CONTENTS
Introduction
1 Nervous anxiety ~ Self-control
2 Depression ~ Humour
3 Jealousy ~ Acceptance
4 Death ~ Birth
5 Grief ~ Sympathy
6 Loneliness ~ Friendship
7 Guilt ~ Self-denial
8 Hate ~ Love
9 Fear ~ Communication
10 Sadness ~ Happiness
11 Obsession ~ Common sense
12 Stress/Tension ~ Relaxation
13 Addiction ~ Self-will
14 Frustration ~ Fulfilment
15 Senility ~ Compassion
16 Work Resentment ~ Job Satisfaction
17 Mid-life Crisis ~ Hormonal Balance
18 Revenge ~ Forgiveness
19 Insomnia ~ Meditation
20 Pain ~ Comfort
21 Rejection ~ Faith
22 Despair ~ Hope
Bibliography
Useful Addresses
OTHER TITLES BY THE SAME AUTHOR
By Appointment Only series:
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Cancer and Leukaemia
Heart and Blood Circulatory Problems
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The Miracle of Life
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Realistic Weight Control
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Stomach and Bowel Disorders
Stress and Nervous Disorders
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Life Without Arthritis – The Maori Way
Who’s Next?
INNER HARMONY
Achieving Physical, Mental and Emotional Well-being
Jan de Vries
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Epub ISBN: 9781780570433
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Copyright © Jan de Vries, 1998
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First published in Great Britain in 1998 by
MAINSTREAM PUBLISHING COMPANY (EDINBURGH) LTD
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Reprinted 1999 (twice), 2000
ISBN 1 84018 062 5
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INTRODUCTION
One of the reasons that prompted me to write this book was a gentleman who sat across from me at my clinic in Harley Street. He looked a very ill and very worried man, and he was very hesitant in sharing his problems with me. Finally he plucked up courage and informed me that he considered life was no longer worth living. He confided that he felt suicidal and didn’t know how much longer he could last. He was a self-employed businessman and he told me that some time ago one of his best customers had gone bankrupt, owing him more than £60,000, which in turn had caused him to be declared bankrupt. Not only had his business folded, but shortly after that he had lost his only child. A few months later, when arriving home, he found that a number of his household possessions had disappeared. His wife had left him, together with many of their shared possessions, leaving him a note with the message that she would not be back. Somehow, he had still managed to cope, until his only remaining friend, his dog, fell ill and died. At this stage his own health suffered a serious setback and a series of colds developed into bronchitis.
It reminded me of the three bodies of man: physical, mental and emotional, the last of these under more threat than the other two in today’s society. When I look at such a suicidal history, I search frantically for ways in which I can help such a desperate person. I started by explaining that any imbalance in the three bodies causes a disharmony in the entire system, which results in physical, mental and emotional pain and anguish. Then it was time to turn to the positive aspects, and I told him that when I worked in China, I had always admired the three temples in Peking: the temples of supremacy, perfection and harmony.
I informed my patient that if these physical, mental and emotional bodies are out of harmony, which was the case with him, the body becomes ill and stressed, and nervous anxiety and fatigue take over. He admitted that this indeed was his experience. I then spoke to him about positive influences, and from recent conversations it is clear that he is gradually becoming a happier person. He has come round to believing that maybe, after picking up the pieces, life may now be better than when he was younger, as he now finds more peace and happiness.
Often in a person’s life crises come and go, and whether they are regarded as incidence or coincidence they are part of the forming process of life, preparing us for problems that may arise and, as so often happens, providing us with the knowledge and tools to be of help to others.
In today’s society the three bodies of man are under constant attack. Stress has a lot to answer for. Emotional trauma can lead to degenerative diseases, and one must understand the meaning of harmony between left and right, yin and yang, positive and negative.
In writing this book I have drawn on my experiences of forty years with patients, and hopefully the reader may be guided in some of the more difficult situations in life when there is no help at hand. It goes without saying that I have learned a tremendous amount from my patients over all these years, and it is to be hoped that some of my experiences may be of assistance to others when they have to deal with the stressful situations or dilemmas that life has in store for us.
