Metrosideros
excelsus = Pahutukawa/=
Eisen.holzbaum/= Christmas Tree Honig. Neu Seeland Staats.symbol Bonsaigruppe.
Vergleich: Siehe: Myrtales
[Kathy Thomas]
Pohutukawa
by Bob Orr
I would like to be a tree, a pohutukawa.
All day I could listen to the sea.
At night I could spread my limbs
Casting a net like a fisherman.
I might catch a constellation.
But by day I would be a single pohutukawa
on a cliff above the sea
that many birds fly from at dawn.
The Substance Classification
Pohutukawa belongs to the Myrtaceae, consisting
of around 3 000 species of tropical and warm temperate trees, shrubs and vines,
including eucalyptus, guava, clove and bottlebrush, as well as other New
Zealand natives such as rata, kanuka, manuka and ramarama.
Myrtles prefer temperate climates.
Are evergreens, their leaves dotted with glands
containing
volatile oils.
Chemicals in these oils help to deter certain
animals. However, can cause the trees to burn easily.
Simpson (2005) notes that Myrtaceae could
possibly be one of the first families to have perfected the protection of the
ovary by having the receptacle, sepals and petals surround it.
Simpson goes on to describe “an ancestry that
started with plants well adapted to surviving in harsh conditions, needing the
ability to grow quickly and densely on open, perhaps in fertile ground. It
is in these types of habitat that the myrtles
have literally and figuratively blossomed.”
Pohutukawa’s genus is Metrosideros or iron-hearted
myrtles.
This genus is considered to be one of the most
primitive groups of myrtles and the majority are found in New Zealand and New
Caledonia.
Plants from this genus can form roots from
their branches enabling them to colonise bare rock.
Name
Pohutukawa is a Maori word comprising two words
hutukawa that refers to the crimson flowers forming a headdress.
Po, as a noun, means darkness or night but also
means the place of departed spirits or the underworld. (Simpson, 1994).
Pohutukawa is also said to mean spray or mist sprinkled,
a direct
reference to the fact that it is often sprinkled
with sea spray.
In popular culture, it is called New Zealand’s Christmas
tree because of the showy red flowers that bloom at Christmas time.
To early settlers, pohutukawa blossom
considered a substitute for holly.
Other names include the Christmas flower,
Christmas tree, downy ironheart, downy rātā, firetree and New Zealand
ash.
Description
The pohutukawa grows to 20 metres tall. It is
commonly multi-trunked and its branches and leaves can spread to an area of up
to 52 metres.
Thick, stringy bark serves to protect the tree
from drought and peels off in narrow flakes.
Wood from the pohutukawa is strong and dense
allowing it to withstand wind damage and drought. As timber it is dense, heavy,
compact and very durable (even in salt water).
Even though a pohutukawa’s canopy can be
extremely heavy and its horizontal limbs can reach over 20 meters in length,
the branches simply bend slowly as the weight increases, instead of
breaking (Bergin & Hosking, 2006).
Strong fibrous roots anchor the tree even those
that hang over cliff edges. The trees also have many aerial roots, which are
often tangled and joined around the trunk or branch creating a sort
of netting effect and only the larger reach the
ground (Salmon, 1980, Pg. 154).
Dark green leaves are up to 10cm long and 5 cm
wide and grow opposite each other on the stem.
The top side of the leaf has a waxy coating
which serves to protect the plant from the sea salt and the sun’s glare.
The underside of
the leaves and the stems are pale green and covered with short, white, woolly hairs
which protect against water loss.
Pohutukawa bloom typically from November to January.
The vibrant, crimson flowers have yellow stamens
and appear like tufts on the tree.
An abundant source of nectar, the flowers are
displayed across the surface of the canopy so that they are visible to birds
from a distance, facilitating nectar gathering and pollination.
Pohutukawa will flower heavily one year and not
so heavily the next.
The fruit is contained in a three-valved
capsule full of fine seed.
The fruits dry and open in autumn and winter at
which stage the seeds are then dispersed by the wind.
The small seeds easily nest in rock crevices.
Once a seedling has formed, its primary root is supplemented by adventitious
roots, which allows it to secure itself in the
crevices and rocks on the coast (Simpson, 1994).
Simpson states that the pohutukawa has adapted
well to its environment. “The light seed can blow into any crevice, and the
roots spread widely over rock faces, seeking fissures and pockets of soil.
The canopy moulds to the wind and tolerates
salt spray, and aerial roots descend from
the trunks to provide further anchorage” (Simpson, 1994).
A giant pohutukawa at Te Araroa on the East
Coast is reputed to be the largest in New Zealand.
It has a height of 20 metres and its branches spread
over 38 metres. The trunk consists of 22 smaller trunks. It is called Te Waha o
Rerekohu and is named after a chief Rerekohu who had
built a storehouse close to the tree.
Pohutukawa can live up to 150 years in normal
growing conditions and some trees are reputed to be 1000 years old. “To survive
for this period of time in the rugged landscape of the New
Zealand coast, every feature of the anatomy and
physiology has to be extremely well adapted”.
Habitat
Salmon (1980): Pohutukawa have been
successfully planted around Nelson, Banks Peninsula in Canterbury and as far
south as Dunedin. Hardy coastal trees, they can survive even on rocky,
precarious cliffs or in rock crevices that are constantly pounded by salt winds
and sea water.
They tolerate most soil types, growing well in
sandy soil and have a special affinity for highly fissured, volcanic rock as found
on Rangitoto Island.
Simpson (1994) claims the pohutukawa is the
only tree capable of colonising bare lava.
They are able to colonise impossible environments
like cliff-sides and rocky outcrops because their aerial root masses attach
them selves to the surface acting as an anchor.
Pohutukawa are able to withstand periods of
drought although they prefer a rainfall of at least 1000mm per year.
They will not tolerate temperatures below zero.
Pohutukawa are positively geotropic which means
they grow towards the centre of the earth bending to hug the contours of any surface
they touch (Simpson, 2005).
Interaction with Flora and Fauna
The canopy of pohutukawa creates a home for
shrubs and herbs such as houpara (Pseudopanaxlessonii), kawakawa (Macropiper
excelsum), hangehange (Geniostoma rupestre), karo (Pittosporum
crassifolium) and the epiphytic kahakaha as
well as a variety of ferns and native grasses.
The pohutukawa tree provides food and shelter
for different animal species such as birds, insects and lizards (Simpson,
1994).
Tui, Bellbird, Stitch bird, and Kaka feed on
the nectar of the flowers encouraging flowering and ensuring the viability of
the tree. Shags and White-faced herons nest in pohutukawa because of the close proximity
of these trees and the sea. Due to the presence of pollen in the guano in their
roosts, it is believed that short-tailed bats (Pekapeka) also feast on the
nectar of the pohutukawa flower. Holes in pohutukawa trunks provide nesting
sites for birds such as the Saddleback (Tieke). The bark provides a
home for spiders; and a multitude of insects (moths,
weevils, beetles, flies and scale insects) live in the fruit, bark wood and
detritus of the tree Giant weta (Deinacrida heterocantha)
live in crevices in the trunks of large
pohutukawa by day, and climb into the canopy to feed at night.
On the Poor Knights Islands, geckos can be seen
high in the trees among the flowers.
With this in mind, the pohutukawa tree creates
a safe place for other plants to grow and to enable animals to live near the
sea (Simpson, 1994).
Constituents
In a 2010 study (Earl et al., 2010), it was
found that extracts of pohutukawa showed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus
aureus, Mycobacterium smegmatis, and Mycobacerium tuberculosis.
