that the phrase exists.
These guidelines that further add to the integrity of Reverse Speech and reversals are as follows:-

There has been a set of seven reversal check points and five reversal validity factors formulated to follow in order to make sure the reversal found can be easily heard by others. This is most important as it will be played back to the client during the session times and it will also be used as examples in teaching as well as explaining and demonstrating Reverse Speech to others.

These seven check points were initially put together in 1991 to give students of Reverse speech easy steps and guidelines to distinguish between gibberish, their imagination and a genuine speech reversal. It still applies today as it has proven to be extremely effective and following these checkpoints greatly improves the accuracy rate.

There are however, an initial set of three checkpoints to follow when a suspected reversal is found. This will help distinguish genuine reversals from imagination. These are as follows:

  1. Is the syllable count correct?
  2. Are the consonant and vowel sounds well formed?
  3. Are the beginnings and endings of words clear and distinct?

If the reversal meets these three check points then go over the reversal several times applying the full seven checkpoints.

  1. Is the syllable count of the entire phrase correct?
  2. Are the vowel and consonant sounds in each syllable clear and precise?
  3. Are the beginnings and endings of words clearly defined and distinguishable?
  4. Are the spacing sufficient between each word, so that it is clearly distinguishable from other words in the reversal?
  5. Is the reversed phrase distinct from the surrounding gibberish?
  6. Does the entire phrase have a continuous, melodious tone from beginning to end?
  7. Does the phrase have a definite constant beat or tempo from beginning to end?

Next set of criteria involves The Validity Factor chart and this acts as a guide to documenting the reversal it fails to meet the seven check points and needs to be documented with a reduced validity factor.

Validity Factor Chart

VF 5:    All seven check points are met – the reversal is very clear.
VF 4:    One check point ONLY may be imprecise.
VF 3:    One check point of 1,2,3,4 and one of 5,6,7 may be imprecise.
VF 2:    One check point of 1,2,3,4 and two of 5,6,7 are imprecise.
VF 1:    Two check points of 1,2,3,4 and two of 5,6,7 are imprecise.

It is best to document a reversal that has a validity factor of 3 and above, though ideally it is far better to document a reversal of a validity factor of 4 and 5.

Reversals that only have a validity factor of 1 and 2 should never be documented as it would be quite difficult for the phrase to be understood and for most people to hear clearly what is being said in reverse.

So it does seem evident with the above documentation that all the measures have been put in place and taught extensively to students to ensure a clear, precise and audible reversal.

It therefore does give enough evidence to dispute the monkey and typewriters comment and the recognizing faces in objects query has not been undermined as it does have its validity but it is the reasoning behind covering it in the teaching of Reverse speech with such extensive guidelines and criteria so this actual situation does not occur.

In response to the first posted comment in the forum was the following “I think you’re dead right — this kind of thing (I reckon another good example is the Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz “synchronisation”) is what I call the “seek and ye shall find syndrome” — the brain is so excellent at pattern matching that if you want to see/hear something badly enough, you will…”

The Dark Side of the Moon/Wizard of Oz “synchronisation” refers to the intentional pairing of the 1973 Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon with the visual portion of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.” This produces moments where the film and the album appear to correspond with each other.

This differs from Reverse speech greatly as it is not intentional. It clearly covers this topic on the website and David Oates has no qualms about placing all that he possibly can on his various websites so people can be educated on the entirety of Reverse Speech.

What is intentional however, is the subject of Back Masking which is how David made the discovery of Reverse Speech back in 1983. In fact, David Oates has written a book (one of many books) co-authored with Greg Albrecht in 1987 which explains the whole topic and Back Masking and how it lead to the discovery of Reverse Speech. He offers this book as an opt-in on any of his websites for free.

A brief description of Backmasking – it is a recording technique where words and statements are deliberately inserted backwards into the soundtrack which has actually been linked to music for some time.
Whereas Reverse speech occurs naturally in speech to communicate information which originates from the subconscious part of ourselves and which we may not be aware of consciously.

As it was stated in a testimonial to David from Dr Virgil Chrane:

“David John Oates has made one of the great discoveries of all time. He has proven that man’s true-Self speaks in reverse. He has documented and developed the art, science and philosophy of Reverse Speech.”

In regard to the second part to this comment in the forum:

“seek and ye shall find syndrome” — the brain is so excellent at pattern matching that if you want to see/hear something badly enough, you will…”

It has been explained above that the guidelines imposed in revealing a reversal are of a very strict nature to avoid any form of this occurring. Yes, the idea is to seek out the reversals, yes, reversals are found but only by following the strict guidelines does it then teach the student the ability to allow the reversal to jump out at them and be clearly distinguishable amongst the gibberish.

As has been previously said, this is taught to the students and the Reverse speech course is by no means an easy or flippant education.

