Posted by Q (198.64.206.92) on January 14, 2000 at 23:55:56:
In Reply to: Can you posted by Ted on January 14, 2000 at 22:26:01:
my limited understanding of the hypothalmus is that is what is referred to as the "old brain" or the "reptilian" brain. Its function, as my understanding goes, is to control the low-level functions, such as survival and reproduction -- the basic appetites.
I recall in one of my old recovery courses that alcoholics had a different biological mechanism for metabolising alcohol which resulted in the build-up of a crystaline substance in the brain, and I seem to remember that it was there in the hypothalmus. This substance was likened to pure crystal morphine. If enough was produced it became fatal. It was not present in any significant quantity in non-alcoholics/addicts. They tried to relate this to addicts of many sorts, but I don't know if this was scientific. That was about 12 years ago, so my facts on this are rather sketchy.
Now, I'm not trying to say CH and addiction are the same thing, I don't think. Maybe at the lowest-level of brain function they are related. I don't know.
Ted, I looked over some of my CH-posts and emails and found that Angela and I had started to discuss the idea of pain transcendence several months ago. I worked on this theory today as a prayer for her. I know the transcendence idea works. Its hard to do sometimes, but it does work.