The study concluded that the anti-bacterial
activity of the pohutukawa extracts could be what contributed to its
traditional use in anti-infective therapy. Clarke (2007) states that the
pohutukawa flowers contain gallic acid which is mildly antiseptic.
The inner bark, flowers and leaves of the
pohutukawa contain ellagic acid which is also found in strawberries,
raspberries, blackberries and walnuts. According to MedicineNet (n.d.), ellagic
acid may bind to chemicals that cause cancer and it inhibit the growth of
cancer cells. Ellagic acid is used as an astringent in diarrhoea and dysentery.
It is classed as a polyphenol antioxidant, which are the most abundant
antioxidants in our diet.
A study by Scalbert et al. (2005), found that polyphenols
may assist in preventing cardiovascular disease, cancers, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative
disease and diabetes mellitus.
Quintessentials New Zealand Limited (2011)
suggest the use of pohutukawa as an ingredient in sunscreen stating that
“Research has shown that ellagic acid has anti-inflammatory effects when applied
to skin that has been sun burnt. It reduces matrix metalloproteinase, a
substance that contributes to the breakdown of collagen and leads to the
coarseness of skin. It was considered that ellagic acid may combat wrinkles by
protecting the collagen in skin tissue and reducing inflammation. It encourages
more elasticity and suppleness in aged skin. It also appears to confer some
protection against the harmful rays of the sun. It has also been found to
inhibit skin tumours at various stages of their life cycle.
”Quintessentials New Zealand Limited (2011)
attributes the following properties to the leaf extract: Antioxidant,
anti-inflammatory, UV protectant, astringent, styptic, antibiotic, anti-fungal.
Rongoa Maori
The Maori people have made use of the
pohutukawa’s medicinal qualities for years.
The liquid produced after boiling the inner
bark was used to treat amoebic dysentery and diarrhoea.
It could also be used as a mouthwash and a
gargle for sore gums and sore throats or to relieve thrush.
The inner bark was bound against a wound to
stop bleeding. Alternatively, a poultice was made from the boiled and powered
bark and bandaged over a wound.
Inner bark could be boiled in a small amount of
water till softened and chewed while still warm to relieve toothache.
Nectar was sucked out of the flower through a
reed to treat sore throats.
Traditional and Contemporary Uses
Maori used the wood to make weapons, fernroot
beaters, eel clubs, digging sticks, paddles, blades for spades, mauls and
weeders.
Due to the strength and durability of the
timber, it was used for ship building and in the early days of colonisation
shiploads of pohutukawa timber were exported leading to depletion of Pohutukawa
trees
from the Northern coasts of New Zealand (New Zealand
Christmas Tree, n.d.).
Its hardness made it impossible for the teredo
worm (a bivalve mollusc) to drill into the timber which made it especially useful
for boat building.
It also made excellent firewood.
Birds would eat the nectar from the flowers and
Maori would set snares to create a steady supply of food.
Maori traditionally used certain trees to assist
with weather and crop forecasting by studying their flowering and fruit-bearing
cycles. According to Cowan, author of “The Maoris of New Zealand² (Joliffe,
2006), there were two large and ancient Pohutukawas on the southern side of
Lake Rotoiti. Local Maori believed that if these Pohutukawa started to flower
on the lowest branches first, it was an omen of a warm and pleasant season and
an abundant year for crops.
However, if the buds burst first at the top and
the trees flowered downwards, it would mean a cold season and a disastrous year
for crops.
The dead were laid to rest among the roots of
pohutukawa. Maori planted pohutukawa to mark the burial places of chiefs,
battlefields where warriors had fallen, and the birth of a chief's son.
Today honey is made from the flowers and
essential oils can be extracted from the inner bark. Jolliffe (2006) states
that when the pohutukawa is in bloom the sea urchins are fat and so it is a
good time to collect this delicacy.
The New Zealand Christmas tree is often
featured on greeting cards and artists and photographers have used the trees as
subjects that capture the essence of the relationship of land and sea. It is an
important New Zealand icon.
It is a popular landscaping plant.
Folklore
The Pohutukawa plays a prominent role in Maori
tradition. The Maori regarded Pohutukawa as one of the chiefly trees - „rakaurangatira’.
The great age and gnarled appearance of the pohutukawa signified wisdom and
spiritual strength to them. They believed that its bright red flowers linked
the earth and the sky. XXX
One of the Maori legends speaks of chief
Tauninihi’s arrival to New Zealand in the Arawa waka (canoe). He saw the red
flowers of the pohutukawa tree in the distance and mistook them for red feathers.
He was so excited about replacing his own red feather headdress, or kura, with
these beautiful red feathers that he threw it into the ocean. Upon landing, he
realised his mistake when the blossoms wilted
after being picked.
He tried to retrieve his original headdress, only
to find that a man called Mahina had found it and refused to give it back to
the chief (Bercusson & Torrance, 1998). This has lead to the Maori proverb:
“Kau mau Ki te Kura whero. He aha te Kura tawhiwhi. He
amoruhoro” which translates as “Hold fast to the permanent red! Of what use is
the bright bloom which wilts away?” (Bergin & Hosking, 2006, p. 26).
A Maori saying, “te kura pae Mahina” (the cast-away
kura of Mahina) is also contributed to this legend and has been translated by
some as being similar to the English saying “Finders keepers, losers weepers”
(New Zealand Christmas Tree, n.d.).
Simpson (1994) sees the legend as representing
the process of identifying with a new home, while the old is left behind.
In another legend, a young Maori warrior called
Tawhaki, climbed to heaven to avenge his father’s death. The crimson flowers of
the pohutukawa tree are said to represent the blood of Tawhaki as he fell to
his death. Anthropologist Margaret Orbell explains the meaning of this legend
concerns “the ability to travel from the physical to the spiritual – earth to
sky” (Bercusson & Torrance, 1998).
This ability to travel from the earth to the
sky is an important aspect of Maori religion.
The ability to reach the sky from the earth is
to be able to progress to the spiritual from the physical body after a person
has passed away (Simpson, 1994).
An 800 year old Pohutukawa tree located on the windswept
clifftop at Cape Reinga, the northern tip of New Zealand, plays a significant role
in the transition from life to death. It is known as the place of departed
spirits or the place of the leaping and is said to be place where spirits leave
to go to Hawaiki (Simpson, 1994).
Maori believe that upon death the spirit
travels to the pohutukawa tree then slides down the roots of the pohutukawa into
a watery cave beneath to begin their journey to their traditional homeland of
Hawaiki for a final farewell before rejoining
the ancestors.
Saying someone has slid down the pohutukawa
root is a way of saying they have died.
Conservation
In 1989, scientists discovered that more than
90% of coastal pohutukawa stands had been eliminated, which lead to the Project
Crimson Trust being established in 1990. The trust is involved in the
publicity, planting and protection of pohutukawa throughout New Zealand (Project
Crimson, 2009).
The main predator is the Australian brush tail
possum which was introduced by European settlers in the 19th century in an
attempt to establish a fur industry in New Zealand. Possums eat the leaves,
shoots
and flowers of the pohutukawa. Consequently, possums
are routinely shot and poisoned. As well, pohutukawa are protected in some
areas by metal sleeves which possums can’t climb.
Humans have also contributed to decimation of
the pohutukawa. European settlers cleared pohutukawa stands for farming, roads,
and urban development.
The timber was used extensively for boat
building both domestically and overseas.
