Dr. Paul Hansma
YouTube interview
In this interview, Dr. Paul Hansma, Professor at UC Santa Barbara, shares:
- Why longer symptom duration can actually make recovery easier.
- What the science reveals about the most effective ways to shift those patterns.
Research referenced
The Apkarian study — A landmark fMRI study showing how chronic pain involves shifts in brain activity toward emotional centers.
The Boulder Study (JAMA Psychiatry) — 66% of participants who received Pain Reprocessing Therapy were pain-free or nearly pain-free after one month.
The Ly paper — Shows that reducing anxiety with biofeedback is associated with decreasing pain.
Neural circuit activity paper — Shows that brain organoids fire in repetitive patterns without any sensory input at all.
Also mentioned
Calmstone — Portable self-training biofeedback tool. Intuitively designed to reduce stress, manage chronic pain, lower anxiety, and help you feel calm in minutes.
Ready to take the next step?
Put this science to work.
Brain Retraining 101.
What Dr. Hansma describes — maladaptive neural patterns, the power of safety signals, and the brain's capacity to change — is exactly what Brain Retraining 101 is built on. This structured program gives you the tools to apply this approach to your own recovery, step by step, at your own pace.
Designed for ME/CFS, long covid & similar conditions · Created by Raelan Agle
Love understanding the science behind my symptoms. Thank you for such a reassuring video.
@amandanewson7763Brings so much hope. He explains things in a way that's so easy to understand.
@alisonheslop5682A lot of gems — will watch multiple times. Safety and peace in your brain, mind and heart is the way.
@jamesroof6150Safety — stop worrying about your pain, calm yourself down — is the cure.
@Gray4566During rehab therapy my symptoms would flare — then I'd breathe through them and they'd go away. This interview explains exactly why.
@schuylergeery-zink1923It really is all about creating safety instead of chasing pharmaceuticals. Mainstream doctors need to see this.
@HobzyMcRuse