LIFE ENERGY AND THE NEUROTIC
The subject of fear may be considered from a somewhat different
point of view, namely from a purely physiological and biological
aspect. The cell in general, the nerve cell, or neuron, is a
reservoir of energy. In fact the great biologist Sachs proposed to
term the cell, _energid_.
For we must look at the organism as a store of energy which is
used up in the course of the adjustments of the individual to his
environment. The organism stores up energy and uses the energy
during the course of its life activity.
Life energy is physiological, bio-chemical, electrical, mechanical,
etc. The mental and emotional activities are intimately related
with the expenditure of energy accumulated by the cells of the
organism, which discharge that energy in response to the various
stimulations of the external world. In its activities the organism
keeps on taking in energy, and once more discharging energy in its
life reactions. The storing up of energy falls under the anabolic
or building up processes, while the discharging or liberating
processes of the amount of the stored up energy are classed under
the katabolic processes.
The total cycle of energy from the start of storage to the end
of liberation of energy, starting once more with the storing
of energy, may be regarded as the cycles of organic functional
activity which is classified under metabolism. We deal here with a
reservoir of vital energy whose life activities or reactions depend
on the amount of energy contained in the cell or the neuron, and
whose functioning and reactions vary with the level of energy in
the reservoir.
The neuron is but a highly differentiated cell or reservoir for
the intake and outgo of energy. In this respect the nerve cell
is entirely like other cells of humbler function. Every cell is
a storage cell, accumulating energy and then liberating it at an
appropriate occasion of a given stimulus, all cells working for
the preservation of the organism as a whole. The rise and fall
of the level of energy in the reservoir regulate the various
manifestations, sensory, motor, emotional, mental which the
individual displays to the various stimulations coming from his
environment.
Within certain limits the fall of energy is normal,--when it
reaches a certain level the organism once more replenishes the
store and once more the level of energy rises. This energy is
_Dynamic_ under certain conditions. However, the discharge of
energy must go on, and the organism must draw further on its store
of energy, on the accumulated store of energy put away for safety
and emergency. This stored up energy is _Reserve Energy_.[16]
The late Charles S. Minot, the American histologist, points out
this reserve energy present in the organism, a reserve energy of
growth called forth under special emergencies of life.
By a striking series of instructive facts, Dr. Meltzer points
out that “all organs of the body are built on the plan of
superabundance of structure and energy.” Like Minot, Meltzer refers
to the significant fact that most of our active organs possess a
great surplus of functioning cells. This surplus is requisite for
the safety of the individual.
If, however, the drain of energy still goes on without replenishing
the total store, the energy drawn on the region of the danger zone
is entered. _This energy is Static._ The concomitant symptoms
are various psychomotor and psycho-secretory disturbances of a
psychopathic or psycho-neurotic character. This energy is drawn
from the upper levels of energy. Under such conditions restitution
of the total amount of energy to its normal level is still possible.
Should the process of liberation of energy go on further without
restitution, the energy drawn is taken from the lower levels of
static energy, and the symptoms are _functional_, _neuropathic_.
The lower-most levels of static energy are the last the cell can
dispense with to save itself from total destruction. With further
increase of discharge of energy the cell must give its very life
activity, the energy is drawn from the breaking up of cell tissue;
this energy is organic or necrotic.
Thus the total energy of the nerve cell or the neuron may be
divided into normal dynamic energy, reserve energy, static energy,
and organic or necrotic energy. The various nervous and mental
diseases may thus be correlated with the flow and ebb of neuron
energy, with the physiological and pathological processes that take
place in the neuron in the course of its activity and reactions to
the stimuli of the external and internal environment.
The various levels of neuron energy may be represented by the
diagram on page 336.
Static energy is indicated by the diagram NWFI. By _organic energy_
is meant that energy contained in the very structure of the
tissues of the neuron, not as yet decomposed into their inorganic
constituents. This is indicated by diagram IFGH.
These phases of neuron energy are not different kinds of energy,
in the sense of being distinct entities; they merely represent
progressive phases or stages of the same process of neuron
activity.
_Liberation_ of neuron energy is correlative with active psychic
and physical manifestations. Hence states of the nervous system
corresponding to liberations of energy are designated as _waking
states_. _Restitution_ of expended energy or arrest of liberation
of neuron energy goes hand in hand with _passive_ conditions of the
nervous system; hence states of restitution or arrest of energy are
termed collectively _sleeping states_.
[Illustration: DIAGRAM IV]
The ascending arrow, indicating the process of restitution of
energy, corresponds to the ascending arrow on the right, indicating
the parallel psychomotor sleeping states. The descending arrows
indicate physiological and pathological processes of liberation of
energy, and also their concomitant psychomotor waking states.
“Ascending” and “descending” mean the rise and fall of the amount
of neuron energy, taking the upper level of dynamic energy as the
starting point. Briefly stated, _descent_ means _liberation_ of
energy with its concomitant, psychomotor, waking states. _Ascent_
means _restitution_ of energy with its parallel sleeping states.
The cycles in dynamic energy correspond to the physiological
manifestations of the nervous system in the activity and rest
of the individual in normal daily life. Concomitant with the
expenditure of dynamic energy of the neurons, the individual passes
through the active normal waking state, and hand in hand with the
restitution of this expended energy, he passes through the sleeping
states of normal daily life.
When, however, in the expenditure of energy, the border line or
margin is crossed, dynamic and reserve energies are used up. In
crossing KA the ordinary normal energies of everyday life are
exhausted, and reserve energy has to be drawn upon. If this reserve
energy is not accessible, the static energy is used, or in case
the reserve energy is exhausted, then once more the static energy
has to be drawn upon; in either case the individual enters the
domain of the abnormal, of the pathological.
When the upper levels of static energy are used, the symptoms are
of a psychopathic or neurotic character. When the use of energy
reaches the lower levels of static energy, affecting the very
nutrition of the neuron, neuropathic manifestations are the result.
When the neuron itself is affected, that is the organic structure
is being dissolved, then organopathies result. It means the death
of the nerve cell.
FOOTNOTE:
[16] The principle of reserve energy was developed independently by
my friend, William James, and myself.