Its roots are readily trampled by stock, people
and cars.
Pohutukawa are susceptible to the Phellinus
senex fungi which causes white-pocket heart rot and eventually the collapse of
major stems, limbs and trunks. Another type of fungus from the Dothierella
species is also a threat to pohutukawa leaves,
although it does not seem to have a significant impact on the tree.
Prose and Poetry
Pohutukawa have been immortalised in verse and
song since European settlement. Early records show that the pohutukawa become a
common theme within Victorian verse.
Margaret Sinclair wrote (Sinclair):
Thy fame had reached to other
shores
And men had talked of thee
Our own pōhutukawa
Beside the summer sea
For worthy art thou need of
praise
As myrtle tree or lime
As olive-tree or sandlewood
Of cloudless Orient clime
Flower Essences
The New Zealand Flower Essence Pohutukawa helps
restore contact with one’s inner power and will so one is not so easily led
astray by stronger forces or exploited by those with a stronger personality.
It helps those who suppress their own needs, or
neglect their own calling for the needs of others. It can generate a shift from
materiality to a holistic awareness and awaken one to the beauty of the natural
world and establish communion with nature‘s power. It helps support spiritual
alignment and aspiration and links one into the source of all life: the one
power.
It is indicated when the inner spark is low or
when life force or chi is depleted through volatility, repressed pain or
holding on to anger.
The keyword is initiative.
Positive qualities include self-awareness, self-assertion,
power used with wisdom, personal will and strong sense of self. Negative
qualities include weak willed, can't say no, over-eager to please, easily
influenced, submissive, anger. (First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand,
n.d.).
Barbara Bassett: the essence of pohutukawa:
I am strength, emotional strength, the core
that supports the body. I look deeply into the self to bring forth that strength
into the body, into the limbs. I reach out into the universe and celebrate the
joining of spirit into form in a perfect blending. I speak on the courage to
let go the fixed patterns of life and to step out beyond the known. (Omega
Communications, n.d.).
Four Winds Rainbow Essences of Aotearoa has
produced a number of NZ sourced remedies in a 49C potency, including Pohutukawa
which they named The Tree of Life:
Tree of Life
On poor rocky shores amidst wind and rain
You grow into rock solid strength.
Guardians of change offering a passage way
Between two worlds
Your red blossoms of love honor all who come
and go.
Four Winds describe the theme of pohutukawa as ministration
in times of change.
The remedy creates a nurturing supported space
for people allowing them to let go the past and discover their true being. It
is a safe haven bringing strength in times of change in which a person can
move safely between the visual world and the
world of the heart, between the world of the child-like self and the world of
the wise old self. It symbolises wisdom of the elders. (Van der Touw, 2002).
Words associated with the essence are: Anchor
of strength, solidity, deep change, protect, nurture, reassure, moving safely
between worlds.
Background
The proving of Pohutukawa began on 5th
March, 2011, at the South Pacific College of Natural Therapies. Seven female
students, ranging in age from 24 to 43, took part. Each participant was assigned
a supervisor and the proving was conducted
according to the methodology developed by Jeremy Sherr in his book
The Dynamics and Methodology of Homeopathic
Provings (1994).
The proving officially ended in the week of 2nd
May.
Participants were instructed to take the 30C
remedy up 3x daily for two days only.
However, the moment they began to experience
symptoms, they were told to stop doses.
The remedy name was known only to the
pharmacist who prepared the remedy, Michael Dong of Simillimum Pharmacy. The remedy
was prepared from the flowers picked from a tree in Wellington during the
summer.
Before commencing the proving, the participants
were excited, some stated that they could feel the remedy calling to them.
After completing the proving, all but one prover
felt stronger in themselves. They felt empowered and able to trust themselves
to make decisions.
During the weekend following the end of the
proving, all participants and supervisors met to discuss their symptoms and
derive themes. At the end of the discussion,
the remedy was announced.
Proving Themes
On the Mind Level
Family, Friends
Family and friends played a big part in the
proving. Most provers felt closer to family and friends.
I have been spending more time meeting and
relaxing with friends and chatting with them on the phone rather than
communicating with them via e-mail or Facebook. I feel this is much healthier.
(Prover B).
Prover A felt emotional about her relationship
with her supervisor:
Feel really close and connected to my proving
supervisor and am really looking forward to seeing her .
Prover B changed from attending college to
distance study and one of the reasons for this was so she could spend more time
on herself and her family.
There were family get-togethers and social
occasions like going clubbing or out with friends to bars. One prover played
soccer socially with friends and family at a gathering and loved it.
The death of Prover B’s uncle in India made her
think about her family:
I have been thinking about my family in India
and I have decided to go back to India more often and visit my extended family.
One prover started to become irritated by her
family and having to listen to their problems.
I am tolerant of family but quick to tell them
if I have things to do. I no longer put myself second.
(Prover C)
Love Relationships
Some of the single provers began to think about
relationships with the opposite sex.
Prover A went out with her girlfriends:
I really want to meet someone special and as I
don’t get out very often I always get excited and hopeful that tonight could be
the night.
She subsequently joined a dating website.
She dreams about a new relationship:
I dream about meeting a really lovely guy and
feeling like he was „the one’: Those dreams left me with such a lovely feeling
and even now, reading what I’ve written about those dreams, I remember how it
felt finally meeting him and can’t wait to in real life!
Prover A sang this song several times:
How Do I Live Without You - By LeAnn Rimes
How do I get through one night without you
If I had to live without you
What kind of life would that be
Oh I, I need you in my arms
Need you to hold
You're my world, my heart, my soul
If you ever leave
Baby you would take away everything good in my
life.
Prover C wondered will I ever find that someone
special?
She began to think about her ex-partner on Day
36:
All this year I have thought of him and not
felt regret but now I wonder if we could have worked it out.
By Day 54 she wrote:
I can’t stop thinking about my ex. I cannot
sleep, eat and I feel panicky since I woke today. When I think of him my heart
races and beats so hard I think it will beat too hard and come out of my chest.
She wondered about the possibility of getting
back with him and thought of the song:
Please don’t let me go by Olly Mur, saying
I feel I wrote the song because it describes
the way I feel.
The opening lines of the song:
Where do I begin?
Should I tell you
How bad I need you now
You're underneath my skin
But I'm confused
.
Another prover mentioned the song
Power of Love - Love makes the world go round.
Care, Support, Attention, Protection, Safety,
Warmth
There was a desire to feel safe and supported
and loved.
Prover A was living in Christchurch during an
earthquake weeks before the proving started. She talked about enjoying support
and care and desiring it from her parents who live in another country.
On Day 8, she noted:
Mum is being very kind and supportive. She left
for Bahrain in the Middle East today where she lives with my dad. I feel closer
to her and that she really cares about me.
Later that day:
Dad rang tonight to see how I was - very unlike
dad! He was very concerned and caring, and offered to fly my daughter and I up
to Bahrain whenever we wanted. I was very surprised at how caring he was. Not
normally like that at all. It was really nice to feel cared about by dad.
Two days later:
Dad called again tonight to check on how I was.
Felt like daddy’s little girl which I’ve never felt like before.
The same prover summarised this aspect:
Overall, I felt very loved. Mum and especially
Dad seemed really caring which is quite unusual. I know they care but unusual
for them to show it so openly and obviously (or perhaps I don’t normally see
it). At a BBQ I was talking to a friend when another friend came up behind me
and gave me a big cuddle resting her head on my shoulder. I felt very loved.
