Morphological Changes From Stress
Morphology sounds like a vast and esoteric topic to be discussed at a medical or possibly philosophical seminar. Morphology sounds important, but what does it mean? The long answer is that it can mean multiple things, dependent upon the field of study in which it is being considered. It can have different meanings in linguistics, biology and medicine, among perhaps many others. Most generally, however, morphology refers to the overall shape of something. Every single "thing" has a specific "morphology.
If we consider the structure or shape of something, would we not believe it to be a stable trait? The structure of something does not generally change, excepting of course the application of external force for that purpose, and allowances for biological developmental growth. I would like to suggest that morphology, specifically related to physiology, is not as stable and unchanging as we might expect. It may be that the morphology of our own bodies is continually changing in one way or another. Through the interplay of our environment, our behavioral reaction to that environment as well as our individual thoughts and feelings I believe that our bodies respond in very basic and fundamental ways, even to the point of altering morphology.
If, indeed, it were true that morphology is changing all the time, why wouldn't it be obvious? Why does it not become plain that things are always changing, at least to some degree? We may gain some insight through consideration of those things which for centuries have been considered "the windows to the Soul," -the eyes. The eyes of an individual can tell us many things, not the least of which has to do with his physical health. Ophthalmologists are able to detect high blood pressure and other conditions through eye examination. The eyes, it seems, may show first signs of morphological changes.
It has been suggested that mental struggles, among many other things, can actually have a deleterious effect upon the musculature surrounding the eye, and therefore eyesight. William H. Bates, M.D., in a book entitled "Better Eyesight Without Glasses" (1971, Pyramid Books, New York, NY) stated "under conditions of mental or physical discomfort, such as pain, cough, fever, discomfort from heat or cold, depression, anger, or anxiety, errors of refraction are always produced in the normal eye or increased in the eye in which they already exist(p. 29)." He went on to state "it has been demonstrated in thousands of cases that all abnormal action of the external muscles of the eyeball is accompanied by a strain or effort to see, and that with the relief of this strain the action of the muscles becomes normal and all errors of refraction disappear(p. 37)." This suggests that the way in which strain negatively impacts the eye is through a change in the form and function of the eye muscles; it changes their morphology.
Yet, one might ask, why is it that all of us, when we return to a normal restful state, do not have perfectly normal vision? Why is it that after a full night's sleep everyone's vision is not returned to normal? Dr. Bates informs us that "During sleep the refractive condition of the eye is rarely, if ever, normal (p. 28)," and that if our eyes are under a strain when we are awake, "that strain will certainly be continued during sleep, (pp. 41, 42)." Further, most of us would agree that we all know individuals who, even though ostensibly relaxed, have vision problems.
It would seem that the very structure and operation of the muscles surrounding the eye are changed by negative emotions. Perhaps that is why improvement of eyesight, even with the remarkable methods of Dr. Bates, takes a much longer time for older individuals than it does for younger ones. Maybe as patterns of behavior continue, their effects become more and more rigid. The morphological changes occurring as a result (including faulty vision) may become relatively fixed.
Eyesight is but one of the manifestations of the effects of strain upon the body. Clearly it has the potential to affect every bodily system to one degree or another. It has long been understood that stress and strain are implicated in maladies as diverse as asthma, obesity, depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, Alzheimer's disease, chronic inflammation,premature aging and even premature death. It is clear that stress, and the strain-effect upon the body can be linked to changes in the way our bodies function and even in our basic structure (morphology).
It should be clear from the above that these are issues of great import. These are not issues that, like so many others, "I'll get around to, sometime." Ameliorating strain (the effects of stress) truly is something to deal with now, and of which to get the BENEFITS now!
It is a very good thing that counteracting the strain inflicted upon us all is not an impossible task. It is not out of reach or impossible to do. It simply requires the intention to do it, and allowing it to happen. In fact, the more effort we put into it, and the more we attempt to "force" ourselves to do it, the less attainable it will be. While this is a little backward in our society today, simply letting go and allowing ourselves the opportunity to experience peace, with no overtones of "should" or "must" or "have-to" will begin the process easily.
When advocating the important benefits of this relaxed and peaceful state, I have noticed that many (having been once informed) will state that they "just didn't get around to it," or "didn't have time." More than likely, I'm guessing that these are simply statements of avoidance. There can be many factors fueling avoidance such as "am I doing it right," "is it working the way it is supposed to," "will this really work for me?" While those may be legitimate concerns, focusing upon them actually works counter to the process. They short circuit it!
There are a multitude of sources for information about accessing this level of peace and quietude, in print, over the internet and likely even in our own communities. Please avail yourself of those resources and get started. It doesn't matter how "well" you do at them, just start to use them and make them habitual. They will improve your life.
