Thomas Budzynski

Thomas Hice Budzynski (October 13, 1933 – February 14, 2011) was an American psychologist and a pioneer in the field of biofeedback, inventing one of the first electromyographic biofeedback training systems in the mid-1960s. In the early 1970s, he developed the Twilight Learner in collaboration with John Picchiottino. The Twilight Learner was one of the first neurotherapy systems.

Budzynski earned a BSEE at the University of Detroit and served as an aerospace inertial systems engineer on the SR-71 Blackbird project at Area 51. He later received a master's and a PhD in psychology.

Budzynski was a licensed psychologist in the State of Washington. He was an Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he also conducted neurotechnology research with his wife, Helen Kogan Budzynski. He conducted studies on the effects of audio-visual stimulation on the brain; the priming effects of binaural tones as measured by the EEG; chronic fatigue syndrome; and applications for chronic pain, enhanced academic performance, and the enhancement of cognitive processes in individuals with head injuries, learning disorders, and the elderly.

Budzynski's research and clinical findings were published in professional journals including: the Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis; Experimental & Clinical Psychopharmacology; the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry; Biofeedback and Self-Control; Biofeedback: Behavioral Medicine; Psychosomatic Medicine; the Journal of Dental Research; Biofeedback and Self-Regulation; Consciousness and Self-Regulation; Psychology Today; Somatics; Education; the Journal of Neurotherapy; Applied Neurophysiology and Brainwave Biofeedback; Clinical Neurophysiology; and NeuroImage.

Budzynski gave lectures at conferences, including several Annual Meetings of the Biofeedback Research Society; Annual Meetings of the American Psychological Association; Annual Meetings of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback; Stanford University; University of Washington; Oxford University; the University of Munich; and the University of Düsseldorf, Germany.

Budzynski developed a series of Life Management subliminal and priming [1] recordings.Applying his research on brainwave activity, he created peak performance tools utilizing research and theory on brain lateralization, lateralized emotions, dual track brain messaging, binaural beats, and priming. These techniques are used in coping with psychological stress and anxiety, as well as enhancing memory, self-confidence, self-esteem and relaxation.

He maintained a private practice of neurofeedback, biofeedback, and psychotherapy in his clinic in Poulsbo, Washington.

Budzynski died suddenly of a heart attack on February 14, 2011.

In 1999, he received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback at their annual meeting in Vancouver, BC, Canada. In 2002 he received a Career Achievement award from the International Society for Neuronal Research.Thomas H. Budzynski, James R. Evans, Andrew Abarbanel, and Helen Kogan Budzynski co-authored Introduction to Quantitative EEG and Neurofeedback: Advanced Theory and Applications, 2nd Edition, published December 2008 by Elsevier. New treatment protocols are outlined in this edition for treating posttraumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger syndrome, depression, and anxiety disorders through the use of neurofeedback, QEEG, music therapy, and the LORETA diagnostic tool.In 2003 he received the CAAPB Johann Stoyva award.

He was president of the Biofeedback Research Society (now, the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback/ AAPB) from 1974 to 1975; and president of the EEG Biofeedback Section of AAPB (1995–1996).