Also, earlier in the week my ex-boyfriend
bought me a massage voucher which is another
caring action. Maybe I’m giving out an „I need caring for’ vibe?!
Prover C’s father showed rare concern:
Dad rang and noticed my low mood in my voice,
he asked if I was ok and I said I was, his concern made me want to cry.
Sai Baba died during the proving and Prover B
spoke about the protection he afforded her.
But I believe he will always guide me and help
me whenever I need it as I believe he has been doing for the past 10 years.
There was desire to protect and care for others.
Prover F had an urge to physically pick up and
protect people who may be sad or unwell.
She also spoke of wanting to nest and protect
her family.
Prover D hurt her back and noted:
Frustrated with sore back and felt sorry for
myself. Want attention and need to help self.
Not being cared about also featured.
Prover A remembered the lack of support from her
ex-partner while she was pregnant.
On my walk this morning I was listening to the
Indigo Girls version of the Dire Straits song „Romeo and Juliet’ and was filled
with thoughts of been pregnant with my daughter and remembering how I had held
everything together (emotionally, mentally, financially, at work etc) even
though I wasn’t with her father had no support from him, and my family all live
overseas. I realised how much I do put on a brave face and think that sadness
is weak.
There were issues over the responsibility of
caring for others. Prover C wrote of her grandmother needing a lot of care and
attention and how her uncles have issues with my grandma always needing assistance.
On Day 50 of the proving, her grandmother had a
fall:
My uncle has a business trip and cannot look after
her, I feel pressured into looking after her but it’s a big responsibility and
I feel cornered into the responsibility.
She felt unable to look after her grandmother
on her own.
Prover G dreamed her goat died and felt I
should have done more to save her. I felt useless.
Prover C wrote of her dog being too attached to
her and desiring attention. Yet, she liked him curling up on her:
He feels warm and soft.
She felt lonely at a party and gave the dog a
lot of attention:
I noticed while I was at my friend‘s place that
I give a lot of attention to my dog like it is a real baby.
Thinking this was disturbing because I am
wondering if I am trying to compensate for something because the dog is a dog
and I treat it like a human baby.
At one stage the dog pooed on carpet:
I was thinking that the dog is too attached,
hence why he pooed on the carpet, because he is feeling like I don’t give him
enough attention.
Safety, care and support seemed to be
associated with warmth.
There was a chilliness and desire to be wrapped
up warm like a hibernating bear or small child.
Prover D wrote:
I feel frail, like an old lady, and want a
blanket around me which feels comfortable and safe.
There was a desire to go to bed because it
feels safe and comfortable.
She liked the warmth of shower because it was like
a warm blanket that is calm and comforting.
Prover D said of when she drank coffee:
I get a safe feeling like I am being looked
after.
Aggression and Assertiveness
Acknowledging your needs was a strong feature
with many provers being able to stand up for themselves and verbalise what they
wanted.
Throughout the proving, Prover C became more
assertive with her family regarding her needs versus theirs. This happened on
the first day:
I did not have time for the problems of my close
family and friends. I do not want to listen to their problems. I told my
brother that I needed to go and make my dinner and that I cannot listen to him
talk about his difficult, hard day any more because I have things to do for
myself. I was thinking to myself“ for goodness sakes, sort yourself out”. I
told him that he is the only one that can make the
necessary changes to his lifestyle and this is
different to what I would usually say which would be more like
“Oh I’m so sorry to hear that” and I would try
to soothe him and make it better.
By Day 6, she wrote:
I am tolerant of my family but quick to tell
them if I have things to do i.e.: study, cook. Usually I would put my tasks on
hold and listen to them talk until they were finished.
Prover F had issues with a workmate whom she
felt was being aggressive and intimidating.
Feel easily offended. Felt upset and unjustly
treated by workmate. I’m overly sensitive, but only to her. This person is usually
someone I get on well with but now she gets my back up, irritates me. I’m
intolerant and find her hyperactive, crude, bossy and not appreciative. I
respond: sulky, insecure, grumpy, and irritated. Want to fight, not keep the
peace (which is usual for me).
The prover needed reassurance from colleagues
that she wasn’t at fault. It helped to talk to her husband about the situation
and get it off her chest. On the 22nd day, she wrote:
Told her to back off and that she was getting
in my space. Told her that I found this behaviour aggressive and rude. I feel
that I mirror her behaviour and that we are battling for supremacy. Felt irritated
and angry. Did not want to back down. Feel the need to defend myself (and my
patch) beyond reason.
Later she stopped fighting back and by Day 40,
the colleague no longer felt like a threat.
The prover summarised the situation:
The biggest change was in my very nature was
that I found myself fiercely defending myself (and my values) in a way that I
have never done before. Usually I would back off from confrontation but
stew inwardly for days.
I don’t like confrontation as it makes me feel
unsafe and unsettled. So for me to take on my workmate was incredibly out of
character and I learned a great deal about myself during this time. I actually
feel safer now to speak my mind as I see that it doesn’t bring on the end of
the world as I thought before, but can be very liberating. Things / problems
don’t linger once I have faced and addressed them.
Prover A was staying with a friend and offered
to pay board. The friend suggested $100 where the prover thought $50 - $70
would be sufficient.
I had trouble sleeping and was thinking awful
things about my friend eg she was greedy and mean and it was so unfair because
I had given up my home and done a good deed and now I’m financially worse off
for it. I felt trapped because I felt I couldn’t negotiate with her but also felt
that I would be seething with resentment each time I paid $100. I couldn’t even
look at her before I went to bed -
and she is one of my oldest and dearest
friends.
She felt tricked and betrayed and seethed over
it for two days then:
Got up the courage and asked her if I could pay
$80 and she was totally fine with that - yay!!
A pregnant non-prover became more assertive:
Saying she addressed relationship with my sister which has always been
difficult. In the past I have been her emotional dumping ground. Entirely
stopped enabling her and refused to even get into debate about it.
She was also confrontational at work with
someone she usually liked.
On the contrary, Prover G was calm in
situations where she would normally be angry.
I was told to “shut up” and tried to become
angry but couldn’t. I usually would have become angry and not talked to anyone for
the rest of the night but it was as if I couldn’t become angry or not talk.
It felt as if someone had just waved a hand
over me and took the anger away and replaced it with peace. I felt very
peaceful and I wanted to talk.
Even by Day 35, she noticed that although
trivial things made her feel angry she was still finding it hard to stay angry
for very long.
Reactivity, Irritability
Some provers were reactive, easily irritated, angered,
annoyed or frustrated with either themselves (unable to complete work) or
family members or work colleagues.
Prover A felt less irritated spending time with
her daughter:
I feel a lot closer to my daughter and feel a lot
less irritable towards her which is fantastic. I feel I am able to pause and
just marvel at her now.
Prover B alternated between being less irritated
with her children for not tidying up and being irritable with her kids.
Prover F was easily offended.
She experienced issues with a work colleague:
Felt upset and unjustly treated by workmate. I’m
overly sensitive, but only to her.
This person is usually someone I get on well
with but now she “gets my back up”, irritates me. I’m intolerant and find her
hyperactive, crude, bossy” and not appreciative.
I respond:
sulky, insecure, grumpy, and irritated. Want to
fight, not keep the peace (which is usual for me).
Playfulness, Enjoyment
Some of the provers experienced childlike,
unconscious behaviour.
Prover F felt playful and naughty. She would
sing and laugh out loud.
I act without thinking. I am entertaining and
fun to others.
Like an impulsive child.
