By Ingrid on Monday, March 12, 2001 - 10:43 am:

The posts on epilepsy started on the diabetes discus_ah.

What I would like to say as a sort of opener is that epilepsy is a very ancient disease and, in many cultures, was associated with divine gifts. Whereas the sufferer is often acutely embarrassed because of the unpredictability of the seizures, seldom does the sufferer know what occurs during the seizure. There is usually a total black out at the time and I am aware of some sufferers who were clearly possessed during the seizures, others who return from the seizures energized, and some who lose parts of their brain function every time the seizures come on.

Traditionally, these conditions were regarded as Mercury-ruled, but later, they were seen as Uranus-ruled. Using the Ayurvedic model, they are vata derangements, i.e., issues with the air and ether elements (as opposed to the planets associated with these elements.)

The main characteristic of vata derangements is that they are highly variable, but begin with an accumulation of wind, usually in the bowel. Therefore, the seizures can be controlled by maintaining proper eliminatory hygiene, including not just regulatory but maintenance of intestinal flora.

This obviously does not cure the disease, merely reduces the likelihood of seizures, each of which is potentially costly in terms of neural capacity.

 

Copyright by Ingrid Naiman 2008