What is the cause of illness?
Updated: Sep 14
There is a saying, “illness comes from the mind.”
But when we experience a health concern, what might we notice if we look not only at the physical symptoms, but also at our emotions, lifestyle and life experiences?
This does not mean that every illness has an emotional cause.
In this article, I explore the relationship between physical symptoms and the mind, and reflect on what it can mean to understand ourselves more deeply and live more authentically, from a homeopathic perspective.
I will write about this subject mentioned in the January 19, 2023 and April 9, 2023 newsletters (Japanese).
Why do people get ill? It is interested in looking into the relationship between physical and emotional symptoms.
#1 -Exploring the Connection Between the Mind and Physical Health
As I mentioned in my previous blog, “The Difference Between Acute and Chronic Conditions”, long-lasting symptoms can involve many different factors. These may include physical and genetic factors, family tendencies, lifestyle, stress, our way of thinking and patterns of experience.
The relationship between the mind and the body is also something worth considering. Our emotional experiences can sometimes influence how we feel physically, while physical symptoms can also affect how we feel emotionally.
There is a saying, “illness comes from the mind”. I do not think this means that every illness has an emotional cause. Rather, it can be an invitation to look at our physical and emotional experiences together and consider the wider picture of our wellbeing.
You can read more about the difference between acute and chronic conditions below.
#2 - We Learn to Protect Ourselves
In her book Hands of Light, Barbara Ann Brennan describes the relationship between physical symptoms and our emotional experiences in a way that I found interesting and easy to understand.
In simple terms, she describes illness as a result of losing balance within ourselves. From her perspective, when we lose touch with our authentic selves, we may become absorbed in certain ways of thinking or behaving and may develop patterns that are not supportive of our wellbeing.
She also describes how, when we experience something that feels difficult or painful, we may create an inner “wall” as a way of protecting ourselves from feelings that we do not feel ready to experience.
People are naturally very resourceful. We develop different ways of thinking, behaving and coping in order to protect ourselves from being hurt.
Sometimes these ways of protecting ourselves can become deeply established over time. Looking at them with curiosity may help us understand ourselves more deeply and recognise patterns that we may have developed along the way.
I have also written about the relationship between emotions, anxiety and trauma in my previous blog, “Homeopathy for Anxiety and Worry”.
#3 - Looking Back at Our Lives
When we think about what we are experiencing now, it can sometimes be helpful to look back at different stages of our lives.
Within homeopathy, experiences during pregnancy, early childhood and family history may be considered as part of the wider background of an individual.
There are also approaches within homeopathy that explore experiences before birth, ancestral patterns and ideas such as karma.
For example, someone may reflect on whether their mother's emotional state or circumstances during pregnancy had any significance for their own early experience. Others may explore their experiences through ideas such as previous lives or karma.
These are spiritual or therapeutic perspectives rather than established medical explanations for illness. They should not be understood as evidence that a particular experience causes a particular physical symptom.
Nevertheless, within a homeopathic consultation, exploring these perspectives may form part of a wider conversation about a person's individual history, experiences and the way they understand themselves.
This is one reason why a homeopathic consultation may involve asking not only about your current symptoms, but also about your health history, early experiences and significant events throughout your life.
The purpose is not to find one single cause of illness, but to understand the person and their current experience within a wider context.
#4 - What Does It Really Mean to Be Yourself?
Recently, I received an enquiry from someone who said:
“I am under a lot of stress, I get tired easily and I do not feel well. I would like to know which homeopathic remedy or flower essence might help me so that I can work better.”
However, as we talked, a wider picture began to emerge.
After losing both parents within a relatively short period of time, this person had come to believe that their happiness depended on their career. They went on to study at postgraduate level while working, keeping themselves extremely busy with work and study.
At the same time, it seemed that there had been little opportunity to properly acknowledge and process the grief surrounding the loss of their parents.
In a situation like this, rather than looking only at the physical symptoms, I believe it can be helpful to consider the person's wider experience, what they have been through, how they are feeling now and what may be important to them.
Sometimes a physical change can encourage us to pause and pay attention to feelings that we may have been too busy or overwhelmed to notice.
This does not mean that an illness is caused by unexpressed emotions. Rather, our symptoms can sometimes become an opportunity to listen to ourselves and become more aware of what we are experiencing.
When something changes in our body, it may be worth asking ourselves:
“What am I feeling?”
“What do I really need?”
Taking the time to listen to ourselves can be one part of understanding what it means to live more authentically.
In conclusion ...
If you have been experiencing physical symptoms for a long time, it may be helpful to take some time to reflect not only on your current symptoms, but also on your life, lifestyle, emotions, stress and experiences.
This does not mean that you need to believe that you became ill because you ignored your true feelings in the past.
Rather, you may choose to see your physical changes as an opportunity to pause and ask yourself how you are doing, what you are feeling and how you would like to relate to yourself going forward.
Homeopathy and flower essences may provide an opportunity to become more aware of feelings, thoughts or patterns that you had not previously noticed.
In a homeopathic consultation, I look not only at your current symptoms, but also at your health history, the way your symptoms have developed, your lifestyle and significant experiences in your life. This helps me to understand your individual experience as a whole.
If you would like to take some time to talk about yourself and your experience, you are welcome to start with a 15-minute consultation.
You can book your consultation here.
Love and gratitude
Hiroko
Reference :
Brenann. B.A. (1987). Hands of Light, A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field. New York : Bantam Books.
