MY WORK
Historically, there has been a divide in the notion of health. Western medicine has focused merely in the physical body ignoring the relationship between the emotional cause and its symptom. This mind-body dichotomy has always been rejected by the Oriental medicine. In this divide, the latter was devalued due to its lack of objectivity and was cast aside (however, the recent development of electronic measuring tools for example, as contributed somewhat to the authenticity and reliability in ancient Oriental medicine). In our western societies the range of psychiatry parted from physical medicine due to its close relation to feelings and emotions.
Dr. Verini points out the need to understand how; departing from psychic processes (immaterial processes) we can assess the impact on the physical body (molecular biology, material processes). It is clearly understood that a physical malaise of the Central Nervous System (biochemistry, anatomy) can alter the psychic function (eg, vascular and cerebral disorders that have an effect in the mind and psyche). The above explains thus, the impact that a psychological issue such as stress may have in the physical body. Because of this correlation, something as immaterial as an emotion or thought becomes something as tangible as a disease.
Chinese medicine was the first of its kind in offering answers to the above questions. Ancient Chinese medicine asserts that our emotions are not only linked to our body but more specifically to our organs. Thus, it is only by matching aches and pains with the array of feelings of those who suffer them, that we can effectively treat them. Following this premise, fear for example, is linked to pain or discomfort in the kidneys and bladder, while sadness affects our lungs.
Dr. Verini’s suggests that there is no division between psychic and physical processes. Both processes present themselves simultaneously as part of life. In the same way, energy can be wave and particle at the same time -electromagnetic and material phenomena- photon/ light. Hence, we can infer that in a human being; the particle represents the physical body while the waves are in the domain of the mind, i.e. our psyche.
A disease is then not only physical in its origin, but a condition that presents itself as a part of ontogenic, biographical and transpersonal notions.
It is of common knowledge that we react in different ways to stimuli in the environment. Depending on whether the sensation we perceive is pleasant or disturbing; when it is pleasant energy flows throughout our body evenly, a disturbing one on the contrary, can be rejected by our mind. The mind works then to neutralize these sensations in the body by means of muscle reactions. These reactions block the energy flow produced by negative feelings and prevent them invading our bodies.
The demands of modern life make us indifferent to this retained emotional baggage. The continuous pressure we feel to make our achievements profitable ultimately neglects our needs as individuals. When this lack of balance between the two is not satisfied, the energy retained by emotional tensions results in a physical pathology such as; gastric ulcer, muscle stiffness, infertility, cancer etc. In addition, these repressed emotions can also manifest in psychic symptoms such as phobia, depression, eating disorders etc.
When a wish or impulse cannot be fulfilled or an emotion cannot be expressed, where does it go? The blocked emotion has a direct effect on the body. Then the disease translates itself as a new ‘language’. This language can convey meaning only to those who are able to know how interpret it.
To our society, the presence of physical symptoms is acceptable but never linked to the expression of emotions. Thus, these ‘socially tolerated’ symptoms often replace repressed emotions.
Our health system deals solely with the symptoms, “curing” though neglecting the emotional cause which originate them in the first place. While the cause and the symptoms are medically treated, the repressed emotion lays dormant, awaiting to present itself in other areas of the body.
Family, educators and society gives us a sense of what is right and what is wrong, instilling within us a rigid structure which represses our emotions. The more rigid the model is, the less room we have to express what we feel. Emotional tension then accumulates like the lava of a volcano. This volcano of bottled up emotions then explodes and turns into a palpable set of symptoms.
Dr. Verini suggests that psychic phenomena (phobia, depression, eating disorders etc.) and/or physical phenomena (gastric ulcer, muscle stiffness, infertility, cancer, or neurological degenerative diseases) have therefore simply an unresolved nucleus or trauma.
Dr Verini’s technique allows to access the depths of our past individual experiences. That is, what we do not have knowledge of, but which is lays beyond our conscious. Everything that happens in our lives has an impact on our bodies and is recorded at cell level. Good or bad news produce a bodily reaction. Emotions are lodged within cells and have great influence in the way we choose to act when faced with similar situations. When one experiences a traumatic situation, the event itself merges with the emotions experienced. Eventually, while the event may be forgotten, similar situations can trigger the same emotions we felt in the past.
Our body is like a computer. We carry information that can be modified and the ability to eliminate patterns that prevent us from suffering from stress. Dr. Verini accesses the information that has been stored throughout our life. This way, he manages to enter the core of any trauma hidden in our unconscious mind affecting us physically. By allowing us to access the origin of the pathology suffered, we can re write its contents and isolate the causes of the current disorder.
This technique helps avoiding a behaviour used as mean to resist treatment and ultimately healing. Our bodies allow access to archived memories and events deeply rooted at unconscious level.