Multiple steps have to be taken in order to formulate an intensive and comprehensive course where certain steps must be completed before moving onto the next level, eventually becoming a Practitioner of Reverse Speech. It is step by step approach and each of the courses contents are built upon in order to gain a progressive and complete grasp and understanding into this unique topic.

The following two posts in the forum refer to the fear factor which I will address shortly.

The fifth post in this particular forum is a person suggesting that the examples on the Reverse Speech website involved:

“half an hour of audio all together, maybe (I’m guessing) and this was probably the cream of the crop from thousands of hours of reversed audio being reviewed by dozens of people at various speeds, specifically looking for hidden messages. To be perfectly honest, how many of even these prized discoveries would you have heard without the associated text telling you what to look for?”

This is a much generalized view and an assumption without really delving further into the process of Reverse Speech and how these messages or reversals are found.
Speculation without knowing the facts, is it not?

Firstly, audio length does vary, the majority being 15-30 minutes. The statement conjures up an image of thousands of people all listening to the same recording for thousands of hours just to find one reversal. This is not how the reversal examples made their way onto the website.

I would say however, that thousands of reversals have been found over the years by David Oates himself who is 32 year veteran and pioneer of this field. Not only has he had his own successful practice helping numerous clients on so many levels over these many years, he has trained many in this field to Analyst and Practitioner level and he is meticulous in doing all this training himself maintaining the integrity and high standards of Reverse Speech.
Some of the examples have therefore also come from these other sources throughout the years and is testament to his thorough training methods and his level of passion for Reverse Speech.

A 30 minute recording actually takes about 3 hours in total by the trained Reverse Speech analyst to listen to, put together a full transcript, analyse the findings and form a conclusion.

It is also not just one reversal that is found either but anything ranging from 20 to 30 reversals sometimes even more. Again, this is dependent on following the correct guidelines and techniques that are laid out as explained above although this is only a small selection of the guidelines that have been mentioned so far.

The reversal examples on the website which are being referred to here are there to give the viewer/listener a sense of what Reverse Speech is all about. It is a much more complex and multifaceted subject and although the reversals play a major role there is so much more to Reverse Speech.

Naturally, the examples are of a high standard so a clear, concise reversal can be heard by those listening to them. Those coming to the website should be given the full example which includes the forwards conversation as well as what the reversal is saying in order to fully understand the example.

Given that this is a subject identified as one of the two forms of human communication automatically generated by the brain, as it has only ever been considered that communication occurred in one way only, language spoken forwards. Additionally, there is a direct correlation between the backwards sentences found and what is being spoken in forwards at the same time. It has also been established through thorough research and analysis that reverse speech is a communication process received and understood by the human brain on an unconscious level.

After the discovery of Reverse speech in 1983, it wasn’t until 1987, 4 years later after much research and analysis that David Oates developed the Theory of Reverse Speech and Speech Complementarity. This theory has remained unchanged over the years and sums up Reverse speech in a nutshell. It has been documented as follows:

  1. Human speech has two separate, yet complementary, functions and modes. One mode occurs overtly, is spoken forwards, and is under conscious control. The other mode occurs covertly, is spoken backwards and is not under conscious control. The backward mode of speech occurs simultaneously with the forward mode and is a reversal of the forward speech sounds.
  2. These two modes of speech, forward and backward, complement and are dependent upon each other. One mode cannot be fully understood without the other mode. In the dynamics of interpersonal communication, both modes of speech combined communicate portions of the total psyche of the person, conscious and unconscious.
  3. Covert speech develops before overt speech and children speak backwards speech gradually combine into one forming an overall bi-level communication process.

With the obvious speech complementarity, this shows the significance of including more than just an audio as an example on the webpage.

Having said that, it is possible to hear the reversals clearly without hearing what the reversal says and this is demonstrated on the following website –

It is titled The Reverse Speech Blind Test and was posted on Jan 09, 2009:

 

Self-described “sceptics” insist that listeners can only hear speech reversals when prompted by “pre-suggestion.” In this video, we put that claim to the test.

It is the perfect example that you can hear the reversals without having to know the text and the examples have all been taken from the Reverse Speech website.

At the end of the video it also gives an explanation how reversals found are not just a coincidence which has been suggested in a couple of the posts in the forum.

“I’m just not convinced it’s anything beyond coincidence”
“I am positive that the whole idea of finding messages in reverse speech is bunk,
and anything that is there is coincidence.”

 

The example I will give here is of a man speaking about his family:

The forwards conversation – I was about 30-35 when I found out my father was alive, [it was just through word of mouth] – long dialogue – I found out there were other brothers and sisters.

Then the reversal “I have an older sister” was found on analysis of the recording.

