The Central Conflict in Daily Practice

By Foreign Correspondent, Reimar Banis, M.D., Switzerland

Abstract: Psychosomatic Energetics (PSE) proceeds from the assumption that emotional conflicts are placed in long-term storage in the bodys subtle energy field, which agrees with the basic notion of shamans and faith healers. At the same time, they are repressed into the deep subconscious, so that PSE also accords with the psychoanalytic model. In general, we distinguish between active and passive conflicts. A multiplicity of factors can activate a dormant conflict, which then generates symptoms and can lead to emotional and somatic ailments. The largest conflict of all is the Central Conflict. Diagnosing and treating it is often the key to effective, profound and lasting healing. The specific procedure is illustrated using the case of a patient with spondylodiscitis and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and an underlying anxiety disease. Keywords: Psychosomatic Energetics, emotional conflicts, Central Conflict Introduction In Psychosomatic Energetics, a holistic method developed by the author, the Central Conflict concept plays a prominent role. It determines character type and explains a persons preferences and weak points. Character type seems at first to be an individual phenomenon, but there are superordinate laws that enable every person to be classified in a structured typological system. Knowing this, one can predict peoples behavior and their basic emotional attributes with astonishing accuracy in the majority of cases. The significance of
Explore! Volume 14, Number 3, 2005

character thus extends far beyond the purely depth-psychological dimension because, based on clinical-practice experience, a persons entire life history is influenced and shaped by character type. Each Central Conflict likewise determines the fundamental metabolic hue, i.e. whether a persons reactions are melancholic, choleric, sanguinic or phlegmatic. Therefore, treatment of the Central Conflict also favorably alters the interior milieu, i.e. acid-base equilibrium, mineral balance and the unspecific defense system. Third, the Central Conflict figures importantly in energy blocks and energetic debility. Because cellular processes are tightly coupled with the subtle energy field, an energy block changes the susceptibility to cellular disturbances on up to cell degeneration. Thus, the author has found, in many solid carcinoma cases, a Central Conflict in the associated segment. From an energetic viewpoint, the Central Conflict is an important risk factor. Moreover, an active Central Conflict often produces chronic ailments and psychovegetative disorders. Because the majority of general-medicine patients exhibit such symptoms, a great many of them have an active Central Conflict, and in fact roughly every third patient has, right at the beginning, an active Central Conflict. The remaining patients Central Conflicts show up later in the course of treatment, usually in the second session, after foreground conflicts have been dissolved and the deeper emotional central problems surface.

Sidebar 1

The Central Conflict, the primary energy thief , is basically stabilized and to some extent pacified by all kinds of external energy supply and energetic harmonization. Yet many curative measures really only uncouple the underlying Central Conflict for a short time by temporarily nullifying its energy-draining effect. Often, this is accomplished by feigning healing, e.g. by momentarily raising the entire energy system to a higher level. But experience has shown that only healing the Central Conflict can lead to lasting improvement and healing. Whats more, dissolving the Central Conflict changes many organ illnesses for the better. The holistic effect can also be seen in the far-reaching emotional maturing processes that develop in many patients: they become noticeably more self-confident, socially more outgoing and at the same time better able to draw limits.

The Four Character Types Western medicine is based on the knowledge of the four elements (Latin Humores, or juices, hence humoral medicine). The ancient doctors had noticed that there are four distinctive temperaments, each exhibiting a specific disease susceptibility, a prevailing mood, a predictable behavioral pattern and additional emotional attributes. The ancient temperaments match up with modern depth-psychology defined types, such as described by Fritz Riemann (see Table 1 ). We are thus dealing here with a universally valid classification system that can be just as useful to us modern physicians as it had been to Hippocrates and his colleagues in ancient Greece. Using Psychosomatic Energetics energy testing, we can simply and reliably diagnose the four character types with their four associated elements. This takes mere minutes with the aid of certain homeopathic test ampoules and a specific measurement technique.1

Character Types and Emotional State

Character type Chinese polarity Element type Polarity (actual emotional attr.) Jungian polarity Compensatory Acting as if Schizoid Yang Melancholic Extrovert Introvert Depressive Yin Choleric Introvert Extrovert Obsess.-comp. Yang Phlegmatic Extrovert Introvert Hysteric Yin Sanguinic Introvert Extrovert

