Over the last 40 years the field of psychoneuroimmunology has scientifically demonstrated how deeply connected mind and body are. All the components of the immune system, such as white blood cells and platelets, have receptor sites for the vast majority of neurotransmitters. This fact led Dr. Candace Pert to conclude that, “The immune system is a floating nervous system.” Similarly, nerve cells (neurons) have receptor sites for immune system substances, such as interferon, interleukin, and growth factors.
In the last issue we elaborated on receptor sites, which cover every cell in our body. Our emotional state creates the environment in which receptor sites bind with neurotransmitters, hormones, and peptides (short chains of amino acids). These facts and others help explain how a mental technique like guided imagery can affect a wide number of physiological processes.
Many people have tried to improve their health through positive thinking and affirmations. Affirmations can play an important role in helping us to become happier, and to obtain a variety of things. However, large numbers of people have developed a deep sense of guilt for continuing to be sick in spite of diligent use of affirmations. Affirmations do not have the same power to affect physiology as does mental imagery, and perhaps the reason is that affirmations are words. Words do not access the mind-body connection. Images do have that power. Optimism, a positive way of being, which arises from a deep positive belief system, can affect physical health.
Imagery In Everyday Medical Practice
Therapeutic mental imagery doesn’t always need to be an eyes-closed experience. Clinicians can ask their patient to draw a picture of their pain. One man with chronic low back pain drew a picture of an angry dog chewing away at his low back and spinal cord. The simple act of converting the pain experience into a symbolic picture transformed the pain. The very act of drawing a picture of pain (or being guided through an imagery experience) transforms the pain. Symbolic imageries are both diagnostic and therapeutic. The picture or image provides diagnostic information and relief at the same time.
Without knowing it, doctors often convey negative messages to their patients. When examining a pain patient, doctors have been trained to ask questions like, “Does this hurt?” “What is your pain on a scale of 1 to 10?” These questions evoke negative images and expectations that more pain is on the way. Healing words from the doctor include, “Is this comfortable?” “Does this feel okay?” It is easy to realize that the phrase, “Is this comfortable?” is likely to generate positive imagery and hope.
Doctors need to learn the language of healing, a language in which every word can convey hope and healing. A single negative word can affect a person’s mood and pain adversely. Our thoughts and words are associated with images, and our images affect our bodies.
Listening To Your Symptom
A symbol is an object or image that represents the depth, breath, and meaning of a thought, idea, emotion, cultural concept, or unconscious belief. Here is a good way to find the symbolism in your pain. The technique is not limited to pain.
Dr. Martin Rossman and Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen created a well-developed technique for identifying and working with symbols. The technique is called “Listening to your symptom.” What follows is my modification of the original technique:
“Take deep breaths or meditate for a few minutes. Once you’re relaxed, allow your unconscious mind to show you an image that represents the pain. Allow yourself to be surprised by the image. It could be anything – animal, human, living, inanimate, natural or man-made.
Once the image, the symbol of pain has emerged, notice the details of how it looks. Notice how this image makes you feel, and then share those feelings with the image. Tell the image what you want from it. In the case of a symbol/image of pain, a person usually wants to say things like, ‘I hate you. Get out of my life.’ Some people feel foolish talking to an image, but suspend judgment for now.
Ask the image a series of questions, and each time wait for he, she, or it to answer. ‘What do you want from me?’ “What do you need from me?’ ‘What do you have to teach me?’ ‘Are you protecting me from anything or anyone?’ Ask the image if it wants more of your attention.” This is almost always the case.
“Finally, negotiate with the image. You want it to vanish. It wants more of your attention. Ask the image how often it wants to see you. Let’s say that it wants to see you every day, but you’re comfortable with once a week. If you’re okay with this idea, tell the image that you are willing to spend time with him, her, or it twice a week. If the image agrees, move to the next step.
In exchange for the time you decide to spend with the image its part of the bargain is to let up on the pain. You can spend any amount of time that works for the negotiation. Checking in with the pain symbol for a few minutes each time is usually adequate.
If the image does not let up on the pain, you can choose to stop spending time with it. If you don’t spend the amount of time you agreed to, the image can increase the pain. Practice for a few weeks to see how the agreement is working out. If you need to, modify the agreement.”
I’ve been using this technique for 25 years and have found it to be very powerful. It not only can dramatically alleviate pain (or any other symptom), it positively transforms a person’s life.
Embracing Overwhelming Pain
Sometimes human suffering is so great that imagery techniques alone don’t work. The pain goes on and on even after utilizing simple imagery techniques, meditation, and listening to your symptom.
It is human nature to push away pain, but sometimes you need to fully embrace the pain. What follows is one of the most powerful tools of transformation. The technique “embracing pain” was inspired by the work of Stephen Levine (author of A Gradual Awakening and Who Dies).
“Begin by getting in touch with the variety of bodily sensations you have…the feeling of your body on the chair, couch, bed or floor…the feeling of your clothing on your skin…the temperature of the air…the rising and falling of your diaphragm. Notice areas of comfort and areas of discomfort.
Allow all these different sensations to arise and dissolve. As you bring your awareness to these sensations, you will see that they change. Even pain sensations arise, change and dissolve when you bring your awareness to them.
Most of us have a way of tightening around pain. Imagine that there is a fist closed around the pain. Allow the fingers to open one at a time until the pain is resting in the palm of that hand…until you are really down to the original pain. The body reacts to pain. Muscles cramp around it. But now allow yourself to feel the original pain, the one at the center before you tightened around it.
Allow those sensations to arise, change and dissolve. Simply observe. Make no effort to make the pain go away. As the pain sensations arise and dissolve, notice the thoughts, feelings and images that pass through your consciousness. Observe them. Your awareness is simply penetrating and exploring the pain. Breathe in and out of the pain. After awhile the pain may seem to float or take on a new characteristic. Continue to observe the sensations. Continue to open to the pain over and over again.
Pain has two qualities: 1) discomfort and 2) energy. Observe these two. Allow the energy of the pain to move up into your head as if it is charging the batteries of your mind and spirit. Notice how you may want to utilize this energy. Perhaps you can use it to sharpen your concentration or to take you into a deep meditation. Observe the discomfort and the energy as they disentangle from each other.”
The pain will almost always change. When one observes pain in this way, a barrage of feelings may begin to arise. People may realize that when they have pain, they’re afraid it will never stop or that they will end up helpless invalids.
The results are powerful. Sometimes the pain seems to float out of a person’s body, or it gradually disperses. But the experience of embracing, and immersing oneself in the pain allows for transformation of the pain. This process involves a profound acceptance of things as they are in this moment.
We have a variety of strong pain medications, which are great for acute pain but cause problems when used long-term. For chronic pain learning to “listen to the pain” and then transforming it by “embracing it” can dramatically transform lives.
David Gersten, M.D. practices Nutritional Medicine and Integrative Psychiatry out of his Encinitas office and can be reached at 760-633-3063. www.drdavidgersten.com and www.imagerynet.com