Neurowave III. Sensitivity, Pleasure, and the Quality of Experience

Compiler Valeriia Borisova

© Vadim Borisov, 2025

© Valeriia Borisova, compiler, 2025

ISBN 978-5-0068-8845-6 (т. 3)

ISBN 978-5-0068-8842-5

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

AUTHOR’S LETTER

The first two books of the NeuroWave series were devoted to the foundations of the method and to the processes of restoring nervous system regulation. They examined the bodily and neuropsychological mechanisms underlying chronic stress, loss of self-regulation, and the formation of resilience. A logical continuation of this analysis is the question of what occurs after basic regulation has been restored.

Practical experience and contemporary research indicate that symptom reduction and restored resilience are not always accompanied by a return of experiential richness. A person may be functionally stable while simultaneously experiencing reduced sensitivity, diminished capacity for pleasure, and a narrowed emotional range. These states often remain outside the focus of psychological care, as they do not fit within the framework of clinical diagnoses.

This book is devoted precisely to this level of processes – sensitivity, pleasure, and the quality of experience as functions of the nervous system. Here, pleasure is not considered as stimulation or an emotional peak, but as the result of integrated regulation, bodily accessibility, and the capacity to perceive signals from the body and the environment.

In this book, the NeuroWave method is presented as an approach that allows work with the restoration of sensitivity without forcing and without striving for intense states. Primary attention is given to gradualness, safety, and the neurophysiological foundations of processes that are often described exclusively in subjective or philosophical terms.

It is important to emphasize that this book is not a guide to achieving pleasure and does not propose normative ideas of how one «should» feel. Its task is to describe the mechanisms through which the capacity for experience becomes accessible and to outline a scientific framework for discussing this topic.

I consciously maintain a balance between scientific rigor and clarity of presentation, viewing the NeuroWave method as a developing model open to further research and professional dialogue. I hope that this book will contribute to a deeper and more balanced understanding of the role of bodily sensitivity and pleasure in the psychology of quality of life.

Vadim Borisov

PROLOGUE

Why Sensitivity Is Lost

In psychology and neuroscience, sensitivity has traditionally been viewed as a basic function of perception that enables contact with the internal and external environment. Through sensitivity, the capacity to recognize bodily signals, emotional nuances, needs, and contextual changes is formed. It lies at the foundation of orientation, motivation, and the subjective sense of fullness of life.

However, in practical work an apparent paradox is increasingly observed: even in the absence of pronounced symptoms and after successful restoration of basic regulation, many people continue to experience reduced intensity of experience, loss of interest, and a narrowed emotional range. This state may manifest as a sense of the «flatness» of life, difficulty experiencing pleasure, or a weak response to events that previously evoked emotional resonance.

Such a state is often perceived as a personality trait, an age-related change, or a consequence of character. In some cases, it is interpreted as a «normalization» following a period of intense stress. However, contemporary data from neuropsychology and psychophysiology point to a different explanation: reduced sensitivity is often an adaptive response of the nervous system to prolonged load, chronic stress, or overload of regulatory mechanisms.

Sensitivity does not disappear suddenly and does not «break» as a result of a single event. It is lost gradually – as the nervous system is compelled to reduce the flow of sensory and interoceptive information in order to maintain functionality. Under conditions of prolonged tension, excessive sensitivity becomes a source of overload, and the organism begins to limit access to sensations as a resource.

In this context, numbness, diminished pleasure, or a subjective «flatness» of experience function not as signs of pathology, but as forms of protection. This is not a rejection of feeling, but a narrowing of the perceptual range that allows a reduction of energetic costs and prevents further disorganization of regulation.

It is important to emphasize that such changes may persist even after basic nervous system resilience has been restored. Even when chronic tension has decreased and the capacity for self-regulation has been partially recovered, sensitivity does not always return automatically. A nervous system accustomed to operating in a mode of resource conservation does not immediately shift to a more open and receptive mode.

For this reason, work with sensitivity requires conditions different from those used in work with symptoms, stress, or overload. Attempts to «bring feelings back» through stimulation, the pursuit of intense experiences, or forced amplification of sensations can lead to the opposite effect – strengthening of defensive reactions or renewed overload.

