Editorial – YANG & YING OF HUMAN SEXUALITY & HOMOEOPATHY
-Dr. Praful Barvalia
TAn ascetic sat meditating in a cave. All at once a mouse scurried in and nibbled at his sandal. In annoyance, the ascetic opened his eyes. “‘Why are you disturbing me in my contemplation? “I am hungry”, squeaked the mouse. “Go away, silly mouse.” lectured the ascetic. “I am seeing oneness with God. How could you think of disturbing me ?” “How do you propose to become one with God” asked the mouse, “if you can’t even become one with me ?”
This is the classical contrast between the concepts of health and disease propounded by the conventional system of medicine and holistic medicine. The former considers disease as an unwelcome disruption, a superimposed obstruction in the path of health, while holistic medicine regards this as integral process, one of the best ways to adopt to the stressful environment. The focus of holistic medicine is not expressions of disease but perception of stress and pattern of adaptation.
German psychologist, Thorwald Dethlefsen, with above example quite incisively puts illness in correct perspective in the conceptual framework of polarity. We are ill because we lack oneness. Sexuality is the sphere in which human beings most commonly get to practical grips with the theme of polarity. With the superlative awareness of our incompleteness, we set out to seek what we are lacking. We unite ourselves physically with our counterpart, and in that union experience a new state of consciousness that we call orgasm. A state of oneness, dissolving our duality, transient but ecstatic. This is the phase where our ‘I’ disappears for the time being. Letting go and letting be is something that is demanded of both men and women alike if they are to achieve orgasm. If we are afraid of losing control and therefore make a daily habit of keeping a firm hold on ourselves, our rigidity and ego block our experience of orgasm. In this backdrop it will be interesting to examine sexual /orgasmic disjunctions and frigidity and impotence as well as Homoeopathic constitutional types like Sepia, Lycopodium, Flouric acid and Phosphorus.
Blessed with aesthetic and refined sensitivity, self-surrender is the basic principle of femininity. Frigidity reveals that a woman is not prepared to give herself fully, but wants to ‘wear the trousers’ herself. She doesn’t want to be the underdog, but wants to dominate. Such drives with passions of powers are masculine qualities and would not allow the female to identify with her role. Role conflict gives way to psychopathalogy of frigidity and SEPIA becomes the prototype. It is interesting to observe that many sepia women would achieve orgasm by masturbation. Here one is alone and needs to let nothing and nobody in apart from one’s own fantasies.
An ‘I’ that does not see itself as threatened by a ‘you’ finds it easier to withdraw willingly into the background. We also find in these women a fear of their own natural drives. Here is the role of similimum, which can restore tranquility by reducing the conflict.
Masculinity stands for ‘creation’ and ‘manifestations’. The male is active and aggressive. Potency is the expression and symbol of power, while impotence is lack of power. Behind impotence stands fear of one’s own manhood and aggression. Here we see minimal self-identification with the masculine and thus with attributes such as power and aggression. An impotent man tends to identify himself much more with a passive and thus submissive role. He is actually afraid of achievement. Here then the vicious circle begins once more as he attempts to achieve potency by sheer effort and willpower. Greater the pressure to perform less the prospect of erection. Thus impotence is a great signal which gives you an insight to examine one’s own attitude to such themes as power, achievement and aggression and fears associated with them. Study of Lycopodium personality and its psycho-sexual pathology with this background would be helpful.
Jainism, Christianity etc. have been perceived as preaching sexuality and spiritual path as great opposites. When one is blessed with such strong environment in early formative years, he develops a fairly rigid conscience. Strict self control makes it easier for us to live together socially, but prepares ground for repressing into the unconscious all those impulses that are unwelcome in society. Repression becomes fertile soil for various somatic and psychic complaints.
Dynamic study of sexual passion of Homoeopathic constitutional prototypes give us great insight into human sexuality, its impact on shaping of personality and its ramifications in the world of inter-personal relationships. It also allows us to understand various ways in which different people deal with this most vital aspect and helps us perceive consequences of the dealing on their health and disease Phosphorous with the strong desire, wants lots of caressing and love. Fluoric acid rapidly changes objects and finds it difficult to get gratified. Human sexuality has two components: biological drive and affectual components (emotion, aesthetics). The judicious blending of both is essential for health. The undue emphasis or denial of any one component has delirious consequences. Oriental teaching is to recognize your inner nature. Cognizance of one’s own disposition is the first step towards harmony, peace, and health as it reduces internal fight. Evolution is going beyond the dispositional quality.
It is here that the esoteric path begins which we call the path of Yoga. Yoga is a Sanskrit word, meaning, “yoke”. A yoke always combines quality: two oxen, two buckets etc.
Images of Ajanta and Ellora represent symbolically the great secret of conjuctio oppositotium or the union of opposites.
We shall conclude by quoting holy words of scripture (Gospel of Thomas: Log 22)
Jesus said to them:
“When you make the two as one,
and when you make the inner as outer,
and the outer as inner,
and the above as below,
and when you make the male and female as a single one,
so that male is not male and female is not female,
when you make eyes in place of an eye,
and hand in place of a hand,
and foot in place of a foot,
an image in place of an image,
then you will enter the kingdom.”