This is a continuation of yesterdays post, looking at other proposed miasms. Last week was a week long exploration of miasms, with Hahnemann’s original three, then the Tubercular and Cancer miasms, and yesterday a look at miasms that have been theorised for today- AIDS, Radiation or FARC. Today we are exploring some other postulated miasms and what those look like in terms of experience and disease.
Over the week we have talked about Peter Fraser’s work quite a bit. His theory is that four Miasms form a square- Psora, Sycosis, Syphilis and AIDS. He then describes four secondary Miasms that each fit between two of the primary miasms. The Tubercular miasm from Friday sits between Sycosis and Syphilis, and Cancer between Syphilis and AIDS. The two other secondary miasms are Hydrophobia/Rabies which is between Psora and Sycosis, and CJD/Alzheimers which fits between AIDS and Psora. The secondary miasms are the reaction to the state caused by the primary miasm.
Let’s have a look at the last two:
Hydrophobia or the Rabies miasm is also called the Acute miasm (and one we will address more tomorrow when learning about Sankaran and Klein’s works). This a sudden and reactive state characterised by over reactivity and violence. Because of its high adrenaline reaction, there is also a burn out and exhaustion phase. They are highly sensitive to light and noise, and all emotions are also heightened and intense. It’s relationship to the Psoric Miasm means it is also about functional disease- but instead of the slow nature of Psora, the Hydrophobic miasm is in high speed, with violent and uncontrollable symptoms, but only expressed in short bursts.
CJD/Alzheimers is Fraser’s fourth secondary miasm and was speculative when he published his book in 2008. It possibly relates to Klein’s Amyloid and Prion Miasm which we will discuss tomorrow.
He postulates that the plaque forming degenerative diseases have the same tendency to fight back that are seen in the other secondary miasms. The loss of memory, confusion of time and self identity he likens to the AIDS miasmatic state where boundaries are confused or absent.
Drug miasms
Hahnemann firmly believed that suppression of acute disease drove it inwards and created chronic disease. In Aphorism 74 from the Organon he discussed how drugs could go on to cause of disease. This may be true on an individual level, but is it a miasm? Probably not in most cases. Miasms have a hereditary nature and affect the way we interact with the world, as well as having themes with physical symptoms or diseases.
There is an exception to that though. A class of drugs that were life changing when they were invented, and that have been used widely for generations since – hormonal contraceptives.
I would like to again add a disclaimer that this is not claiming that contraceptives are bad, or cause disease, but is looking at some of the metaphysical themes that help Homeopaths differentiate remedies and look at the whole picture.
Melissa Assilem is a Homeopath who has proved the Matridonal remedies, and she first published an article on Folliculinum as a miasm back in 1991.
The female hormonal cycle has always had aspects of mystery and magic around it. In ancient Matridonal cultures women were celebrated, menarche was a gift, and the moon and menstruation cycle was a time for women to come together and support each other. The fact that there were changes in body and moods as the cycle changes was recognised and respected.
This is not how it has been in a patriarchal and western society. Hippocrates suggested the uterus was the source and many complaints that women had, giving them the catch all term hysteria. Unfortunately hysteria has been a term too often applied to women, often with gaslighting or a derogatory effect.
The discovery of hormones “explained” why women could be so changeable, and also meant that this could be regulated and “fixed”. It also led to the development of something that really was miraculous- the oral contraceptive. While pretty controversial at the time, this did add to the feminist movement, allowing women to have their own control over whether or not they conceived a child and sexual freedom with a lower risk of consequences. They key word here is “control”. Another key way that contraceptives, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have been used (and still are used) is to control, or suppress hormonal related symptoms.
The use of the oral contraceptive is only one way that we are now exposed to oestrogen in our environment. Phytoestrogens and synthetic endocrine disrupters have all added to this high oestrogen mode and hormone dysfunction.
To be a miasm under Hahnemann’s definition, there needs to be an influence not only on the now, but on future generations. There appears to be an increase in fertility problems, but not easily linked to any one thing. One example of inherited disease related to hormones is the increase in cancers, decreased fertility and reproductive abnormalities found in the children of women given Di-ethyl stilboestrol in pregnancy, from 1940 through to the 1970s.
This miasm, which is in effect synthetic oestrogen, includes not only the oral contraceptive, but also hormonal fertility drugs, HRT, endocrine disrupters and hormones we are exposed to in our environment. Any or all of these can contribute to this state, and indicate the remedy Folliculinum.
Folliculinum is a fantastic remedy, and one very much associated with the menstrual cycle. It has a whole swathe of problems, from PMS, to irregular periods, period pain, flooding, as well as problems at menopause and peri menopause.
One of the key things about Folliculinum is control – they feel controlled by another person, and may willingly have ceded control of their life to look after others. Other themes are around a lack of individuality, being drained, a doormat, and loses her sense of herself. It is a remedy closely related to Carcinosin.
It is perhaps something to consider, especially when there are problems around menstruation, fertility (in men or women), or menopause, whether there is a hormone related layer, and even to consider if this is inherited if there has been no personal contraceptive use.
That concludes my discussion of the traditional miasms, and other miasms using Hahnemann’s original theory of inherited tendency to disease- however I am not finished yet! Come back tomorrow to look at a different system for finding homeopathic remedies, that uses the miasm as the state that the person is in.