|
|
|
Immunology – The Bridge Between Two Worlds,
In the previous issue I wrote a bit about our immune system and commented that; more than any other organ or system in our body, the immune system is a dynamic system that can change its structure and function. While we can’t feel the ebb and flow of our immune function, if our immune system is structurally intact and nutritionally supported, then as our consciousness changes so does our immunologic activity. As well documented by Dr. Steven Locke, ANY prolonged change in our consciousness will cause a change in our immune function. The Immune System maintains the boundary between what is the “essence” of each of us from the dangers of the world, both from within and outside of ourselves. How can a small change in our consciousness shift our immune function? We know that as our mood and focus change so does the balance of neurotransmitters (brain hormones). But how can a tiny shift in the balance of our neurotransmitters, measured in picograms, result in a series of events powerful enough to potentially shift the course of a life threatening disease? There must be more to it. Perhaps we can find some of the answers if we look at the edge of objective reality, in that branch of physics called Quantum Mechanics. In a study reported in the February 26 issue of Nature (Vol. 391), researchers demonstrated one of the most bizarre premises of Quantum Mechanics, that by the very act of watching an experiment, the observer affects the recorded reality. The experiment further revealed that the greater the amount of “watching,” the greater the observer’s influence on what actually takes place and is recorded. Watching something is a state of focused consciousness, thus, our consciousness can cause measurable changes in the world within and around us. To understand how this is possible we have to look at the basis of physics, which is mathematics. Specifically, we have to look at an obscure, complex branch of mathematics called chaos theory. While chaos theory is beyond our discussion for now, one small application of it is of great interest. In March, 1963, Dr Edward Lorenz, a MIT meteorologist speculated, in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, that the formation of a hurricane in Texas may be contingent on whether or not a butterfly in Brazil had flapped its wings several weeks before. His mathematical proof is based on chaos theory and concludes that a small change at one place in a deterministic nonlinear system (our Quantum universe) can result in very large differences to a later state of reality. Hence the Butterfly Effect was born into modern physics, popular literature and the movies. Our consciousness is more powerful than a butterfly’s wing beat because a butterfly seems to lack the force of consciousness necessary to shift quantum experiments. It’s not just a question of focus; it’s also a question of prolonged change. There are many techniques that can transiently shift our consciousness including prayer, meditation, guided visualization and affirmations. In rare cases these techniques may be enough to change our consciousness enough so as to dis-inhibit the immune system and allow it to stop a disease process. However, in my experience they’re generally not – not for the kinds of SICK patients that we see with advanced severe and chronic diseases. For these patients a deeper, more profound change is needed, one where all of a sudden, like a light bulb being switched on, they have an epiphany and say AH HA!!! In our experience, this is best accomplished with process-oriented psychotherapy, which is a branch of Jungian psychology. This form of therapy is designed to be short-term, which is necessary because most of the patients that we work with don’t have the luxury of time in their disease process to do long-term work. An excellent example of a similar type of short-term, life changing work can be found in the Option Process as described in the wonderful book Happiness is a Choice by Barry Kaufman. When working with patients with severe and chronic diseases, a careful evaluation of the immune system is necessary if you are going to use immuno-therapy as a primary therapeutic modality. Once the imbalances have been corrected, or compensated for, a little push is often necessary to get the ball rolling in the right direction. To use an example from chaos theory, imagine a ball just barely balancing on the very peak of a small symmetrical hill. The direction that the ball will eventually roll may be determined by ... who is watching it, whereas the level of function of your Natural Killer cells may be affected by how you were feeling about yourself while you watched it roll and bounce away. Thump, thump.
Jesse A. Stoff, MD, MDH, FAAFP is a licensed Medical Doctor, a Certified Naturopathic Physician, a Certified Acupuncturist, and a licensed Homeopathic Physician. He has authored/co-authored dozens of articles and 8 books including co-authoring the bestsellers Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Hidden Epidemic and The Prostate Miracle. Contact him at East End Wellness Center, Riverhead, N.Y. 631-591-2288. eastendwellnesscenter.com |
||||||||||||||
