THE REACTION OF THE PHYSICAL

As we have stated in our Foreword, there is a constant action and reaction between the Mental States and the Physical Conditions. In this book, from the nature of our subject, we have started with the phase of the Mental State and worked from that point to the consideration of the Physical Condition. In the same way, many physiologists start from the phase of the Physical Condition, and work up to the Mental State. But, starting from either phase, the candid investigator must admit that there is an endless chain of action and reaction between Mind and Body—between Body and Mind.

This action and reaction works along the lines of building-up as well as tearing-down. For instance, if a person’s Mental States are positive, optimistic, cheerful and uplifting, the body will respond and the Physical Conditions will improve. The Physical Conditions, thus improving, will react upon the Mental States giving them a clearness and strength greater than previously manifested. The improved Mental State again acts upon the Physical Conditions, improving the latter still further. And so on, an endless chain of cause and effect, each effect becoming a cause for a subsequent effect, and each cause arising from a preceding effect. Likewise, a depressed, harmful Mental State will act upon the Physical Conditions, which in turn will react upon the Mental States, and so on, in an endless chain of destructive cause and effect. It is a striking illustration of the old Biblical statement: “To him who hath shall be given; to him who hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.” In improving either the Mental State or the Physical Condition, one gives an uplift to the whole process of action and reaction; while, whatever adversely affects either Mental State or Physical Condition, starts into operation a depressing and destructive process of action and reaction. The ideal to be aimed at is, of course, “A healthy Mind in a healthy Body”—and the two are so closely related that what affects one, favorably or unfavorably, is sure to react upon the other.

Just as the influence of the Mental States over the Physical Conditions has been shown to operate by means of the Sympathetic Nervous System (controlled of course by the Subconscious Mind), so the influence of Physical Conditions over Mental States may be explained in physiological terms. In order to understand the reaction of the Body upon the Mind, we have but to recall the fact that the Subconscious Mind is the builder and preserver of the very brain-cells which are used by the Conscious Mind in manifesting thought. And also, that the entire Nervous System, both Cerebro-Spinal as well as Sympathetic, is really under the control of the Subconscious Mind so far as growth and nourishment is concerned. The very brain and nerve-centers in and through which is manifested thought, feeling, emotion, and will, are nourished by the Sympathetic System, and are hurt by anything affecting the latter. The Sympathetic System joins all parts of the organism so closely together that trouble in one part is reflected in other parts. Just as depressing thoughts will cause the organs to function improperly, so will the improper functioning of an organ tend to produce depressing thoughts.

Herbert A. Parkyn, M. D., well states the action and reaction of Mind and Body, as follows: “A tree is much like a human being. Give it plenty of fresh air, water and a rich soil, and it will flourish. In the same degree in which it is deprived of these does it wilt, and the first part of the tree to wilt when the nutrition becomes imperfect is the top. This is owing to the force of gravity; the blood of the tree, the sap, having to overcome this force of nature when nourishing the highest leaves. The blood of man is also affected by this same force, and the moment a man’s circulation begins to run down, owing to stinted nutrition, we find that the first symptoms of trouble appear in the head.... The brain failing to receive its accustomed amount of blood, such troubles as impaired memory, inability to concentrate the attention, sleeplessness, nervousness, irritableness, the blues and slight headaches develop; and the impulses sent all over the body becoming feebler, the various organs do not perform their functions as satisfactorily as usual. The impulses to the stomach and bowels becoming weaker and weaker, dyspepsia, or constipation, or both, soon follow. As soon as these, the main organs of nutrition, are out of order, nutrition fails rapidly and more ‘head symptoms’ develop. Every impulse of the muscular system leaves the brain, and the strength of these impulses depends upon the nutrition to the brain centers controlling the various groups. As the nutrition to these centers declines, the whole muscular system, including the muscles of the bowels, becomes weaker and the patient complains that he exhausts easily. The impulses for elimination becoming weaker, waste products remain in the circulation, and any of the evils, which naturally follow this state of affairs, such as rheumatism, sick-headache, biliousness, etc., are likely to develop. The centers of the special senses feeling the lessening of the vital fluid, such troubles as impaired vision, impaired hearing, loss of appetite (sense of taste) and inability to detect odors quickly soon follow. The sense of touch becomes more acute, and it is for this reason that one in poor health becomes hypersensitive. Lowered circulation in the mucous membrane of the throat and nose is often the cause of nasal catarrh appearing on the scene as an early symptom.”