This book proposes to consider sensitivity and pleasure not as subjective or secondary phenomena, but as regulatory functions closely linked to the state of the nervous system and bodily accessibility. Such an approach makes it possible to move beyond evaluative categories – «sensitive / insensitive,» «normal / abnormal» – and to view the loss and return of sensitivity as processes amenable to neurophysiological and scientific analysis.

In the chapters that follow, it will be shown how the NeuroWave method can be used to restore sensitivity without forcing, relying on mechanisms of regulation, bodily safety, and gradual expansion of the perceptual range. This book does not offer accelerated solutions, but describes the conditions under which sensitivity can return as a natural consequence of restored nervous system functioning.

CHAPTER 1. Sensitivity as a Function of the Nervous System

In a scientific context, sensitivity represents the capacity of the nervous system to perceive, process, and integrate signals arriving both from the external environment and from within the organism. This function underlies perception, emotional response, and the subjective quality of experience.

From the perspective of neuroscience, sensitivity is not a passive «reception» of information. It is an active process that includes filtering, prioritization, and integration of sensory signals depending on the current state of the nervous system. Thus, sensitivity is always linked to regulation: it reflects not only which signals are available, but also which of them are allowed into awareness and functional use.

In contrast to the common view of sensitivity as a personality characteristic or a temperamental trait, neuroscience understands it as a dynamic property of regulatory systems, dependent on the state of the nervous system, the level of arousal, and bodily processes. This means that sensitivity can change over the course of life, increasing or decreasing depending on conditions and experience.

Such an approach makes it possible to consider changes in sensitivity not in terms of «character» or «psychological weakness,» but as reflections of the current configuration of regulatory mechanisms.

1.1. Sensory and Interoceptive Components of Sensitivity

Sensitivity includes two interrelated levels: exteroceptive and interoceptive. Exteroception enables perception of signals from the external environment – tactile, visual, auditory, and thermal. These signals allow spatial orientation, interaction with objects and other people, and assessment of contextual changes.

Interoception is associated with the perception of internal signals – breathing, heart rate, muscle tone, visceral sensations, and changes in temperature and pressure within the body¹. It forms the basis of the subjective sense of «I exist» and underlies bodily self-awareness.

Contemporary research shows that interoception plays a key role in the formation of emotional states, motivation, and subjective well-being². In this framework, emotions are not viewed as abstract psychological phenomena, but as interpretations of bodily states.

Reduced interoceptive sensitivity correlates with emotional flatness, difficulties in recognizing one’s own states (alexithymia), diminished capacity for pleasure, and weakening of motivational processes³. At the same time, exteroceptive sensitivity may be partially preserved, creating the illusion of «normal» functioning despite a deep reduction in bodily contact.

1.2. The Regulatory Role of Sensitivity

Sensitivity performs a central regulatory function by enabling the nervous system to respond in a timely manner to changes in internal and external conditions. Through sensitivity, feedback is formed that is necessary for adaptation, learning, and recovery.

With a sufficient level of sensitivity, the nervous system is able to:

– distinguish between safe and threatening signals;

– modulate levels of arousal in accordance with context;

– maintain a balance between activity and recovery;

– adjust behavior before overload occurs.

In this sense, sensitivity is not an «additional» function, but a fundamental prerequisite for self-regulation. Without adequate sensory and interoceptive feedback, the nervous system loses the ability to fine-tune its responses.

A reduction in sensitivity disrupts these processes, leading to a narrowing of the range of states and a decrease in regulatory flexibility. The organism begins to function in generalized modes – either excessive activation or suppression – losing the capacity for nuanced adjustment.

1.3. Adaptive Reduction of Sensitivity

It is important to emphasize that reduced sensitivity is not a random or pathological process. It represents an adaptive response of the nervous system to overload. Under conditions of chronic stress, prolonged tension, or lack of opportunities for recovery, decreasing the flow of sensory and interoceptive information helps reduce the load on regulatory mechanisms⁴.

From a neurophysiological perspective, this is accompanied by changes in sensory processing thresholds, reduced activity in interoceptive cortical regions, and усиление filtering of incoming signals. The nervous system effectively «narrows the perceptual channel» in order to maintain functionality under unfavorable conditions.

Such dampening of perception may be functional and even necessary at certain stages. It allows continued action, work, and social functioning despite limited resources.