I have an older sister is a seven syllable grammatically correct statement whose factuality was confirmed by the forwards dialogue. What are the odds of those seven syllables lining up coincidentally? This can be said of all reversals found. Reversals are occurring every 20 to 30 seconds in grammatically correct sentences that have direct relationship to the forwards. The statistical odds of this occurring by random chance are astronomical.

Now the reason why I chose this particular critic’s review was the reference to fear several times in the posts and are as follows:

“I went to the reverse speech site, and some of them are kinda freaky! heh. Why is it that when I hear reverse speech, it scares me? THAT is weird, I think. What the hell am I afraid of????”

 

“I went to the reverse speech site. I played a few of the examples and it gave me a very creepy feeling. I had to stop listening and exit the site. I do not scare easily, but I will not go back to that site while I am alone.”

 

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but it reminds me of the last episode of Twin Peaks. Easily one of the most frightening things I’ve ever seen. Does anyone have any idea why this seems so creepy to at least some of us?”

 

It is interesting that Reverse Speech brings up fears in people and these comments also include them wondering why are they fearful of it or it creeps them out.

Fear is one of the most important emotions experienced by humans and fear originates from any kind of threats to your self-esteem, spirit or life.
 
One of the most common sources of fear can be traced back to childhood and can be an instant trigger to fear induced behaviour at any stage of one’s life.

Oddly enough, the reason why people cannot find the cause of their fears is the very thing that Reverse Speech has been able to discover.

Reverse Speech has over the years uncovered theories of a very similar manner to those that Carl Jung put forward back in the early 1900’s.

Carl Jung was recognized as one of the most influential psychiatrists of all time. He founded analytical psychology and was among the first experts in his field to explore the religious nature behind human psychology. He argued that empirical evidence was not the only way to arrive at psychological or scientific truths and that the soul plays a key role in the psyche. 

Jung’s work has not been discounted; it is the foundation for education in fields of psychology and other studies and is referred to often in relation to the conscious, unconscious, subconscious mind and the collective unconscious.

Wouldn’t it be nice to give David Oates and Reverse Speech the same courtesy?

The reasoning behind not knowing why we can fear something and may not understand why is our fears reside in our unconscious mind.

Our unconscious mind is the source of all hidden beliefs, fears, attitudes, memories, our entire life experiences and basically knows everything about us.

The unconscious mind creates our reality and is responsible for our behaviour, actions, shaping our personality and running our everyday life.

The subconscious mind cannot move outside its pre-programmed patterning – it automatically reacts to situations with its previously stored behaviour responses and works without the knowledge or control of the conscious mind.

It is these unconscious programmes (metaphors) that can interfere with our everyday life, sabotaging our success as it follows pre-programmed behavioural patterns.

Reverse speech enables us to delve into the unconscious mind, find the specific metaphors that a person is running and in turn, the reason behind certain behavioural patterns and emotional states.

If we don’t know what these fears, beliefs etc are it is difficult to understand our reaction to certain things and situations and therefore cannot change it.

It is then human instinct when fear sets in to:

  • judge something that we don’t understand,
  • question the validity of that which frightens us,
  • jump to all sorts of irrational ideas, theories and conclusions,
  • run away as one of our primal instincts when faced with fear is the fight or flight reaction.

It is also human nature to want immediate gratification and proof that something is real, that it exists and it is true.

We want to challenge that which we have no proof for so we can be secure in our rightness. Our brains work on patterns of associations so tend to grab any coincidence to make sense of things, but still…is this enough to relieve the nagging thoughts.

Those in this forum all seemed to go straight to the website and listen to the audio examples only and this was the basis of their assessment and subsequent assumption of Reverse Speech.

The website is a wealth of information, including – About Reverse Speech; History of Reverse Speech; Different Applications – business, personal, therapeutic; Research Articles and Blog Posts covering a large number of related topics; Videos, Testimonials; “Audio Examples” and so much more. It’s available for all to read and to be educated.

Knowledge is Power!!!

 

Lastly, is the fear based on the idea of the truth coming out, as it is the unconscious mind that reveals the hidden messages or reversals and it does not lie.

On a conscious level we are fully aware that we are lying unlike the unconscious and subconscious mind which cannot be forced to lie. It is impossible to lie when reversals access truth only. According to the research and analysis of thousands of reversals found David Oates has never discovered one instance of someone being able to withhold the truth in reverse.

Reverse speech would definitely be an extremely effective way for people to be forced into being honest with themselves. It really is the human lie detector or a “truth serum” as Reverse Speech will usually correct the inconsistencies of forward speech. If a lie is spoken forwards, the truth may be communicated in reverse. If important facts are left out of the forward speech these may also be spoken in reverse. It can reveal hidden motive and agenda and other conscious thought processes.

The way I see it Reverse speech has been around for over 32 years now, it is still here so it has stood the test of time. It hasn’t been forgotten OR discounted by the masses.

