The Role of Personal Perception

 The Role of Personal Perception

Sensory processing refers to how the nervous system receives, organizes, and interprets sensory information from both the environment and the body. Sensory inputs such as touch, sound, sight, taste, and proprioception are detected by specialized sensory receptors mediated by our friend the vagus and transmitted through neural pathways to the brain. Sensory input is sympathetic and therefore YANG. TCM reflects this with the concept of external and internal ‘evils,’ which, at the time these ideas were compiled, reflected the belief systems of the era where disease was thought to result from devils or ‘ghosts.’ This understanding opens the door to a deeper exploration of Sun Si Miao’s use of ghost points, where his treatment of the Shen reflects the concept of retained charge. Unresolved emotional events, in this context, become "ghosts" trapped in the system (the hippocampus or amygdala), to influence the body’s state. But that is another conversation.

In childhood, sensory processing is a critical developmental process, where these pathways and the brain's response mechanisms are integrated and refined through movement and socialization.  The development of sensory and emotional processing occurs simultaneously with the maturation of various systems, including the limbic system, fascia, and proprioceptive pathways, all of which work together to create a unified (and hopefully appropriate) emotional or physical response to stimuli. These systems are how we perceive and interact with the world, adapted through early experiences. When sensory processing is disrupted, as seen in conditions like childhood illness, birth defects, abuse or family trauma, the integration of these systems can be impaired, affecting perception, coordination, and emotional regulation.

Under states of threat, the brain and nervous system prioritize survival, which leads to changes in sensory processing. When faced with perceived danger, the autonomic nervous system shifts into a heightened state of alertness, referred to as the fight-or-flight response. Sensory integration becomes distorted, and can lead to increased sensitivity or difficulty processing non-threatening stimuli. The limbic system plays a key role in emotional regulation, and during threat states, it heightens emotional responses such as fear and anxiety, which can be exaggerated, a condition known as ‘phlegm misting the mind.’ Chronically, sensory integration from the fascia, proprioception, and other systems becomes distorted, resulting in issues with coordination, balance, and body awareness. In extreme cases, the brain may shut down certain pathways when under the influence of sympathetic hormones.  

Insights by trauma experts like Drs. Peter Levine, Svetlana Masgutova, and Karen Pryor have provided tremendous insight on how trauma disrupts the autonomic nervous system and neuroplasticity.  However, systemic barriers in US healthcare prevent these approaches from being fully utilized in practice.

Peter Levine's work on somatic experience (SE) emphasizes the body's physical responses to stress and trauma, suggesting that the body retains a memory of these experiences. His method seeks to release this stored trauma by reconnecting the mind and body through exercises that re-ignite the tremor response, which allows individuals to process and resolve these traumatic events.  Levine's work provides a framework for understanding the physiological and emotional impact of trauma and offers a foundation for therapeutic approaches that address both aspects. 

Svetlana Masgutova’s work on reactivated primitive reflexes (PRs) has significantly advanced our understanding of their role in PTSD and trauma states.  Her MNRI method, developed through principles borrowed from pediatric occupational therapy (OT), aims to re-integrate these reflexes.  The method shows real success in children with autism, sensory processing issues and birth defects that have previously been life-long disabilities.  However, it appears to be less effective in adults for several reasons.   Primitive reflex demonstration reflects a state of high autonomic arousal, often involving cranial nerve dysregulation and chronically elevated cortisol levels. The gentle methods used in pediatric OT, while effective in children, are insufficient to restore homeostasis to an adult autonomic nervous system that has been chronically dysregulated. This is partly because children have higher neuroplasticity and a greater elastin content in their fascia compared to adults.

Dr. Karen Pryor’s work in neuroplasticity and reflex integration is frankly groundbreaking, and her insights for restoring neuroplasticity were the missing link to resolving my own condition. Unable to find a physical therapist who could accurately assess PR demonstration in an adult with latent brain trauma, her post graduate courses on reflex integration and neuroplasticity provided the missing piece of the puzzle for my nervous system.  

While I had been achieving these results in patients since before the pandemic, I lacked the ability to bring that to myself, nor I did not have clear medical language to describe what was happening with my clients.  I had the answers in the first 30 minutes of her class.  Her courses should be mandatory.  RUN - DON'T WALK!!  

(Check here - Certified Primitive Reflex Integration Specialist Training

A neuro-informed parasympathetic style of TCM that includes the sinew channels was the result. It is objective, consistent, and visible to both patient and provider.  The points that open the reflexes are consistent regardless of diagnosis, and more importantly regardless of the belief systems of the patients. 

 

A Broken System

The reasons that contributions from professionals like Masgutova and Pryor have not been integrated into current models for mental health are myriad:

  Persistent mind-body split in mental health: Psychologists are restricted from physically interacting with patients, reinforcing the separation between mind and body in treatment.

  Big Pharma’s role: The myth perpetuated by pharmaceutical companies all emotionality is simply chemistry, reducing complex emotional and physiological states to a chemical imbalance can (and should) be fixed. 

  Direct-to-consumer advertising: A marketing strategy that dramatically reshaped the landscape of mental healthcare in the U.S. by reinforcing the notion that medications alone can address mental health issues. This has led to the rise of polypharmacy, where multiple medications are prescribed simultaneously without addressing the root cause of the condition.   “Ask you doctor if Abilify is right for you!”

  Psychiatric medications moving into primary care: The shift to having psychiatric medications prescribed without a full psychiatric evaluation has deeply diminished the quality of care.

  Reductions mental health coverage: Limited insurance coverage and fraudulent billing practices that make it impossible for solo practitioners to be paid in a timely way.  DELAY, DENY.  The recent revelations by UHC and their use of AI in claims processing has resulted in a 40% drop in claims paid by same company.   

  Lack of transparency in drug interventions:  Due to the influence of big pharma in driving public health policy, there is no mandate to report the maladaptive results of drug trials leading to a lack of awareness regarding the long-term consequences. When they come to light, such as the role of statins in deleting the heart muscle of Co-Q10 (Thanks Merck) or Fosomax causing brittle bone disease, they are usually buried on page 10. 

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The issues surrounding healthcare, mental health, and the integration of trauma-informed care are complex, and deeply entwined with the profit motive.  They have contributed to a system where emotional dysregulation and physical ailments are often oversimplified, misdiagnosed, and inadequately treated. The culture of “delay, deny” by insurance companies and the overwhelming influence of big pharma have pushed the US healthcare system into a survival mode, where doctors struggle to keep up with 20 patients a day and where patients are feel unheard and neglected. We, as providers, are encouraged to medicate individuals rather than treat the cause.   The profit-motive has undeniably changed the landscape of medicine, but without accountability, its impact on both healthcare and public trust will continue to hinder real progress.

The system is broken. It’s imperative that we take power back from these entities, and work together cooperatively by integrating our understanding across modalities. 

 Alternative providers must be willing to step up, and learn how to communicate effectively using medical language that makes sense in the context of modern medicine. We need to ensure that we’re not just speaking in abstract terms but addressing complex issues in ways that every provider, regardless of background, can understand.

It’s time for all of us—physicians, alternative providers, therapists, and PT —to find common ground.  There is enough room for all of us, but collaboration requires an open mind, and a willingness to engage in real dialogue.  We must rise above corporate-driven culture and come together, recognize the burnout and frustration shared by colleagues in every sector and work together as a team.  Our patients deserve it, and so do we.