AUTONOMIC NERVOUS
SYSTEM HEALTH
by Dr.
Lawrence Wilson
© August 2022, LD Wilson Consultants, Inc.
All information in this article is
solely the opinion of the author and for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment,
prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.
Contents
Two Nervous
Systems
The
Autonomic Nervous System
Analogies
II.
AUTONOMIC STATES OF BODY CHEMISTRY
Sympathetic
State or Fast Oxidation
Parasympathetic
State or Slow Oxidation
III.
OTHER AUTONOMIC IMBALANCES
Sympathetic
Dominance
Parasympathetic
Dominance
Four Lows
Four
Highs/Three Highs
IV. HOW TO BALANCE YOUR AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Chart of the
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
****************************
TWO
NERVOUS SYSTEMS
The
human nervous system has two major divisions, the voluntary and the autonomic systems.
The voluntary
system is concerned mainly with movement and sensation. It consists of motor and sensory
nerves, among many others.
The autonomic
system mainly controls functions over which we have less conscious
control. These include the
digestion of food, maintaining the blood pressure and heart rate, and much
more. Its nerves leave the spine
and connect to all the major organs and glands, either inhibiting or
stimulating their activity. This article
is an in-depth look at the autonomic
nervous system.
THE
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
The
autonomic system has two branches.
These are called the sympathetic
and the parasympathetic branches.
The Sympathetic Branch. This
activates the glands and organs that defend the body against attack. It is called the fight-or-flight
system. Its nerves direct more
blood to the muscles and the brain.
The heart rate and blood pressure increase, while it decreases the blood
flow to the digestive and eliminative organs.
It also activates the thyroid and adrenal glands to
provide extra energy for fighting or running away. Nervousness, stress or feelings of panic are what one feels
when in a sympathetic state of readiness.
The
sympathetic system is catabolic, which means it tears down the body. Energy is used to prepare for defense,
rather than for nourishment or for elimination of wastes.
In
a human being, the feeling of an Òadrenalin rushÓ is caused by activation of
the sympathetic system. It may
feel good at first, but is always followed by a feeling of fatigue. The reason is that this branch of the
autonomic nervous system uses up energy and depletes the body.
The Parasympathetic Branch. This
is concerned with nourishing, healing, elimination and regeneration of the body. It is more anabolic, or concerned with rebuilding
the body.
Its
nerves stimulate digestion, and the immune and eliminative organs. These organs include the liver,
pancreas, stomach and intestines.
The parasympathetic nervous system, when activated by rest, relaxation
and happy thoughts, is essential for balanced living and for all healing.
Moving
yourself into a healthy parasympathetic state, and staying there as much of the
time as possible, helps heal all health conditions, both physical and emotional
ones as well.
The
feeling often associated with the parasympathetic state can be one of lethargy
or fatigue, as you are so relaxed.
Do not, however, believe this is unhealthy. Rather, it indicates a state of repair and rebuilding in
progress.
Antagonism
of The Sympathetic And Parasympathetic Branches. Only one or the other system can be
active at a particular time. The
sympathetic branch powerfully inhibits the parasympathetic system. This is, of course, a survival
mechanism because the emergency system, the sympathetic, takes precedence over
the relaxation and healing.
Thus,
either one or the other branch is activated most of the time. To promote balance and healing, the
goal is to keep the sympathetic system turned off as much as possible. This allows the maximum healing to
occur. Simple ways to do this are
to rest, relax and think happy thoughts.
As soon as you think fearful or angry thoughts, or become too physically
active, the body shifts into a sympathetic stance.
ANALOGIES
The
sympathetic nervous system may be roughly likened to the gas pedal of a car. The parasympathetic is more like the brake. Unlike a car, however, when the ÔbrakeÕ
is applied to the body, it begins to heal itself.
Emotionally,
the sympathetic branch of the autonomic system is associate
with fear. The parasympathetic branch is
associated with feelings of love. Love always drives out fear.
Also,
activating oneÕs sympathetic nervous system is like putting most of a nationÕs
resources into military
service. This may be needed,
at times, for emergencies.
However, if continued too long, the nation becomes depleted, out of
balance, and much poorer for lack of productive commercial activity –
making things in factories, growing food on the farms, and so on.
