by David L. Thomas, Ph.D. e-mail: dtec@cox.net
This book was written in 1978. It served as my dissertation and came out of my experience with Thomas Budzynski and Johann Stoyva in their Biofeedback laboratory at the University of Colorado Medical Center (this is especially true of Chapters I & II) and out of my work with L. Keith Miller of the Human Development Department at the University of Kansas (Chapters III - IV). Though there is much in the way of tone and style that I would change now, I continue to believe that with respect to the issues of stress and anxiety, it points the reader in the right direction.
The purpose of the book is twofold: first, to teach "profound relaxation," a useful skill and for most people, an easy one to learn; and second, to discuss "differential relaxation" and the larger issues implicit in stress management. Merely practicing profound relaxation once or twice a day will take you only so far. It is part, but only part, of an overall strategy for managing the stress of everyday life; indeed, for turning the stress of everyday life to your advantage.
The book is accompanied by a relaxation training tape, the script for which I have included. What is not included are the study guides, exercises and progress checks that accompany each chapter. Only the text for each chapter plus relaxation script (so you can make your own tape) are provided and that, I believe, will get you started.
My hope is that this program can be of use to those who happen across it. Certainly, it compliments the Ethics of Choice work and, in more extended considerations of that work (retreats, for example, or expanded workshops), profound relaxation is (or can be) woven into the experience.
To get started, I suggest you make your own tape (or have someone make it for you) and that you then begin reading the chapters. Occasionally, you will come across references to exercises--and to topics covered in exercises--that are not included here. Hopefully, there is enough continuity in the text to permit you to continue.