She was almost blasé about forthcoming surgery,
not taking it seriously.
Prover G also wrote about having no willpower
and a childlike feeling versus conscious involvement and awareness that allow
you to make a decision.
Taking control makes me less childlike and more
adult, in control, less reactive or easily influenced.
Prover G had a desire to dance and sing and hum
to the Pink song
Raise your Glass. Why so serious?
Party. Don’t be serious.
The only 2 lines from the song that she used to
repeat were anything but loud and dirty little freaks.
Prover A enjoyed playing sport and soccer
socially which she had never done before.
Melancholy, Depression
Provers used words like tired, weepy, low and
depressed.
Some were emotional and could cry at drop of
hat.
Prover C was worse on cloudy days.
The mental dullness and inability to complete tasks
(college work, household tasks) made some feel depressed.
Tricked, Betrayed
Prover A experienced a feeling of being tricked
and betrayed by the remedy:
Feel as if the remedy called out to me and felt
it would get rid of any symptoms but it didn’t. Feel tricked and betrayed,
laughed at because it fooled me. I didn’t want to look at the remedy.
Later, she felt the same way about a friend
with whom she was stating:
Tricked, betrayed, let down by friend and
feeling resentful.
Prover E also felt betrayed by a friend at
work.
Lethargy, Lacking in Motivation and Concentration,
Inability to Study
All provers experienced an inability to
concentrate on study and reading during the whole proving.
Prover B wrote:
Could not remember anything that had been
covered in the previous lectures and I was unable to complete a worksheet given
by the lecturer. My mind was totally blank. I usually remember
everything and finish the worksheets very, very
fast.
It was a struggle to get college work done and
it seemed to take longer to complete work.
Most of the students had to ask for extensions
to their assignments during this period, even students who never do this.
One student changed from attending classes to
studying by distance because she was too tired and found it too difficult to go
to college.
On the 2nd day, she said I am
wondering if I should convert all my courses to distance learning as I am
feeling very stressed because of my tiredness. This is very strange as I have
always
enjoyed going to college and usually look
forward to it.
Prover G wrote
I am finding it very difficult to remember
words while having a conversation. Quite simple words and people have had to
help me finish my sentences sometimes.
Some felt very detached from life, looking
around and not taking anything in, not making connections with things.
Some expressions used were:
Dopey. Tired and weepy. Dreamy, cloudy, foggy mind.
Can’t focus. Distracted by what’s outside the house - trees, light.
Daydreaming. Getting nothing done.
Restless mind with little or no focus. Spaced
out. Not paying attention. Reactions are slow.
It was difficult focussing on more than one
thing at a time.
As a result of this inability to work, Prover G
felt extremely anxious.
Some felt lethargic but weren’t worried.
One prover felt like old man, shuffling around.
Prover E described it like this:
I felt totally relaxed, like a jellyfish - no
bones in my body.
Provers seemed to start new things without
thought of finishing them.
Prover D wrote:
Have had a restless mind with little or no
focus. Have started lots of new projects but have not had the focus to finish
them.
Setting deadlines didn’t seem important. Yet,
at times there was a feeling of being overwhelmed by everything I had to do
within a short time.
There was an element of time - wasting.
The pregnant non-prover wrote:
Found self in a fug of procrastination, I am
not a stranger to
procrastination but this was a different
incarnation to my normal sort and I found it almost impossible to overcome. I
felt defeated before I began, my mind felt completely disjointed and I was
unable to cohere reasonable thoughts and ideas
together. I felt frustrated and lost. I would write a sentence and then lose
track of my thoughts before I could write another.
The evening seemed to be a difficult time for
studying. Generally focus was worse in the late afternoon, evening (5.30 h.,
9.30 h.). Some suddenly felt awake and alert in evening while others
couldn’t concentrate in the evening and were
unable to study or read.
On the other hand, there were periods of feeling
creative with the mind being clear and alert.
Prover B had an urge to do things I haven’t
done in years which included teaching French, art, Reiki share group, catching
up emails.
Upon completion of the proving, Prover A wrote:
I can get on with my life in a much more
productive and fulfilling way.
Prover F wrote:
I’m glad to say I can now work at night again
as I was getting very behind with my reading!
Creativity, Art, Nature, Colour
Despite the tiredness and feelings of
disorientation, there was an increase in creativity and a desire to draw.
Colours and patterns interested the provers. One student started to wear eye
make-up when she never used to and had a desire
to look attractive. One desired colourful clothes.
Prover A wrote:
on her kitchen windowsill she has a green glass
koru, like the ones I’ve drawn on the inside cover of my journal (on Day 14 but
had been thinking about it since Day 1). I really like looking at it as it made
me feel calm and peaceful.
Prover B experienced a desire to do art, an Indian
folk art style called Warli.
On Day 19 she wrote:
I suddenly felt like doing some art so I bought
a canvas to do a painting. I have no idea yet what I am going to paint or when
I am going to start.
Five days later:
I started a painting today. I am attempting to
paint an Indian folk art style of painting called Warli art. I am excited that
I have started it though I do not know when I will finish it.
Prover D wrote about repeated patterns, 70s
paisley patterns, Intricate patterns like hound’s - tooth, argyles, polka dots.
She also did hand stitching using lots of
greens and blues. Fresh greens, pinks, deep purples were mentioned.
Housework, Tidiness
There was a disgust with household grime.
Prover A noted:
Was very surprised to notice how grimy the kitchen
was, especially around the stove/oven area. I’ve never really noticed it before
and was really disgusted. I never want to live in that kind of filthiness
Again - so disgusting ewwww!!!
Several provers were picky about cleanliness
and irritated by things lying around, wanting clear surfaces and no clutter.
Prover E wrote she was:
Annoyed with kids‘ stuff on the floor. I would
usually leave this for kids to pick up but couldn’t stand it for a moment and
had to tidy it straight way until completely tidy.
Later she wrote that everything must be
completely tidied and put away, not just put into a pile for later but dealt
with NOW.
She tidied constantly in the eve
nings.
Prover B wrote:
I felt more irritable today and was also more
impatient with the kids. I got angry with my
daughter for not tidying up her room and was
annoyed with all 3 kids for not helping out more around the house.
There was an element of fussiness and tidiness.
Prover D found the fogginess and inability to concentrate was better by doing
housework.
Time
Issues about time cropped up with time passing too
slowly for some. Some also experienced a floaty, dreamy state.
On the other hand, there was good time
management.
Insects, Birds and Animals
One prover kept on imagining she saw spiders on
her skin or birds around her when they weren’t there. She imagined her work
colleague as a threatening ferret or stoat. Prawns in a filled
roll looked like grubs to her.
On the Physical and General Level
Head:
Itchy; back of head < behind left ear; top
of head. Desire to scratch. Ai head lice. Sensations of crawling.
Hair straw-like not > washing.
Headache
Aching, left temple and left eye.
Dull; began left eye ai pressing against left
eye; constant long-lasting; top of head, long-lasting with nausea.
Heavy;
< moving head > rising from bed; dizzy ai
there is a build up of pressure & desire to sleep.
Pressing; top of head ai steel weight pressing
down; ai someone pressing or pushing in one spot; temples. Splitting; temples.
Squeezing; ai temples squashed together on both
sides; ai squeezed in a vice at both left and right temples, fleeting.
Stabbing; quick sharp stabbing left temple ai
pin prick; fleeting; causing blurry eyesight
Throbbing; frontal, disappears on thinking
about it; right temple with aching; left temple with aching periodically.
Temples.