Existential fear (fear of Separation fear (fear of ego development, Riemanns anxiety type commitment, obsession with self-preservation) obsessive commitment) Fear of losing oneself = Fear of isolation = Fundamental fear and Dont want to be here/ Always want to fit in appropriate depth-psych. Leave me alone/ and be nice/Always compensation Must always be strong want to be with you Primary psychological/ Obsessive mental Obsessive emotional subtle energy domain domain accentuation
Table 1

Sidebar

Fear of change (fear of Fear of finality (fear of transience, obsession the inevitable, obsessive with security) desire for freedom) Fear of the new = Fear of fixation = If Im good, things If I tie myself down, will stay the same/ Im lost/Always be free always be tidy and independent Obsessive mental domain Obsessive emotional domain

The four character types correspond to specific energetic segments (Chakras) and their associated Central Conflicts (Table 2 ).

Character type
Associated Chakra

Schizoid
1 Chakra (pelvis)+7 Chakra (head)

Depressive
3 Chakra (upper abdomen)

Obsessive-compulsive
5 Chakra (neck)

Hysteric
2 Chakra (lower abdomen) + 6 Chakra (brow) All Lower-Abdomen & Brow Chakra conflicts (57, 1924) Conflict 16 Panic

Central Conflict (and All Pelvic & Crown Chakra All Upper-Abdomen All Neck Chakra conflicts associated conflict conflicts (14, 2528) Chakra conflicts (811) (1718) themes) Conflict themes of the Conflict 15 Conflict 13 Withdrawn, Conflict 14 Introverted, associated character Apprehensive & Conflict injured compulsive type in the Heart Chakra 12 Mental overexertion
Table 2
1

The technique for testing the Central Conflict is taught in the Psychosomatic Energetics advanced seminar. The testing itself is simple enough to do: a large conflict is filtered by means of a special ampoule (Brunler-Bovis) that suppresses all conflicts except for the Central Conflict. Explore! Volume 14, Number 3, 2005

Every person has a Central Conflict in one of the six Chakras and another one that matches the character type in the Heart Chakra (see Fig. 2). There arises a clear, Psychodynamically logical and consistent relationship between certain energy centers (Chakras) and certain Central Conflicts. For example, the schizoid character type always has its Central Conflict in the pelvis, which represents grounding toward the material pole, or in the cerebrum, which contains the ideological grounding in the sense of convictions and ideas. Consequently, the schizoids dominant spiritual theme is disrupted basic trust. Schizoids generally have a more closed/introverted nature and a mistrustful basic attitude. Moreover, they often suffer from organ ailments in the pelvic or cerebral region. The theory of the elements says that schizoids, as melancholics (from the Greek word chol, i.e. bile), often have bile flow impairment. The far-reaching effects of bile therapy, which can favorably stimulate the entire vegetative system to change and normalize metabolism, was known in ancient humoral medicine. Thus the saying that medicine has to be bitter originates in the towering significance of bile for the health of two character types: melanchol ics and chol erics. Id like to use a typical case to illustrate that this system has proven itself in daily practice and is consistent, moreover, with modern medicine. Hysteric Character Type With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation The 45-year-old man, an independent businessman, very successful professionally and with a correspondingly heavy workload, happily married, 2 children, was motivated by a TV presentation of Psychosomatic Energetics to come in for treatment. He had already tried out all possible orthodox and alternative methods, to no avail. Two years ago, he had an etiologically vague Staphylococcus aureus infection with spondylodiscitis at Th10/11. At that time he had felt constantly exhausted and, shortly before, had come down with pneumonia of unknown origin. A year later, paroxysmal tachycardial atrial fibrillation appeared, which was successfully halted cardiologically with Sotalex and, later, Tambocor. Because of rubefaction, he was forced to discontinue Sotalex and has since then once again suffered from tachycardial attacks accompanied by anxiety, debility and perspiration. At the moment, he continues to reject offered surgical intervention (high-frequency ablation) for the tachycardia. In the PSE test, he displayed a markedly reduced vitality of 40% and a very low emotional reading of 20%.2 Both are typical of a chronic exhaustion state with vegetative dysfunction. The conflict found was 23 (Restless, tense with conflict readings 80/80/10/80) situated in the 6th Chakra (Brow Chakra, where, with the aid of the hypothalamus, the ANS is regulated). Patients with such conflicts are no longer capable of energetically restorative relaxation and often
2

