Feedback is so powerful you can even use it to learn how to control those aspects of your body (nervous system, immune system and endocrine system) that are normally not under conscious control. It was Neal Miller, from the Rockefeller institute that proved animals and humans could be trained to make specific changes in their autonomic nervous system, which is supposedly outside of voluntary control. This has come to be known as ‘biofeedback.' Electronic equipment designed to facilitate ‘biofeedback' has already been in use for decades in therapeutic situations. Its most common use is relaxation response training.
In order to practice biofeedback on a daily basis, without any sophisticated equipment, an individual needs to become aware of aspects of his or her biological functioning that are not normally considered to be conscious.
There are exciting interdisciplinary innovations towards holistic medicine. In particular, psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is making significant ripples in the pools of mainstream medicine. PNI is the study of the intricate interaction of consciousness (psycho), the brain and central nervous system (neuro) and the body's defence against external infection and aberrant cell division (immunology). Originally, it was called Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology – including the endocrine system (your hormone system). Thanks to the work of Candice Pert we now know that these systems actually talk to each other through the common “language” of peptides (a kind of protein). This is why it is possible to heal yourself with your mind – with the help of symbols, metaphor, myth, story, … essentially “meaning.”
The primary focus of research into PNI is the impact that mental states can have on immune functioning. It has been found that stress, distress and depression have a definite impact. This kind of research has lead towards a greater emphasis on systemic thinking in medicine.
AIDS is a clear example of this. It has been found that a fighting spirit and a positive attitude towards the disease has a quantifiable outcome, raising the T?cell count in people living with AIDS. It has also been shown to affect the length of time between contraction of HIV and the transition into full-blown AIDS. Some strategies that have been used include: relaxation techniques, hypnosis, visualisation, classical conditioning, affirmations and placebos, to enhance the perception of self control over physical illness.