Right side; aching and throbbing; from occiput
moving over skull to right eye.
Left-sided.
Eyes:
Ache; light, dull
left eye; aching tired eyes; pressing ache;
aching bruised feeling; right eye
Heaviness; eyelids > cool cloth; left lower
eyelid and eye.
Photophobia; > shade, sunglasses.
Colours bright and vivid.
Itchy eyes; hot and desire to rub < rubbing.
Left eye, ai left eye bigger than right eye; ai
left eyeball enlarged; huge ai touching cheekbone; ai closed; ai pulled open;
ai made of glass, not real; ai blind, not seeing anything; ai jagged glass
ripped across eye; throbbing, fleeting pain;
sharp pain
Left lower eyelid, puffy.
Twitching, left eyelid.
Dry eyes; left eye.
Right eye partially open; nearly closed.
Prover G experienced a large number of
persistent eye symptoms.
Ears:
Blocked sensation with fullness deep in ear
canal, ai wearing ear plugs; unable to unblock ears;
intermittent; painful; with pain and splitting
headache affecting temples.
Ringing in ears; > overnight; when waking;
with headache squeezing pain temples; left ear.
Pinching sensation deep inside ear canal.
Pain, right ear canal.
Stabbing pain, left eardrum pain fleeting.
Right ear hot, warm to touch, red.
Hearing:
Declining.
Noises, sounds seem clearer, magnified.
Nose:
Blocked; with painful sinus.
Heightened sense of smell; of eggs, unwashed
bodies and feet offensive.
Sensitive to smell.
Itching inner nostrils, rubbing or picking
>.
Nostrils enlarged.
Sneezing loud hard and often.
Nasal passage dry.
Ai top of nose being pinched together tightly.
Face:
Rash/red bumps both sides of chin, dry, rough
and raised for 10 days.
Mouth:
Numbness; right side of bottom lip; top lip
both sides; beneath lower lip, both sides.
Tingling, right side of top lip which goes
numb; with stabbing pains in belly button.
Cold sore, middle upper lip and right hand
corner of upper lip; stinging; short duration.
Mild burning acid taste in mouth. Metallic
taste by back teeth.
Dry mouth < back of tongue and middle; ai
tongue coated with sandpaper; dry thick feeling in mouth; roof of mouth, top of
tongue, back of mouth very dry with thirst; desires water which
Relieves temporarily.
Blisters on roof of mouth and right side of
tongue.
Tongue white-coated. Ai tongue coated.
Bad breath < morning.
Top of tongue feels hot.
Sensation ai something dissolved on tongue.
Reduction in saliva. Saliva is white, frothy,
thick.
Teeth:
Aversion cold foods which leads to stabbing
pain in teeth; > warm; > drinking through straw.
Throat:
Sore; upon waking; raspy with tiredness; with
sore ears and chest; > eating solid food eg beans;
>: drinking/keeping warm/while drinking hot
drinks but gives no relief; moves to chest.
Throat scratched, raw, dry; desire to drink water
that only helps temporarily; desire cold, not iced water.
Burning throat from spicy foods.
Sensation ai something rolling down throat >
swallowing.
Food and Drink:
Aversed to: blue cheese/alcohol/chocolate/foods
normally craved/cold foods/tea/eggs;
<: spicy foods, makes throat burn;
>: coffee.;
Desires: bland foods/sweet not savoury/muesli
or sweet biscuits after dinner/canned asparagus/raw milk/warm foods and drinks/bananas/raw
vegetables/salads/brown rice/fruit [bananas/apples/pears (usually averse pears)/meat/bread/potatoes/protein/white
meat not red/mushrooms/shrimps/fresh herbs and flowers/salt and vinegar chips/pork/sausage
meat/tomatoes/tube-shaped foods (shrimps, penne pasta).
Desire foods normally averse to.
Heightened sense of taste.
Food seems tasteless.
Eating is mechanical. No joy or pleasure in
eating food.
Prover A:
I’m normally a savoury girl and love blue
cheese in particular, usually having some on crackers most nights but during
the proving I wanted sweet things instead (biscuits, muffins etc)
and did not desire blue cheese at all.
Desire heavier and heartier meals.
Appetite increased in evening. Voracious
appetite; with hunger
Appetite decreased; only able to eat a small
amount which leads to nausea; thought of food leads to nausea; no hunger; force
myself to eat; feeling faint, weak; yet eats everything offered; easy
satiety; no joy in food.
Desire coffee, ginger tea and hot drinks.
The coffee craving was also experienced by a
pregnant non-prover who, during her last pregnancy avoid coffee because it made
her want to vomit.
Craving coffee - last pregnancy the thought of
coffee made me want to vomit.
Thirst for water; cool water; with dryness of
mouth.
Prover G wrote:
There were days when my thirst was extreme, but
I did not drink too much as I knew that I would be urinating quite frequently
if I had. The thirst was quite annoying because the things I usually did, like
going for a walk, I could not do as I needed to be near a bathroom.
Prover A:
Alcohol - usually I would have a glass of wine
every night but in the 52 days of the proving there would have been maybe 4
nights in total that I’ve had a glass of wine at night.
Sore throat > eating solid food (rice and
beans, toasted sandwich) > drinking herbal tea.
Stomach/Abdomen:
Bloated ai pregnant; stomach firm but not hard;
without pain or discomfort; < milk leading to flatulence.
Cold sensation in stomach > ginger tea,
stomach massage.
Cramping pain; < thinking of tasks; on
waking (6 h.) in stomach ai snake moving fast in stomach/abdomen.
Pressing pain left side of abdomen, below ribs.
Stabbing pain lower abdomen ai gas trapped in
lower intestines with desire to fart but no success.
Pain belly button, fleeting; ai a needle jabbed
into belly button; on and above belly button ai someone poking a sharp needle
there with tingling and then numbness on right side of upper lip.
Woke 3am with hunger pains.
Nausea; with low mood.
Belching frequently; after lunch; in afternoon;
after eating apple; after hot water; worse evening;
> belching; < chocholics cookie; <
anxiety and worry; < rain.
CS: Prover G wrote:
During the proving, the heartburn has
diminished quite profoundly with days where I would experience only fleeting
periods or none at all and my burping has diminished as well.
Rectum/Stool:
Constipation; desire to go but can’t; desire to
go with aching pain in stomach and dragging sensation with bloating >
peppermint tea; straining.
Sensation ai unable to empty bowels completely.
Reduced frequency of stool.
Flatulence and offensive stool after drinking
raw milk.
Passing stool with gas and sharp pain in lower
abdomen.
Itchy after bowel motion.
Intense piercing, stabbing pain in lower left
quadrant of abdomen before and during initial phase of passing stool.
Prover A:
Before taking remedy I would go 3 - 4 x daily
and quite often loose. It is now more usual for me to go just once and it is
properly formed.
Female Organs:
Vaginal itching. Internal and external vaginal
itch, onset sudden.
Menses early; 4 - 5 days early. Menses onset
evening.
Heavy cramping in lower abdomen before onset of
menses.
Menses light; with weepy feeling and
sensitivity emotionally.
Menstrual flow heavier than normal.
CS: No cramping pain with menses.
CS: No pain or moodiness with menstruation.
Larynx:
Acid reflux > walking in fresh air for 10
minutes.
Cough:
Light cough, loud and in small bouts; <
morning when rising. Feel cough vibrating in chest and upper back. Chest less
congested in afternoon.
Chest:
Sudden chest tightness after hearing horrible
things > rescue remedy.
