THERAPEUTIC AUDIO PROGRAMS
I’m Tom Jackson, MD, and I have been a practicing psychiatrist for over 40 years. My first involvement with audio recording began in 1978 with popular music production. Through this process, I developed a love for audio recording and engineering. There followed a 25-year exploration of therapeutic uses of sound incorporating many beneficial techniques.
My work with sound led to the discovery of an innovative recording technology, 3-D Living Sound, which I have used to produce my therapeutic audio programs. (See program descriptions for more details.) This technology creates a multi-dimensional listening experience in which the listener hears sounds emanating from all around.
My initial programs focused on the treatment of adult insomnia and anxiety. The success of these programs resulted in funding for research totaling nearly 2 million dollars, provided by entities such as the National Institute of Health and the Department of Defense. (Summaries of research are provided below.)
Subsequently, I developed children’s programs for treating sleep disorders and anxiety. The reports I received from the parents of these children inspired my writing of the book DreamChild Adventures in Relaxation and Sleep (available for free on this website). The preface to the book was written by Dr. Ralph Downey III who is the founder and director of the adult and children’s sleep labs at Loma Linda University’s Sleep Disorders Center.
My career as a psychiatrist has been broad, covering a wide range of experience, including emergency room psychiatry, inpatient hospital work, staff psychiatrist in mental health clinics, medical director of a day treatment program, medical director of a substance abuse program, instructor in charge of clinical psychiatric training for resident physicians, and private practice for over 20 years.
My private practice is located in La Quinta, California, but I serve patients throughout the state, with the majority using tele-services over a computer, from the convenience of home.
These programs are being offered for free.
3-D Living Sound™ Programs
The following programs can be streamed by clicking on any of these active links:
3-Dimensional Living Sound™ Demonstration: https://on.soundcloud.com/wMLg...
Natural Sleep—Male Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/pwi5r
Natural Sleep—Female Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/6JWE...
Natural Relaxation I—Male Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/AMZi...
Natural Relaxation I—Female Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/dhbXb
Natural Relaxation II—Male Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/6phV2
Natural Relaxation II—Female Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/dEd9y
Country Friends—Male Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/mc2FS
Magic Carpet—Male Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/s5vpH
Playhouse on the Beach—Male Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/HfHTs
Playhouse on the Beach—Female Voice: https://on.soundcloud.com/KRkT5
Nature Walk: https://on.soundcloud.com/7S1vd
Nature Odyssey: https://on.soundcloud.com/wRUiz
Stream Walk: https://on.soundcloud.com/TtKsg
Rain and Thunder: https://on.soundcloud.com/phFkp
Ocean: https://on.soundcloud.com/3ohFW
Reflections on the California Coast: https://youtu.be/S_Bga1EczgI
Program Descriptions
3-Dimensional Living Sound™ Demonstration
(16 minutes)
All the recordings in this series employ 3-D Living Sound™, a remarkable breakthrough in audio technology. This demonstration program offers an astounding multi-dimensional listening experience in which sound seems to come from every direction—near and far, above, below, on all sides, and ever in motion—an effect more lifelike than anything heard in a conventional audio recording.
The amazing realism of this sound technology will open the doors of your imagination in ways you never thought possible, and you will quickly come to appreciate one of the essential reasons this series of therapeutic programs is so enjoyable and effective.
Rather than offer great technical detail describing how 3-D Living Sound surpasses ordinary stereo or surround sound, I urge you to listen to a brief sample. I believe you’ll truly find it worth a thousand words. The only requirements are to listen with headphones or earbuds and not listen to this or any of the 3-D Living Sound series programs while driving or operating heavy machinery.
So, sit back in a comfortable chair, click on the 3-D Living Sound Demonstration, allow your eyes to close, and prepare for your journey into the amazing world of 3-D Living Sound.
Natural Sleep
(43 minutes)
This state-of-the-art sleep-enhancement program for adults has been clinically proven through many years of use by doctors, hospitals, and sleep experts. Employing a number of advanced psychological and therapeutic techniques, this audio recording can help anyone fall asleep gently and easily, no matter what an individual’s sleep problem may be.
