Structuralism and the Plant Kingdom: Why the Big 5?

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Big 5 personality traits (MBTI)

 In this book I investigate the posibility of assigning mineral-like ’Stages’ to remedies from the plant kingdom.
To do this we have to define what we mean by a ’Stage’ quite carefully. Dr. Sankaran has described 10 miasms using psychological and physical parameteres such as intensitiy and duration of the complaint.

- Can the same parameters be applied to the Mineral Kingdom?

- Does modern psychology offer any further personality parameters that we can usfully employ to describe a sequence of ascending Stages?

I conclude the debate by offering a chart of all the major A.P.G. (angiosperm phylogeny group) plant families, sorted into fairly obvious and clear-cut Stages. To define stages we first need to define ’normality’.

My first line of research for the book was to familiarise myself with the personality measures and parameters in use today – both the latest edition of the DSM and the WHO use the BIG 5 personality inventory extensively.

On top of this it has become very popular with big business, where it is frequently used by personnel departments to select new staff. It easily hightlighs desirable personality traits, and this gives us as good an indication as any of what society finds desirable in a person. It is not only for boffins and psychologists.
The Big 5 personality inventory has almost become a universal standard of ’normality’ and ’deviance’.
Can we afford to ignore this trend? If not how can we use it?

To start with, lets just enumerate the five factors that are tested in the Big 5 Inventory:

[1] EXTRAVERSION :
Low score indicates reseserved timidity; high score – sociability with a strong sense of ones own status.
[2] AGREEABLENESS : Low suggests altruism and modesty; high toughness and antagonism.
[3] CONSCIENTIOUSNESS : Low impulsive, negligent; High responsible or fastidious.
[4] NEUROTICISM: Low insecure, anxious, emotional; High, relaxed and stable.
[5] OPENESS: Low, bored conservative; High, cultured and creative.

Can you read these descriptions without remedy suggestions popping up? Anacardium? Argentum? Pulsatilla? Arsenicuam? Bellis?

The list of possible remedy (or more properly, rubric) associations provoked by this ’comparative word list’ is virtually endless. This is why I believe that this kind of analysis could be a usefuly intuitve diagnostic tool in Homeopathy.

The modern Big 5 tests described above were derived from the Myers Briggs Indicator, which tested more classical traits, which were described in Jung’s  Psychological Types (1921).


Jung proposed two dichotomous pairs of cognitive functions:

  • The “rational” (judging) functions: thinking and feeling
  • The “irrational” (perceiving) functions: sensing and intuition

He felt that these functions are expressed in either an introverted or extraverted form.

Dichotomies
ATTITUDE       Extraversion (E) - (I) Introversion
PERCEIVING             Sensing (S) - (N) Intuition
JUDGING             Thinking (T) - (F) Feeling

The final dichotomy, added by Myers/Briggs tests an individuals overall preference for thinking (logic) or sensing (empathy).  Further scrutiny of these dichotomies emphasises the differences between individuals requiring remedies from the Mineral Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom or in some cases (consider ‘sensing’ as a possibility) the Animal Kingdom.

preference for the outer world and one’s own action (E) Extraversion  V Introversion (I) preference for inner self and ideas to understand and protect or nurture it
irrational – gathers information by focusing on certain facts  (S) Sensing
V
 Intuitive (N) irrational – gathers information by interpreting patterns, and meanings.
highly rational – decides by using logic and  analysis (T) Thinking
V
 Feeling (F) less rational – decides according to personal values
organises, plans, controls, firm actions – quick to decide (J) Judging   V Perceiving (P) acts with flexibility, spontaneity, and understanding – relatively slow to decide

A more detailed description of the five types can be found on the MBTI entry on Wikipedia.

Just to recap, Jung felt that people were fundamentaly either rational or irrational i.e sensing and feeling or logical and analytical … the same criteria we were taught to use at Homeopathy College to differentiate between KINGDOMS.

 Mineral patients being the more organised, rational individuals. Plant Kingdom patients being more emotional, ’fuzzy’ thinkers, relying on their feelings to make decisions, and Animal patients, also relying on feeling, but much more on sensing than others.

