Frequently Asked Questions About PNV

Why was PNV created, and how does it differ from the Quertant Method?

The remarkable work of Georges Quertant (1894–1964) led him to develop Psycho-Sensory Culture (CPS), also known as the Quertant Method (Méthode Quertant), whose purpose was to promote the optimal development of the nervous system through the senses and with the help of a set of objective methods. Georges Quertant passed his method on only to his daughter, Marguerite Quertant (1923–2011), and primarily the visual component. Over time, the practice of CPS in its visual form came to be known as the Quertant Method.

Hélène van Seters-Husson was one of the small group of practitioners trained directly by Marguerite Quertant. During more than 15 years of practice, she developed an in-depth understanding of the method and observed the processes it can bring about in those who practice it. However, as she was unable at the time to find a favorable environment for the development of the method, experimentation, and exchange among practitioners, she created PNV in 2016.

PNV remains faithful to the Quertant Method developed by Georges Quertant and uses vision to help restore balance to the nervous system. However, PNV places particular emphasis on integrating the practical tool into the broader context of personal development. Today, PNV Axis Vision is a project that brings together a dynamic team of practitioners who are constantly seeking to improve their practice and who work collaboratively.

How long does PNV training take?

PNV training can be seen as the equivalent, for the nervous system, of physical training designed to restore an impaired function of the nerve centers located at the base of the brain. It therefore requires regular and repeated effort over time.

After a few months of training, most people have already seen a significant improvement in their difficulties.

However, the duration of a complete training program varies considerably and reflects the diversity of situations that may arise, depending on the severity of the dysregulation, age, personal history, life circumstances, vitality, and level of commitment.

PNV helps guide the nervous system towards more harmonious functioning, but it is not possible to force it, as doing so could only lead to temporary results.

Intermediate assessments with your practitioner will allow you to review your progress and how your difficulties are evolving. .

If it is so effective, why isn’t this method better known?

The fact that Georges Quertant passed his method on only to his daughter Marguerite, who herself trained only a small number of people (including Hélène van Seters-Husson, founder of PNV), partly explains the limited spread of methods derived from Georges Quertant’s CPS.

In addition, the period when the scientific relevance of Georges Quertant’s work and the effectiveness of his method were officially recognized was marked by the rise of the pharmaceutical industry and psychoanalysis. The Quertant Method was therefore going against the prevailing trends, offering on the one hand a non-invasive approach (without medication), and on the other highlighting the importance of the “soma” (the body) in difficulties with psychological manifestations. .

It looks a bit like orthoptics, doesn’t it?

Orthoptics primarily focuses on the coordination of the two eyes and their ability to converge. In PNV, the visual system serves as a “gateway” for assessing and influencing the overall functioning of the nervous system.

The specific devices (derived from the diploscope) used today in PNV were initially developed for orthoptic rehabilitation of certain binocular vision problems (strabismus, anisometropia).

However, Georges Quertant quickly understood that some of the difficulties observed with these devices were not due to problems with coordination between the two eyes, but were related to disruption of the neural control of eye movements. Indeed, eye movements are remarkably precise and therefore require equally precise neural control. It is therefore not surprising that this control can be easily disrupted by dysregulation of the nerve centers responsible for it, even when this disruption does not directly involve the visual system.

Please note: Before practicing PNV, it is important to have an ophthalmological and orthoptic assessment to make sure that you do not have any eye disease.

Is it scientific?

From the outset, Georges Quertant conceived and developed the Quertant Method as a scientist approaching a new problem. This new discipline was intended to provide objective tools and to be developed according to the principles of the classical experimental method. For more than 20 years, Georges Quertant therefore experimented, tested, measured, classified, corrected, retested, and refined his technique. In addition to a considerable body of work, he synthesized the knowledge of his time in order to establish a theoretical framework for his research. The quality and relevance of his work were widely recognized by the scientific community and even by certain authorities.

The following extract from the CPS dossier provides a good summary of the importance of Georges Quertant’s work:

“At the request of Georges Quertant, in 1942 the Ministry of Public Health commissioned a study of the method, including its neurophysiological principles, the design of the devices, and its effectiveness.

The Ministry gave its full approval. In 1952, in recognition of the results obtained, Georges Quertant was promoted to the rank of Knight of the Légion d’honneur by the Ministry of Education in recognition of the creation of CPS.”

After 37 years of practical experience, thousands of people had successfully benefited from the method. Numerous neurophysiologists, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and educators collaborated with Georges Quertant and his daughter Marguerite.

Excerpt provided by the center where Marguerite Quertant practiced the method for more than 70 years.

Learn more about the scientific foundations underlying PNV.

Is it effective?

If your difficulties are directly related to a dysregulated nervous system, PNV can completely resolve them. Scientific recognition and numerous testimonials attest to this. If the cause of your difficulties is multifactorial, it is often necessary to take a more comprehensive approach to your well-being and also use other techniques.

Are the results long-lasting?

Yes. The results obtained with PNV are long-lasting and after completing a full program, barring a major accident, they become firmly established.

This is due to the very nature of the nervous system, which tends to adapt to repeated experiences and consolidate its responses over time. Practicing PNV means repeatedly reinforcing good nervous system habits, which your nervous system / brain then consolidates. Once harmonious functioning has become established, your nervous system will tend to maintain these more balanced patterns, particularly when supported by a healthy lifestyle and proper self-care.

Where can I practice a similar method outside PNV Axis Vision Centers*?

There are other practitioners offering similar methods and, depending on your location, you should not hesitate to contact them. However, when it comes to the quality of training received, professional ethics, and membership in a collaborative network of practitioners (see our Code of Ethics), we can only vouch for the PNV Axis Vision* practitioners listed on this website (see our complete practitioner directory).

EMDR also uses eye movements, just like PNV. Is there a connection between the two?

Neuroscience has extensively confirmed the close relationship between the eyes and the brain. It is therefore not surprising that various approaches have been developed that make use of this relationship (PNV, EMDR, eye yoga, and certain applications of orthoptics and optometry).

EMDR is particularly suited to releasing the emotional load associated with a relatively clearly identified trauma. It is a short-term therapy that is more targeted than PNV.

PNV has a broader scope and is intended as a more foundational process aimed at re-educating your nervous system responses as a whole, by readjusting them in three major subsystems (sensorimotor, autonomic, and psyche), without requiring verbalization. However, because the nervous system’s functions are not strictly compartmentalized, PNV training may also indirectly affect areas involved in emotional processing, allowing a form of ‘release’ to occur.