Languages

Stress, here is the Master word. Our civilisation bathes in stress. Some manage it perfectly (sometimes until the infarction!) others develop all kinds of diseases such as asthma, eczema, psoriasis, stomach ache, migraines, and nausea.

For example: in the direction of somatopsychic.

Antonio R. Damasio, who manages the Department of Neurology of the University of Iowa and who teaches at the Institute of Biological Studies of Jolla ("The error of Descartes, or reason of the emotions." ED. Odile Jacob. 1995), on the basis of clinical observations and of tests, brings us some answers in conception of "Ego" which would be in fact only the vision of the body by the central system, in its integrity and its perfect operation.

The emotions would be nothing but the result of the analysis of an exogenic element by reference to the endogenous perception of our "Me" (for proof, the absence of emotions with the subjects suffering from anosognosy). In short:

The perception of the environment and the emotions which result from this are superimposed on the perception of our body.

Earlier works considered already these mechanisms; here is what Bykov said:

The emotional states of anger, fear, pain, sorrow, repulsion, are so complicated that in order to appear, they require not only the contribution of certain nerve centres, but interest even the entire nervous system. In standard conditions, an emotion develops entirely only with the participation of the unconditional and conditional reflexes of exteroceptive origin and necessarily interoceptive. It thus follows inevitably that in the cerebral bark are also represented the innate unconditional reactions from which, as of the first period of individual existence, of the conditional connections do not fail to be formed during the interaction of man and the outside environment....Thus an emotion is a complex reaction of the body relying on unconditional and conditional complex connections originating from extero and interoceptive reaction. (C Byckov: "The cerebral bark and internal bodies". ED. in foreign languages, Moscow 1956).

For ages, the central system has been programmed to ensure the survival of the species (it is what I have affirmed in my work since 1985). So its decisions will be made according to what is felt to be good or dangerous for the integrity of "Ego" by the means of the body emotions.

Now, so that the system functions correctly, it is necessary if not essential that the perception of "Ego" be not upset or uncompleted. The central system sees the totality of the body by the means of the autonomous nervous system. Not limiting itself to the simple reception of information, it can act on such internal organ or such muscle, by the intermediary of the peripheral system, to control operation of it. It also has a system of general action by means of the glandular system.

This perfection makes it possible for the body complex to respond to any stimulation of the central system, which can be conditioned by endogenous or exogenic events.

Let us imagine that the connection with a peripheral body is disturbed:

• that the central system, knowing only the sensors, is unaware of the line of transmission.

Two possibilities can be considered: the line does not transmit any more, or it transmits erroneous information.

First case: in the absence of transmission of information, related and/or efferent, the peripheral body would be left on its own and either:

• Would slow down or accelerate its function in an anarchistic way; the central system would then try to interfere on the peripheral bodies located upstream or downstream from that which goes wrong, to try to maintain an about normal function of the complex body.

Second case: The central system would answer in a logical way to information that it believes it receives from the peripheral body but which are in fact

• either emitted by the defective line of transmission or resulting from an autonomous system which is not normally heard (message articular)

• and wrongly attributed because they share some common circuits (spinal ganglions, spinal cord).

It can choose between many means (muscular, hormonal, immunising, etc.) according to the perception of received information and it will try to fulfil its principal mission which is to back up the integrity of "Ego."

It goes without saying that if its information is wrong, its answer, however logical, will seem erroneous when seen by an observer who is not informed of the reasons that justified its reactions.

But this attack on the integrity of "Ego" that the central system will not be able to solve, gradually will modify the emotions induced compared to the perception of the events of the external world and therefore the responses that it will bring will be different (excessively amplified).

The analysis which will be made of the external events will be often perceived as an additional threat being added to the internal situation of "Me" whose survival already causes a problem to the central system.

• If a person has respiratory difficulties of endogenous origin, the fact of knowing that a physical effort will be necessary for him to survive (escape in front of a potential danger) will not improve his psychological condition. The emotion caused by this situation can only reinforce the physiological cause of his disease.

The logical response of the central system (broncho-constriction) trying in the first place to solve an erroneous cause (chondro-costal articular message wrongly perceived, as coming from the pulmonary plexus) will be reinforced as it tries to prepare the respiratory system to give the effort necessary to respond to the situation requiring resolution.

The emotions that follow will start hormonal responses which will not place the subject in a state of increased vigilance in responding to the situation, but in a state of panic, the central system noting that the "Me" will not be able to correctly respond to the request because of a defective vital element.

It knows that its survival is compromised, the emotion is reinforced, the response to the situation is amplified, the urgency goes firstly on the defective part and the respiratory difficulty, usually managed as well as possible, is transformed into an attack of asthma.

Without taking account this principle, no reasoning makes it possible to conceive that there can exist an identical reaction to this type of evoked situation.

On the contrary, in a normal situation, the perception of an exogenic situation which is likely to endanger the survival of "Ego," will start hormonal messages which will put the complex in a general state of alert, preparing it to react with strength and unusual speed, doubling or tripling its physical and analytical normal aptitudes.

The immune system is not an autonomous entity
- it is closely related to the central system and the peripheral system.

The same principle applies to it
- it is only one of the elements of the answers which are to serve the programming which must ensure the survival of "ego."

The central system can control it
- by various neuronal substances (noradrenalin, substances "P", somatostine, Vaso Intestinal Peptide)

The peripheral system also
- is able to emit neuro-peptides having a specific action on certain lymphocytes B (Neuroleukine, Marc E Gurney, 1987)

Copyright © 1998-1999. All rights reserved