Sore chest on waking descended from throat and
ears > drinking fluids, keeping warm.
Itching in breasts under skin like a stabbing
sensation; comes and goes suddenly.
Painful ache left side of ribs.
Sensation ai heart pumping out of chest ai
blood would be pumped out of my blood vessels; < lower wrists, left arm,
both sides of neck.
Back:
Aching lower back, near kidneys > rising
< right side, persistent. Dull aching in lower back while sitting with
aching on left side of neck and left arm; middle of lower back; left side of neck
periodically.
Tingling, aching pain in left lower back <
moving or twisting suddenly; > lying or sitting straight; tight and stiff on
rising; sharp pain like lightning bolts in evening which comes in waves.
Pain ai poked bottom of neck; ai poked with red
hot needles mid-right shoulder blade.
Dragging, pulling down sensation in back. Sharp
(lightning bolt) sensation in lower back.
Sensation of someone/something standing behind
me and resting its long, hot claws on my shoulders.
Itchy sensations on neck > scratching.
Limbs:
Aching, sore joints and muscles in evening,
knees, hips and shoulders > moving, < sitting.
Prover G experienced a lot of symptoms
associated with the limbs.
Bruised, aching sensation inner right elbow,
periodic.
Aching left hand and wrist; right hand. Left wrist
aches.
Formication right forearm; right hand; right
wrist. Sensation ai itchy bite and desire to scratch and itchy and hot.
Pressing, bruised sensation middle left elbow;
right upper arm; palm of left hand; right underarm; outside of left hand.
Pinching sensation right forearm; pinching and
pressing upper right arm progressed to bruised ache periodically.
Prickling sensation beneath right forearm;
right underarm.
Sensation ai hot needles/pins pricked into
right forearm; bottom of left lower arm; below right underarm; centre right
palm while typing.
Throbbing sensation in left arm pit progressing
into bruised ache.
Elbows dry and feel like sand; very itchy;
scratching leads to bleeding.
Hot, tingling hands with blotchy palms and
fingers
Hands hot and itchy < stress.
Right hand shaking while eating breakfast.
Limbs feel lethargic; averse walking or moving.
Aching sensation; top of feet while resting,
sitting; right knee (bruised) while sitting, front and back; outer left knee
while walking, periodically; left knee aching while sitting < moving leg
with pain ai squeezed. Left knee ache
when beginning movement > massage. Right ankle aching while sitting. Top
left foot aching. Top left thigh aching while sitting > rubbing. Behind left
knee aching. Aching spots left lower leg periodically. Spot on right thigh
aching while sitting, fleeting.
Soles aching ai pressed hard. Bruised ache in
different parts of right calf, periodically. Bruised ache left shin
periodically.
Bruised sensation in spots right calf,
periodically; left and right calves while sitting, periodically; upper left
thigh fleeting.
Jabbing sensation ai needles, fleeting; right
ankle; right inner upper thigh.
Sensation of pins and needles top inside left
foot.
Pressed sensation; left knee outside; back of
left knee while walking; right calf hard periodically, fleeting; right heel
hard periodically; 4th toe left foot, hard, fleeting; right thigh,
hard, periodically
while sitting.
Sensation ai flies crawling on right foot,
fleeting.
Squeezed sensation; hard left knee < any
movement > at rest; left heel, periodically < sitting and lying; left
heel and pulling sensation; upper left calf ai in a vice while walking; calf of
left leg while
walking. Pressing squeezing sensation top
outside both feet.
Stretching sensation; left heel ai someone
stretching muscles when moving; low er left calf ai stretched and pulled
tightly. Pulling and stretching periodically; above right heel; left heel while
sitting.
Throbbing sensation; above inner right ankle
< sitting with right heel ai squeezed and pushed in middle; left calf while
lying and moved to upper left thigh; back left calf while leg elevated; above
left heel and sensation of blood pulsating;
right calf, intermittent.
Right hip ai ball coming out of socket while
climbing.
Pains < sitting.
Itching. Intense itching top both feet >
scratching while scratching which leads to burning pain.
Skin on shins intensely itchy and hot > cold
flannel; desire to scratch hard which makes itch worse.
Sensitive soles of feet.
Feet feel cold.
Averse wearing shoes. Desire to spread toes
out.
Sleep:
Trouble falling asleep.
Hard to get to sleep at night, do not feel
tired.
Broken sleep; waking several times during night.
Fall asleep 21 h. instead of usual midnight to
2am. Feeling sleepy in evening (21 h., 19 h.) whereas I am usually wide awake
and active.
Woke after midnight with nausea. Woke and was
thirsty and had a sip of water. Woke 3 h., hungry and thirsty and drank a glass
of water. Felt panicky and short of breath when woke.
Back to sleep immediately. Hard to get back to
sleep.
Waking and thinking about recent events or
coming events.
Sleeping position on side and then rolling onto
my back and putting my arm over my head,
turning head to right and going to sleep.
Floating sensation at night in bed.
Restless sleep.
Slept 10 hours, usually sleep 7 - 8 hours.
Slept soundly till 9.15.
Woke refreshed; energised on waking; playful,
singing.
Woke feeling melancholic.
Difficult to wake in mornings. Dragged self out
of bed with great effort.
CS: Fall asleep quickly and not needing to urinate
during the night.
Dreams:
There were several dreams to do with the sea or
swimming.
Many dreams were about love relationships, some
of which were difficult, others lovely, leaving the prover with a warm feeling.
Some of the dreams were about looking after
others or failing in this respect or encountering reluctance or difficulties.
Family and friends featured in many dreams.
Dreamed about swimming (2).
Dream of being in a flood and swimming from
place to place.
Dreamed of a tsunami coming while on holiday.
Watching from a height and feeling excited. I woke up before the tsunami hit.
Dream jumping off a boat into the sea. Males
paying attention to another girl and I wasn’t worried, fazed, hurt, upset, sad
or jealous that I wasn’t really getting any attention. I felt really sure in
myself, knowing that I have something amazing to offer the right person and he
will see that. I felt very content and secure in myself (Prover A).
Dreamed about swimming with a mask and snorkel
in the surf with another girl and a guy. I lost my mask and snorkel in the
waves and was trying to find another set but could only get a pair of
goggles. Unaware of earthquake happening which
lead to cancelled catering contract.
Dream about falling in love with a married man
and feeling that everything would be OK.
Woke up with lovely feelings from the dream
which stayed with me all day....ahhhh love love love!! (Prover A).
Dreamed of preparing to get married to someone
who had chosen for me to whom I wasn’t really attracted. I wanted to marry
someone else. Had great sex with fiancée and felt okay about marrying him.
Dreamed about getting married (2).
Dream my ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend rang me
about another girl who is a threat to us both.
Dreamed meeting a nice guy who I didn't fancy
at first. My friend fancied him and was going to ask him out. Then I got to
know him better and realised I really liked him and he asked me to go out with
him making my friend grumpy.
The pregnant non-prover dreamed about a
romantic encounter without any lust.
It felt like a „love dream’ and when I woke up
I felt complete and perfect. The feeling lingered for several days. I felt
safe, warm, nurtured and happy.
Dream of being at a wedding of and I met up
with a guy that I’ve liked for a while and it was wonderful. It felt like true
love and that everything was going to be okay (Prover A).
Dreaming and waking feeling regretful and
uneasy regarding an Internet relationship with a married man.
Dreamed that my daughter’s front teeth fell out
in a set.
Dreamed about a man who was kidnapping people
and taking parts of their faces off and keeping them alive in a basement full
of cells containing other kidnapped people.