As we now know the more rational, organised and structured approach to life found in Mineral Kingdom individuals correlates well with social position and more importantly, with the chemical structure found in the elements of the periodic table. Hence the popular ‘Element Theory’ in Homeopathy. The system derived from the Element Theory works quite well most of the time, but it can’t be applied too dogmatically…

I would describe one male patient as a Stage 10 Kali! What??? Well, he’s both Kali and Palladium – a confident, original performer with many difficulties relating to work and duty… not as unusual as you might think in these difficult times. Each sphere of endeavour requires consideration, and potentially needs support, and can develop its own sphere of ’Kentian’ pathologies … relating to frustrations at work (Ferrums) or creativity (Silver).

The ‘classical’ (Kentian) approach, with the faithful recording and analysis of rubrics still has a crucial role to play in describing the case and differentiating remedies.

Book synopsis for Homeopathic Informer

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Structuralism and the Plant Kingdom by Stephanie Nile

 

 

Classifications, parameters, scales and tables

‘Structualism and the Plant Kingdom’ is my personal response to the three Homeopathic methods  (Classical, Sensation and Minerals) , that were vying for supremacy during my fours years of attending North West College of Homeopathy.  At college the modern  methods were presented as specialist subects taught by different, learned, exponents of one or the othe r field.

As a result mots graduates left the course favoring one method over another.  Perhaps this trend toward taking sides with one school or another arose from differenes in the actual consultation, or from differences in understanding the Materia Medica, However it came about, the modern schools of homeopathy were seen as seperate and different, with one addressing the problems of the Plant Kingdom and one addressing the Minerals.

Dr. Sankaran went some way towards healing this rift with his two important volumes on “Structure”.  My own book argues that the two methodolgies can be reconiled further by deconstruction of remedy pictures into smaller, simpler elements.  Each element is merely a single aspect of the case or the remedy.

The Miasms, both classical and recent, are quite clearly and manifestly tied to specific diseases such as Syphilis, G.O, T.B and so on.  The concept of a misam is a generalisation derived from deconstruction of the disease state, which comes from symptom by symptom comparison and ranking.  This method of analysis allows us create a valid scale of spectrum for the comparison of symptoms. Hence, we have a general, working model of the parameters that qualify a problems as Sycotic (e.g. overproduction) or Syphilitic (e.g. destructiveness).  The three miasm model was expanded by Dr. Sankaran to ten miasms, which cover the characteristics of the most distinctive types of complaint that he found in clinic.

Even so we still lacked an exhaustive system of categorisation of disease – a ‘theory of everything’!  The next important development in my own homeopathic education came from Misha Norland in the form of a reworking of the classical teachings on consitutional types.  This approach created yet another perfectly valid way of deconstructing completely different aspects of disease into charateristic ‘atoms’ to create a new classification.

Dr. Scholten used the reativity of elements to create yet another classifcation based on a slightly more social and psychological  paradigm which yielded the eithteen stages.  Modern psychologists use five distinctive psyscholocal parametes in the Big-5 inventory of personality traits. Followers of the Enneagram teachings discern nine distinctive personality types.  We could go on adding scales, tables and classification ad infinitum.

The important thing is to decide which is the most useful,  which implies making a decision about which classification suits the patient in front of us.  It is the nature of the presenting complaint which should determine the appropiate method of classification.

All these methods gives a new flexibility and freedom to chart, tabulate or plot the progress of a patient in a number of ways, on any scale we choose.  The only requirement of a valid scale is consistancy – which comes from percieving, measuring and comparing all the variables accurately.

Enjoy learning. Enjoy Homeopathy.

Warmly,

Stephanie Nile.

http://www.miccant.com/informer/informerapril2011.htm

Leprosy Miasm (Compare : HIV and Stage 17)

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The feeling of the Leprosy misam is of intense oppression, intense hopelessness, isolation and an intense desire for change.

LEPROSY:
Disgust. Great contempt Isolation Dirty Hunted
Intense hopelessness Intense oppression
Tears himself. Bites.  Mutilation
Despair Outcast Sadism
Repulsion Loathing
Confine Castaway Seclude

Plant remedies:  Secale, Hura, Ocimum-s, Aloe, Cicuta, Mandragora.

Psychologically, the pace of this Miasm can be quite sudden in its onset, usually there is a serious shock or series of shocks in succession that erode our self respect and confidence.  Once established the miasm seems to engender a gradual deterioration of human and social values … which can be perceived as the destruction of the very ‘structure’ of life.  The subjective feelings simple reflect the intensity of the distress experienced.  Anguish and depression are common.