If we consider the structure or shape of something, would we not believe it to be a stable trait? The structure of something does not generally change, excepting of course the application of external force for that purpose, and allowances for biological developmental growth. I would like to suggest that morphology, specifically related to physiology, is not as stable and unchanging as we might expect. It may be that the morphology of our own bodies is continually changing in one way or another. Through the interplay of our environment, our behavioral reaction to that environment as well as our individual thoughts and feelings I believe that our bodies respond in very basic and fundamental ways, even to the point of altering morphology.
If, indeed, it were true that morphology is changing all the time, why wouldn't it be obvious? Why does it not become plain that things are always changing, at least to some degree? We may gain some insight through consideration of those things which for centuries have been considered "the windows to the Soul," -the eyes. The eyes of an individual can tell us many things, not the least of which has to do with his physical health. Ophthalmologists are able to detect high blood pressure and other conditions through eye examination. The eyes, it seems, may show first signs of morphological changes.
It has been suggested that mental struggles, among many other things, can actually have a deleterious effect upon the musculature surrounding the eye, and therefore eyesight. William H. Bates, M.D., in a book entitled "Better Eyesight Without Glasses" (1971, Pyramid Books, New York, NY) stated "under conditions of mental or physical discomfort, such as pain, cough, fever, discomfort from heat or cold, depression, anger, or anxiety, errors of refraction are always produced in the normal eye or increased in the eye in which they already exist(p. 29)." He went on to state "it has been demonstrated in thousands of cases that all abnormal action of the external muscles of the eyeball is accompanied by a strain or effort to see, and that with the relief of this strain the action of the muscles becomes normal and all errors of refraction disappear(p. 37)." This suggests that the way in which strain negatively impacts the eye is through a change in the form and function of the eye muscles; it changes their morphology.
Yet, one might ask, why is it that all of us, when we return to a normal restful state, do not have perfectly normal vision? Why is it that after a full night's sleep everyone's vision is not returned to normal? Dr. Bates informs us that "During sleep the refractive condition of the eye is rarely, if ever, normal (p. 28)," and that if our eyes are under a strain when we are awake, "that strain will certainly be continued during sleep, (pp. 41, 42)." Further, most of us would agree that we all know individuals who, even though ostensibly relaxed, have vision problems.
It would seem that the very structure and operation of the muscles surrounding the eye are changed by negative emotions. Perhaps that is why improvement of eyesight, even with the remarkable methods of Dr. Bates, takes a much longer time for older individuals than it does for younger ones. Maybe as patterns of behavior continue, their effects become more and more rigid. The morphological changes occurring as a result (including faulty vision) may become relatively fixed.
Eyesight is but one of the manifestations of the effects of strain upon the body. Clearly it has the potential to affect every bodily system to one degree or another. It has long been understood that stress and strain are implicated in maladies as diverse as asthma, obesity, depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, Alzheimer's disease, chronic inflammation,premature aging and even premature death. It is clear that stress, and the strain-effect upon the body can be linked to changes in the way our bodies function and even in our basic structure (morphology).
It should be clear from the above that these are issues of great import. These are not issues that, like so many others, "I'll get around to, sometime." Ameliorating strain (the effects of stress) truly is something to deal with now, and of which to get the BENEFITS now!
It is a very good thing that counteracting the strain inflicted upon us all is not an impossible task. It is not out of reach or impossible to do. It simply requires the intention to do it, and allowing it to happen. In fact, the more effort we put into it, and the more we attempt to "force" ourselves to do it, the less attainable it will be. While this is a little backward in our society today, simply letting go and allowing ourselves the opportunity to experience peace, with no overtones of "should" or "must" or "have-to" will begin the process easily.
When advocating the important benefits of this relaxed and peaceful state, I have noticed that many (having been once informed) will state that they "just didn't get around to it," or "didn't have time." More than likely, I'm guessing that these are simply statements of avoidance. There can be many factors fueling avoidance such as "am I doing it right," "is it working the way it is supposed to," "will this really work for me?" While those may be legitimate concerns, focusing upon them actually works counter to the process. They short circuit it!
There are a multitude of sources for information about accessing this level of peace and quietude, in print, over the internet and likely even in our own communities. Please avail yourself of those resources and get started. It doesn't matter how "well" you do at them, just start to use them and make them habitual. They will improve your life.
About the Author:
For more information about the process of decreasing the stress and strain in your life please read the article Strain Relief. For those who already find tropical themes relaxing, be sure to check out Tiki Tranquility.. This article, Morphological Changes From Stress is available for free reprint.
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