It will thus be seen that the Physical Conditions, perhaps originally caused by depressing Mental States, have brought about a state of affairs in which the brain is imperfectly nourished and which consequently cannot think properly. The liver being out of order, the spirits are depressed; the brain being imperfectly nourished, the attention and will are weakened, and the patient finds it hard to use his mind to influence his bodily conditions. The bowels not moving properly, the waste-products poison the circulation, and the brain is unable to think clearly. In fact, the whole physical system is often so disturbed that a condition known as “nervous prostration” sets in, in which it is practically impossible for the patient to hold the Mental States which will improve the Physical Conditions. In these cases outside help is generally necessary, unless in cases where a sudden shock, or an urgent necessity arouses the latent mental forces of the individual, and he asserts the power that is in him, and begins to reverse the chain of cause and effect and to start on the upward climb.

The following additional quotation from Dr. Parkyn, gives us a vivid insight into the effect upon the Mental States of abnormal Physical Conditions: Dr. Parkyn says: “No organ of the body can perform its functions properly when the amount of blood supplied to it is insufficient, and we find, when the blood supply to the brain is not up to the normal standard, that brain functions are interfered with to a degree corresponding to the reduction in the circulation. Since the amount of blood normally supplied to the brain is lessened in nervous prostration, we find that the memory fails and the ability to concentrate the attention disappears. The reasoning power becomes weakened and the steadiest mind commences to vacillate. Fears and hallucinations of every description may fill the mind of a patient at this stage, and every impression he receives is likely to be greatly distorted or misconstrued. Melancholia with a constant fear of impending danger is often present. In fact, the brain seems to lose even the power to control its functions, and the mind becomes active day and night.... The reduction of the nutrition to the brain lessens the activity of all the cerebral centers also, and digestion becomes markedly impaired, thereby weakening the organ itself upon which the supply of vital force depends.”

The physiologist is able to furnish a great variety of illustrations of the effect of Physical Conditions over Mental States. He shows that many cases of mental trouble are due to eye-strain, and other muscular disturbances, and that serious mental complaints sometimes arise by reason of physical lesions. The very terms used to designate certain abnormal mental states show the relation, as for instance, melancholia which is derived from the Greek words meaning “black bile”; and hysteria, which is derived from the Greek word meaning “the womb; or uterus.” Every one knows the Mental States produced by a sluggish liver, or by dyspepsia, or from constipation. We all know the difference between our mental capacity for thinking when we are tired, as contrasted with that accompanying the refreshed physical condition. No man, whatever his philosophy, can truthfully claim to be able to maintain a placid, even disposition, and a perfectly controlled temper, when he is suffering from a boil on the back of his neck. And, all know that after indulging in the midnight “Welsh rarebit,” one is apt to dream of his grandmother’s ghost, or see dream elephants with wings. All know the delirium produced by overindulgence in liquor, and the hallucinations that accompany fever. The effect of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol upon the Mental States are well known. “Philip drunk” is a very different mentality from “Philip sober.” The Mental States accompanying particular diseases are well known to physicians. One disease predisposes the sufferer to gloominess, while another will induce a state of feverish hilarity. Some leading authorities now hold that many cases of insanity are really due to abnormal conditions of the blood, rather than to any diseased condition of the brain.

One of the most marked instances of the action and reaction of Mental States and Physical Conditions is met with in the activities of the sexual organism. Psychologists very properly hold that sexual excesses and abnormalities are largely due to improper thinking, that is, by allowing the attention and interest to dwell too strongly and continuously upon subjects connected with the activities of that part of the physical system. Mental treatment along the lines of Suggestive Therapeutics has resulted in curing many persons of troubles of this sort. But, note the correlated fact—excess and abnormalities of the kind mentioned, almost invariably react upon the mentality of the person indulging in them, and softening of the brain, paralysis, or imbecility have often arisen directly from these physical abuses. It will be seen that any sane treatment of these troubles must take into consideration both Body and Mind. In the same way it is a fact that just as certain Mental States, notably those of fear, worry, grief, jealousy, etc., will injuriously affect the organs of digestion and assimilation, so will imperfect functioning of these organs tend to produce depressing mental states similar to those just mentioned. Many instances of the strange correspondences are met with in the study of physiological-psychology, or psychological-physiology.

