10

PULMONOLOGY

The respiratory system supports the transformation of venous blood into arterial blood, enriching venous blood with oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from it. The respiratory system includes the lungs, which are protected by two layers of pleurae. Within the lungs, oxygen exchange takes place in the pulmonary alveoli, which develop from the branched bronchioles. Oxygenated blood moves from the respiratory bronchioles through the bronchial tubes and the tracheal artery.

PLEURAE

The two pleurae are tissues that enclose and protect the lungs. Each pleura is composed of two layers of membrane, with a small amount of lubricating fluid between them.

Figure 10.1. Pleurae

The Felt Sense of the Biological Conflict

Symptoms of the pleurae often develop in someone who fears an “attack” on the thoracic cavity. Fears of this nature may be quite specific—like fear of a tumor in the breast or lung, or they can be more general: for example, an unnamed fear of what is going on “inside.”

Pneumothorax, a collapse of the lung that occurs when the space between the pleural membranes fills with air, develops when a person feels attacked or chased by someone. “I need space, freedom,” such a person may think to herself. “I protect my inner, vital space from others.”

Example:

A surgeon told a patient, “Tomorrow we’re going to operate on your lung.” Saying this, he pointed to the right side of the X-ray. The patient felt an attack on the right thorax even though the tumor was on the left side because the X-ray was a negative. The patient’s body sought to protect itself against the “attack” of the surgery by constructing a reinforcement inside the pleura—a mesothelioma. In this particular case, the man developed a mesothelioma in the right pleura during the conflict phase.

Neuronal connection: Cerebellum

Embryologic origin: Primordial mesoderm

LUNGS

The lungs are a pair of cone-shaped organs that lie in the upper thoracic cavity of the chest. With the heart lying between them, the two lungs separate the thoracic cavity into two distinct chambers, a separation that allows each lung to function on its own in the event of injury to the other.

The Felt Sense of the Biological Conflict

Disorders of the lungs relate to the primordial fear of death, which is often described in terms of the breath, as in one who takes his “dying breath,” a “last gasp,” and so forth. Fundamentally, this is a fear of losing oneself: that is, of losing one’s territory or of losing the ultimate territory—life. Generally the fear is of a visceral nature and is very difficult to reassure. Sometimes the fears of dying will be tied directly to issues of the breath, as with fears of suffocation.

The lungs make tumors essentially as a way of creating more lung—that is, more cells in order to breathe more. Fear for oneself may manifest as several spots on the lungs, while a fear that someone else will die is more likely to generate a single spot. A fear of suffering while dying may cause several spots to appear high up in the lungs, decreasing in size farther down. Small fears can create a cough.

Example:

When Mr. J presented with a tumor on his lung, I began to question him.

“Do you fear death?”

“Yes, I’ve been afraid of ‘bringing myself down’ since January.”

“All the time or from time to time?”

“All the time, I think, and there’s no solution.”

Earlier that year, Mr. J had been with his mistress in the parking lot of a mall when her husband came upon them by chance. Shock. The woman told Mr. J to disappear and he fled.

For several days, he parked miles from his home, then sneaked home and didn’t even turn on the lights for fear of being discovered by his mistress’s husband. Six days later she telephoned him to say, “Run. He wants to kill you.”

Mr. J. took refuge with his former spouse and felt helpless. “I couldn’t do anything,” he told me. “I couldn’t defend myself or take a complaint to the police since I didn’t want to hurt her.”

Neuronal connection: Right brain stem

Embryologic origin: Endoderm

ALVEOLI

Alveoli are the structures within the lungs that bring oxygen into the blood. They are small cup-shaped pouches that are composed of two types of cells: cells that are the main sites of oxygen–CO₂ exchange and cells that produce an alveolar fluid that keeps the surrounding cells and air moist.

Figure 10.2. Pulmonary lobule

After a shock, an organism will often construct special alveolar cells to improve the exchange of gases in the alveoli—that is, to capture more oxygen. In the language of the body, “I want to breathe more, I want more pulmonary alveoli. I multiply the alveoli for increased respiratory functionality. I create one tumor or several, always situated near arterial segments so they’re well supplied with blood.”

