Transcending Emotional Distress

An Evolutionary Leap in Human Consciousness 

Written by Steven Crain, PhD

For three decades, my father, Dr. Stanley M Crain, Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, conducted laboratory research that has changed our fundamental understanding of how pain receptors function. During the last decade, his research has focused on the relationship between endorphins, our body’s natural pain and distress relievers, and these receptors. By combining his understanding of endorphin neurophysiology with my clinical expertise as a psychotherapist with more than three decades of experience with the treatment of anxiety, depression, and addiction, we have discovered all natural, non-addictive, nutraceutical formulations, which help alleviate dysfunctional patterns of emotional and physical distress. This spring, we met with Dr. Deepak Chopra to discuss these scientific discoveries and to explore how to translate them into products that help alleviate chronic anxiety, depression, addiction, and pain.
 

The Age of Distress

There is an epidemic of maladaptive fears and worries, obsessions and compulsions, cravings and addictions, despair and depression, frustrations and anger, aches and pains. Many of us, at times, experience a sense that “something is wrong” with our life, physically and emotionally, which often leads to dysfunctional “solutions” including alcohol, drugs, and food as well as other behavioral addictions, emotional outbursts, loathing of self and others, and conflictual relationships. Anxiety, depression, addiction and pain drugs, such as Xanax, Prozac, Suboxone and Vicodin, have limited benefits and are often addictive with serious side effects. While many have turned to healthier life styles in search for calm and well being, including yoga and meditation, nutrition and exercise, and psychotherapy, these approaches have often been insufficient to truly resolve emotional and physical distress.

Many factors contribute to this protracted emotional and physical distress. A “fight-flight” instinct has been genetically wired into our brains for survival in a primitive world. This instinct was, in fact, evolutionarily adaptive during hundreds of thousands of years, and has, understandably, created a deep-seated tendency to anticipate and respond defensively to perceived danger. Unfortunately, this self-protective primitive hypervigilance often sacrifices the calm, well-being, and pleasure that would be more adaptive in the relatively safe world that we have been able to create. Today, we are in need of a method to regulate this primitive neurophysiologic coping reflex in order to truly transcend the dysfunctional emotional and physical distress that it continues to produce. Without an ability to evolve beyond our genetic heritage, we end up in emotional turmoil, often perceiving danger in others, leading to dysfunctional interpersonal and even international conflict.

At the same time, civilization has brought with it a wide variety of stresses that contribute to our emotional and physical distress. Ironically, as we have sought to take evolution into our own hands, we have produced many unintended negative consequences along the way. While certain chemicals, drugs, and processed foods that we have developed have their benefits, many of them have led to serious imbalances in our bodily functions, including the stress and pain centers of the brain. These imbalances have been exacerbated by myriad modern-day stresses, making it increasingly challenging for many of us to find peace of mind and heart, and good will among men and women.

The Endorphin Solution

Until our discoveries, however, there has not been a clear understanding of the neurophysiologic mechanisms underlying these genetic, learned, and stress-induced emotional distress signals, or an effective means of regulating them. During our meeting with Deepak, my father explained that his scientific studies have revealed that endorphin receptors can trigger either inhibitory signaling, producing relief from distress and pain, or excitatory signaling, alerting us to danger by increasing distress and pain. Unfortunately, the combination of our genetic heritage and the stresses of modern civilization have conspired to create protracted excitatory signaling as well as depleted endorphins, which together contribute to the mass epidemic of emotional and physical distress, including chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and addiction.

In 1973 Dr. Eric Simon discovered opioid receptors and subsequently coined the term endorphins (“endogenous morphine”) for the chemicals the body produces that bind to the opioid receptors to regulate pain. (Dr. Simon, my father’s close friend and colleague, sits on our Scientific Advisory Board.) Ever since that discovery, the world has been in search of a way to unleash the power of endorphins. Through years of research our team has developed safe and natural methods to enhance endorphins while simultaneously balancing their receptors, switching from protracted excitatory (pain enhancing) to inhibitory (pain soothing) signaling. Initially, our focus was on regulating endorphins in order to naturally produce pain relief. In our laboratory, we demonstrated that scientifically formulated combinations of specific natural plant extracts, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals dramatically increased the ability of healthy volunteer subjects to keep their hands in ice-cold water. Unexpectedly, the most dramatic effect of these endorphin-balancing formulations was that these subjects were significantly less emotionally distressed by the experience of ice-water pain. We realized that we had finally discovered how to unleash the power of endorphins.

