Stinking Thinking and Its Effect
On Health and Well-Being
As you think, so you are; as you are, so you think.
All too often, we tend to dichotomize what occurs in the mind and body; not recognizing that events in either sphere have a profound and total effect on the whole.
In this article, I will endeavor to present some ideas and perceptions I have observed over my years of practice, and then relate them to some of the concepts of Classical Acupuncture and simple Existentialism. As a source of direction I will use some parables from the Good Book. I will also suggest some homeopathic remedies and the use of MORA Bio-Resonance Therapy to help relieve some of the problems.
Using various scans Dr. Heime correlated emotional experiences with physical conditions. For example:
Women: Problems manifest in the left breast because of the loss of a child, born or unborn, or even when a child leaves home. The right breast often manifests problems due to broken relationships.
We use all kinds of expressions denoting how emotion and thought affect the body:
- He’s a pain in the neck or a–! (depending on your outlook)
- He died of a broken heart.
- The Germans have an expression for the prostate being the man’s bag of tears. As men don’t show emotion, the prostate swells leading to all kinds of problems.
The expression, “That makes me sick” reveals our inability to accept others and their disgusting behavior which is often a projection of our own internalized feeling about ourselves.
Cancer and other diseases are said to be a somatization of emotional problems and vice versa.
Living in the Past
I call living in the past the “If only Syndrome”. How many times have you heard yourself or others saying; “If only this or that hadn’t happened”?
“If only I hadn’t quit school; if only I hadn’t married that loser;” etc. A big one is “If only I hadn’t been abused or raped or taken advantage of . . .”
I have news for you! Find me someone who has not been raped psychologically, physically, emotionally or intellectually. That’s life, get over it.
All too often, we internalize feelings of guilt and loss of self-worth and use the experience as an EXCUSE for perpetuating one’s unhappy state in life. “Forgive Yourself first; Love Yourself first: then you can forgive and love others”.
The “IF ONLY SYNDROME” evokes the emotion of grief, and grief according to Chinese Medicine affects the Large Intestine Meridian (Stinking Thinking) which is paired with the Lung Meridian.
Somatization of our grief expresses itself in various bowel symptoms: constipation, not wanting to let go; diarrhea and colitis, agitation by internalized feeling, etc.
The main consequence of these affects on the bowel is, of course, putrefaction of proteins and fermentation of carbohydrates.
The products of putrefaction and fermentation affect the liver (the giver of life) and the liver speaks in two languages when bombarded by toxins.
- If the energy is turned inward – one feels depressed.
- If the energy is turned outward – one feels angry.
If the liver is disturbed – one wakes around three in the morning.
If there is excessive putrefaction of protein, one of the substances produced in abundance is ammonia. Ammonia causes paralysis of the bowel (atonic constipation). But more than that, ammonia overcomes the liver and affects the brain (Hepato-cerebral Syndrome) resulting in brain fatigue (similar to alcohol syndrome), depression, disturbed sleep, erratic behavior, free floating depression, myalgia, etc.
Another consequence of intestinal problems that can be created by emotions is fermentation of the carbohydrates in our diet, producing seven kinds of alcohol plus incompletely metabolized alcohol – acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is what is responsible for that hung-over feeling, with nervous irritability. A little parable to illustrate (paraphrased).
The Story of Lot
God told Lot to take his family and leave Sodom because he couldn’t find ten good men and He was going to destroy it. The last commandment to Lot and his family was “Do Not Look Back”. (Do not look back at the past and grieve.)
Lot, being a man, did not ask for directions. And Lot’s wife, being a woman, didn’t listen and turned around to see where they had been. And she was turned into a pillar of SALT.
Natrum muriaticum is the most used homeopathic remedy for grief – particularly old grief. Remember: the Nat. mur. personality “never forgives or forgets”. If this little story makes you sigh, Ignatia amara is the more acute remedy for grief and is often characterized by sighing (the Large Intestine and the Lung Meridians are paired).
Lot sighed and took his daughters up the mountain.
There are of course, many other remedies for grief and shock such as Aconitum, Arsenicum album, etc.
Living in the Future
Another mode of existence is living in the future, which evokes the emotion of FEAR!
I call this mode the “What if syndrome”. “What if I lose my job?” “What if I don’t have the surgery?” “What if my son gets in trouble?” Ad infinitum! These are all expressions of fear of the future.
This existential mode evokes the emotion of FEAR! Fear affects the Kidney Meridian which is paired with the Bladder Meridian. “I was so scared, I wet myself!”
