One might wonder why the concept of morphology is a worthy topic of discussion. It sounds ambiguous, and doubtless few understand it well. It can have different meanings dependent upon the field in which it is considered. In linguistics, a "morpheme" is the smallest unit of meaning within a word. In biology, morphology refers to anatomical structure. Generally speaking morphology, has to do with the "shape" of things. If something changes shape, it has changed it's morphology. It has "morphed" in modern parlance.
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.
At first glance, the idea that morphology or structure is always changing might seem silly. Most things likely appear relatively stable in their structure from one day to the next. If things were constantly changing, it would be visible. To help our understanding in this matter, we may, however, need to look no further than our eyes. The eyes, it is said, are "windows to the Soul." Conventional wisdom tells us that we may tell much about an individual through his eyes. The eyes can indeed tell us much about someone, not the least of which is information about their physical health. Eye doctors typically identify high blood pressure and other physical ailments through eye examination.
It was Ophthalmologist William H. Bates, M.D. in his highly acclaimed book Better Eyesight Without Glasses (1971, Pyramid Books, New York, NY) who noted "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)." Further, he stated that "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)." To paraphrase, it would appear that stress, and the resultant strain that it produces causes, in and of itself, defective eyesight. It changes the morphology of the eye itself and therefore causes errors of refraction.
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.
I would suggest that negative emotions, over time, have cumulative effects upon the structure and function of the musculature surrounding the eye, and therefore the eye itself. That could be why, even with Dr. Bates' innovative methods, older individuals (especially those who have made use of glasses) have a much harder time and require a longer period to effect an improvement in their vision. Perhaps it is that over time, and with constant repetition of certain behavioral patterns, morphological changes become relatively permanent. Any behavior in which we engage continually will become ingrained as a habit. Habits, for most of us, are stubbornly tenacious and difficult to change.
Since we were considering eyesight merely as an example to aid our understanding, it is likely that these same processes are affecting each and every one of us, every day, all the time throughout our entire physical being. To be sure, the notion that stress can affect us physically is anything but new. An enormous list of problems can be associated with stress, including heart disease, diabetes, asthma, obesity, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, Alzheimer's disease, chronic inflammation, premature aging and even premature death. Many of these would seem to be manifestations of pathological changes in structure of 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!
The process of accessing a peaceful and deeply relaxed state is not difficult, tricky or mystical. It is, in fact, very simple. When we think about our schedules and the tasks we have to do, it seems to activate (at least to some degree) our "fight or flight" response. We tense up, and get ready for action. For this process we need the exact opposite. We need a conscious "letting go," and simply allowing ourselves to "be."
Having just made the statement that this is not hard to do, I will admit that it is something that many find elusive. Perhaps it is in the way in which we've been programmed over time. Perhaps it relates to the values we hold. Perhaps over time, we have been gradually "rewired" to stay busy and shun inactivity as useless, slothful and morally inferior. Whatever the reason, it will require that many of us change our thinking.
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.
At first glance, the idea that morphology or structure is always changing might seem silly. Most things likely appear relatively stable in their structure from one day to the next. If things were constantly changing, it would be visible. To help our understanding in this matter, we may, however, need to look no further than our eyes. The eyes, it is said, are "windows to the Soul." Conventional wisdom tells us that we may tell much about an individual through his eyes. The eyes can indeed tell us much about someone, not the least of which is information about their physical health. Eye doctors typically identify high blood pressure and other physical ailments through eye examination.
It was Ophthalmologist William H. Bates, M.D. in his highly acclaimed book Better Eyesight Without Glasses (1971, Pyramid Books, New York, NY) who noted "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)." Further, he stated that "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)." To paraphrase, it would appear that stress, and the resultant strain that it produces causes, in and of itself, defective eyesight. It changes the morphology of the eye itself and therefore causes errors of refraction.
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.
I would suggest that negative emotions, over time, have cumulative effects upon the structure and function of the musculature surrounding the eye, and therefore the eye itself. That could be why, even with Dr. Bates' innovative methods, older individuals (especially those who have made use of glasses) have a much harder time and require a longer period to effect an improvement in their vision. Perhaps it is that over time, and with constant repetition of certain behavioral patterns, morphological changes become relatively permanent. Any behavior in which we engage continually will become ingrained as a habit. Habits, for most of us, are stubbornly tenacious and difficult to change.
Since we were considering eyesight merely as an example to aid our understanding, it is likely that these same processes are affecting each and every one of us, every day, all the time throughout our entire physical being. To be sure, the notion that stress can affect us physically is anything but new. An enormous list of problems can be associated with stress, including heart disease, diabetes, asthma, obesity, depression, anxiety, gastrointestinal problems, Alzheimer's disease, chronic inflammation, premature aging and even premature death. Many of these would seem to be manifestations of pathological changes in structure of 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!
The process of accessing a peaceful and deeply relaxed state is not difficult, tricky or mystical. It is, in fact, very simple. When we think about our schedules and the tasks we have to do, it seems to activate (at least to some degree) our "fight or flight" response. We tense up, and get ready for action. For this process we need the exact opposite. We need a conscious "letting go," and simply allowing ourselves to "be."
Having just made the statement that this is not hard to do, I will admit that it is something that many find elusive. Perhaps it is in the way in which we've been programmed over time. Perhaps it relates to the values we hold. Perhaps over time, we have been gradually "rewired" to stay busy and shun inactivity as useless, slothful and morally inferior. Whatever the reason, it will require that many of us change our thinking.
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:
Among the many resources available for increasing awareness of relaxation and establishing a new and healthier physiological baseline, a good place to start would be the article "Strain Relief".If relaxation for you is associated with the ocean and tropical themes, be sure to check outTiki Tranquility.
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