The affects of Imagery or enviormental stimuli

[ShaneofIreland]

We all know that weird feeling when looking at gross or disgusting images particularly images that involve infectious disease or trauma to a human body. Gross images of sever gonorrhoea or acne for example.

 

The question I would like to ask is what research or understandings are known to surround the study of such grotesque imagery upon the immune system.

 

Is this weird feeling a hormonal or immune response??? OR is it the opposite whereby the immune system is temporarily/partially shut down.

 

It is a similar feeling for example when we see males been kicked in the groin, whereby it is if our own bodies are preparing for such painful impact.

Much appreciated if I could be giving some feedback as I may be preparing to further study this area of medical science.

 

Kind Regards.

Shane

[JorgeLobo]

Why would you think response to an image has any affect on immunity?

[iNow]

Why would you think response to an image has any affect on immunity?

Because it causes your own mind to activate in the same way as if you were seeing that image on your own body, and that neural activity triggers immune response. In much the same way, if you see someone getting "kicked in the groin," you can feel it yourself and it will trigger some physiological response in your own grown.

 

To demonstrate the effect, watch this:

 

 

 

That feeling you had in your belly and groin was your brain responding to the stimuli, and reacting in a way as if it were happening to you.

 

The question I would like to ask is what research or understandings are known to surround the study of such grotesque imagery upon the immune system.

<...>

It is a similar feeling for example when we see males been kicked in the groin, whereby it is if our own bodies are preparing for such painful impact.

I think it's an evolved response which has helped us to move away from illness and sickness. Those who saw this stuff and moved away survived better than those who saw it and went so close as to take on the contagion. After a while, the motivator for moving away grew stronger... Whether it was some feeling of disgust or some empathizing with the pain.

 

My guess (and it's just a guess) is that since the brain is involved, it could very well be both hormones and immune response, but that (like I described above) the processing of that stimuli makes the immune system respond in the same way as if you were processing it happening to you.

 

I'm unsure of the research, but you should begin by looking at work on mental states and the immune system, and imagination and the immune system, or even meditation and the immune system. All of this is highly interrelated.

Edited November 12, 2011 by iNow

[ShaneofIreland]

Because it causes your own mind to activate in the same way as if you wereseeing that image on your own body, and that neural activity triggers immuneresponse. In much the same way, if you see someone getting "kicked in thegroin," you can feel it yourself and it will trigger some physiologicalresponse in your own grown.

 

To demonstrate the effect, watch this:

 

 

 

That feeling you had in your belly and groin was your brain responding to thestimuli, and reacting in a way as if it were happening to you.

 

 

I think it's an evolved response which has helped us to move away from illnessand sickness. Those who saw this stuff and moved away survived better thanthose who saw it and went so close as to take on the contagion. After a while,the motivator for moving away grew stronger... Whether it was some feeling ofdisgust or some empathizing with the pain.

 

My guess (and it's just a guess) is that since the brain is involved, it couldvery well be both hormones and immune response, but that (like I describedabove) the processing of that stimuli makes the immune system respond in thesame way as if you were processing it happening to you.

 

I'm unsure of the research, but you should begin by looking at work on mentalstates and the immune system, and imagination and the immune system, or evenmeditation and the immune system. All of this is highly interrelated.

 

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

 

I would just like to add that I am a practitioner of a breathing techniquecalled the Buteykop Method. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buteyko_methodThis encourages people to basically condition their mind/nervous system so thatit is finer tuned to shallow breathing patterns. What is also does is allow youto overcome emotional stress or anxiety. For example a particular thought orimage in your mind will bring on a 'urge' or nervous response for you to breathmore heavily. Thus the fight or flight response as you have interpreted danger..forcing your breathing to remain in a shallow pattern therefore becomesdifficult and challenging. This in affect is an exercise whereby you becomestronger in mind/nervous control and breathing just like a bodybuilder wouldwhen lifter heavy weights. The keyword is conditioning.

 

So what has this got to do with the immune system? Well as you pointed out theyare all interconnected and which I well agree upon and understand to somedegree. The usage of mental imagery as I have mentioned can bring on a degreeof 'nervousness' or low scale flight or fight response. For most people thesereactions go unrecognised by the 'conscious' mind but in truth their body'sreaction is to inhale more air and therefore suppress the 'nervousness' byallowing greater intake of oxygen for the body to absorb.

 

 

Meditation as you have pointed out allows the practitioner to develop a greaterrelationship with their mind, in affect it teaches people to more easilyrecognise their mental behaviour/mood swings etc and therefore deal with it.Likewise when using the Buteykop Breathing Method one learns to finddistressing thoughts or memories in their mind and through forced effort can 'reprogramme' as if it were their mind/nervous system response. Thatis to say these people can achieve emotional stability in highly stressfulsituations.

 

This breathing technique also conditions your body to go without oxegen moreoften than used to, therefore becoming more tolerant to carbon dioxide buildupthroughout your body. Obviously not to the extreme where it becomes life threateningbut to the point where it becomes a little uncomfortable. This in affect asresearched by Dr Buteykop allows the body to increase its absorbtion rate ofoxegen and therefore provide greater maintenance of cells. Hence its claims forenhancing the immune system.

 

In short the Buteykop Method achieves to some degree the same results for thecardio vascular system as anaerobic/aerobic exercises would but without theintense physical strain on the body.

 

So back to the original question of external stimuli affects on the immunesystem. Again the case of imagery and the role it may have on the subconsciousmind. It has yet to be determined whether or not this 'weird feeling' as wecall it has anything to do with the immune system (or as we know it anyway) butnone the less it is a nervous reaction. Obviously a virus comes to be known tothe body through actual physical interaction and therefore the immune systemcan work about analysing as if it were the chemical composition of the virus.On the quantum scale of things a photon from just a picture of the virus would hardlyconvey the required information for the immune system.

 

However we have yet to realise just how much the emotional and even 'spiritual'well being of a person can affect on the efficiency of the immune system.Immune efficiency is perhaps the cure of all cures. Everyday hundred of virusesand bacteria enter the body but are outdone by the anti biotic good guys as mymother used to call them. In the case of a HIV sufferer, his immunity isclose to zero in respect to his blood T-cell count and therefore suspect tonearly everything and everything.

 

SO perhaps conditioning your mind to deal with gross imagery and stressfulsituations and what not could be a working towards improved health and a morerelaxed enjoyable life. the pursuit of all science I should add.

 

 

 

Look forward to reading your comments.

 

[JorgeLobo]

I see - the question was a teaser so you could expand on your favorite concept.

[ShaneofIreland]

I see - the question was a teaser so you could expand on your favorite concept.

 

 

 

lol.. seems to have come across that way alirght. It wasnt my intention however.