This particular forum was created in 2000 and whilst I was looking for an appropriate critics review I did notice that a lot of these were posted not long before or just after 2000.

From what I saw any current critic’s reviews in the recent times are only updates on a previously written review and there is nothing really new to speak of.

There has been an increasing awareness on the planet as we undergo the spiritual awakening and consequent ascension on and in our universe today, which has been slowly increasing since just before the year 2000. It seems that as more and more people are becoming enlightened and our consciousness is rising to heightened levels.

Before only the select few would agree with the whole Reverse Speech phenomena, others found it interesting, intriguing and even fascinating but now it does seem that the time is even more right and a larger group of people would be more accepting of it. Bit like the world wasn’t ready to process it before but now it is.

The increase in spirituality and the awareness of the whole Mind, Body, Spirit concept is a more natural and accepted topic today. Many want to undertake a journey of self-discovery and really feel the need to uncover their “true self”. The alternative health industry and alternative healing modalities have been on the increase for many years now and many aspects of Reverse Speech are already part of their healing philosophy not only for themselves but for their clients as well.

Below is an excellent testimonial that encompasses all the amazing results that can be had by Reverse Speech on a mind, body and spirit. There is also a large number of testimonials on the Reverse Speech website that really validate and give supportive evidence of its authenticity.

KATI MEISSNER TESTIMONIAL

I decided to do session work because – being a student of Reverse Speech – I thought I needed the experience. I wanted to improve my memory and get rid of my fear of speaking in public, my fear of being in the spotlight. Shortly after my first trance I felt major shifts taking place. My memory improved considerably and amazed friends pointed out to me that I say whatever and whenever I wanted to. It felt so natural to me, that I haven’t even noticed the difference! I soon found out, though, that those points were only the tip of the “iceberg of change”. Here are a few more points that changed along with my initial intent:
I am much more grounded. I take full responsibility for my life and all my actions. I am centred, focused, goal oriented. I can see my life’s purpose clearly and know which actions to take to fulfill it.
I have claimed my power – of which I was afraid of for so long! That means I can be who I truly am. Thus I am not afraid anymore to open my heart completely. I am over-pouring with love and compassion. I connected with the Goddess inside of me. I am more in touch with and more aware of my femininity.
My psychic abilities have increased to that extend that I have to really be careful of what I think because it does come true!
My intuition increased immensely. I not only know what to do but also have the unshakable confidence to follow up on it. I am more in touch with my soul, with the “higher reality”. It is like surfing on a ” higher wave of consciousness”, everything is clearer, I know what I want and what I don’t want. This is even true for my physical body that became more sensitive. And I became more sensitive to its needs. My eating habits have improved and to my great surprise I realized that instead of frozen yogurt I now crave carrot juice…
I am more energetic, more creative, I am more self-secure, more joyful, more peaceful, life has brighter colours.
To sum it up I could say that I cut off the chains that kept me from being who I truly am. And best of all, I didn’t have to do anything! It happened “overnight”, so to say. Friends noticed my change first. “You look so different! You are so radiant, you look so happy, your eyes, how they sparkle!” For me it is such a natural state, that I hardly remember how I felt before the session work. And to be frank, I don’t have the slightest desire to recall my existence before Life began!

 

In conclusion

Don’t judge and jump to a “sceptics” conclusion out of fear or lack of knowledge.

Be your own person and truly undertake a journey through this profound and exciting world of Reverse Speech. It deserves to be looked at in its entirety and not just on a quick visit to the website and listening to a few audio examples.

Give it a go and experience it for yourself. I say don’t knock it until you have tried it.

If anything find out why you are fearful, what is the experience or live event that is hidden deep in your unconscious mind that invokes fear.

Breaking free of the old typical belief patterns and behaviours that are controlled by the unconscious mind is a gift everyone deserves to give to themselves.

I am sure the one thing we can all agree on is the wish
to live a happy, healthy, abundant life full of love, peace and balance.

 

This can be achieved through Reverse Speech.
Trust the process and have faith!!!

 

 

June 2016 Reversal Updates

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Well, the presidential election is heating up and shaking the monkeys out of their trees, coming down to just a few candidates left. To start with there have been about 100 new reversals added to the US 2016 Election page mostly on Hillary and Trump. Look for the reversals added on May 20th and again on June 3rd. Then we have some great reversals on Paul Ryan, current speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Next we have some reversals on Newt Gingrich, talking about maybe becoming the Vice President running mate. Also, we received some reversals on Sean Hannity interviewing Newt Gringrich. Then one last interesting collection of reversals is an analysis of a person talking about being followed by and a victim of the Men In Black. If you are interested, two new Student Essays have been added, both by Debbie Fitzgerald, and provide an interesting view into Reverse Speech for your reading.