The concept of "basic stimulation" (Basale Stimulation as used by Bienstein, Frohlich and many others) comes originally from areas such as geriatric care and work with coma and PVS (persistent vegetative state) patients, a group needing complete care. It is based on accounts of the effect of tactile-haptic stimulation (touch) on the affective state of the client and the ways in which the client can be helped to experience such stimulation (e.g. in the holistic perception of washing procedures). The author first encountered this work during his projects in the hospice movement, palliative...