DRAFT 2026-09-18
The task is not so much to see what no one has yet seen; but to think what nobody has yet thought, about that which everybody sees. – Erwin Schrödinger
The Gardiner Visual-experience Methods (VxM™)
By Allan Gardiner (Formatted for computer screens.)
We don't track who looks at these pages so you don't have to tell anyone, but I would love to hear from you. Allan Gardiner Contact page.
Who are candidate participants?
People who continue to experience pain and maladaptive sensations after other interventions have failed to prompt long-lasting relief.
Common descriptions: phantom pain, post-surgical pain, pain watching others at the gym, nausea when seeing one's body in a mirror.
Rationale for wellness practitioners and families
When the body wants to heal—but can’t recognize how
The Gardiner Visual-experience Methods (VxM™) doesn’t manage symptoms or process stories—it gives the body the missing information it needs to recognize an error and heal itself.
Most practitioners of non-invasive methods already know something essential: healing is not imposed from the outside. The body heals itself when given the right conditions. Many effective modalities reduce symptoms, calm the nervous system, improve circulation, or restore movement. These approaches often help the body feel better, sometimes dramatically.
Yet some clients don’t fully recover despite when pain is reduced, stress is managed, or trauma feels “processed.” In these cases, the limitation is not effort, belief, or compliance. It is that the body no longer recognizes that a specific internal map is outdated.
VxM™ (Visual-Experience Methods) addresses this unrecognized problem.
After injury, surgery, or trauma, parts of the body image sensorimotor maps can become stalled, corrupt, or missing. The nervous system adapts to the error and treats it as a "new normal." From that point on, therapies that manage pain, relax tissue, or regulate emotion may help symptoms—but they do not necessarily give the body the information it needs to release the error and resume updating.
VxM™ aims to provide an environment for the sensorimotor system to recognize the errors.
The Method is purely physiological. It uses carefully coordinated visual and tactile input that generate a visually evoked incongruency can be recognized and restored by the participants body.
When the body, or sensorimotor system, recognizes the mismatch, updating can restart naturally. There is no suggestion, interpretation, or belief required.
Importantly, VxM™ does not depend on verbal processing. Aside from simple instructions, no explanation, memory recall, or emotional narrative is needed. Clients do not need to revisit trauma or “work through” an experience.
The body does the work once it perceives the missing information.
For wellness practitioners, a residual cross-modal incongruency often explains why:
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Symptoms improve but don’t fully resolve
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Pain returns when treatment stops
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Certain areas feel “absent,” guarded, or disconnected
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Long-standing conditions suddenly change when the right cue appears
VxM™ works adjunctively to your normal workflow to release mapping errors that may not be addressed by previous therapies. The Methods can be provided by family members.
Inspired by the Inefficiency of Mirror Therapy
I developed VxM™ after hearing about observations described by V.S. Ramachandran. He did extensive research on neurological disorders and mirror neurons. Mirror therapy uses mirrors to trick the brain to "rewire itself" to stop pain in a missing "phantom" pain. This uses the self-image to rebuild the missing part.
However, any disturbance to the skin, scar, or implanted hardware can experience treatment-resistant pain because the tissues are not communicating as before and map updating processes have not resumed.
VxM™ employs ordinary visual-system functions to evoke sensations when the clinician touches the "right spot" on their client's body. The client touches where they feel the sensation irrespective of its location, such as on the opposite foot. The results is an ordinary realignment of the touch maps.
This interactive process should have occurred via daily living but failed-to-update. The delay is not important because the experiential time frame remains in the "now" of the present tense until the experience transposes into an ordinary memory. The transposition often appears as a whole-body event, such as a flinch, gasp, deep breath, or report of surprise.
Expanded Sensorimotor Mapping
For years, I had framed VxM™ conceptually as a "self vs. other" problem that is distinct from a wholly internal problem solved by cross-sensory observations. Our sensorimotor map alignment is ordinarily maintained via intentional actions that involve cross-sensory connections, such as touching your foot.
My reinvestigation of real-time recordings of VxM and other events suggested the self vs. other models may be incomplete or not "explain" a particular case. Intuitively, I was seeking a common failure mode for the crazy-fast concluding events.
My newest models for VxM suggest that the problem results from errors produced by the visual mapping of observed touching in an "expanded sensorimotor mapping system." The expansion means that the cross-sensory observations are essentially the same as when we see our own hand touch our foot, for example.
