The lateral effects of Dohsa-method relaxation on visual and auditory responses

The effects of relaxation training, using the Dohsa method, on visual and a uditory responses were examined. Twelve college students underwent relaxati on training either to the left shoulder, left side of the waist, and the le ft foot, or to the right side. The measures used in this study were weight- bearing, body perception and external perception, visual field, and visual and hearing acuity. Weight-bearing significantly increased for the foot und ergoing relaxation training, compared with the untreated foot, indicating t hat the subjects stood more firmly on the ground on the relaxed foot. Subje cts could also perceive positive changes in their "sense of standing firmly on the ground," "sense of activity in the body," "sense of muscular relaxa tion," and "sense of fullness in the abdomen" on the side of the body recei ving relaxation training. There were positive changes in external perceptio n such as "vividness of the external world," "breadth of the visual field," and "active impression of the external world" for subjects' vision on the side receiving relaxation training. Furthermore, visual and hearing acuity on the side on which relaxation training was administered improved signific antly.