In order to more fully appreciate the relation between the Body and the Mind, let us read the following lines from Prof. Halleck: “Marvelous as are the mind’s achievements, we must note that it is as completely dependent upon the nervous system as is a plant upon sun, rain and air. Suppose a child of intelligent parents were ushered into the world without a nerve leading from his otherwise perfect brain to any portion of his body, with no optic nerve to transmit the glorious sensations from the eye, no auditory nerve to conduct the vibrations of the mother’s voice, no tactile nerves to convey the touch of a hand, no olfactory nerve to rouse the brain with the delicate aroma from the orchards and the wild flowers in spring, no gustatory, thermal or muscular nerves. Could such a child live, as the years rolled on, the books of Shakespeare and of Milton would be opened in vain before the child’s eyes. The wisest men might talk to him with utmost eloquence, all to no purpose. Nature could not whisper one of her inspiring truths into his deaf ear, could not light up that dark mind with a picture of the rainbow or of a human face. No matter how perfect might be the child’s brain and his inherited capacity for mental activities, his faculties would remain for this life shrouded in Egyptian darkness. Perception could give memory nothing to retain, and thought could not weave her matchless fabrics without materials.”

The very feelings or emotions themselves are so closely related to the accompanying physical expressions, that it is difficult to distinguish between cause and effect, or indeed to state positively which really is the cause of the other. Prof. William James, in some of his works, strongly indicates this close relation, as for instance when he says: “The feeling, in the coarser emotions, result from the bodily expression.... My theory is that the bodily changes follow directly the perception of the exciting fact, and that our feeling of the same changes as they occur is the emotion.... Particular perceptions certainly do produce widespread bodily effects by a sort of immediate physical influence, antecedent to the arousal of an emotion or emotional idea.... Every one of the bodily changes, whatsoever it may be, is felt, acutely or obscurely, the moment it occurs.... If we fancy some strong emotion, and then try to abstract from our consciousness of it all the feelings of its bodily symptoms, we have nothing left behind.... A disembodied human emotion is a sheer nonentity. I do not say that it is a contradiction in the nature of things, or that pure spirits are necessarily condemned to cold intellectual lives; but I say that for us emotion disassociated from all bodily feelings is inconceivable. The more closely I scrutinize my states, the more persuaded I become that whatever ‘coarse’ affections and passions I have are in very truth constituted by, and made up of, those bodily changes which we ordinarily call their expression or consequence.... But our emotions must always be inwardly what they are, whatever may be the physiological ground of their apparition. If they are deep, pure, worthy, spiritual facts on any conceivable theory of their physiological source, they remain no less deep, more spiritual, and worthy of regard on this present sensational theory.”

A deeper consideration of the relation between Mind and Body would necessitate our invading the field of metaphysical speculation, which we have expressed our intention to avoid doing. Enough for the purposes of our present consideration is: the recognition that each individual is possessed of a mind and a material body; that these two phases or aspects of himself are closely related by an infinite variety of ties and filaments; that these two phases of his being act and react upon each other constantly and continuously; that in all considerations of the questiontion of either mental or physical well-being, or both, that both of these phases of being must be considered; that any system of therapeutics which ignores either of these phases, is necessarily “one-sided” and incomplete; and that, while, for convenience and clearness of specialized thinking, we may consider the Mind and the Body as separate and independent of each other, yet, we must, in the end, recognize their interdependence, mutual relation, action and reaction.

Thus, the New Psychology recognizes the importance of the Body, while the New Physiology recognizes the importance of the Mind. And, in the end, we feel that both physiology and psychology must be recognized as being but two different phases of one great science—the Science of Life.