Figure 1 Infographic showing the expansion of the homeostatic maps that include another person. The Visual Experience Therapy (VxM™) therapy invokes a simultaneous stimulation via vision that homeostatic processes compare with the external touch sensations. The result is a resumption of normal updating of the maps which (hopefully) relieves the pain.
Observations
Variable-wavelength therapy (VWT), Touch-experience Methods (TxM), and Visual-experience Methods (VxM) provide stimulation that helps the body recognize and correct errors in the flows of information and energy. The Methods can address different problems at the same location.
People in PhotoMed's studies having complex pain "syndromes" often presented with multiple spots that could be released over several sessions. Lois and James exemplify the release of localized mapping errors when visually observing another person. VxM provides an opportunity for homeostatic processes, such as the sensorimotor systems, to recognize and correct "self vs other" touch location maps. Normally, homeostasis would manage updating and self-testing of the maps.
The release of a failure-to-update problem at a location appears to be similar to the release of PTSD at a scar and the release of PTSD of a traumatic event using the Relaxation Mask. Hopefully, future researchers can use these replicable findings to design "how it works" studies and receive grants.
"Treatment-resistant" chronic pain and impairments implies that homeostasic functions actively maintains the status quo of errors, pain, and impaired functioning. VWT, TxM, and VxM appear to prompt the homeostatic status quo set point to revert to an earlier state. The set point reverting back to "normal" accounts for the crazy-fast events with the return to normal functioning (R2N) that can conclude.
For example, James's back had lost touch awareness of a surgerized patch of skin. VxM allowed his body to recognize the disconnect between his actual touch signals and his missing awareness of those signals. Once reconnected, the need for pain vanished.
It now appears to me, an engineer, that VWT, TxM, and VxM™ do one thing: help the sensorimotor systems recognize and correct their automated functioning. That is to resume their ordinary sensorimotor updating.
Please contact me with your specific questions.
Allan Gardiner
James - Post-surgical / phantom pain
James had a back injury while helping a co-worker lift rocks into a barrel at a rice mill where he was a foreman. He had back surgeries that made his pain worse despite having a numb area between the surgical scars.
James was in a program at a pain management clinic in Sacramento, California owned by William Conard MD. to help him "get used to his pain". He was making progress in reducing his medications and was learning how to cook and care for his two young daughters.
Session 1: James had received some relief using only variable-wavelength therapy (VWT) during his first session.
Session 2: I met James at his second session. His brief description in the study narrative of his pain suggested to me to try the Gardiner Visual-experience Methods (VxM) that I was developing. His surgically-induced numbness came back online. A single exposure to Variable-Wavelength Therapy (VWT) before testing may not have been needed based on observations in later cases without using VWT.
Weeks later, James stopped by to share his evolving story without pain and becoming the dad that his kids had missed for six year.
This video shows the steps that I used with James. This is an early recording as I was developing the steps. The step are similar for Lois, Luis, and others.
1. Identify areas with possible missing or misaligned sensations.
2. Technician self-touches location that prompts a sensation.
3. Subject self-touches location with perceived sensation.
4. Technician confirms that the subjects touch sensation matches visual stimulation.
5. Technician waits for subjects self-touch to fade, then removes self-touch.
6. Subject waits for 2nd self-touch sensation to fade, then removes touch.
7. Confirm sensory effects resolved or repeat as needed.
Figure 2. Video of Jame's second session where he received VxM and one exposure to VWT (not shown). James and I discuss his resumed sensations. The feasibility studies were about documenting the steps taken to achieve a return-to-normal functioning outcome. The real-time recordings now serve a new purpose in showing how the outcomes were achieved and can be reproduced.
Lois - Hand sensorimotor mapping errors and PTSD at a scar
Lois: How body-awareness contributed to my recognizing "stuck" sensorimotor map as a common failure mode for many previously challenging maladaptive status quo states.
Lois participated for several years in PhotoMed Technologies' feasibility study by William Conard, M.D. in Sacramento, California. She initially joined the study for her back pain that had needed a nerve ablation about annually. Her pain resolved during her second session and did not return. Dr. Conard was surprised at the return-to-normal outcomes and appreciated having the study at his clinic where it could benefit his patients.
Lois was highly body-aware and could articulate her skin and internal sensations. We worked together nearly weekly for several years to address her exercise-induced aches and pains. Lois remarked that she felt "layers" of pain and impairment in her hands, knees, and foot.
Real-time recordings are like nature videos that show ordinary events from new perspectives. Millions of cases of failure-to-update may still be waiting to resolve.