We brainstormed with Deepak about our scientific research and reflected on how our remarkably safe and natural method to regulate endorphins, which enhances our ability to transcend emotional and physical distress, can contribute to an evolutionary leap in human consciousness. By developing a biotechnology capable of naturally regulating our own primitive pain and distress brain centers, we are on the verge of a new age of consciousness in which our hearts can help bring peace on earth. Deepak encouraged us to continue our studies with clinical populations and discussed the idea of a book about our endorphin science.

The Power of Endorphins -- Clinical Research

At this point, we have given our nutraceutical formulations to over 300 individuals with chronic anxiety, depression, addiction, anger, and pain, demonstrating their remarkable safety and effectiveness. Our case studies have revealed the fascinating impact of balancing endorphins. The effects are often life changing, typically increasing gradually over time as healthy homeostasis is restored in the distress and pleasure centers throughout the entire body, from the brain to the gut. Most people experience an increased sense of calm, comfort, well-being, and inner peace, as well as improved energy, vitality, mental clarity, and attention, providing enhanced concentration and motivation on tasks at home, work, and school.

Greater control is experienced over worries, obsessions, frustrations, and cravings, allowing the person to make healthier choices regarding everything from their thoughts and behaviors to their consumption of food, drugs, and alcohol. By making healthier lifestyle choices, benefits are dramatically enhanced. Most uplifting are the numerous accounts from individuals, couples, and families who have finally found relief from long-standing emotional and physical distress and conflicts, which have not been helped by conventional treatment.

An interesting effect of these healthy formulations is that their benefits are so natural that people are often not immediately aware that they are involved in producing an enhanced state of mind and body. While the immediate effects are often subtle, the deeper benefits are often life changing. What is striking is the dramatic change that family, friends, colleagues, and teachers observe: an inner peace, loving spirit, and increased productivity. They, in turn, are often positively impacted by the kindhearted and loving energies emanating from individuals with balanced endorphin systems. In fact, most new requests for these novel formulations come from individuals who have experienced these benefits in others.

We have discovered a natural method to regulate endorphins, which allows us to experience the joie de vivre usually limited to moments of deep meditation, peak emotional experiences, or passionate sex. And for many with chronic emotional and physical distress, our formulations not only help them finally find relief but a way to experience the benefits of natural “endorphin highs” that have eluded them. As my father recently remarked, we have discovered the key to the neurochemical facilitation of Transcendental Meditation mediated by “transcendental endorphination.”

Endorphinate®

In order to make our revolutionary nutraceutical formulations available to the general public, we have formed a socially responsible company, Pondera Pharmaceuticals, which develops and distributes Endorphinate®, our first line of endorphin-balancing products. (Pondera means “balance” in Latin.) Our website (www.PonderaPharma.com) contains extensive information about our endorphin science, research, and products. While our current product, Endorphinate® targets emotional distress, Pondera will begin offering Endorphinate® PR, which focuses on physical pain relief, Endorphinate® ME, which enhances mood, and Endorphinate® PM, for restful sleep, this spring.

We are pleased that Deepak has been so supportive of our endorphin science and biotechnology. Moreover, we are delighted that his personal experience with Endorphinate® has been so positive that he has chosen to develop a partnership with Pondera and formally endorse our entire product line, which is now Deepak Chopra Endorphinate®. Deepak was so impressed by our discoveries that he has shared them with his close friend and colleague, Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, whose personal experience and testing of Endorphinate® has led him to formally endorse our products as well. 

We believe that the discovery of natural methods to unleash the power of endorphins, which allows us to transcend the emotional and physical distress generated by both primitive genetic instincts and modern-day stresses, creates the potential for an evolutionary leap in human consciousness. As more people share the Endorphinate experience, we believe that we can get closer and closer to bringing peace, joy, and love to our collective consciousness.

Steven Crain, PhD
Pondera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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