Psychoneuroimmunology is a big word that stands for the small changes that matter.
The main interests of PNI are the interactions between the nervous system, immune system, mental processes, and health. In simple terms, PNI is looking at why people's immune systems go down under stress.
Please note: the areas highlighted in green throughout this site are key points of PNI information about the PNI Awareness Test.
Pathways
PNI is a pathway that opens up discussions on self-care and self-efficacy and how emotionally induced illnesses and wellness are formed by how we perceive ourselves and the world around us.
PNI highlights the importance of the combined mind and body care and our need to take responsibility for ensuring that the interrelated aspects of nature are attended to in unison. Our mind, body, and spirit are one, and we are encouraged to review the world around us in a way that mitigates stress by combining mind and body care.
With the above in mind, we pay specific attention to the way we view our ability to be well and stay healthy from an internal chemical reactivation system.
Through PNI research, we can understand that the mind is the body and the body is the mind, and what we think generates a chemical response that we will refer to herein as the Bodymind. This chemical exchange of information provides scientific proof that emotions are inseparable from our physiology.
Psychoneuroimmunology - PNI
P "Psychological" for the mind's emotions, feelings, and perception.
N "Neuro" for the neuroendocrine system - the nervous system and hormone systems.
I "Immunology" for the immune system.
The inter-connective nature of the mind and body means that we can inadvertently compromise a person's level of wellness when we deal with the body or mind independently, without unity.
Robert Adler and Nicholas Cohen
'PNI was the gateway that informed us that the immune system is not autonomous.'
PNI systematically studies the relationship between the brain, thoughts and emotions and the immune system. In 1975 Robert Adler (a psychologist) and Nicholas Cohen (an immunologist) demonstrated, at the University of Rochester, that the nervous system can affect the immune system, and termed the name Psychoneuroimmunology.
PNI emotions are directly related to the impact on our health and the immune system.
The nervous system and the immune system work together.
'Emotions are chemicals that can help or harms us'
'what we think we feel.'
'So every thought, emotion, and belief in the past, present, or future, real or imaginary has a neurochemical consequence.'
Bio-Chemical Perception
The PNI spotlight is on our internal environment and how it is affected by stress, highlighting what we can do to change the negative biochemical response that stress generates.
How we perceive an event directly impacts our immune system affecting our emotional and physical health; this provides us with an understanding of the importance of managing internal and external emotional conflict, which aggravates stress.
The central nervous system modulates the immune and endocrine systems.
The endocrine system comprises hormone-secreting glands that modulate the body's function. We don't need to aim to detangle this diverse and complex chemical regulating system, we just need to respect the scientific findings relating to our internal hormonal response system and care for ourselves and others accordingly.
Organic Illnesses
PNI does not disregard the organic nature of illnesses such as bacteria and germs, nor does it deny that some illnesses are genetically inherited.
Traditional
Traditional mind and body and alternative medicine can effectively alleviate the symptoms of many illnesses, but they are not the whole package.
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is critical to building the emotional resilience required to generate health-promoting natural chemicals that help us in the desire to manage stress.
When individuals are offered the appropriate resources and support, their potential for recovery and self-improvement increases.
The brain controls all of the functions in the body. What affects the brain and how we think affects us physically and biologically.
We have a natural process of thinking and feeling, feeling and thinking; the point is, how do we form a relationship between this system without combining our mind and body care?
What we think, feel, and what we believe generates a chemical response—a response which provides positive or negative consequences depending on our state of mind.
Candace Pert PhD
'The body and mind are one, what you think and say impacts the state of your cells. Your spleen, every lymph node, and all floating immune cells are in close communication with the brain.'
It is put forward that molecules are a second nervous system, as it allows the different systems of the body to communicate with each other (i.e., the endocrine, neurological, and immune)
Molecules of emotions are also termed 'information substances.' These informational substances form a chemical response within us by the way we think, feel and act.
Candace Pert, Ph.D. - stated in her book 'Molecules of Emotions' that 'emotions live and run every system of the body.'
The brain can link memories and emotions using chemical signals that tell other parts of the brain and the body how to respond when that memory is triggered. By understanding that these communication chemicals exist, we can reprogram the brain to disconnect negative emotions and feelings by turning off the cell from sending out those molecules. This is an integrative progress, and we can respect this process by ensuring that we do not think of our mind and body as separate but as part of a whole system of psychology and physiology.
When we have pain in the body, it will have a direct emotional link and vice versa.
Our emotions have a direct impact on our immune system.