Because Natural Sleep is recorded in 3-D Living Sound™, the sounds of nature will seem to come from all around you.
As you settle comfortably down, headphones or earbuds in place, this program will transport you to an enchanting tropical island where you will find yourself surrounded by the restful sounds of birdsongs, a light breeze, and the distant surf. A soothing voice will bring you to a deep state of relaxation and then guide you along an imaginary pathway to a beautiful, secluded beach where you will be lulled to sleep by the gentle murmur of waves.
This program has proven to help listeners achieve deep, refreshing sleep, resulting in increased vitality and mental alertness, as well as greater happiness and overall enjoyment of both sleeping and waking life.
Natural Relaxation I
(31 minutes)
This adult program has consistently proven an effective treatment for stress and anxiety. The noise, demands, and rapid pace of our urban world often deprive us of the peace we desire and deserve. We may experience muscle tension, fatigue, or poor concentration to the degree of difficulty unwinding and falling asleep at night.
If you suffer from any of these problems or would like to enjoy a deeper sense of inner tranquility and harmony, this program may help. In four separate clinical studies, users of Relaxation I have reported an average reduction in daily anxiety of 52% and a one-third decrease in baseline anxiety over several weeks.
The program begins on a tropical island, high on a hill, with the far-off rolling surf below. Surrounded by the restful sounds of nature, you listen as a gentle voice guides you through muscle relaxation and breathing techniques. Then you embark on a leisurely walk along a winding pathway down toward the beach. Nature comes to life through the gentle sound of wind in the trees, textures of flowing water beside you, and birds serenading you along the way.
The path emerges on an enchanted beach where you find a comfortable place to sit and listen to the gentle waves. Here you bask in feelings of relaxation and allow positive suggestions to wash through you.
Next, you are given the opportunity to imagine a situation that usually causes you to feel anxious but guided instead to see yourself handling it in a relaxed manner. This helps to reprogram subconscious patterns and expectations to better deal with similar situations in the future.
Finally, you walk along the beach, feeling more energetic and alert with each step as you return to full waking consciousness, feeling relaxed and refreshed, the cares of the day melted away.
Natural Relaxation II
(27 minutes)
This program is designed for adults but is more whimsical and entertaining than Relaxation I and may be especially helpful for people who have difficulty concentrating. Relaxation II begins with engaging 3-D sound effects—such as those encountered in a walk around the zoo and a county fair—to draw the listener into the experience.
Gradually, more relaxing elements are introduced, beginning with an inviting cabin in the woods—fire in the fireplace, rain on the roof, and a few distant claps of thunder. You luxuriate for a while in a warm, soothing bath, and then, after the rain subsides, go outdoors to enjoy a walk through a pleasant natural environment that seems alive all around you with amazing realism. Once you complete your relaxing journey, therapeutic suggestions help you return feeling fully refreshed and relaxed.
This program, like Relaxation I, can be of special benefit to anyone who experiences anxiety or muscle tension, fatigue, or irritability or finds it difficult to unwind and fall asleep at night. But really, anyone who would like to take a 30-minute “imagination vacation” from the hustle and bustle of daily life is more than welcome to come along.
Country Friends
(32 minutes)
Country Friends engages the imagination of even restless children using 3-D Living Sound™. This program offers unique benefits to children struggling with nervousness, worry, sadness, fear, insecurity, anger, pain, bedtime resistance, or sleep problems. The program can be used any time of day to induce a deep sense of relaxation and can also be used as a wind-down before bedtime. This children's relaxation program can also be used with my children’s sleep programs, Magic Carpet, and Playhouse on the Beach.
The narrator of Country Friends begins the story with a car trip to the countryside. After suggesting that your child close his eyes, the narrator guides him through a series of daydreams, with the imagination stirred by a medley of sounds: bike riding, skating, swings, slides, horses, cars, airplanes, a train, a circus, and so on. With your child’s attention thus drawn inward, the program enters the relaxation phase as we begin walking down an imaginary pathway through an enchanted forest.