A
flexible oxidizer is like a car that can drive slowly and can drive fast,
depending on the need.
II. AUTONOMIC STATES OF BODY CHEMISTRY
Relatively
few people today have a strong and balanced autonomic system. Most people favor the sympathetic
branch over the parasympathetic branch.
Before discussing these types of individuals, let us discuss the ideal
situation.
The Balanced Individual – A Flexible Oxidizer. When the sympathetic and
parasympathetic systems are working as they should,
the tendency is to rest often and easily.
One can, however, perform at Òtop speedÓ with equal ease. When
challenged by stress, the balanced person is able to respond with vigor and
fortitude.
The
parasympathetic system reduces the activity of the brain, the muscles, and the
adrenal and thyroid glands. When
no situation is pressing, the balanced person can comfortably choose to rest
and can go to sleep easily and deeply.
Babies often have this ability.
However, few adults have this capability today because they overuse
their sympathetic system, which is the emergency alert system that inhibits
rest and sleep.
In
hair analysis terms, the balanced individual will be a flexible oxidizer. This means the person is able and
comfortable slowing down at bedtime and yet also able to run, play and even
fight when needed. These
activities tend to speed up the metabolism. Thus the balanced individual may be in slow oxidation, at
times, and in fast oxidation at other times.
It
is important to note that just because a hair analysis reveals a fairly
balanced oxidation rate, however, does not mean the person is a flexible
oxidizer. In fact, the test may be
skewed in many ways by toxic metals, living habits or
other factors that can make it appear balanced or flexible.
For
example, cadmium will raise up the sodium and, to some
extent, the potassium levels on the test.
So if a person is a slow oxidizer, but they smoke cigarettes or have
some other source of exposure to cadmium, the test may superficially appear
balanced or flexible.
In
fact, this is the reason why some people enjoy cigarettes. However, the point is that many factors
can cause the body to compensate for its imbalances at a
superficial or even deeper levels.
Thus we never regard a first or even later hair test as the deepest
reality. Later tests will show
deeper layers of adaptation and compensation in all cases.
In
fact, there is no limit to how many layers of compensations and adaptations may
be unloaded in a person who desires the greatest level of health and well-being.
FAST
OXIDATION, A MORE SYMPATHETIC STATE OF BODY CHEMISTRY
Fast
oxidation is an alarm
stage of stress in the stress theory of disease. This is also called a fight-or-flight
reaction. Fast oxidation
is a more sympathetic state
of body chemistry, meaning that the sympathetic nervous system (also
sometimes called the fight-or-flight system) is activated more in these people.
We
define the oxidation types based upon a properly performed and properly
interpreted hair mineral analysis.
Some doctors use blood, urine or other tests to determine the oxidation
rate. However, we do not find
these methods accurate or reliable.
Fast oxidation can be healthy or unhealthy.
Healthy
fast oxidation. Almost
all babies, and most children up to the age of about 3 to 10 are naturally fast
oxidizers. This means that their adrenal and thyroid activity tend to be adequate or
high.
For
example, medical science is well aware that newborns have a high heart rate, and
even their body temperature tends to be a little higher than older adults. These are symptoms of fast
oxidation.
Babies
do well on lots of dietary fat and the high level of calcium found in motherÕs
milk. These are other indicators
of fast oxidation. They also are
usually warm and pink and have rather loose bowel movements. These, also, are indicators of fast
oxidation.
On
their hair tissue mineral analyses, in general, they have low levels of calcium
and magnesium and elevated levels of sodium and potassium. This is the way fast oxidation looks on
a hair mineral test.
Babies
and young children are in a sympathetic state, or fast oxidation, because they
are healthier than adults with more etheric energy in their bodies. They are also usually excited to be in
the world. Some also have a lot of
stress that can keep them in fast oxidation.
Unhealthy
fast oxidation. This
occurs in adults, in whom fast oxidation is not the normal state. Some adults are in a fast oxidation
state because of extreme stress, the presence of toxic metals, an illness, or
perhaps for other reasons. When
these people follow a development program, their oxidation rate eventually
changes to slow oxidation, which is normal for adults.
