A Personal Interview

with Dr. med. Ursula Hanke & Dr. phil. Gary Bruno Schmid

Developers and CEOs of Swiss NeuroChocolate and Founders of Swiss NeuroCreations GmbH.

an interview by Melanie Sommer am 23 März 2020

Dr. med. Ursula Hanke

is a specialist in anesthesia with particular interest in pediatric anesthesia. She works as a pediatrician to 50% in the Children’s Hospital Zurich and to 50% in the City Hospital Triemli. Like Gary, she is an expert in medical hypnosis and is a Hypnotherapist SMSH.

Dr. phil. Gary Bruno Schmid

is an internationally respected consciousness researcher, quantum physicist, trainer and supervisor for the Swiss Medical Society of Hypnosis SMSH and author of medical text books in the fields of psychogenic death and psychogenic healing. His latest book is Strengthening Self-Healing: How you can optimize your Health through Imagination (German title: Selbstheilung stärken: Wie Sie durch Vorstellungskraft Ihre Gesundheit optimieren) (2018 SPRINGER-Verlag).

· https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783662576731
· https://marquistopscientists.com/20…/…/19/gary-bruno-schmid/
· https://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release-servi…/465553
· www.mind-body.info

How and when was the idea of the Swiss NeuroPraline born?

Gary: In the course of my research on the psychological influence on healing processes, I came to the conclusion that the psyche noticeably strengthens the effect of conventional medicine as well as that of herbal, homeopathic and other complementary medicine remedies through the mechanism of the placebo effect:

“Every healing is a self-healing with the imagination as remedy!“

Schmid, G. B. (2010). Selbstheilung durch Vorstellungskraft. Wien, Springer-Verlag.

Ursula: In my work as an anesthetist, I have noticed that patients wake up more satisfied and feel more comfortable if they think of something beautiful when they fall asleep.

For example, the intense thought of a favorite food seems to have a positive effect on the appetite of patients after anesthesia. Patients are generally more relaxed when they are accompanied through the perioperative phase with positive words.

Gary: So it came about that we two Swiss chocolate connoisseurs asked ourselves how the well-known positive effects of chocolate, herbal ingredients and good thoughts of the connoisseur could be combined to make their supporting effects accessible to a wider audience. This was the birth of our NeuroPralines!

What is a functional Chocolate?

Gary: A «Functional Food» is a foodstuff containing an active ingredient that offers health benefits beyond the basic diet. Chocolate has been consumed as a confectionery, aphrodisiac and folk medicine for many years, long before science proved its potential health benefits.

Rogovska, V. and M. Čukanová (2015). “Chocolate as a functional food.” Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281648114_Chocolate_as_a_functional_food.

The healing power of certain herbal ingredients – including cocoa beans – has a tradition going back thousands of years.

Ursula: The concept of functional food was born in Japan. In the 1980s, Japanese health authorities recognized that as life expectancy increases, the growing number of older people must be provided with better health and quality of life if medical costs are to be reduced.

The concept of food specifically designed to promote health or reduce the risk of disease was accordingly introduced. Functional foods found their way from Japan to the United States and from there to Europe. Even today, many scientists are working on this topic – e.g. on the mood-lifting effect of chocolate.

Jackson, S. E., et al. (2019) “Is there a relationship between chocolate consumption and symptoms of depression? A cross-sectional survey of 13,626 US adults.” Depression and Anxiety S. 1-9.

With Swiss NeuroChocolate® carefully selected herbs and Bach flower essences interact with the inherent healing power of chocolate (57% cocoa beans) to create a functional chocolate.

Gary: The imagination of the connoisseur is able to intensify the pleasantly harmonising placebo effects of each delicious praline on body, mind and soul.

This tasty composition of a functional food: chocolate with herbs, Bach flower essences and the healing effects of your imagination transforms a simple dark chocolate into a miraculous “functional chocolate“!

NeuroChocoLogical!

The current situation with the corona virus is very challenging and you are both working in the healthcare sector. What do you recommend to your patients? How do you deal with it yourself?

Ursula: Avoid illness by following the Federal Health Authority’s instructions, strengthening the immune system and applying conventional medical measures! Confidence, trust and courage are now required!

Gary: Important is the basic trust in our innate self-healing powers in the sense of “Every healing is always ultimately a self-healing with the imagination as remedy!“.

In the spirit of our NeuroPralines you could say: “Have courage! Fortunately, together with our beloved ones, we can master all our challenges and enjoy sweet dreams!”

Where do you get the strength and courage for your personal happiness?

Gary: By opening my soul like a chalice to the love of my fellow human beings.

Ursula: From hikes, experiences in nature, from my garden and – most importantly – through meetings and cultivating friendships. Friendship is art, culture, lifestyle and the real source of our strength. Antoine de Saint Exupéry said that man is nothing but a bundle of relationships. Relationships alone count for man, a web of bonds that makes one become and unfold.

Many thanks for the interview!