Chapter 1
NERVOUS ANXIETY ~ SELF-CONTROL
Not a single day passes when I do not see several patients who suffer from nervous anxiety. Life today is stressful because of influences on our emotions, and when anxieties get out of control something needs to be done. Unfortunately, many of us are familiar with tension and anxiety, as these feelings are common in our hectic lives. Frequently patients cannot even describe what they are feeling because it is often a gradually increasing pressure, and as long as the anxiety is not too severe, one has the tendency to leave well alone. It may start with being a little impatient. Children or partners are seen as a bit of a nuisance. You may become irritable and find it difficult to concentrate. Stress often expresses itself in insomnia: either not being able to fall asleep, or being unable to remain asleep during the night. Small issues and not being able to deal with the demands of your job can cause an unrealistically high degree of anxiety. Physically, the effects of stress can result in constipation, diarrhoea, sexual problems, aggressive tendencies, insecurity, rapid heartbeat, headaches or dizziness.
Whatever the cause or the symptoms of the anxiety, it can be dealt with in many ways. Some people benefit from gentle relaxation exercises, relaxing body and mind, while others find relief in hard physical exercise. As each individual is different, instinct often tells you what is most suitable for you, because the body’s own way of coping with such a situation is usually the best. However, there is no value whatsoever in telling someone that he or she will just have to learn to live with it. A person suffering from anxiety needs help, because the condition is more likely to deteriorate than improve. It is advisable to act at an early stage and develop a measure of self-control over your state of mind. Sometimes an anxious mind can cause pain and discomfort, and this should be recognised as a warning signal. Please do not sit back and let it overcome you, but take determined action before it is too late.
Patients are sometimes curious to know if I have ever suffered from nervous anxiety, and I am the first to admit that, of course, I have had my disappointments and moments when life did not come up to expectations. In many instances, my experiences with patients have provided me with valuable information on how to cope with my own anxiety.
If we want to master anxiety we must first know something of its nature and ask ourselves what nervous anxiety really is. The question is simple enough, but not so the answer. Even psychiatrists and psychologists cannot quite agree on this. We know that the brain receives a great number of nervous impulses, some of which are conscious and others that are subconscious. The impulses arise from different areas: from the external environment, from the body itself and from the mind. The information concerning the external environment comes to the brain via our five senses. We are well aware of the sensations and a great deal of subconscious information comes to the brain from all parts of the body. This is an extremely complex process, and it can cause a lot of problems and conflicts. The impulses from the environment, the body and the mind are integrated, and negative impulses often become too much to cope with. The body’s response to anxiety can be many and varied. When our heart rate increases, blood is diverted and blood pressure rises, and this is a sure sign that the body is preparing itself for action or flight.
The body has many self-regulating mechanisms, for instance those that control body temperature, fluid balance and the chemical concentrations in the blood. When the sympathetic nervous system becomes very active, a self-regulating mechanism calls the parasympathetic system into action to balance the effect of the over-active sympathetic system. The brain has a major task to perform. When more messages arrive than the brain can handle, we approach a state of anxiety. The level at which this happens varies according to the individual. Our mental ability may become stressed by the situation and in its mobilised state the mind becomes unusually alert, often too alert, and then develops a pathological over-alertness which becomes so active that even an unexpected noise could affect our situation.
This over-alertness shows itself in many ways. When a person becomes distressed, the anxiety sometimes becomes so dramatic that self-control is easily lost. At this stage a person may act out of character, as his or her common sense is affected. Unfortunately, in some cases the anxious state has progressed this far because all warnings have been ignored. We are often reminded of nervous tension we have experienced before, and most of us are familiar with the obvious signs. Anxiety will manifest itself in a multitude of ways, however, and some of these are of such a nature that we are often misled by the symptoms.
In one of my clinics I saw a young woman in her mid-thirties who told me that her doctor had diagnosed her as suffering from nervous anxiety. She informed me of her symptoms in a slightly agitated manner, but she was nevertheless very descriptive. She explained that when awakening in the morning she often had butterflies in her stomach. She did not feel like getting up and the thought of yet another day was enough to depress her. She felt incompetent at work and worried that she would be unable to cope. Anxious about the future, she asked me for advice. She had told me about her symptoms, but I chatted with her in order to find out more about the underlying problems. We discussed some relaxation exercises and a low-stress diet avoiding products with a high protein and high fat content. Furthermore, I recommended that she take Dr Vogel’s Centaurium, twice a day, fifteen drops before meals, together with two Neuroforce tablets after meals twice a day.