SLOW
OXIDATION, A MORE PARASYMPATHETIC STATE OF BODY CHEMISTRY
The
other common state of body chemistry is slow oxidation. It is a more parasympathetic state of
body chemistry. This means that
thyroid and adrenal glandular activity is reduced to some degree. Slow oxidation can be healthy or
unhealthy.
Healthy
Slow Oxidation. This is
the normal state of body chemistry for adults. Healthy slow oxidation is not too extreme (not too slow),
and the ratios of the minerals are good.
In particular, the sodium/potassium ratio should be between 2.5 and
about 4. Also, the levels of the
toxic metals on a hair mineral test should be within the normal ranges listed
in the article Mineral Ideals.
Unhealthy
Slow Oxidation. This is
very common. It is revealed on up
to 90 % of adult hair mineral analyses, for example. It is basically the end stage of sympathetic burnout. People in this condition have exhausted
their sympathetic systems so much, their bodies flip into a default
parasympathetic state we call slow oxidation.
It
is a condition in which the sympathetic organs, the thyroid, adrenals and the
muscles and brain, in fact, are operating more sluggishly. These people are often tired, apathetic,
and tend to get depressed easily.
This
state is far more common in adults than it is in young children. However, it is seen more and more
commonly in children, as they are born far more toxic and depleted today.
This
state corresponds to an exhaustion
stage of stress according to the stress theory of disease, another
important concept to master if one is to use hair analysis properly.
In
this condition of body chemistry, one cannot fight back as well as in fast
oxidation. It is more of a state
of acceptance and give-up. It can
cause symptoms such as discouragement, fearfulness, depression, apathy and even
despair and suicidal thoughts when extreme.
The
hair analyses of these people have elevated calcium and magnesium levels and
lower sodium and potassium levels, providing the hair is not washed at the
laboratory. Click here to read Hair Analysis Controversy about this
and other important aspect of hair mineral analysis.
This
is, of course, the exact opposite of the fast oxidizer hair analysis. The causes of this unhealthy
parasympathetic states are quite a few.
Recall that it is just a late stage of excessive sympathetic
activity. This causes nutritional
depletion, excessive tissue breakdown and eventually general destruction of the
body tissues and organs.
It
is made far worse by lack of rest, improper diet, poor
eating habits, worry, fears, angers and more. Other causes include victim thinking, electromagnetic
pollution, toxic metals and toxic chemicals in the food, air and water.
Click
here to read more about The Oxidation
Types.
III.
OTHER AUTONOMIC IMBALANCES REVEALED ON HAIR MINERAL ANALYSES
1.
Sympathetic Dominance. This
is the mental tendency to overuse the sympathetic nervous system. It is very common, and easy to see on a
hair mineral analysis. It is not the
same as being in a sympathetic state of body chemistry, which is a physical or
biological trait.
Individuals
with this imbalance do not spend enough time in a parasympathetic state to
fully rebuild their bodies. Their
bodies eventually become nutritionally depleted and they become quite literally
Ôburned outÕ. Today, even children
are often burned out, in this sense, due to stress, poor diets and nutritional
deficiencies they are born with.
Hair
analysis criteria for sympathetic dominance. Sympathetic dominance seems to be
reliably revealed on a hair mineral analysis, when the hair has not been washed
at the laboratory, in the following ways:
A hair potassium of 4 mg% or less.
If the potassium is 4 mg%, it is a single indicator. If the potassium is 3 mg%, it is considered a double or more
severe indicator. If potassium is
about 2 mg%, it is considered a triple indicator. If it is 1 mg%, it is considered a quadruple indicator of
sympathetic dominance.
Additionally, and only if the potassium level is 4 mg% or less, the pattern is more severe if the sodium/potassium
ratio greater than about 4.
Additionally,
and only if the potassium is less than 4 mg% and the sodium/potassium ratio is
greater than about 4, the pattern is even more severe if the
calcium/magnesium ratio is greater than about 9.5.
Additionally,
the pattern is present regardless of the potassium reading if: A) three or four
of the macrominerals (calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium) are elevated
above their ideal levels, and B) the sodium/potassium ratio is above about 3.
Causes
for sympathetic dominance.