However, when maintained over time, this mode begins to restrict the quality of experience, reducing the capacity for pleasure, curiosity, and recovery. Sensitivity no longer returns automatically even after external load decreases, because the regulatory system itself has adapted to a resource-conservation mode.

1.4. Bodily Foundations of Sensitivity

Sensitivity does not exist independently of the body. It relies on bodily structures – cutaneous and fascial receptors, proprioceptive pathways, muscle tone, breathing, and postural patterns. Through the body, the primary registration of most signals occurs, on the basis of which subjective experience is formed.

Changes in bodily regulation directly affect the availability of sensations. Chronic muscular tension, restricted breathing, or reduced tissue mobility decrease the flow of afferent information entering the central nervous system⁵.

In this context, sensitivity cannot be «restored» solely through cognitive work or increased attentional focus. Without restoring bodily accessibility, the nervous system does not physically receive a sufficient volume of information to expand the experiential range.

The NeuroWave method considers work with bodily patterns a necessary condition for restoring sensitivity. In this approach, bodily work is not aimed at intensifying sensations, but at restoring the conditions under which sensations can arise and be integrated without overload.

1.5. Sensitivity and the Quality of Experience

The quality of experience is determined not by the intensity of emotions, but by their differentiation, coherence, and rootedness in bodily experience. With restored sensitivity, a person is able to distinguish subtle nuances of states, notice transitions between them, and respond with greater precision and economy.

This quality of experience is associated with a sense of aliveness, engagement, and subjective richness of life, but not necessarily with strong or extreme emotions. On the contrary, excessive intensity is often a sign of dysregulation rather than heightened sensitivity.

In this context, the loss of pleasure and emotional richness can be understood not as a personal «deficit,» but as a consequence of changes in the regulatory processes of the nervous system. Restoring sensitivity becomes not an end in itself, but a result of restoring regulation and bodily accessibility.

In the following chapters, it will be examined in detail how loss of pleasure, emotional flatness, and reduced motivation can be understood as consequences of neurophysiological processes, and how the NeuroWave method creates conditions for the gradual return of sensitivity without forcing or overload.

REFERENCES FOR CHAPTER 1

– Craig, A. D. Interoception and emotion. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2002.

– Critchley, H. D., Harrison, N. A. Visceral influences on brain and behavior. Neuron, 2013.

– Herbert, B. M., Pollatos, O. Interoceptive sensitivity and emotion processing. Biological Psychology, 2012.

– McEwen, B. Allostatic load and the costs of chronic stress. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1998.

– Damasio, A. The Feeling of What Happens. Harcourt Brace, 1999.

– Khalsa, S. et al. Interoception and mental health. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2018.

– Porges, S. The Polyvagal Theory. Norton, 2011.

– Treadway, M. T., Zald, D. H. Reconsidering anhedonia in depression. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2011.

– Volkow, N. D., Baler, R. D. NOW vs LATER brain circuits. American Journal of Psychiatry, 2015.

CHAPTER 2. Loss of Pleasure as Adaptation, Not Pathology

A reduced capacity for pleasure has traditionally been viewed in psychology and psychiatry as a symptom – most often in the context of depressive disorders. In clinical classifications, loss of pleasure (anhedonia) is included in the diagnostic criteria for a number of mental conditions and is frequently interpreted as a deficit or disturbance of the emotional sphere.

However, clinical practice as well as data from contemporary neuroscience indicate that loss of pleasure often occurs outside the framework of psychopathology and may be observed in individuals without depression, anxiety disorders, or other clinical diagnoses. In such cases, reduced pleasure is not accompanied by pronounced affective suffering, but manifests as a background «flatness» of experience, diminished interest, and weakened bodily responsiveness.

A modern regulatory perspective makes it possible to understand this state differently – as a functional adaptation of the nervous system to prolonged load. In this context, the issue is not a deficit, a «breakdown,» or a loss of emotional capacity, but a redistribution of regulatory resources aimed at maintaining survival and functionality under conditions of chronic stress.

This view allows excessive pathologization to be reduced and loss of pleasure to be understood as a reflection of the current operating mode of the nervous system.

2.1. Pleasure as a Neurophysiological Function

From a scientific perspective, pleasure is not a discrete emotion nor a subjective «reaction to a stimulus,» but an integrative neurophysiological process. It includes sensory perception, interoceptive feedback, activity of reward systems, and regulation of arousal within the autonomic nervous system¹.

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