More in Physical Pain, Emotional Pain, and Paroxysmal Responses with Dr. Jeff Carmen

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In this special episode of Healthy Brain Happy Body, Dr. Saul Rosenthal speaks with Dr. Jeff Carmen, developer of the pIR HEG neurofeedback system, about his recent NRBS webinar.

Dr. Carmen discusses his way of understanding conditions like migraines, anxiety, emotional pain, and paroxysmal disorders. Rather than treating these as separate diagnoses, he describes a common underlying pattern—what he calls an “excessive rate and magnitude of response to relatively benign stimuli.” From this perspective, many of the problems people struggle with may reflect variations of the same regulatory issue in the brain.

The conversation explores the role of the prefrontal cortex as a kind of regulatory system that helps keep reactions from becoming too intense or too fast—and what happens when that system becomes less dominant. Using migraines as an example, Dr. Carmen explains how symptoms may not disappear right away, but often become less intense and less disruptive as regulation improves.

Dr. Rosenthal and Dr. Carmen also discuss how some of these conditions may represent a mismatch between the brain’s evolutionary design and the demands of modern life, and how that mismatch can show up as anxiety, attention problems, or pain.

The episode also takes a closer look at pIR HEG neurofeedback, including how it compares to EEG-based approaches and why it may produce broader effects across multiple symptoms. Dr. Carmen reflects on how his work with migraines led to unexpected improvements in other areas, often beyond the original reason a person sought treatment.

Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes a key point: while we understand a great deal about how the brain breaks down, we still know relatively little about how it actually works. That perspective shapes both his clinical approach and his caution about over-explaining mechanisms.

This episode will be of interest to clinicians, biofeedback and neurofeedback practitioners, and anyone curious about the connections between brain regulation, behavior, and physical symptoms.

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This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

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The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

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