"The psychological therapy based on the principle of psychoconduction addresses many psychological problems. Using psychoconduction, we calibrate and regulate appropriate release of chemicals in different areas of the brain without using any medications."
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Psychoconduction by Chester Litvin, Ph.D. Trafford Publishing
book review by Sheila M. Trask
The human brain is an amazing organ. When one area is damaged, another may take over, as in a child who suffers a left brain injury and yet develops language using only the right hemisphere. What if we could harness this power to address other losses, essentially restructuring the brain without invasive procedures? Chester Litvin, Ph.D. has developed such a program. He calls his process "psychoconduction" and likens it to the medical use of stem cells.
In psychoconduction, "simple cells" are harnessed to process information normally handled by "complex cells." For instance, people who are unable to visually decode the alphabet might learn audio cues or hand signals that allow them to access the relevant patterns through a different modality. Litvin's credentials suggest he has a deep understanding of the field, as he has earned a doctorate degree, worked as a clinical psychologist, and written several books on psychology topics.
The lack of scientific references in this volume, however, leaves readers wondering about the evidence behind his theory that psychoconduction can ultimately change the chemical messages in the brain. A layperson would particularly benefit from some basic definitions. What he lacks in background material, however, Litvin makes up for with thorough examples of how psychoconduction can be used. He offers illustrations and text that detail ways to teach math with audio prompts and reading with kinesthetic patterns. Used together with his step-by-step manual, Litvin's Code, this book would be a useful reference manual for occupational therapists.