The AquaThought Foundation Briefing -

Dolphin Research

I. Introduction

The emerging field of psychoneuroimmunology focuses on the relationship between the central nervous system and immunity. Stress, proved to be a major culprit in the etiology of disease states, is the target of psychoneuroimmunology research. Biofeedback, guided visualization, and meditation have become common tools used to battle stress. The exploration of other methods of stress reduction, by specialists in alternative cancer treatment, has lead the way to current dolphin-human interaction research.

Organizations such as Living from The Heart, based in Morrison, Colorado, and The Dolphin Child Project, based in Miami, Florida have shed much light on the medical and therapeutic applications of dolphin interaction. These organizations regularly report direct improvements to the well-being of their patients as a result of participation in their interaction programs. Missing from this research, however, is the underlying how and why of dolphin interaction. The study of the complex neurological stimulation provided by close interaction with dolphins is the primary research focus of AquaThought (all other research activities are ancillary). A true phenomena is being uncovered in this ongoing exploration, with human wellness as a beneficiary.

II. Goals

To quantify the phenomenological effect of dolphin interaction on humans.

To understand why and how dolphins cause such changes in humans.

To construct a methodology of electronically reproducing the dolphin effect for widespread distribution. (see Neurological Wellness chapter)

III. Approach

AquaThought is currently conducting an expansive effort to collect electroencephalographic data from a diverse group of subjects. Methods of data collection and analysis must be invented, where none exist. Specialists in many disciplines of neuroscience are required for consultation and collaboration.

Much of the electroencephalographic testing takes place at three of the four dolphin swim facilities licensed to operate in the United States and at Dolphin Discovery, in Mexico. Although the process involved in conducting the electroencephalographic testing varies, the following general procedure is followed:

	Collect baseline data - This takes place at the swim facility, prior to any interaction.
	Place subject in direct contact with dolphins - This involves diving, touching, free swimming, and playing.
	Collect post-interaction data - This also takes place at the swim facility, immediately following interaction.

IV. Results

While the analysis of the data obtained so far is not complete, several trends are emerging. The subject's dominate brain frequency drops significantly after the dolphin interaction. Also observable is a period of hemispheric synchronization (the brainwaves emitted from both the left and right hemispheres of the brain are in phase and of similar frequency) which is an uncommon neurological state. The statistics that follow are representative of both healthy and ill subjects with no segregation of sex, age, or physical condition.

The following chart contrasts the baseline measurement (samples 1-11) against the post-interaction measurement (samples 12-23) for one subject:

The following spectral density charts reveal a reduction in post- interaction beta activity as compared to the baseline measurement:

The MindSet neuromaps below demonstrate hemispheric syncrhonization and theta-band domininace in the post-interaction data. The baseline data is indicative of normal beta activity and mild hemispheric disparity.

Baseline Sample	Post- Interaction Sample

V. Interpretation

In order to understand the early results of this research, it is necessary to look at how this neurological data might correlate with reported wellness benefits. The induced alpha brain state, as psychoneuroimmunology dictates, may be responsible for strengthening the human immune system. This serves as the current operating hypothesis for alternative cancer treatment successes. But the question of how dolphin interaction can have such a profound effect on the wellness of human subjects is not answered in such simple terms. Many reported instances of human benefit do not fit neatly into the psychoneuroimmunology hypothesis. Further study of the neurological data may expose an entirely new process at work. With the addition of neuromapped EEG data, it is now possible to localize specific anatomic structures which are affected by dolphin contact. This anatomic localization provides an entirely new dimension in AquaThought's research.

Studies, performed by the Florida Back Institute, detail the endocrinology of human-dolphin contact. It is becoming evident, through studies such as these, that the neurotransmitter production/uptake cycle may be dramatically affected by dolphin contact. It is not a great extrapolation to consider the entire endocrine system to be affected. This may well be a result of sono-chemical changes that occur at cellular boundaries in living tissue. Sono-chemistry, a direct result of the dolphin's echolocation output, may explain both the chemical and electrical changes that have been observed in the brain.

VI.Future Direction

Refinements of equipment and analysis technique are a continuous effort. A water elimination test will accompany every subject data set, allowing for the removal of any water-related neurological effect. Sensory Isolation studies, performed using Cyberfin (see Immersive Media chapter) in a tele-present interaction mode, will help isolate the human sensory modalities which are recruited in the healing phenomena. The scope of the research is being expanded to include pattern analysis and recognition of biological signals emitted by both subject and dolphin. Additional medical factors will be recorded in future tests to expand the information available for analysis.

 

At the International Symposium on Dolphin Healing, co-hosted by the AquaThought Foundation, those who are involved in research, methodology development, and facilitation of therapy in human dolphin interaction are provided a venue for shared research, cooperative development, ongoing communication, and fundamental organization of the field. This ongoing effort is paramount to future development in AquaThought's research.

Please see the "What's New" page of the AquaThought Foundation Web site for our latest dolphin interaction research.

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