Monday 17 December 2012

Post No. 417 - Why does crying help with sadness?

Why does crying help with sadness?

OK, that could be construed to be a stereotypical female perspective, but:
   (a) not all women cry, and
   (b) some men are comfortable crying.

You'll also note that I'm looking specifically at crying to release pent up emotions. Why does a physiological response that is aimed at removing irritants from a physical organ - our eyes - help us release emotions? Well, actually, it doesn't always help. However, having made that qualifier, 've been doing some theorising on this, and my theorising has led me to postulate an hypothesis or two:
   (1) I swallowed a dictionary last night, and
   (2) maybe the release mechanism is a homeopathic one across levels.

With homeopathy [2], the theory is that one ingests a little of the essence of something that causes an effect, and that the small amount of essence (there may be nothing physically detectable there) triggers a sort of immune system type response, and that effects the healing (allegedly the Queen uses homeopathy to good effect).

With tears, maybe the physiological response aimed at removing irritants on the physical trickles through to the emotional level (the lower and upper astrals), and there, what is left at that level triggers - through a homeopathic type of response - the release of irritants - i.e., hurt, pain, and other negative emotions.

This sort of release is why some people cut themselves. The small pain on the physical triggers a release of negative emotions.

There are some cautions that need to be written here:
(i) cutting involves a certain amount of physical risk, such as infection, scarring, etc;
(ii) whenever tears or cutting become the primary, regular response, it could be an indication that it is time to seek some other way of coping, or perhaps examine whether one has become addicted to the pain, or considers one "should" be in pain because of a mistaken understanding of karma;
(iii) even if these responses are not the primary, regular response, it could be that there are better ways of coping (or perhaps one should change one's circumstances, expectations, etc);
(iv) cutting of itself can be a symptom of something else. from Wikipedia (at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-harm): "Self-harm is listed in the DSM-IV-TR as a symptom of borderline personality disorder. However patients with other diagnoses may also self-harm, including those with depression, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, and several personality disorders."

PS - on homeopathy, see http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/homeopathy-regime-is-rejected-as-judge-tells-parents-to-immunise-child-20121127-2a5uo.html for a "dissenting view" ... although, mind you, I support homeopathy generally, but not in the case of immunising children.

[1] BPF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Forces. See here and here for more on this.

[2] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia.  

Love, light, hugs and blessings


Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here. I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ...
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side, and perspicacity on the other.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master. Spiritual love is far more than just an emotion - it is a concept, thoughts, actions and a way of living.
The only prejudice should be against prejudice. 
"Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger [people]." JOHN F. KENNEDY 
One size does NOT fit all ... and don't throw the baby out with the bathwater as a result of knowing a little ... 

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. (based on writing by) EDMUND BURKE

Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN

We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

 Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW

Tags: addictions, coping, emotions, medicine, personal responsibility,

First published: Mannadagr, 17th December, 2012

Last edited: Monday, 17th December, 2012