Some people take on too much work.
Others analyze too much or worry excessively. Others live in fear, anger or resentment too much of the
time. A person in this condition
may also talk, think, eat or work at a rapid pace, faster than the optimum for
that person. They become toxic and nutritionally depleted, which makes the
condition much worse.
Once
they are used to sympathetic dominance, a vicious cycle often occurs. They become so used to being tired that
if, by chance, they get a lot of rest one day, they use up their energy the
next day, instead of continuing to rest.
They do not allow their bodies to use the energy they accumulated for
healing and rebuilding. As a
result, they tend to stay depleted and out of balance.
One
may not overt signs of sympathetic dominance. It is not about fatigue, at least not a first. One may just power through any fatigue
by stimulating the adrenals and thyroid to put out more hormones. However, eventually one will become
quite tired and out of sorts. For
much more about this topic, read Sympathetic
Dominance on this website.
2. Parasympathetic
dominance. This is the mental
and emotional tendency to remain relaxed or in a parasympathetic state most of
the time. It is not the same as a parasympathetic state of
body chemistry, which is a physical body trait. It seems to be of two types:
A. Most often, the sympathetic nervous system is
in such poor shape that the person has little choice but to in a parasympathetic
state most of the time. These people may be relaxed and fall asleep
easily, but it is not due to excellent health, but rather to a damaged body
that just needs a lot of rest and cannot be aroused as much as some others.
The
cause of their parasympathetic nature might be a combination of physical and
emotional factors. For example,
the presence of a toxic metal, nutrient deficiencies, or perhaps emotional
traumas effectively prevents the sympathetic nervous system from activating
properly. As a result, the person is 'stuck' in a parasympathetic mode of
autonomic functioning. This helps explain some 'couch potato' type of
individuals who seem lazy, unambitious, and perhaps uncaring and unproductive.
B. Some people who are more developed are able to
remain calm and unperturbed no matter what occurs around them.
They live a more regenerative or
parasympathetic lifestyle, diet and mentality. They are rarely ill,
generally, and usually live a very long and healthy life. For details, read Introduction To Development.
3. Four lows pattern. This is a type of disconnect in the
hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). Analogies are spinning the wheels of the car on ice, or
racing the engine of the car while the car is in neutral gear, meaning the
transmission is not engaged. As a
result, power is not transmitted to the wheels and the car goes nowhere. It is a type of burnout pattern on a
hair mineral test related to the autonomic nervous system. In acupuncture terminology, it is
called two
feet in the tunnel of death.
For details, read Four Lows Pattern.
4. Three highs/four highs pattern. This is a secondary alarm reaction or
secondary fast oxidation reaction that can occur when a person is in a slow
oxidation state. It is fast
oxidation superimposed upon a basic slow oxidizer metabolism.
We sometimes call it a slow oxidizer under stress. In acupuncture terms, it is called toxic yang. It is related to the autonomic nervous
system. For details, read Four Highs Pattern.
These are just some of the most important
autonomic imbalances revealed on a properly performed hair mineral
analysis. Learning about the many
possible aberrations that can occur in the autonomic nervous system is a
fascinating research area in which hair mineral testing can help greatly.
There
is much anyone
can do to keep the autonomic system functioning well.
á
Rest often and sleep a lot. Nap often, and sleep at least 8-11
hours or more each night. The
hours before midnight are by far the best for sleeping. Avoid excessive activity of any
kind. Even exercise is often
overdone. Exercise is a powerful
sympathetic stimulant. Avoid
getting exhausted by any activity you engage in. Be careful when using exercise to Òrun awayÓ from stress,
for example. More rest is often
what is really required.
á
Eat well. The nervous system must be properly nourished to function
correctly. Animal protein is
particularly helpful for the brain and nervous system as it contains fats and
proteins essential for the nerves.
These include the omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids. Excellent foods for the nervous system
are eggs, meats, nuts, root vegetables and oily fish such as sardines and
salmon.
Supplemental
nutrients that calm the sympathetic system are calcium, magnesium, kelp,
selenium, manganese and zinc, among many others.