I don't think he was feeding them, just
neglected them an d forgot about them once he put them down there (Prover A).
Dreamed of stealing a book for Nana although
intended replacing it.
Dreamed of dead father and being told I have
not done enough to keep his memory alive (Prover B).
Dream of my mother who was working away from
the home and would come home late and go out with her friends leaving me
feeling alone.
Dream of trying to hide from a female I didn’t
know but she could see me.
Dream of a feeling of entrapment and trying to
break free.
Dream of talking to different people in a
different settings but had difficulty walking with them because legs felt heavy
as if walking through water in a strong current. I would fall down and not
be able to get back up.
Dream of feeling trapped.
I felt trapped because I wanted to move away with
a man I wanted to marry but I couldn’t because my mum and sister and grandma
need support and guidance and care.
I felt that I wanted to move away but I also
felt needed by them and wanted to be there for them. (Prover C).
Dream of flat-hunting and looking for a place
with spa and sauna facilities for casual hire. It made me think about wanting
to get away and relax.
Dream that my brother was suffering from smoke
inhalation. I was thinking of suggesting he use a nebulizer but then I realised
I didn’t know what to do.
Dream of pet goat dying.
I felt very anxious, sad and felt as if I could
have done something more and I should have done something more. I felt
absolutely useless (Prover G).
Dreams of maternal feelings for a child for whom
I was responsible and it felt right.
Dreams of beautiful yellow and blue flowers.
Dreams of colours of rich creams, peaches and pinks.
Dream an unknown male commented that my silver
shoes were pretty but dirty.
Dream of dad telling me that he was frail and
old and tired which is the reverse.
Fever:
Fever and heat with feelings of exhaustion.
Feeling slightly warm like I have a
temperature.
Chill:
Felt chilled suddenly to the core > steam
from shower.
Cold in the mornings.
Felt cold, especially feet, < cold breeze on
skin > closing doors and windows. Desire to be warm and cosy and snuggle up.
Slightest drop in temperature makes me feel
cold.
Heat < heat from the sun; sweating, itching
in sun. > shade
Overheating.
Anger and anxiety from heat.
Sweat:
Heavy, visible sweating; after doing light
housework; > cooling face.
Sudden copious sweat in evening on face,
hairline and temples and running down face, neck and onto chest.
Multiple hot flushes and profuse sweating all
day on face, hairline and temples.
Sweat < humid weather feels profuse. >
cool breeze.
CS: Prover A: The lack of smelly sweat was a
big thing and was amazing for those days when I didn't need to wear deodorant
during the day. I am still not sweating during the night which is great.
Skin:
Itchiness was a prominent feature of the
proving with provers describing itchiness in the following parts: Eyes, head,
scalp, nostrils, neck, breasts, elbows, forearm, shins, ankles, top of feet and
in the rectum after a bowel motion.
One supervisor’s excema improved during the proving
and one prover experienced excema for the first time ever during the proving.
pregnant non-prover also experienced
intolerable itching over her whole body during the proving.
One supervisor noted intense proving of limbs.
One prover had several people come and show her
their ringworm during the proving.
Prover F wrote:
My physical itching at times became so
intolerable I thought it would drive me mad.
Rash on left shoulder with red, raised spots;
very itchy.
Intense, acute itch all over the skin. Stress
produces heat which leads to irritation and itch.
Intense itching, suddenly, painful; ankles;
front of calves; neck.
Itchy skin with sensations ai feather touching
it; ai formication; on arms, neck, face, legs, hands, feet; ai tiny spider
crawling over skin; ai sharp, stabbing on arms and breasts; on neck and scalp
ai I have nits, comes and goes suddenly.
Sensations of formication.
Desire to scratch but scratching aggravates.
Itch > when hands cold.
Skin sensitive to touch; breeze.
Skin feels hot and dry.
Sensations
Aching, headache, eyes, ribs, lower back, top
of feet, joints and muscles, elbow, hands, wrist, knee, ankle, foot, thigh,
calf.
Ai enlarged, eyes, nostrils.
Ai heat pumping out of chest. Ai blood would be
pumped out of vessels.
Ai jagged glass ripped across eye.
Ai made of glass, eye.
Ai needle jabbed into belly button; ai poked
with red hot needles, back, forearm, ankle, thigh, arm, palm. Pins and needles,
foot.
Ai something dissolved on tongue.
Ai something rolling down throat.
Ai unable to empty bowels completely.
Bloating, stomach.
Blocked, ears and nose.
Burning, throat.
Dullness, headache.
Formication, limbs. Ai flies crawling on right
foot.
Crawling on head ai head lice. Delusions of spiders
crawling on arms.
Heaviness, headache, eyelids.
Numbness.
Pinching, ear canal, top of nose, forearm.
Pressing, headache, abdomen, elbow, arm, knee,
calf, toe, thigh.
Prickling, forearm, underarm.
Scratched and raw, throat.
Soreness, throat, chest.
Squeezing, headache, knee, heel, calf, feels
Splitting, headache.
Stabbing, headache, eardrum, abdomen.
Tingling, lip, lower back, hands.
Throbbing, lip, eyes, armpit, ankle, calf,
heel.
Tightness, chest.
Senses
Senses were heightened during the proving,
particularly smell, sound and touch. Many experienced photophobia and were
worse being in the sun. Colours and patterns seemed
important. There was increased sensitivity to
temperature and draft.
Energy Levels
There seemed to be fluctuating energy levels.
Provers either noticed increased energy or less energy and feelings of fatigue.
Many felt fatigue in morning and were averse getting
up although some felt better for getting up and moving about.
Sometimes provers woke chirpy and happy.
Two provers felt their usual walk to the bus
stop was too much effort.
Prover A wrote:
Before taking the remedy I would nearly always
get incredibly tired after eating lunch and would often get depressed because I
had no energy to do all the things I needed to do. This has improved
remarkably since taking the remedy.
Some would wake feeling confused or without a
feeling of purpose.
Prover C wrote woke feeling disorientated. This
made me feel confused because I did not know what the day was and had to check
the dater on my cell phone.
Yet, on other days the provers might wake with a
busy mind or lots of energy.
Modalities:
<: morning/cough/bad breath/eyes/energy
levels;
>: overnight/ringing in ears;
< late afternoon, evening aching eyes, throat,
head symptoms, energy levels (19 h. and 21 h.), dry mouth (15 h. and 21 h.).
> 18 h., tiredness.
Many symptoms < morning and evening and >
or non-existent during the day.
Waking during the night: 1 h. - 5.30 h.
> rising, back ache, headache.
> moving, aching joints and muscles.
< moving, knee.
< moving head, pain in lower back.
< sitting, aching joints and muscles, ankle,
limb pains.
> sitting, back pain, knee.
> lying down, headache, back pain.
> cool, heavy eyelids, sweat, itch, hot
shins.
< cold, damp weather; cold breeze.
< heat of sun, itch, sweat, photophobia.
< hot and humid weather, thirst.
> warm, throat, teeth, chest.
> shade.
> walking open air, acid reflux, depression.
< rubbing, itchy eyes.
> rubbing or massage, itchy nostrils, left
knee ache, thigh ache stomach pain.
> scratching, itchy feet and neck.
Itch < heat (2).
Provers seemed sensitive to temperature change
(either too hot or too cold).
Symptoms both right- and left-sided with
slightly more being left-sided.
Vorwort/Suchen. Zeichen/Abkürzungen. Impressum.