The Felt Sense of the Biological Conflict

Problems of the alveoli arise when one feels oneself to be in a chronically “stifling” situation. For example, one may fear not being able to breathe anymore because of an illness or other crisis in one’s life. Alternatively, a sports enthusiast may consider himself incapable because of a lack of air or of breath.

Emphysema is a disease in which the walls of the alveoli are destroyed, reducing the surface area available for gas exchange. This is a symptom of the phase of stress.

BRONCHI

The bronchi are tubes that carry air deep into the lungs. Within the lungs, the bronchial “tree” separates into progressively smaller branches, which end up as microscopic respiratory bronchioles. The bronchi are composed in part of cartilage, muscles, and mucous linings.

The Felt Sense of the Biological Conflict

Problems of the bronchi arise from conflicts related to threats to one’s territory. The enemy has not yet stormed in, but the peril is doubtless imminent. For a man, these conflicts often arise on the job, while for a woman they may relate to the family. We can imagine why such issues affect the bronchi by picturing the way a gorilla sticks out his chest and pounds on it to threaten others in his territory. The more he opens his bronchial tubes, the more intense the resonant sound becomes. Then he bares his canines, showing his aggressiveness.

Symptoms may arise if one feels a threat of loss of territory, a threat to the couple, or even a fear of being “prevented” from evolving in one’s territory. (“You’re sucking the air of out me!”) If the element of physical fear dominates, symptoms will strike the left bronchial tube; if the element of emotional territory dominates, symptoms will strike the right bronchial tube.

Fear of not being able to flee or attack will affect the bronchial muscles. Fear of being separated—as from one’s spouse or clan—will affect the bronchial mucosa. If there is also a desire to hold on, coronary difficulties may be involved as well.

A dry cough is the sign of a spasm in the bronchial musculature, similar to how the musculature of the stomach reacts to digestive problems: “I reject the intruder, the stranger, the authority.” Such a cough may indicate a person’s refusal to withstand a particular situation—such as cigar smoke, other people, and limitations of one’s personal space.

Examples:

Mr. C was very worried about his son’s future, because his son didn’t apply himself at school. Mr. C manufactured a bronchial conflict that reoccurred every time the situation at school was unfavorable. In this case, the territory for this man was his son and the threat was related to his son’s future.

Miss Q had chronic bronchitis. During her treatment, she told me that every time she entered a room, her automatic, unconscious reflex was to take stock of the size of the room, where the windows were located, and whether she could open them. If the room was too small, she had a feeling that she wanted to push back the walls; instead she expanded her bronchial tubes.

When Miss Q had bronchitis, she was afraid, because of the illness, that she’d be short of air. Hers was a self-perpetuating conflict.

Neuronal connection: Right fronto-lateral cortex

Embryologic origin: Ectoderm

RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES

Several kinds of conflicts are associated with breathing difficulties.

• Asthma can reflect a conflict in which one wishes for situations that don’t exist and refuses situations that do exist. Alternatively, one may feel conflicted about preferring one’s own company (one’s own air) to that of others. (“I want, then I don’t want, to appropriate for myself the space that surrounds me.”) The asthma attack is sustained by the fear that the air is not going to make it to the lungs.
• Patients with expiratory bradypnea may feel that their breathing is a demonstration of their commitment to life, and that they must breathe noticeably in order to stay alive.
• Laryngeal dyspnea can develop during a conflict of vocalization: “I want, then I don’t want, to scream, shout, call for help.”

Example:

When Mr. B was a child, he had to obey, not move, and not make any noise. In a sense, his mother forbade him to “live.” On the other hand, when his uncles and cousins visited his house, they were allowed to do anything. “They are taking possession of my territory,” thought the young Mr. B. “I refuse to breathe their air.” Because the uncles smoked, tobacco came to equal intrusion for Mr. B. He created a thought pattern that said, “I want to breathe good air and there isn’t any,” thereby programming his respiratory problems.

Neuronal connection: Cortex of the left and/or right hemisphere

Embryologic origin: Ectoderm