Somewhat to my surprise, she told me that she had read about Centaurium but had always understood that it was designed to combat loss of appetite and stomach disorders. She was indeed well informed, but I reassured her that she too would benefit from a homoeopathic solution of Centaurium. Centaurium also has an effect on the vegetative nervous system, which lies below the navel. Especially when incorrect breathing is involved, the vegetative nervous system can become very tense, and problems such as those my patient had described can be experienced: feeling uncomfortable, feeling tired, butterflies in the stomach. Often the metabolic system is also involved and help is necessary in order to regain the balance. Centaurium contains the extract of cornflower and is a very useful remedy to settle problems of the vegetative nervous system. At her third visit to the clinic my patient told me with a laugh that the butterflies had left her stomach.
Once she felt more relaxed, she admitted that initially she had been very apprehensive and that it had taken a lot of effort to pluck up the courage to make an appointment to see me. This is not unusual in cases of nervous anxiety, as one of the symptoms of the condition is that people can become very apprehensive about new experiences and making decisions. There is a fear of the unknown, and patients are often afraid of sharing or discussing their problems with others.
There is actually a considerable difference between nervous anxiety and nervous tension. True apprehension is an indication of nervous tension, where relaxation is necessary. Very often nervous tension expresses itself in the manner of irritability, insomnia, fatigue, depression, lack of concentration, difficulty in communicating, phobias and phobic tension, obsession, restlessness, stuttering and other similar symptoms. Symptoms of nervous anxiety, on the other hand, are palpitations, slow and fast heartbeat, nervous dyspepsia, constipation, possible impotence, headaches, and so on. The common causes of anxiety present themselves in several ways. A disharmony between the three bodies often displays itself in marital and sexual problems, aggression and insecurity.
Nervous anxiety is an immense problem, and many people have difficulty controlling this without help from outside, i.e. taking medication, adopting a low-stress diet and exercising self-control. So many people come to me having been to the end of the road and gone through all the channels, and are then put off by the simplicity of my treatment. Once they start, however, they see how much better they feel and how little it takes to be successful in overcoming nervous anxieties.
POSITIVE SELF-CONTROL
Every molecule, every atom of this universe, animate or inanimate, is in constant vibration. Each mineral and each living cell in man, animal or insect vibrates on its own frequency and wavelength. There are also vibrations of sound, colour, smell – and heat and light. In addition, the earth and all its living things are continuously being bombarded by stellar vibrations and cosmic rays of a frequency too high for us to comprehend. Furthermore, the earth is surrounded and criss-crossed by magnetic bands, man-made radio currents. All is vibratory in nature. These are facts and governed by law.
Vibrations of sound can cause pleasure or pain, according to their effect on our emotions. The rhythmic tune will start our feet tapping involuntarily, while a plaintive melody will often cause tears or a lump in the throat. A dog will cry out in pain at the blast of a whistle and will howl painfully at the strains of a violin. There is also power in the human voice, power to influence or to offend. The ancient peoples knew of the power of the spoken word, as is clear from the old proverb ‘A soft answer turneth away wrath’.
Most powerful of all, yet least understood, are the cosmic vibrations. That they exercise a profound influence on our lives cannot be doubted. The energies are there, constant and powerful. It is up to man to harness and use these forces to help himself and his fellow men. Man is a complete entity in himself: body, mind and soul.
Throughout the universe, fatigue is the only thing that invariably leads to distortion and destruction. The human body is no exception to this. In such cases the joints become strained, and skeletal relationships are changed. Muscles operating around such joints are stretched. The alkalinity of the body is lost because of fatigue toxins becoming acid in reaction and the cellular structure loses its potential. By analysing the distortion and applying certain rules, the body can be realigned, the distortion corrected and the destructive change stopped. Only then will the alkalinity be restored and health rebuilt.
One must remember that the force of gravity affects everything, and the study of the human body from this approach is the main theme of this teaching. The four main essentials underlying the preservation of life are food, temperature, rest and elimination. All these factors depend on gravity in its last analysis.
Few men, even those whose business is the study of physics, have understood gravity so well as to grasp the idea that every other law is the outgrowth or manifestation of the fundamental law of gravity. The first attraction that forms a nucleus, and the attraction of a nucleus for its electrons, is through the various chemical reactions made possible by the atoms thus formed. Every force and every energy is directly resolvable for its reason to this law. This force that we call gravity – every source of power, electricity, mineral and vegetable – is only a manifestation, or another phase, of gravity.