á
Reduce your stress level as much as possible. Stress is a major activator of the
sympathetic nervous system. It can
arise from within the body due to fatigue, muscle tension, spinal misalignment
or nutritional deficiencies, among other reasons.
Stress
can also come from outside, such as financial, work or family stress. Other types of stress to minimize or
avoid are living in a noisy environment, or in one with contaminated air and
water.
Electromagnetic
stress is also very real, although it cannot be seen. Reduce your use of computers if possible, and do not keep
televisions, computers and other electrical devices on when not in use. Be sure to turn them all off when you
sleep, and keep even clocks and radios away from your head in the location
where you sleep.
Activities
like driving and even exercise are also stress-producing,
even if you are not aware of it at the time. A simple lifestyle and gentle exercise is a step in the
right direction to reduce or limit your stress.
á
Keep your thoughts and your emotions as
uplifted and positive as you possibly can, all of the time.
á
Do your very best to stay in gratitude. This will help keep you in a positive, uplifted
state.
á
Practice forgiveness.
This places you in a position of power and
compassion. It is much better than
allowing yourself to feel like a victim, which always leads to a
fight-or-flight response.
á
Cultivate contentment. This is different from feeling
you need to be ecstatically happy all the time. This type of happiness, as most people know it, is often
short-lived. It is often an
attempt to overcome feelings of unhappiness. Contentment or joy, in contrast, is a state in which you are
at peace with yourself and the world, even if the world around you is not to
your liking. You can learn to let
the world go and choose contentment and joy rather than attempting always to
control the world around you.
á
Do not to compare yourself with others. This causes fear, and
often anger and resentment. The
world never seems fair from our limited perspectives. There is much that is hidden. If you knew more about othersÕ lives, you would be less
anxious to trade places with them.
á
Train
you mind to stay out of negative emotions. These include worry, fear, anger and guilt. These emotions turn on the sympathetic
system and keep it active. Meditation, affirmations, counseling and other
natural therapies all can help.
Also, surround yourself only with uplifting books, tapes and other forms
of media. Pick your friends and
relationships carefully. Work,
school and all your activities either contribute to your contentment or detract
from it.
á
Become aware of who and what truly give you energy, versus who and what mainly use up your energy. This is rather complex. Meditation of the type we recommend can
help a lot to identify these feelings accurately, since one cannot go on
feelings alone. We have an article
on this site on the topic of Vampirism that
elaborates it in more detail.
á
Practice breathing deeply. This is one way to control the
autonomic system with a voluntary action.
Slow, deep breathing by itself turns off the sympathetic system.
The
health of the autonomic nervous system is a critical aspect to healing that is
often overlooked. Most people
today have some degree of sympathetic nervous exhaustion. It is, in fact, a major cause of all
disease that should receive much more attention.
On
a brighter note, nervous exhaustion can also cause a person to begin searching
for answers deep inside. This can
lead to changing your lifestyle and eating habits, and developing your inner
potential. As more people become willing to change their thought patterns and
lifestyles, they will experience a state of contentment and bliss that comes
with having a balanced autonomic system.
Chart Of The
Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous Systems
|
|
Sympathetic System |
Parasympathetic System |
|
Function |
To defend the body against attack |
Healing, regeneration
and nourishing the body |
|
Overall Effect |
Catabolic (breaks down the body) |
Anabolic (builds up the body) |
|
Organs and Glands It Activates |
The brain, muscles, the insulin pancreas,
and the thyroid and adrenal glands |
The liver, kidneys, enzyme pancreas,
spleen, stomach, small intestines and colon |
|
Hormones and Substances It Increases |
Insulin, cortisol and the thyroid
hormones |
Parathyroid hormone, pancreatic enzymes,
bile and other digestive enzymes |
|
Body Functions It Activates |
Raises blood pressure and blood
sugar, and increases heat production and circulation |
Activates digestion, elimination and
the immune system |
|
Psychological Qualities |
Fear, guilt, sadness, anger,
willfulness, and aggressiveness. |
Calmness, love, contentment and
relaxation |
|
Factors That Activate This System |
Stress, fears, anger, worry, other
negative emotions and thoughts, excessive thinking and too much exercise |
Rest, sleep, meditation, relaxation
therapies and feelings of being loved and appreciated |
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