Therapeutic approaches in Corona Illness

Article written on 2nd November 2021 by Heinz Grill

A comprehensive overview of the progression of different forms of corona illness can highlight some very interesting therapeutic connections between cause and effect. About a hundred individuals, who were under medical treatment, approached me once the acute phase was over with spiritual questions as to how they could continue to build themselves up. The experiences produce very valuable advice as to how a process of healing can take place, which not only restores previous health, but increases the entire potential psychological and physical strength.

Many or almost all people complained of exhaustion, tiredness, sensory impairment and a psychological hopelessness that is by no means harmless. The tendency to retreat into the quiet of the home and even to the warmth of the bed is very striking. Withdrawal from work and responsible tasks was also very common. Despite negative test results, sub-febrile temperatures remained, and there were common symptoms of persistent mucus formation and a tendency to headaches. Bronchial strain also occurred relatively frequently. Quite a few patients developed a bacterial superinfection with pneumonia and sometimes severe inflammatory symptoms. Whether these were flu infections with or without corona cannot always be clearly ascertained. In any case, the PCR tests were positive at a certain point in time. The disease and the recovery were diagnosed by the treating doctors, yet a real recovery often remained absent; only the test result showed as negative.

The most severe forms developed when the patients did not engage in either mental or physical activity during the course of the illness. The diagnosis of the PCR test usually brought a deterioration to the existing clinical picture. Fear, which collectively spans the world like a great burning entity, is probably of crucial importance in determining the course of the illness.

After the acute phase, once the test was negative, symptoms often persisted and above all the fever did not want to return completely to a normal temperature. The individuals reported feeling that they would probably never get better and would have to remain in the torment of a latent stage of illness. A common phenomenon that can occur both during and after the acute phase of the illness is constipation. This increased in some patients, amounting to the risk of ileus and appendicitis.¹⁾ In the case of febrile infections with little food intake and lack of exercise, constipation is very common. The intestine becomes sluggish, intestinal contents remain stationary and get jammed. This situation can amount to intestinal paralysis (ileus) with severe abdominal pain, and as a result of the blockage, inflammatory processes such as appendicitis can even occur. To avoid these complications, laxative medicines or enemas can be very helpful. The metabolism is thus relieved and the immune system can
more easily carry out its work.

My recommendation to start with physical movements early produced very good results. One person came to me in the morning pale and weak, bringing her husband to the meditation session. When I saw her, I asked her about her health. She said she was so weak that she would have to withdraw immediately and lie down. I
briefly reflected on what had happened and said to her that she should accompany her husband up the mountain to Naone. She should undertake and even persevere in the activity of the climb in spite of her weakness. This climb takes half an hour and goes steeply upwards through Woodland. She achieved this activity and was even able to complete further smaller exercises in the afternoon. When we came together again for dinner in the valley, she no longer appeared pale and hardly felt weak any more. The body, which was signalling the weakness, had been overcome through a conscious decision. She participated actively in discussions and her sleep that night was harmonious. In the days that followed, however, she had to make a new decision for each activity and only after a week could the persistent weakness be overcome.

Another patient showed very worrying symptoms. With a raised CRP of 150 and bacterial superinfection²⁾ C-reactive protein (CRP) is a protein that is formed and secreted by the liver in increased amounts when there is an inflammation. The blood levels can be ascertained in the laboratory and provide information about the severity and progress of an inflammation. The normal range is below 5 mg / l. CRP, along with leukocyte count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, is one of the normal laboratory markers of inflammation.
One speaks of bacterial superinfection when as a result of a viral infection the defensive barrier of the mucous membranes in the respiratory tract has been so badly damaged that bacteria can now spread almost unhindered and a new, usually more violent inflammation in the form of pneumonia results. leading to hospitalization, a host of desperate feelings were released. These feelings increased especially because the person is very robust and believed that she was not easily susceptible. After a lengthy period there were no signs of recovery. The illness and inflammation only began to move into regression after we worked daily by phone on her future vision and established a new perspective for her working life and also for managing her relationships with others. The first mental plan for a new beginning with a greater activation of thoughts about ideals brought a daily decrease in the inflammatory markers and soon a complete healing of the lung infection.

Another person also had to visit a clinic because of high levels of inflammation. This individual was highly allergic to all drugs. The anxiety increased in this patient to the point of fearing death. Sleep was also very reduced and of poor quality. After a telephone consultation had clarified a situation of psychological conflict, the interest awoke for a reorientation of professional life and improvement of social position. By working daily on this concept with telephone advice, the pneumonia healed. At home physical and mental activities were alternated, leading to an improvement in the general condition and after ten days the usual capacity could be achieved again. After a further ten days this person’s appearance was really uplifting and the feeling of having experienced a real increase in health through the illness could not be overlooked.

To prevent constipation, which is often caused by the passive, bedridden periods, inverted poses such as the shoulderstand are a great help. Expansive breathing also proved very valuable to counter the risk of thrombosis and bronchial obstruction. At the same time, expansive breathing combined with some outdoor activity could relieve the heart.

In various people sub-febrile temperatures and a raised pulse rate continued for a long time. Some of those suffering from these symptoms went to the mountain for up to two hours, slowly climbing up. In the evening, in everyone who did this a full relief of the heart could be seen and a further drop in the elevated temperature.

