Lifehut is a Hawaiian company based on the island of Maui. Our focus is to help people cope with the negative mental effects which often accompany the experience of a traumatic situation. Regardless of whether the stress is brought on as a result of a natural disaster, war, or by other means, our aim is to provide international aid organizations, mental health practitioners, corporations and the general public, with relaxing audio and video media for people in stressful situations. All of the media on our lifehut.com site is made available to members of the general public who may wish to experience these educational programs.
About Psybercology™
Psybercology™ is an integration of psychology and multimedia content streamed on the internet and also available via modern media delivery platforms (CD, DVD, mp3 etc.). It is created with the intent of delivering healing messages and suggestions directly to people worldwide.
Talk therapy is understood in the left temporal brain, then cognated in the frontal region above the eyes. Auditory and visual stimuli carry verbal information through the limbic region, planting suggestions in the distant receptive areas of the brain. This is the basis of the Psybercology™ approach to assist people to harness the power of their minds, for positive changes in their lives.
We have taken a cultural approach by employing ancient forms of healing utilized by our ancestors, and enhanced it with the power of modern psychology and the latest forms of communications. We believe that beautiful and entertaining music with ancient healing images amplifies the power of psychology, and makes it easily accessible to many people instantly.
Music is the vibrational expression of human culture. Personal healing sounds often relate to genetic memory and cultural themes. Every society has particular tones and rhythms linked with core elements of life: motivation, celebration, relaxation, and healing. Culturally relevant musical themes and crafted verbal delivery of targeted relaxation techniques help people make positive cognitive and emotional changes.
Psychotherapy and the power of media enable a direct remote relaxation experience. In situations dealing with traumatic effects on populations, a media based distribution system for rest and recovery will reach the maximum number of persons for relief of symptoms.
This emerging media technology has been under development for almost 20 years. It was first developed to assist the survivors of the Aloha Flight 243 air in 1988.
History of Psybercology™ and lifehut.com
Richard M. Sword, Ph. D., is a practicing psychologist on Maui. He is a graduate of the Saybrook Institute. His work in behavioral medicine has helped people to heal from traumatic events, accidents and physical injuries. He played a lead role in developing a model for Psychology in Disaster Stress Response, with the National Disaster Medical System and FEMA.
Following the Aloha Airlines Flight 243 disaster on Maui, a behavioral based Post Traumatic Stress Reduction Program that complimented large-scale disaster response was created. The success of this work prompted invitations to present this technology to the Japanese Red Cross and National Emergency Response Plan.
A series of guided imageries designed to reduce Post Traumatic Stress were created. The first of these focused on four thousand FEMA workers, during Hurricane Andrew. It was noted to have made a significant decrease in the overall stress levels.
Dr. Sword has been working with Vietnam Veterans for over twenty years. This experience led to the development of pre-recorded relaxation experiences as a means of treating combat related PTSD. The Veterans Administration recognizes him as a leading expert in combat related PTSD.
The traumatized person listened to soothing messages at bed time, promoting restorative sleep, enhancing their ability to recharge during their sleep. It has been reported that there is a correlation between listening to recorded relaxation experiences at bedtime, and better sleep, promoting an increased healing potential.
Dr. Sword’s unique program has been used in the Maui Memorial Medical Center. The Meyer Friedman Institute at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco found it helpful in modifying the Type A Behavior Patterns.
In response to the deployment of US troops to Afghanistan and Iraq, a broadband audiovisual experience was created for Hawaiian based U.S. Troops deployed overseas. It was dedicated to the brave men and women who serve our country. An audiovisual experience was also created for the families of Hawaiian based U.S. Troops deployed overseas. One was also produced with Aloha for those people whom had to cope with the absence of a loved one. Psybercology™ gave 600 DVDs away to the troops and their families at a 2004 Christmas party - and then posted them on lifehut.com’s web site.
Many troops and their families accessed the media over the Internet. The specifically tailored messages for the troops were crafted with the special assistance of the Vietnam Veterans of Maui. Combat veterans and their families were the inspiration for this work, and they helped guide its creation and development.