A study of HIV and AIDS in the UK provides and example of this pattern of physical and emotional decline.

Humanistic and Cultural Aspects of the picture of AIDS in the UK.

The most horrendous Humanistic and Psychological aspects of the suffering of AIDS have been brought to the attention of the Homoeopathic Community by Misha Norland in his study and proving of aids (1999).  He points out that we were all deeply shocked by the initial prospect of exponential contagion and the subsequent death toll. Remember the demonisation of HIV in the T.V. Tombstone Campaign in 1996?

This blatant stereotyping exaggerated negative characteristics which stood out and was used to separate the group from what is considered normal or acceptable.

It was as low on fact as it was high in the fear factor.   Regardless of its original intention the whole unfortunate  campaign became reminiscent of “Crystal-nacht” in Germany  … and this had a huge Psychological impact on the Public and even more so on many HIV suffers. Any fragile sense of belonging that lingered on was finally dealt a blow from which there was little chance of recovery. Gay HIV patients became regarded as “other” more than ever before.

This all became part of the presenting picture and could also be considered as a maintaining cause in some of the mental and emotional difficulties.

Misha’s proving revealed many interesting themes,  and it is interesting to note that it appeared in the same decade that research began into genetic meddling across species boundaries to create GM foods.  Breaking Boundaries is therefore an important theme, and  in particular the whole feeling of being on the outside and having no defences seem to reflect the experience of immunological deficiency as a sensation of needing a shell or barrier on the mental level :-

-Felt very exposed – I had no shell to protect me. I felt that I had lost my wall, my protection and my shell, and there was a free flow of emotions both in and out. I was exposed, almost naked, with no control.

-It feels as though barriers between me and other people can come down with this man.

It appears that the taboo engendered by the Tombstone Campaign made AIDS sufferers feel even more ostracised, and unwanted than ever,

- Began to panic about being rejected in the middle of the night. Panic lasted all day. Feel in need of loads of reassurance.

- Had the desire to be alone. Felt different to and separate from other people. Felt very individual.

- The first thing I noticed after taking the remedy was before hand I had been very sociable and after taking the remedy and about 10 or 15 minutes after, I started to feel very self conscious and kind of almost paranoid and I went and sat in the corner.

- I imagined everything I said was wrong – that I had offended someone.
- Not connecting with people – feelings of isolation – felt, ‘nobody loves me’.

These feeling even goes as deep as outright fear …
- Feelings of paranoia. Felt lied to; that people were plotting against me.
- Fear of authority, adults, schooling. Feelings of powerlessness, vulnerability, failure.

Reckless behaviour is part of the macho image and an important factor in the transmission of HIV …
- Normally feel easily rejected, now feel great. I loved being on my own. I felt like doing something mischievous. I wanted to do something naked and extravagant. I had no embarrassment with nakedness.

Miasmatic Influences in HIV

Tuberculosis also has an inescapable diagnosis of an early death resulting in a hedonistic intensity for living life to the full, so there is a logical affinity for the tubercular remedies.

There is enough evidence of isolation and estrangement here to suggest the AIDS really falls into the Syphilitic or Leprotic Miasm.

There is also enough to suggest that the breaking down of personal (as well as physical and immunological) boundaries is a regression towards the Carbon Series – where the issue is of the definition and delight in the Sense of Self. This regression seems to arise from a loss of Spirituality – materialistic selfishness.

Was Scholten’s Iquilai remedy an element from Stage11 (Del: appreciated not) with a Carbonate? (Germanium has loss of boundaries).    A  mental profile derived from repertorising rubrics having the feelings of isolation in AIDS gives Thuja, Positron and Carcinosin.

The Mineral remedies of Stage 17 have an abundance of Leprotic symptoms.

The Stage 17 remedies are all about endings.  In every remedy in this column of the Periodic Table something or other is coming to an end. They let go of something normally considered precious.

The first Stage 17 remedy from the Carbon Series is Fluorine. Lets discuss the characteristics found in the carbon series remedies first. We can expect these to influence the remedy to some extent. In fact the Series determines the problematic (symptomatic) area of  psychological or social development that is affected.  In the Carbon Series the focus is internal… problems related to establishing our sense of Self in relation to family and friends.  At the end of the Series, Flourine has the most bouncing, unpredictable and unmanageable ego!