Soon, we come upon a meadow with a farmhouse where we stop for directions to the river that will lead us down to the ocean, and we are treated to some country hospitality by a bluegrass group named Harmony Grits. They play a traditional country tune and then three of their original songs, sending us on our way to the soothing sounds of “Down by the River.” After a short walk, we sit beside the river and relax to the sounds of the water, wind, and birds.
Continuing our walk down the pathway, we discover a pond where we watch images appear in its mirror-like reflection and contemplate poetic words of inspiration and comfort. We then walk further along the path, which emerges on a magical beach where your child enjoys time for the imaginary play of his choice. The story concludes with the suggestion that, as he returns home, the child takes with him some of the wonderful feelings he has experienced throughout the program.
Even adults have found this program enjoyable and often quite useful for achieving deep states of relaxation.
Magic Carpet
(33 minutes)
Does your child dislike going to bed? Does she experience disturbing dreams or feel too restless to fall asleep easily? This state-of-the-art, clinically tested program offers a unique solution to these problems.
Magic Carpet provides an enjoyable bedtime activity that helps your child drift gently to sleep. The program engages the imagination of even restless children through the use of 3-D Living Sound™. This technology is best appreciated when listening with headphones or earbuds, which can be removed once your child has drifted off to sleep. If this is not practical, you can also have your child enjoy the recording via small speakers on either side of the bed. You may enjoy listening to this program yourself, and adults have even found it useful for inducing sleep.
Magic Carpet begins with calming music, after which the narrator tells a story as a poem. Your child is taken on a magic carpet ride through various scenes, her imagination stirred by a medley of sounds: cars and airplanes, a train, a carnival fun zone, and so on. With your child’s attention thus drawn inward, the program becomes more relaxing as it invites her down a pathway through an enchanted forest. Various elements of nature come to life, accompanied by caring and comforting words. The pathway emerges on a magical beach where your child will build sandcastles and watch seagulls fly overhead. The suggestions for relaxation and sleepiness continue as your child is led to discover a playhouse containing a special bed where she may drift to sleep as the background of gently rolling waves gradually fades away.
Playhouse on the Beach
(30 minutes)
Playhouse on the Beach is a sequel to Magic Carpet, which I generally recommend for initial use. But if your child has a calmer disposition and doesn’t require the livelier format of Magic Carpet to hold his attention, Playhouse on the Beach will certainly be appropriate. Like Magic Carpet, this program is designed for children aged 5 to 10, offering an enjoyable bedtime activity that helps them easily fall asleep.
Like all programs in this series, Playhouse on the Beach uses 3-D Living Sound™ and is designed for listening with headphones or earbuds, which can be removed once your child has drifted off to sleep. If this is not practical, you can also have your child enjoy the recording via small speakers on either side of the bed.
Playhouse on the Beach takes place on a magical beach amidst the call of seabirds and the pleasant roll of the ocean. The narrator guides your child to play along the water’s edge, where he is invited to float over the surf on a raft and observe the fish below, ride upon the waves, gather seashells, and play in the sand. The program becomes gradually more restful, offering subtle suggestions for sleep. After a time, the child discovers a playhouse containing a chest of toys and a welcoming bed. Your child is then drawn into sleep by the slowly fading sound of waves.
Nature Walk
(45 minutes)
Nature Walk offers a symphony of beautiful nature sounds, creating an atmosphere of serenity in which the day’s cares and concerns seem to melt away.
Nature Walk begins high on a hill of an enchanting tropical island overlooking a sandy beach. Pleasant birdsongs and the call of the distant surf set the scene. You will feel like you are taking a leisurely stroll down a winding path through the rainforest, serenaded by the breeze and melodious textures of flowing water. In time you will emerge upon an open expanse of shoreline, where you can rest on a pristine beach and drift into an ever-deeper state of relaxation to the tranquil sounds of gently rolling waves.