The brain sends out information substances in response to the various problems throughout the body. It was believed this was a one-way communication process, that the brain informed the body.
It is also now proven that the body also communicates with the brain.
We often think of the link of mind to body, but this is a multifunctional communication process.
Neuroscientist Francisco Varela defines the immune system as the 'body's brain.'
'Immune cells travel in the bloodstream throughout the body, contacting virtually every other cell.'
Thoughts and feelings are not simply our perception of self; they are the substance of self, our physicality; heartache, upset stomach, pain in the neck.
Self-Generating Wellness
The aim is to self-generate wellness by calming the Bodymind.
PNI demonstrates the direct association of the mind and body that we need to pay attention to - this is covered under the sub-heading 'DAC' Direct Associated Care.
We can change our perception of events in various ways, and remaining self-connected in mind, body, and spirit, takes a foundation of belief in our ability to contribute to the healing process.
Lack of hope closes down our self-generating wellness potential because we disconnect emotionally, which is a form of physical misalignment and spiritual stagnation.
The body works in unity with the mind and spirit, or our reasoning works by the body, mind and spirit, meaning the energy we generate. Then there is the formed essence of ourselves that is difficult to measure, but the chemical response of our Bodymind relates to it.
The Bodymind is not mystical or magical; it is measurable in terms of a chemical response that is self-activated.
Bodymind is seen as the integrated relationship between the body and the mind.
Some news might surprise you: the Bodymind connection is not a mystical, otherworldly, nebulous thing. It exists—and you don’t need to be a yogi to access it! There is scientific evidence to support a centuries-old philosophy: that the body and the mind are not two separate spheres but are, in fact, deeply entwined and generate our internal living environment.
We live in the perceptive stories of our mind-body-spirit. We have autonomy over our self-creation and ability to self-generate wellness. Some stories we can get addicted to before we realise they are detrimental to our need and desire to be healthy.
The Key is Unity
Unity is defined as singular when' two become one' as in two people uniting physically to become a loving expression of two becoming one. In the term of PNI, the mind and body have never separated. Still, for communication purposes, they were often defined as separate units that can be united, but the uniting process is like describing the movement of your arm to be different from your brain, and subsequently, the thought of movement transpired via the mind; non of this is a separate action, it is unity from the self, of the self, the self the lives in and of its life.
It is the way we communicate that separates our perception.
We are an entwinement of our perceptions; this is good news as it gives us control over our ability and wellness status.
Autonomy
We are mind, body, and spirit, or we are mind, body, and energy. There is no separation of self from self; that said, we can project ourselves as someone else so we can see ourselves more clearly. If you would like to experience this, do a Bryon Katy Worksheet on anything that is bothering you and see how you can protect yourself from the aspect of another person, especially someone causing conflict, past, present, or future.
Whichever term of expression we put forward in conversation, 'mind' or 'body' 'spirit' or 'energy' etc. It is vital that we do not separate the wholeness of self by thinking of the mind or body, ect, as separate units.
Many terms of expression separate the mind from the body, or the body and mind or from our spirit, but in reality, we are united; mind-body-spirit-energy.
We can be reflected in someone else to see ourselves, which seems oxymoronic regarding autonomy. Still, we are the conscious person watching and relating to everything in our world, including the people in it.
We can aim to be consciously at peace; an acceptance of peace is acceptance of life.
We can turn our lives around.
Change is a process we can relax into as we ask, 'Is this true?'
What we believe is critical, as our imaginations can and do run riot - make sure you work for you so that you can effectively connect your mind and body in a way that activates an effective life-sustaining response within you, so your immune system can do its job.
Thinking is part of the body's defence and recovery mechanisms.
The above comment may seem like a small thing to understand, but action on this understanding makes a world of difference to how we view ourselves.
Generate a healthy Bodymind through the knowledge of psychoneuroimmunology.
Reduce stress proactively. It is easy to be you when you know who you are without the beliefs that do not serve you well.
PNI shows us that you are your Bodymind; treat it well to self-generate wellness.
An Interview With Byron Katie, Creator of 'The Work'
4 Questions to Change Your Life
- Is it true?
- Can you absolutely know that it's true?
- How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?
- Who would you be without the thought?
FREE BRYON KATIE WORKSHEET
https://thework.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/obaat_en_mod_6feb2019-r.pdf
SUPPORT
If you'd like support regarding completing and progressing with the Bibilotherapeutic aspects of Katie Bryrons' work, Julia's Bibliotherapeutic process will be able to help you; contact us for further information.