The Kidney provides energy to the Adrenals and Spleen’s “Nutrient Yin” required for an intact immune system. With fear, the energy instead of rising goes downward, creating cold, dampness in the spleen and results in setting the stage for fungal invasion. The end result is immune compromise.
Back to the Story of Lot
Lot and his daughters continued up the mountain and reached a cave after having fled Sodom. His daughters became worried that there were no men left with whom they could bear children. (At that time, it was a woman’s lot – no pun intended – to bear children. They feared the future). They decided to give their “grieving” father wine, intoxicating him and then to “lie” with him that they might have children. (Fear of the future can lead us to do things that go against our very moral fiber.) Lot’s daughters each had a child and they became the enemies of Israel.
Homeopathic remedies for fear of the future include: Arsenicum album, Gelsemium sempervirens, Argentum nitricum, etc.
There are nine kinds of fear and each is associated with an organ, so matching organ specific remedies with the patient’s mental state has proven beneficial. The old homeopathics were based on the mentals.
Simple Existentialism
“Living for today”
There is a little saying (by Author Unknown)
Yesterday is History
Tomorrow is a Mystery
Today is a Gift
That is why it is called:
“THE PRESENT”
- People who live in grief (the past) and fear (the future) have not said; “I love you” enough today.
- People who are afraid of death and want to live forever have not said; “I love you” enough today.
- People who grieve for lost loved ones forever, grieve for themselves because they did not say; “I love you” enough to the lost one.
- Love must be unconditional, not:
“I love you if you love me” or “I love you if you behave in a certain way”
Approval is not a prerequisite to love, acceptance is. - We tend to get caught up in our work and careers and worrying about money, security, war, etc. and we forget the importance of the love we have for each other.
There is nothing More IMPORTANT!
- There is nothing more powerful and life sustaining than the emotion of love that comes from telling those you love, “I love you!”
- There is nothing more comforting and healing than a HUG
Where to Find Love?
The Existential Levels of Love
Generally one progresses through each level, always retaining the feelings of those before.
EROS – Love on the Physical Plane
- Care for the physical well-being of others
- Physical pleasure given and received from others
- The physician cares for the physical health of his patients
- A friend hugs a friend
- Sexual pleasure between a couple
- Caring for the physical well being of your family
- Hugging and caressing family and friends
- Care and concern for our physical environment (Mother Earth)
AGAPE – The desire to create out of love
- Friendships
- Marriage
- Family – Children
- Art – life-works, etc.
PHILOS – Brotherly love, the Christ’s love
- “As you love me, so you shall love my flock”
- Letting someone into your lane in traffic
- Helping out your neighbors
- Visiting a senior citizens home or orphanage
–> The simplest act of love and kindness is a giant step to world peace and toward empowering and strengthening our self-esteem.
–> Self-esteem is simply the ability to love and accept ourselves – good and not so good.
–> Loving and forgiving ourselves is a prerequisite to loving and forgiving others.
LASTLY: “DEVELOP THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE”
Give thanks, everyday, for those you love and all at that love you.
Loneliness Versus Aloneness
One can be alone in a crowd if you do not relate to others. In not doing so, we become progressively more isolated until we experience loneliness. Freedom, fulfillment and love come with open sharing of ourselves with others.
Research has shown that depression is predominant in people (particularly senior citizens) who spend more that seven of their waking hours alone – a new qualification for being a Senior Citizen? With loss of extended family, depression has become epidemic. Anti-depressants are not the answer – love, caring and attention from others is the cure.
Let Us Be More “Child-Like” and Less “Childish”
–> A child’s love is unconditional as should our love be.
–> No one learns to be loving through acts of cruelty.
–> Love begets Love
–> Hate generates Hate
Think of the beautiful little children’s song and the song the child within us should sing. I can hear my daughter singing it when she was a little tike:
Skin-a-ma-rink-a-dink
Skin-a-ma-rink-a-do
I love you
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon
I love you in the evening beneath the halo’d moon.
The Role of MORA Bio-Resonance Therapy
If one considers that our being consists of the physical, mental and emotional states that exist as one – that can not be dichotomized, and that all emit and respond to the resonance phenomena – then, the rationale for the application of the concepts of MORA therapy becomes clear.
Once you have measured your points, and found the appropriate remedies, look up the mentals in your repertory. You may then select a more appropriate one and have some basis for discussion with your patient.
Using the various treatment programs affects all the levels of energy. Being cognizant that there are mental and emotional dimensions to all our existence, serves to intensify your therapy.
An exclusive article for Affiliates
From THE BRIDGE Newsletter of OIRF
Published June 02, 2005
Redaction by: Carolyn L. Winsor, OIRF
© Copyright 2005, Dr. Alexander A. Wood, Ontario, Canada