Nature Walk provides the nature sounds from the Sleep and Relaxation I programs without the guiding voice. It can be of particular benefit if combined with the relaxation or sleep-inducing techniques explored in these other programs.
Nature Odyssey
(45 minutes)
Nature Odyssey offers a full range of beautiful nature sounds, creating an atmosphere of relaxation and serenity. This program begins in a cozy cabin where you are seated beside a crackling fire. Outside, the sounds of wind and light rain announce the start of a thunderstorm which, upon passing, leaves you feeling refreshed and ready to begin your walk through an enchanted rainforest. You will stroll along a pathway that winds under a canopy of rustling leaves, passing by the pleasant songs of birds nestled in the trees. Further along, you will meander alongside a lilting stream, finally emerging on an expanse of open beach where you can relax and drift away to the sounds of gently rolling waves.
Nature Odyssey is useful anytime you wish to create a serene atmosphere; you’ll find it beneficial when combined with the relaxation or sleep-inducing techniques you can learn from my other programs.
Stream Walk
(45 minutes)
Stream Walk takes a relaxing stroll along an enchanted stream, immersing you in subtle textures of flowing water accompanied by bird songs and rustling wind in the trees overhead. As with the previously described Nature Odyssey program, Stream Walk is useful anytime you wish to create a serene atmosphere to relax or sleep.
Rain and Thunder
(45 minutes)
Rain and Thunder is one of my personal favorites. I've loved thunderstorms since I was a small child, sitting indoors by a warm fire with a mug of cocoa, listening to the patter of rain on the roof and the deep, rumbling roll of thunder in the distance.
I recorded the storm you'll hear in Pecos, New Mexico, and later wove in subtle textures of wind and rain in a 24-track production.
Sit back comfortably with your eyes closed as the storm begins with gentle rain and wind. The thunder enters at first as only a distant rumble, building quite gradually, with no sudden jolting claps. The storm grows to a crescendo midway and then slowly subsides, returning to the gentle sounds of rain, wind, and a few calling birds. As the program ends, as with the others in the series, you are left feeling deeply relaxed and refreshed.
Many people have found this program to be particularly beneficial for falling asleep.
Ocean
(45 minutes)
Ocean takes place on an expanse of open beach where the distant sound of sea birds and the gentle wash of ocean waves invites you to sit and relax and let the cares of the day wash away. The program will transport you to the tropical beach where I recorded it, creating the feeling that you are actually there in that lush, colorful, and above all, tranquil natural setting.
Many people have very positive associations with the sound of waves. Ocean can be of particular benefit to people who learn the techniques provided in my relaxation or sleep programs and wish to self-apply them using the background sound of waves, which many people find to be the most relaxing of all nature sounds.
Although this program can be used at any time, it is ideal when trying to fall asleep in a noisy environment, as the soothing murmur of waves masks any disturbing sounds that might interfere with sleep.
Reflections on the California Coast (DVD)
(40 minutes)
This program is unique because it is a video with a soundtrack of 3-D Living Sound™. This 40-minute journey encompasses beautiful sights and sounds from Santa Barbara to Monterrey Bay. You will find yourself drawn into nature in a manner you have never experienced before without being there.
On this DVD, you will experience over one hundred of California's uniquely spectacular coastal vistas, including ocean views, forests, meadows, streams, wildlife, and spring flowers. And this gorgeous canvas is brought to life through the magic of 3-D Living Sound.
This DVD is best experienced if you comfortably lie on a couch or bed and position your computer screen as close to your eyes as possible (preferably within two feet). Or, if you view it on television (with a headphone option), sit close enough to fill your visual field. With this program, headphones should be worn with the right and left speakers over the appropriate ears so that the sound direction has the proper spatial orientation. As you relax into this experience, the boundary between you and these scenes will blur into a sense of virtual reality. Relaxation will wash over you as you effortlessly escape from the cares and worries of everyday life—a virtual vacation available to you at any time.
DR. JACKSON'S BOOK
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