The illness appears as if the parasympathetic nervous system is confused with the sympathetic nervous system.³⁾ The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems denote the two main branches of the autonomic nervous system, which behave like opponents. While the sympathetic nervous system ensures a widening of the bronchi in situations of active movement, so that the organism can absorb enough oxygen through the lungs, the parasympathetic nervous system narrows the bronchi in times of rest and regeneration. However, if the relationship between these two nerve centres is disturbed, then physical exertion, which should activate the sympathetic nervous system, results in an increased mucus formation in the bronchial region and bronchial constriction through parasympathetic action in the wrong place. Furthermore, in a healthy person the parasympathetic nervous system ensures a good digestive activity, i.e. it dilates the vessels in the abdomen, stimulates the digestive glands to increase secretion, and induces intestinal movement. In the event of imbalance or dysregulation, however, the parasympathetic nervous system cannot act adequately in the abdominal area. The intestinal movement and digestive activity become sluggish, amounting to constipation. It is now the sympathetic nervous system that seizes up in the abdomen and acts in the wrong place. At least in all patients a continuing autonomic dysregulation is noticeable following the illness. In the throat, trachea and bronchial system very marked tendencies to agitation can be seen, while the parasympathetic involvement in digestion is not taking place adequately. The weakness that occurs from this autonomic agitation requires focused activity of consciousness, which the patient actually needs to learn. The desire for calm and seclusion that is felt probably develops from this autonomic and very tenaciously persistent dysregulation. Patients are looking for a false calm and relaxation, and consistently omit the activation, which at that point in time must be decided upon against the bodily feeling. If one gives in to the bodily feelings one can protract the illness until it becomes chronic. The autonomic system needs new and decisive impulses via the central nervous system and thus through the consciousness. It needs an activation of thought and this should not come from the usual emotional or physical circumstances, but from an actual resolute, determined and well thought out awareness.

For all patients, therefore, once the acute phase had ended the question arose regarding a healthy activation, which not only restores old habits, but also brings new processes of consciousness into motion. Once the previous capacity has been somewhat restored, a greater concept for an expanded future should always take place. When this vision of the future was really conceived and started, an increase in the entire psychological and physical potential regularly came about.

Illnesses with a similar course of symptoms are occurring this autumn in both those who are vaccinated and unvaccinated. The high fever is usually the first indicator, but there are almost always cold symptoms with respiratory involvement. The development of mental and physical activity in conjunction with a future vision that is thought independently, rationally and directed towards new goals was shown to be extraordinarily valuable. It is as if with the illness, the desirable sense of coherence can only come about if the patient does not persist in his old behaviour, but thinks new perspectives, develops them into real feelings and finally realises them with decisive efforts.⁴⁾ According to Aaron Antonovsky, a “sense of coherence” is the healthy sense of self-worth that people want to achieve.
Through limit-surpassing action of consciousness, all individuals were able to experience at least one improvement in their previously disagreeable condition. Many had to stand up against their bodily-influenced feelings, but after a while they became more hopeful, overcame bouts of depression, and precisely through becoming ill they acquired a better perspective for the future. Meaningful therapeutic support must always be provided, and ideally by someone medically competent, so that the fears do not drive the patient into the disastrous tendency to withdraw and into a kind of nocebo effect, which is generally associated with this term “Corona”.

Every illness has its own signature. It acts together with the question of human development and therefore it is not caused by chance, but is like a kind of wise providence. People today are often looking for a form of new integrity. They no longer want to live so much in materialism, but do not yet know a real goal-oriented perspective. Being ill leads for a time out of an old situation. For integrity, however, a new goal perspective with better preconditions must be developed. Individuals have to create this themselves. Just as I mentioned in previous articles, that the unfolding of the so-called fifth chakra, the vishuddha-cakra⁵⁾ The vishuddha-cakra denotes the fifth of seven energy centres, which wait in the subtle realm for their conscious refinement. Central abilities associated with this centre are logical thinking, clarity in looking and seeing, and a power to form ideas, which is not disturbed by the emotions and desires of the body. Further content can be found in the book The Soul Dimension of Yoga., is very important both for the prevention of corona disease and for curing it, so the examples of these experiences show that the same is true for the progress of recovery. On the one hand, the disease has a destructive effect and yet it carries within itself what is almost like a germ for the development of a new beginning. The secret, however, is that individuals do not receive the new beginning pre-accomplished from outside, but must develop this through a real confrontation with ideas, logical mental pictures and ideals.

The so-called fifth centre is situated at the larynx. Disturbances that occur in the subtle environment in the sense of the breath and also in the sense of the ideas being thought, as well as foreign influences, are carried into the trachea and into the airways. How common are these disturbing influences? What significance is therefore borne by this region lying slightly above the lungs? In the light of this fifth centre lies the ability of the human consciousness to form ideas. The more someone, regardless of whether he is sick or healthy, learns to form ideas that are free from emotion, and orients himself meaningfully towards a rational and to some extent ethical future vision, then the more he develops a generative capacity of strength, which strengthens immunity and promotes health. He forms an integrity with his personality. The infections of the present time can therefore be prevented or healed precisely through carrying out meaningful activities of a mental and physical kind. What is important for any healing is the personally made decision, which develops out of careful deliberation and thus from a consciousness that does not make itself dependent on the body.⁶⁾ People often say the very banal kinds of words: “You have to do what your feeling tells you. You have to say yes to yourself. Do what does you good. Listen to your body.” In every way these words are contraindicated for healing. In contrast to emotional ties to the body, the individual ought to develop free and wisdom-filled ideas and judiciously put these into practice. The verbal formula would then no longer be to listen to the body, but quite to the contrary, to constantly overcome the body. ⁷⁾ See also the book Bewusstsein und Immunsystem (Consciousness and Immune System), soon to be published in German by Stephan Wunderlich Verlag.