Reflex Biofeedback

The premise of conventional biofeedback is that a device is used to help give information to the organism that it needs but has a hard time accessing through its own pathways. Whether the device involves the measurement of skin resistance, temperature, brain waves, muscle tone, or heart rate, the assumption is that “biofeedback” means the use of the “conscious mind” to control “unconscious processes.” This “learning” model of biofeedback up to the present time has remained the basic conceptual reference in the field.

In Soviet-era Russia, there was extensive research into extending the new technologies into an interaction with organisms, and scientists were very successful in developing and applying the “learning” model of biofeedback. However, being much closer to Eastern thought about energetics of the body and its natural capacity to adaptively respond to the environment to maintain homeostasis, the Russians were equally successful in the development of another form of biofeedback that did not require the mediation of the “conscious” mind. Theoretically more related to the “conditioning” principles of behaviorism, this form of biofeedback had no requirement for “volition” or “learning”. This “other” form of biofeedback can be labeled “reflex biofeedback” in contrast to “learning” biofeedback. It can be described as the “unconscious mind/body” acting on “unconscious processes”.

The premise of “reflex biofeedback” is that it is possible for the organism to derive meaningful and purposeful information for enhanced solution-oriented self-regulatory processes without the mediation of any sort of conscious, mental processes. Directing electro-energetic stimulations of the body by way of reflexive pathways in the skin evokes informational responses. These informational responses are simultaneously monitored by the device and used to modify the next stimulation in a manner that is directly related to the preceding response of the body. As a result, positive changes that reflect improved solution oriented behaviors in “unconscious” physiological functions and processes are demonstrated.

The continued progress in computer-based hardware technologies has created full capacity in devices to interact with the activities of a living organism at “real time” biological speeds. The rates of sensory perception and cognitive determination are slow compared with the blurring speeds of microprocessors and neuro-biological reactions. “Reflex biofeedback” can accomodate these super-speed reaction times, and acts to coordinate responses that could never be tracked and catalogued by the everyday conscious mind.

The SCENAR uses reflex biofeedback to support the body in its self regulation processes to ameliorate pain and enhance overall health.