The fact is that energy exists in matter in some form or another. It is this ever-present energy that causes both chemical and physical change. Heat alone is sufficient to produce physical change in matter, by altering the form of the energy contained therein, and it is manifested in a change of molecular structure.
In fact matter, almost without exception, can be changed by the addition or subtraction of heat alone. The three phases of change are:
- Gaseous
- Liquid
- Solid
These are the most easily demonstrable states in which matter exists, but each of these three states is again found in either a colloidal or a crystalloidal state. A true colloid with all its very definite properties may be converted by external agents.
The tissues of the body are largely colloidal, and the human body and its diseases are our present concern. Because of this it is necessary to understand the action of colloids and the forces that change them into crystalloids. This change manifests itself as disease. All pain and every abnormal condition of the body is the result of this change.
All living matter has what we call life force. Colloids are extremely sensitive to the action of external agents, due to the softness of their gelatinous colloid particles. Life of the cell depends on the creation and maintenance of an electrical potential, and the various functions of life are due to variations of that potential. Living cells are self-charging condensers built on the fundamental plan of the atom. The solution is the colloid. Electricity is the thread which binds together form and function.
In the human being we find the most positive cells in the brain and its appendages. These cells form the positive pole of the body. The liver is the negative pole of the body because it collects waste products.
The human machine is composed of three parts. First there is the skeleton of bones held together by the ligaments in such a manner as to provide joints. Muscles are applied to introduce motion into these joints and nerves are applied to control the action of the muscles and the blood vessels, thus providing a source of nutrition and waste removal. The second part is the great mind of man, that gift of God that makes us potentially different from our fellow creatures. The third part is the extremely delicate processing and manufacturing plants which are contained within the body and usually designated as the viscera. This processing plant is designed to take in a variety of raw materials and to convert them into products usable by the various components of the manufacturing division. These three parts, while often separated into items for the manipulator, psychiatrist and physician respectively, are actually welded into a single functional unit by the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system, with its chemical counterpart the endocrine system, constitutes the great two-way street by which the three major components of the body are tied into a fundamental and functional unit. Anything, large or small, which happens in one part will be reflected in one or both of the other parts. The general attitude has been a tendency to limit thinking to two parts of this human machine, the mind and the viscera, while ignoring the mechanical and electrical phase. The three should always be considered as a whole, however, as is taught in the sensory motor technique, the triune polarity of existence.
The nervous system performs all the functions of the body. If the motor system is disturbed, excessive or deficient action ensues. Disturbance of the sensory system may result in pain. The sympathetic nervous system is the superintendent of all bodily functions, and we must seek always to establish the circulation of the blood and other fluids. We provide the mould for the creative law, and unless the mould is increased, the substance cannot increase. Man is fundamentally made perfect; disease has no location, no expression.
Every time we think, we are thinking into a receptive, plastic substance which receives the impression of our thoughts. When we stop to realise how subtle thoughts are, how we unconsciously think negatively, how easy it is to become down and out, we see that each man or woman is perpetuating his or her own condition. This is why people go from bad to worse, and from success to great success.
It must be understood that all diseases have a common origin and that this origin is a toxic condition resulting from food fermentation – from life to death. This original cause has a major influence upon the condition of a patient. Often symptoms are frequently examined and treated as the cause. A fast will often cure a disorder, for the simple reason that fasting gives cells of the body a chance to get rid of these toxins. Within every man and woman is a force which directs and controls the entire course of life. It can heal every affliction and ailment to which mankind is exposed.
Energy must flow. Any sore spots are blocks in this energy current at either the positive, negative or neutral poles. One must first locate where this energy block exists and, on discovery, release it. When these triune body currents are re-established, the pain will leave at once and normal activity can take place.
In dealing with the body’s magnetic fields, whether it be for diagnosis or for treatment, the north versus south position is very important for the positive axis of the body. The east versus west position is equally important for the circular axis or the magnetic waves around the long axis. In magnetic healing, it is believed to be best for a patient to be placed with his head facing north in order to get this long axis sweep. Success depends on this long axis and local polarisation of the patient’s own fields, by releasing the sympathetic spasm which is usually located in the sympathetic nervous system.