Lois: A bit of luck provides a direct comparison of responses to VWT and VxM™
During a single session, Lois's response to Variable-Wavelength Therapy (VWT) showed that the VWT prompted a mild increase in pain sensations in her thumb while the light was directed to her little finger. Figure 4 @1:00 minutes.
Lois was familiar with her misaligned sensations from having previously experienced misaligned sensations in her foot that had resolved while testing VxM.
Lois mentioned that it “felt” like her hand was being touched when she watched the me touch my hand. But the locations didn’t match. This case having two Methods showing the same misalignment errors supports Lois's report of "layers" of pain and impairment. VWT prompted resolution of her overuse pain and VxM addressed the misalignment that had not resolved despite many exposures to VWT.
In the video, Figure 4, I kept the camera recording to have an unbroken comparison between Lois's misaligned sensations evoked by VWT and possible realignment using VxM.
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Lois's misaligned sensations were stable enough to do some testing. Figure 3A.
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VxM prompted a flinch upon the realignment of misaligned sensations. Figure 3B. We now recognize the flinch to mark the return to normal functioning or nostostasis.
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After the flinch, testing shows the normal alignment had resumed. Figure 3C.
Figure 3. The experiment began like a game. Lois exclusively watched my hand and touched where she felt a “phantom” touch. The game was interesting for both until… (@ 4:00 in the Figure 2.)
Figure 4. Lois reacted at the moment when her “felt” touch location appeared to overlap what she observed. Then her ability to “feel” the evoked touch aligned with where she observed a touch or felt nothing. The peculiar problem didn't come back. 6:49minutes
Other volunteers had experienced similar cross-sensory corrections in their self-contained and in expanded sensorimotor processing systems. With growing data, the miss-alignment of sensimotor touch maps appears to be most prevalent with post-surgical pain associated with a scar. The "layers" of pain can resolve in either order of PhotoMed's variable-wavelength therapy (VWT) or VxM™.
Lois's PTSD associated with a scar persisted for 75 years
Lois had experienced PTSD pain and flashbacks each time that she touched a scar on her right knee. She described that the scar had been caused by the metal pedal on her tricycle when she was 3 years old (75 years before). She described her feelings about her “mean older brother” who pushed her off her tricycle as part of the recurring experience.
Figure 5. Lois had two scars separated by about 1mm on her right knee. The VET therapy was repeated to extinguish her PTSD pain and flashbacks at both scars.
Figure 6. The real-time recording (7:02) includes some of Lois’s narratives (@ 4:20). Video shows enough of the methods that researchers may reproduce similarly quick events. This recording is uncut. You'll have to watch to see why the experiment needed to be repeated. Lois was instrumental in helping me develop VxM with her sensitivity to her body image.
Luis - Phantom pain where his leg is missing
Luis came to the 2025 DoD Warrior Games in Colorado Spring where I met him at the Healing Hut.
Luis had phantom pain and aphasia that prevented him from communicating his thoughts. You can see more about his resumption of his thoughts-to-speech recovery here.
His phantom pain was a 9 that was reduced to 4 using the Gardiner Visual-experience Methods (VxM) methods. This 14 minute recording shows my interactions with Luis. I did not know how cognitively impaired he might be because of his inability to get his thoughts out. His wife returned to translate about his improvement. Some of the volunteers at the Healing Hut had known Luis for many years and confirmed his improvements as they (5) watched.
Figure 7. Luis had phantom pain where his left leg had been amputated. This uncut recording shows Luis' and my interactions that reduced his pain from 9 to 4. A day later, he reported that the pain was gone. (14:13)
Luis and James confirm that the methods "work" at a physiological level without the person understanding how the body and therapy work.
The "diagnosis" is the solution. If a person "feels" like being touched while watching someone touch themself or make a movement, such as bending a toe, then the VxM™ methods may be the means to ending the pain or weird sensations.
You can try this at home
Perhaps you may be wondering how you might help a friend or patient experiencing post-surgical pain. There are many reasons why this basic visual experience won't work. But, your friend and you can learn, within a minute or two, whether, or not, their pain can diminish by helping their homeostasis resume its ordinary tasks. Ordinary tasks that hide exquisitely fine human-human interactions.
Review the steps that Lois and I used to realign her external and internal, normally muted, feelings generated by watching me touch myself. The process becomes intuitive with practice. But it "works" only once per spot because the return to normal maintains, well, normal.
The person does not need to know how the therapy might work, only that they feel like they are being touched when they watch you. Watch James in Figure 2.