Writing - Richard M. Sword, Lisa Sanchez-Johnsen and Barry Spanier
Message content is a direct outgrowth of Dr Sword’s years of clinical practice and experience. Working closely with Lisa Sanchez-Johnsen Ph.D. and Barry Spanier, a successful designer, experienced in marketing and communications, they created the name and important core concepts of Psybercology™. They work together to create scripts with the meter and pace which is necessary to best project the messages.
Images and editing - Robert Masters
Another key component of the Psybercology™ program are the images presented to the viewer - and the editing which binds them together. To achieve the desired look, Dr. Sword has teamed with media producer and self described “ambient TV” cinematographer, Robert Masters. Dr. Sword loves how Robert’s approach to creating and editing natural images adds one more soothing layer to the lifehut.com meditation programs.
With a production and editing facility based in San Pedro California, Robert and his media development team is involved in the creation of video programs, news releases, documentaries and TV commercials for government agencies, Fortune 500 corporations and media directors from around the world. The facility boasts the latest technology for use in television, DVD and streaming media for on-line delivery. During the past year, the facility has been used to create materials for clients including the U.S. Army, Infiniti, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Aspen Ski Company, YogaFit and O'Neill.
Since the mid eighties, Robert Masters’ motion images has been used by clients such as Baywatch Productions, ABC Sports, National Geographic, Coors, Ferraro, TWI, ESPN and Eurosport. In addition to awards at U.S.A. Film Festivals, New York Film Festivals and several Worldfests, Robert has earned recognition from his peers in the form of one Emmy award for best editing and three additional Emmy nominations for best electronic cameraman of the year.
Music - Barry Flanagan
Since music is at the very core of the program, Dr. Sword sought out his good friend, well known Hawaiian musician and Hoku Award winner, Barry Flanagan. Together, they developed a sound that would blend perfectly with his concept. The resulting album, called “Instrumental Peace”, including work by Charles Ka'upu and R. Carlos Nakai, became a number one hit on the popular Hawaiian music charts.
Founder of the internationally acclaimed contemporary music troop HAPA, Barry Flanagan is an evolving musical visionary. He has received the prestigious “Haku Mele” award for excellence of song composition in the native Hawaiian language, for the love song “Lei Pikake”.
HAPA’s initial release swept all six categories nominated in the 1994 “Na Hoku Hanohano” Awards (Hawaiian Grammies). HAPA also received recognition when it’s new “Maui” CD was honored as Best Album of 2006 at the Na Hoku Hanohano Awards Ceremonys - (The Hawaiian equivalent of the Grammys).
Flanagan’s project, “Instrumental Peace” was the biggest selling instrumental by a Hawaiian artist in 2003. It featured two duet compositions with R. Carlos Nakai, the world’s leading performer of the Native American flute.
Dr. Sword helped direct this album to be a perfect vehicle for culturally based Psybercology™.
Flanagan has just finished composing songs for a new HAPA release, spending as much time as possible between touring, on the island of Maui, which “remains the heart of my songwriting inspiration.”
Well known Native American flautist, R. Carlos Nakai, also delivers passionate, inspired contributions and fully supports the use of healing sounds in CBT.
Chanter Charles Ka'upu offers his expertise in the Hawaiian Culture and language. His guidance maintains the cultural relevancy to our current project involving Native Hawaiian patients.
Consulting Psychologist - Lisa Sanchez-Johnsen Ph.D.
Dr. Sanchez-Johnsen’s research focuses on the development of culturally proficient cancer risk reduction assessments and interventions. She is the current recipient of National Institutes of Health - National Cancer Institute K01 Career Development Award.
She is widely recognized for her work developing and implementing programs to help Native Hawaiian and Latino smokers. Her publications and national presentations focus on how researchers, educators, and clinicians can develop culturally proficient interventions for under served and ethnic minority populations.
She is the Editor-in-Chief of the official publication of the National Latina/o Psychological Association, and an elected member of the Board of Directors for the Mid West Association of Latino Psychology.
© 2007 lifehut.com. No portion of this lifehut.com site may be duplicated or reproduced in any way, without the prior written consent of lifehut.
The educational experiences contained on this site are intended to be a compliment for counseling or support groups and not a substitute for professional mental health counseling. If you are experiencing significant depression or negative feelings, please contact your doctor or a mental health professional.
“Our focus is to help
people cope with the
negative mental effects
which often accompany
the experience of a
traumatic situation.”
Richard M Sword, Ph. D.