There are billions of cells in every square inch of tissue in the human body. These cells have an inbuilt intelligence. These cells breathe and excrete waste matter and can even live independently of the human body – and indefinitely. When the Creator gave man his perfect body, he also gave him a complete set of controls to keep this body in perfect order and harmony. Viruses and germs do not cause our aches and pains, or deficiencies and infections. These can never really harm a body that is in a healthy state. Man is a balanced creation of physical, mental and spiritual attributes.
It was said by a great philosopher, Hermes, the Thrice Great, ‘Everything flows out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; rhythm compensates.’ The very same principle manifests itself in these positive, negative and neutral poles, even when we go through the necessary process of breathing. Correct breathing is a major aspect of positive self-control, and to this end breathing exercises can be extremely useful.
Man seems to be the only creature who is not aware of what he is doing or where he is going. Ants and bees, for example, have an advance knowledge of the part they are destined to play throughout their lives. We lack the knowledge of the physiology of the nervous cells, and how the mind is influenced by the state of the organs. It often looks as if man has his priorities wrong; remember that mystical laws became known long before those of physiology.
There is a reason for the slow progress of knowledge of ourselves. The life of small groups has been substituted by the herd. Solitude is looked upon as a punishment, and sometimes as a luxury. Modern civilisation seems incapable of producing people endowed with imagination, intelligence and courage, and discoveries are developed without any consideration of their consequences. Man is actually becoming a stranger in his own world.
There is, however, a possible remedy for this evil, and it rests in a more profound knowledge of ourselves. The science of man has become the most necessary of all sciences. The proposition that man is composed of matter and consciousness is really meaningless. Every body is animated by an invisible power, and this makes the body possess the qualities of a magnet.
Ultimately, it is of no use for us to increase the comfort, the luxury, the beauty and the complications of our civilisation. All this will prove of no value if our weaknesses prevent us from guiding this knowledge to our best advantage. The science of man will, and must be, the task of the future. Soul and body are creations of our methods of observation. The human body is far too complex for us to apprehend it in its entirety. The quality of any individual partly depends on that of his surface, as the brain is continually being moulded by the messages it receives from the outer world. Let us always bear in mind the saying ‘Man Know Thyself’.
Some time ago a young couple brought their ten-week-old baby to me. Due to the death of a close relative during her pregnancy, the young mother had lived through a very stressful period. The birth of the baby was difficult, resulting in a forceps delivery. The mother was obviously very upset when the newborn baby had its first epileptic fit. The fits became worse, and when drugs did not seem to help, the parents brought the baby to me.
As I have done with my own children and grandchildren, I always look first, immediately a baby is born, to see what the breathing is like. This breath that God gives a person to enable him or her to be a living soul is perfect harmony in a baby. Right under the navel, which is the last tie to the mother to be broken when the cord is cut, lies the centre of harmonious breathing. There is no better sound than the wonderful harmonious breathing of a newborn baby, which will change as the child grows up. Unfortunately, when a baby becomes nervous, its breathing becomes more shallow. It no longer follows what we call the Hara breathing method, from right underneath the navel, that is of such tremendous influence on the vegetative nervous system.
This little baby still had good breathing, however, and that was the reason why I was optimistic. I had to apply a small cranial osteopathic adjustment right on the top of its skull, where the forceps had been applied to the cranium. It took no more than a few seconds, but that was all that was needed. There has not been another fit since.
I also advised the mother that in order to help the baby to balance its energy she should put its left hand on its stomach and cover this with its right hand. This would help the baby to relax, and I recommended that she teach this to her child as it grows up. This simple act of placing the left hand below the navel and placing the right hand over it whilst breathing gently relaxes a person and is of great help for positive self-control. When I heard how positively the child had reacted to the cranial adjustment, I was so grateful to the Creator of all life for giving us the means to regain harmony. I was also grateful to my teacher, Denis Brookes, who is a great cranial osteopath, who taught his students: Find it, fix it and leave it.
Positive self-control can be greatly helped by placing the hands on the stomach, in the way described above, and breathing slowly in through the nose, into the stomach, and then exhaling through the nose. This method of relaxation, known as the Hara breathing method, as well as many others, is described in my book Stress and Nervous Disorders.
Avena sativa