If Stage 17 remedies are about loss and letting go,  Flourine is about  letting go of self-imposed behavioural restrictions. This makes them hard, fast and care-free, these are some the ingredients found in the composition of the criminal mind!

It is  self-worth that is coming to an end in this remedy.  The reaction is to prop up our sense of worth by exaggerating our performance out there – in society.

The ruthless justice seen in the roles portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson springs to mind immediately.  This glamorous character, like Dirty Harry before him, acquires almost Super-Hero Status. He uses any means to accomplish his goal. Clearly this is a great contrast to the collapsed state of HIV described above … but there are common factors.  He is a loner, adamantly and contemptuously going his own way, regardless of risk, always operating outside of social norms and constraints.   This makes such good television because it provides the ‘normal’ socially constrained viewer a measure of freedom and catharsis.  This can also happen at pop festivals.

It should not come as any surprise to discover that such flamboyant flouratums are attracted to easy money. It allows them to purchase the accessories and gadgets which accentuate their image and allows them the time and freedom to behave outrageously.

Subconsciously they pay the price … they can be worried about their health and physique to the extent of becoming physical fitness fanatics … which can provide yet another opportunity to brag.  Society validates these superficial values at every turn and Flouratums take it all onboard – swallowing advertising hook, line and sinker.  Although they feel flash and clean on the outside they can feel empty and dirty inside, especially sexually -  promiscuity becomes the norm and there are often lewd and ’dirty’ dreams.

This dirty feeling may have come from some particular experience such as having a teenage abortion or some unfair accusation or criminal conviction.  This is not felt as a sense of guilt however. There is little remorse or guilt in the Flouratums, they are too  hardened  emotionally, they brush it off (flouride is often added to toothpaste to harden the enamal) - guilt is Bromatum territory.

Chlorine remedies (natrums) being in the Silica Series focus less on  self-gratification and more on their family and on relationships.  In this Series the ego becomes defined in terms of the binary opposition between self and other (Flouratums couldn’t give a jot about others).  Because emotions and relationships are the focus Natrums are often the saddest of remedies (just had to include that quote from Spinal Tap!)  The Leprotic themes of isolation and separation are felt very tangibly on the emotional level – as profound grief.

The Bromatums belong to the Ferrum (work) series.  This means that their focus is not so intensely directed towards image and ego; they are fully directed towards making connections to the outside world, on the world of duty and responsibility.  They need the protection and security that comes from passing exams and getting a good job.

There is a lot of form filling and tick-boxing in this group!

Stage 17 – the end stage of the work series, which brings us to the Bromatums, implies giving up work. It may be through some misfortune, some disability or simply old age .  Subsequently they begin to miss the routine of work and need to be ‘doing something’.  This is the type of guilty feeling and also the source of the restlessness that is typical of the Bromatums.  These people suffer greatly when they require support from public funds and benefits.

Bromatums tend to be very passionate and when things go wrong they can respond instinctively and can sometimes be quite dangerous.  Their instincts can take control of their reason.  As in the other Stage 17 remedies this uncontrolled behaviour can lead to isolation.  They often feel such an intense sense of disgrace that there is a sense that their downfall is apparent to everyone – the result is that they feel awkward and shy.

A characteristic symptom is the feeling that someone it looking over your shoulder.  Ultimately they want to get away – yet another expression of the isolation typical of the Leprosy Miasm.

The Iodine salts (Iodatums) belong to the Silver Series, hence the concept of the loss of culture … not only the arts but also in cultural traditions, which in this modern world often means immigration and emigration.  There can be such a sense of isolation that they feel as if are walking in a wasteland.

Some Iodatum rubrics reflecting the themes we have been considering …

DISGUST – himself
APPROACHED by persons; being – aversion to
AVERSION – family; to members of
COMPANY – aversion to – sight of people; avoids the
COMPANY – aversion to – strangers, to the presence of
HATRED – persons – offended him
MISANTHROPY
DREAMS – FLEEING
DREAMS – WALKING – ruins, among

The Lanthanide remedy of Stage 17 is Lutetium.  The feeling here is that nothing  matters anymore.  The material world holds no further attraction.  They are free, perhaps blissfully, because nothing can harm them and nothing is taboo anymore - but they are floating away; it is the end of the game…

Rien ne va Plus.

