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Ivan Rupert, another veteran, was bothered for many years by a and telling her niece that she will always be with her. "It's memory of carnage in Vietnam. As a combat photographer, he absolutely amazing the level of healing that comes with it," says was called upon early one morning to take photos of a Vietnamese Parker. "There's a real mystery about it, but it seems very real to bus that had been blown up. "There were bodies and body parts all me and it seems real to my patients." over the place," he recalls, "but the one that really stuck in my Hania Stromberg, a therapist from Albuquerque, New Mexico, mind was that of a young pregnant woman. You could see the has conducted around 30 IADC sessions, and only three of these baby and umbilical cord connecting them." she would consider as failures. "They didn't really want to apply The scene came back to Rupert over and over again in his themselves," she explains. "I guess their fears got in the way, even dreams for many years until undergoing IADC therapy with though they made the initial decision to give it a try." Botkin. What especially bothered him was that at the time he was Stromberg laments the fact that many grieving people are not more intent on getting some good photos than feeling bad about availing themselves of this dynamic therapy. "There are many what he was witnessing. During the IADC, the Vietnamese people I know for whom it would be so appropriate, and I would woman communicated with him. "She told me she was in a much imagine they would jump at it, but they don't. Mainstream thought better place and helped me understand that I was not the monster I is just not really open to it. In general, people do not believe that thought I was. She said she didn't blame me for any of it." Rupert the dead are still around and have an impact on us. I have can't say for sure whether the woman spoke in Vietnamese or in attempted to interest some of my therapist friends, but I get only English. "It was sort of mind to mind, heart silence from them when I bring it up. The to heart," he explains, adding that he no scientific mind is very closed when it comes longer has awful dreams relating to that to this type of thing." scene. Stromberg apparently has clairvoyant and There is no doubt in Rupert's mind that he clairaudient abilities, and so she has been able was actually communicating with the to share in some of the experiences. In one Vietnamese woman. "I was very sceptical "Hypnosis induces the such shared experience, a client was grieving when it was initially explained to me,” he the death of her mother and felt much guilt says. "It sounded like a lot of mumbo- patient into a relaxed about not having fulfilled certain obligations. jumbo, hocus-pocus, but it was the real thing. and focused state of As she was administering the eye movement, I'm certain that I was not hallucinating and I . " . Stromberg felt a "presence" entering the room was not hypnotised. I wish the VA [Veterans mind, he explains. and then saw a woman in colourful dress and Administration] would get on board with this high heels. The woman, the client's deceased and offer it. It would give a lot of peace to many veterans." mother, addressed the client by a special name of endearment and began discussing problems the client was having. After the session, Stromberg compared her notes with what the client related and all the details matched: the colourful dress, the high heels, the special term of endearment, the subject of the conversation. Stromberg has never thought of herself as having any mediumistic gifts and had never been particularly interested in such things prior to these shared experiences. "I am very sensitive in that way, but I have always shied away from people who have such "EMDR, on the other hand, increases information processing in the brain." Testimony from other IADC therapists Since entering private practice, Botkin has been teaching the IADC technique to other therapists. One of them, Laura Winds, from Bellingham, Washington, says she has seen dramatic changes in _ patients undergoing IADC. "What's really affirming to me is the sense of peace they leave with," she offers. Recalling an IADC in which a client saw her deceased husband, who had committed suicide by shooting himself, she recounts the client's reaction: experiences," she says. "It never really appealed to me." "Weird! Weird! Jim is standing there, standing in the doorway." When there is very personal information coming through to the Jim went on to tell his widow that she should not grieve. client, Stromberg does not hear it. "I am not privy to that and I do Another patient, whose two-year-old son had been murdered by not pick up on it." Like Botkin, Stromberg takes a neutral position her boyfriend, saw her son during the IADC and was able to relative to what is happening, leaving it up to the client's overcome much of her grief. Prior to the [ADC session, the interpretation. woman was very sceptical about an afterlife, but she is now certain that there is one and that some day she will see her son again. IADCs are not hallucinations Winds estimates that she has used IADC therapy with 20 to 25 Botkin states that the EMDR/IADC process does not involve clients, and all but three have experienced full or partial healing. hypnosis. "Hypnosis induces the patient into a relaxed and "You can really feel the sense of love and peace that comes with focused state of mind," he explains. "EMDR, on the other hand, the healing," she says. increases information processing in the brain." He likens it to a Dr Kathy Parker, a therapist from Roselle, Illinois, estimates she movie projector, with the projector slowing down during hypnosis has used IADC therapy on 50 to 60 patients, with about an 80 per and speeding up during EMDR. cent success rate. One of the most dramatic sessions involved a He also discounts the claim that [ADCs are hallucinations. "The woman who had been a government official in an African country most compelling evidence is that all people who have had IADCs and had witnessed her aunt step on a land mine, with body parts Continued on page 78 flying in all directions. The aunt appeared in the IADC, smiling "Hypnosis induces the patient into a relaxed -a-4- -£ "EMDR, on the other hand, increases information processing in the brain." IADCs are not hallucinations Botkin states that the EMDR/IADC process does not involve hypnosis. "Hypnosis induces the patient into a relaxed and focused state of mind," he explains. "EMDR, on the other hand, increases information processing in the brain." He likens it to a movie projector, with the projector slowing down during hypnosis and speeding up during EMDR. He also discounts the claim that [ADCs are hallucinations. "The most compelling evidence is that all people who have had IADCs 44 = NEXUS ‘and focused state of mind,” he explains. Continued on page 78 www.nexusmagazi ne.com AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2006