have an anxiety disease that Psychodynamically represents the actual cause of the patients drivenness and restlessness. Thus, Anxiovita (typically) tested positive with him; this is a homeopathic compound remedy specific for anxiety diseases that is applied both diagnostically and therapeutically. The patient is not conscious of the anxiety, since he has externalized it through objectification, e.g. by saying that he is worried that the ailment would never go away. When asked if he feels anxiety as such, however, he denies it, probably because it violates the unwritten rules of manly behavior. Exhaustion is a good indication of the anxiety of such patients, since it expresses the constant inner tension and restlessness all themes of Conflict 23.

Fig. 1 Typical handwriting of the hysteric character type (detail)

The testing shows this to be the patients Central Conflict. He is thus a hysteric-sanguinic character type. Even his handwriting, his swooping signature on the registration form (see Fig. 1) reveals the hysteric; likewise his strikingly well-groomed and attractive physical appearance. Because the patient has a high causal reading of 80% which shows him to be more mature, spiritually more highly developed than the average person he no longer has, when questioned, all the typical character traits of the normal hysteric. So he is probably an excellent money manager and leads a very disciplined life characterized by keeping a tight rein on desire and leading a Spartan lifestyle. On the other hand, a more typical hysteric in the bacchic wild state would be incapable of managing a household budget and, in general, keeping his drives and desires in check. However, what marks this patient as a hysteric is his distinct pleasure at social occasions and parties of all kinds, his capacity for deeply-felt enjoyment and his ability to quickly enthuse himself and others regarding something or other. Like all hysterics, he also tries to extract the most from every occasion, such that he often maneuvers himself into exhaustion by taking on too great a workload. Three months later, the patient is in for the follow-up check and reports needing 50% less Cordarone. He has had vivid dreams, which the majority of patients also report, an expression of the emotional self-healing process. He also says he feels much calmer and more balanced. His vital reading (50% versus an earlier 40%) has only risen slightly, but the emotional reading (80% versus 20%) is distinctly higher than before. The Central Conflict, with a causal reading of 30%, still needs two months of therapy. Testing reveals a new conflict with the theme Panic in the Heart Chakra (Conflict 16), which is also treated.

The patient readings report on the percentage values of the Vital, Emotional, Mental and Causal Levels. Normal is 100/100/100/40. The similarly written-out second set of conflict readings (which signify the conflicts percentage values at its four levels) have no norm values, but rather should be as low as possible (although the mental reading is an exception, since it represents the degree of conscious awareness of the conflict and tests higher the more a conflict melts away and thus becomes conscious). Explore! Volume 14, Number 3, 2005