Clinicians and researchers: please contact me for more pieces of the puzzle. A few minutes of discussion via Zoom can help you anticipate who might respond.
Overview of the Gardiner Visual-experience Methods (VxM™)
Restoring the body’s ability to update sensorimotor maps, so life can move forward again.
In select cases of persistent pain maintained by maladaptive body-schema representation, the methods show that rapid normalization may occur. This page is about prompting the body to recognize and release visuospatial incongruence between the perceived and actual body state.
1. Conceptual Framework - Working Model
Persistent post-surgical, phantom, or scar associated pain may in some cases be maintained by:
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Maladaptive body-schema representation
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Persistent protective motor-sensory mapping
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Visuospatial incongruence between perceived and actual body states in
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Visual observation of another person's self-touch vs. internally generated sensations that normally would not be noticed
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Visual observation of self-touch across an scar or traumatized area presenting an abnormal sensation or lack of sensation
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Failure of cortical remapping after injury.
VxM™ aims to:
Induce rapid updating of body-schema representation through structured, interactive visuospatial congruence exercises.
2. When to use methods
VxM™ may be considered when:
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Pain persists despite tissue healing
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Pain is localized to surgical scars, reconstructed skin, missing limbs, and traumatic injury sites.
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Pain intensity fluctuates with attention and visual focus on self or on others
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There is evidence of protective guarding without structural cause
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Prior therapy (including Varichrome®) produced partial but incomplete resolution.
3. Cautions
Do not use VxM™ as a stand-alone method when (perhaps overly cautious):
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Active infection
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Suspected malignancy
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Progressive neurological deficit
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Severe dissociation or psychiatric instability
Trauma cases require consent at every stage.
Inform the person that a restart of sensorimotor mapping may invoke a strong startle reflex, flinch, gasp, or other physiological response at the moment when the body resumes its ordinary tasks. A whole-body physiological response suggests that the body has recognized and released the errors.
4. Core Mechanisms
VxM™ relies on three elements:
A. Induction of visual incongruence
Use a visual experience to create the incongruence in the mapping of the affected body part.
Examples:
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Other vs. Self - facilitator touches self at affected areas - errors, if any, may be recognized by the participant like being touched at a different location.
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Self vs. Self - facilitator helps the participant compare felt sensations vs. predicted sensations based upon the seen position.
B. Guided attention mapping
The facilitator helps the participant:
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Compare felt sensations vs. the seen position
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Detect incongruence
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Recognize a shift in intensity
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Understand that a significant startle response is possible and a beneficial marker of effect.
C. Motor permission restoration
Encourage small, non-threatening movements while maintaining the visual incongruence.
Goal:
To allow the body to recognize and release visuospatial incongruencies.
5. Structure of a session
Step 1 - Baseline Mapping
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Pain rating
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Location tracing
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Description of sensations
Step 2 - Establish Visual Reference
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Facilitator touches self while participant touches location of evoked sensation
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Ensure that the participant feels safe, especially if evoked sensations are strong
Step 3 - Detect Incongruence
Ask:
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Does what you see match what you feel?
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Does the scar or trauma feel threatened?
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Can you make your touch feel like what you see by adjusting pressure, etc.
Step 4 - Gradual Testing Cycle - Other vs. Self
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The participant matches their sensations at the locations felt to their perceived force and direction observed when the facilitator touches themself.
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The facilitator holds the location/force of touch while asking the participant to report when the evoked sensation begins to fade.
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While the participant maintains their evoked touch, the facilitator rapidly removes their touch.
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Some participants report feeling like they had just touched themself. Have them hold the "new' touch until the sensations begin to fade, then release their touch.
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Repeat as needed. Error locations may be as small as 1mm x 1mm depending upon the inciting trauma.
Self vs. Self Testing Cycle
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Problem - touching self at a scar evokes pain or emotional distress that may be made worse when watching.
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Participant starts by touching a "good" area proximal to the scar using a finger
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Participant slowly moves finger across the scar while acknowledging the noxious feelings and sensations to the distal side of the scar or trauma.
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Repeat from different starting and to different ending points.
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The aim is to enable the visuospatial touch mapping systems to resume their ordinary map updating that incorporates areas with altered sensory feedback. For most people, ordinary activities provide the body with cross-modal stimulation that "teaches" the body that the numb (for example) area is safe to touch.
Step 6 - Reinforce Updated Mapping
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Repeat the touch/movement without evoking pain or other sensations
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Re-rate intensity
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Confirm restored baseline