Remedies from the Garden – The Tiger Lily

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Remedies from the Garden – The Tiger Lily

There’s a rough patch at the bottom of my garden where nothing grows but weeds.  This is not quite true, however, because I have seen a yearly succession of wonderful colonists find a home in this little niche.
In early summer small clump of  Tiger Lilies unfold their beautiful flowers, and I can be proud of the fact that they have made her home in my modest little plot.

The Tiger Lily is a refined, precious, delicate, feminine and glamorous flower, and gazing upon her can evoke feelings of excitement and passion.  It is little wonder that the Tiger Lily has become an important Homeopathic remedy for female problems.  The homeopathic picture that has evolved from many careful trials, is of a haughty, domineering woman, her sense of self-importance is such that her very presence makes lesser mortals cower. An example from popular culture would be Corrie’s Sylvia Cropper, the outspoken mother of café owner Roy, who can only be seen to associate with a ‘better class’ of gentleman.

Homeopathy has suffered much in the press, but despite this many dedicated individuals pursue this discipline.  I emphasise dedication because the homeopathic properties of any remedy are found by testing its effects on healthy subjects – usually students!  To accomplish this a sample is ground up with mortar and pestle and then subject to a series of dilutions, which are vigorously agitated at each stage. These dilutions determine the potency of the final product.

The properties of the original sample are of course, the same as those reported by chemists, herbalists, and sometimes from reported cases of poisoning.  Poisonings show the full impact of the substance upon our health in the most dramatic way possible.  In case you were wondering, the Tiger Lily is non toxic for humans, in fact the bulbs are edible – but some species will give your cat acute kidney failure. In Herbal medicine its affinity for the female reproductive system is acknowledged – a tincture from the plants is used to relieve uterine neuralgia and irriation. It is also said to reduce sickness in pregnancy.

The Flower Essence remedy, which is made by letting the flowers stand in a bowl of water in the sun, is said to promote feminine values in our arguably over-masculinised culture gently and without aggression.  We might well have a modicum of scepticism for this gentle method of preparation, but in general the themes reported by Flower Essence enthusiasts do have some degree of correspondence with those found in the Homeopathic literature.   It is at least worth noting that this theme of gently allowing the penetration of female values is quite similar to Homeopathic interpretation of the remedy as ‘the overbearing female’ who subsequently becomes a much gentler and friendlier person.

The information from all these sources is invaluable as it gives a broad impression of the potential impact of a remedy on our body.  As you would intuitively expect Homeopathic dilution reduces the most harmful effects of the original substance.  In a serial dilution of 6c there is very little of the original substance left. This is, by and large, depending on the toxicity of the substance, considered to be the lowest potency that is safe to prescribe without poisoning the subject.  The effects of this potency are quite physical.  The higher potencies tend to effect the emotional and mental spheres.

Quite a remarkable picture has emerged from the trials of Tiger Lily (these are known as provings)
Participants in past provings reported a feeling of disconnection and aloofness.  It is quite an irritable and humourless state and offence is easily taken because there is a feeling that her ‘beautific’ state  must never be besmirched by anything remotely vulgar.  It is as if this sense of poise is really quite fragile and can easily be overwhelmed by ordinary feelings.
There is conflict between that which is fine and respectable and that which is deemed unworthy.  Sexual feelings do arise and they play havoc with this sense of poise.

Some characteristic physical symptoms (extracted from T.F. Allen) show how her mood is quite dependent on her physical complaints …

- Tormented about her salvation (Lyc., Sulph., Ver.), with ovarian or uterine complaints.
- Disposed to curse, strike, to think obscene things (Anac., Lac. c.); alternates with uterine irritation.
- Listless, yet cannot sit still; restless; must keep busy to repress sexual desire.
- Desire to do something, hurried manner, yet has no ambition; aimless (Arg. n.).
- Headaches and mental ailments depending on uterine irritation or displacements.
- Menstrual irregularities and irritable heart.

No wonder Tiger Lily has a reputation as a wonderful remedy during the menopause, helping the natural expression of sexual feelings and easing many of the concomitant  physical symptoms.

Ref: [1] T.F. Allen, Encyclopedia of Materia Medica.

Article by Stephanie Forshaw, BSc, LicNWCH.
Graduate of North West College of Homeopathy and author of ‘Structuralism and The Plant Kingdom’.