Sidebar 3

At the next checkup four months later, the patient says things are going well by him and that he has been able to completely discontinue Amiodoron. However, his readings (vital 30% and emotional 60%) have gone down again. Testing now shows a large conflict in the Neck Chakra with the theme Restlessness (Conflict 18). Six months after that, I see him again with readings of vital 40% and emotional 100%. The tachycardia is now merely sporadic and, all in all, things are going quite well. Testing again shows the Heart Chakra conflict with the Panic theme (conflict readings 80/80/ 10/80). I also uncover an intestinal dysbiosis (response to colon in the organ test set3) that I treat with intestinal symbionts (Mutaflor and Hylak). Since the Heart Chakra conflict usually signals the end of the treatment series, after which no further conflicts tend to surface, treatment is terminated at this point with the advice that he schedule regular cardiological examinations and, if the situation deteriorates, to come in for additional energy testing. The case described exhibits a number of the regularities of Psychosomatic Energetics. Thus, the test results usually correspond to the patients subjective feeling as well as the objective medical findings. The initial pneumonia and consecutive spondylodiscitis were presumably triggered energetically by the Central Conflict in the Heart Chakra (Panic). The later development of the clinical picture was guided by the Central Conflict (Restlessness, anxiety), and the side conflict in the Neck Chakra likewise corresponds thematically to the underlying anxiety disease. Because of hysterics emotional openness, they are much more at the mercy of their subconscious than other character types. Anxiety diseases are much more common with them than other types, and are more agonizing. At this point, Id like to make some general remarks concerning anxiety diseases. A not insignificant number of anxiety patients pose as supposed chronic-fatigue patients. Other kinds of defensive behavior are often seen as well (such as doctor shopping) and somatization, for example in the form of chronic pain states. Understandably, only the dissolution of the pathophysiologically causal anxiety disease can lead to any lasting improvement and healing. The fear itself should not be emphasized in the doctor-patient dialogue, so as not to create an inner block by focusing on it. Experience has shown that anxiety conflicts are often stubborn, as can be seen clearly in the present case. Earlier on, initial worsening while treating conflicts had often led to premature therapy termination, so now an expanded therapy regime is recommended. It has proven extraordinarily effective to include an anxiolytic in the first 68 weeks such as Anxiovita, 5 drops sublingual 34 times daily. Phosetamin 2-0-1 sugar-coated tablets have also proven effective, as well as allopathic preparations in cases of really severe anxiety. The entire treatment of energetic conflict resolution is a process-oriented sequence that takes a certain amount of time and cannot be speeded up by, say, prescribing a higher dosage of the homeopathic compound remedies (Emvita) used to melt away conflicts. The entire treatment process extends over one to two years and is finished when the patients energy
3

readings have normalized and no new conflicts develop. In the case of stronger symptoms and neurotic courses of illness, adjuvant supportive talks as a kind of mini-psychotherapy are a possibility. Most patients are pleased with this, and are quite relieved to be able to call up anytime if problems arise. For anxiety patients, one should always emphatically make an explicit offer of telephone support, keeping in mind that few patients will actually make use of it. The patient in the current case experienced the emotional transformation and maturation processes during treatment as profound and enriching. To him it was as if he had taken an inner journey that opened up new life prospects and possibilities those were his words at the close of therapy. He has recently been dedicating himself, more than ever, to his private life. He makes sure to spend enough time with his children and to limit his workload. We see from this that not a few workaholics and other kinds of addicts are concealing an anxiety disease, and that, when the fear disappears, they usually find their way back to a healthy lifestyle on their own, without needing any other therapeutic measures. Summary Psychosomatic Energetics has proven itself in daily practice to be an effective, inexpensive, profound and lastingly efficacious holistic method. In the majority of patients, the Central Conflict has played an important diagnostic and therapeutic key role. By knowing about the Central Conflict, therapists can better understand the psychodynamics of a disease case. Armed with knowledge about the Central Conflict, one can comprehensively counsel patients and clarify the emotional background. (In so doing, by the way, one is practicing lifestyle counseling, in the broadest sense of the word, that goes far beyond normal physician counseling, and which is felt by all concerned to be satisfying and sensible. Patients comprehend, at a deeper level, what their ailment has to do with them, without thereby turning it into a simplistic psychosomatic metaphor or (God forbid!) playing the blame game. Even though it is the largest emotional trauma, the genesis of the Central Conflict is, as a rule, not known, although it is supposed that these traumata originate in past lives. This is why projecting guilt is not the point, but rather self-knowledge of ones own weaknesses and voids. The Central Conflict makes possible, moreover, an ideal healing approach, since it is situated precisely at the center of the psychosomatic process, i.e. right where, as expected, the healing principle should begin. d BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Banis, R.: New Life Through Energy Healing [Durch Energieheilung zu neuem Leben] Via Nova Verlag Petersberg 2nd Ed. 2004 Banis, R.: Manual of Psychosomatic Energetics [Lehrbuch der Psychosomatischen Energetik] Verlag IAK Kirchzarten 2003

Sidebar

With the aid of the organ test set, focal illnesses and milieu-damaging factors such as dysbioses can be reliably detected. Explore! Volume 14, Number 3, 2005