There are many speculations why our skin becomes suddenly irritated and ill. Theories range from genetic predispositions and sensitivity to food substances, to poor circulation and stress. Regardless of which theory is in vogue, conventional dermatology is at a loss when it comes to questions like: What provokes the outbreak of a skin disease? What determines its severity and duration? Why does one person develop eczema, another psoriasis and yet another herpes? Why does a skin rash appear on a particular part of the body? Why is it on the left side rather than on the right?
Dr. med. Ryke Geerd Hamer, the originator of German New Medicine (GNM), is the first who provides solid scientific research for understanding the true nature of diseases, including skin disorders. By comparing and analyzing his patient's medical records, personal histories, and brains scans (computer tomogram of the brain), Dr. Hamer made a startling discovery. He found that every disease (cancer, heart conditions, diabetes, MS, arthritis, etc.) is caused by an identifiable type of “conflict shock” (loss, abandonment, self-devaluation, etc.), which correlates to the same area in the brain that controls the disease. He also established that every disease runs in two phases, provided the related conflict can be resolved. The first, conflict active phase, is characterized by mental and emotional distress, cold extremities, little appetite, and sleep disturbances. The second phase, or healing phase, shows typically symptoms such as fatigue, head aches, fever, inflammation, or painful swelling.
The quintessence of Dr. Hamer's fundamental discoveries is that diseases such as cancer are not the result of a malfunctioning organism, but are instead Biological Special Programs that have been successfully practiced for millions of years.
Based on thousands of patients' cases, Dr. Hamer found that a skin disorder is always linked to a “separation conflict” which a person experiences as if “my child, my parent, my partner, my friend … was torn from my skin”. The brain scan analyses showed that this type of emotional distress impacts without exception in the so-called sensory cortex, which is the part of the brain that developed during the course of evolution in accordance with the organization of herds, packs, and families, and the ability to express the social and emotional bond through skin contact.
A separation from a loved one can be emotionally very distressing. In nature, the separation from the pack, from a mate or an offspring is, biologically speaking, an emergency situation. Thus, a Biological Special Program is in place to assist the organism in coping with this traumatic event. During the conflict-active stress phase, the skin loses epidermal cells causing a loss of sensitivity towards touch. The “sensory paralysis” is a natural form of protection from further traumas of this kind. As a result of the loss of epidermal cells, the skin becomes dry, rough, and may flake.
The resolution of the conflict is the turning point. Together with the healing that takes place on the psychological level, the skin also starts to heal by refilling and replenishing the ulcerated area with new cells. During this repair process the skin becomes inflamed, itchy, blistery, and swollen. Skin disorders such as eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, hives, or herpes are therefore positive signs indicating that a natural healing process is running its course. When a condition such as dermatitis becomes “chronic” this means, in GNM terms, that healing phase cannot be completed due to constant conflict relapses. The GNM therapy focuses therefore on identifying the original conflict situation as well as the triggers that interrupt the repair process and are the underlying reason why the healing phase is prolonged. The two-phase pattern of all diseases also gives us a better understanding of psoriasis. Psoriasis, so Dr. Hamer found, always involves two separation conflicts. The active conflict shows as flaky skin, the resolved conflict shows red patches. The result is a familiar picture: silvery scales on a red surface.
Skin disorders are on the increase especially among children. Children often suffer a separation conflict when another sibling is born, when Mom goes back to work, when they fear that the parents might split up or when they do separate. As soon as the child comes to terms with the new situation, dermatitis develops, typically on the inside of the arms. Psychologically, this reflects that the separation was experienced as: “I can no longer embrace you!”, “I can no longer hold you!”.
This leads us to the question why a skin disorder appears on a certain area of the body. And Dr. Hamer discovered yet another biological rule: He found that if a right-handed person suffers a separation conflict over a child or his/her mother, the left side of the body will be affected; if the conflict is over a partner (everybody except our mother or our children), the right side will respond. For left-handed people it is reversed. However, the Biological Special Program can also run exclusively at the site where the separation was subjectively experienced, for example, on the cheek, on the belly, or on whatever area of the skin we feel that a loved one was “torn from”.
Another natural significant response to a loss of physical contact is a dysfunction of short-term memory. We know this phenomenon from mammals, e.g. cats, when a mother no longer recognizes her babies that were taken away from her. We humans, who have been sharing our environment with mammals for millions of years, respond exactly the same way. The “forgetfulness” during the state of distress over a separation is also biologically meaningful as it aids the organism in managing the emotional distress on the mental level. When our children have this “disorder”, it is called Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), when our elderly “pack members” begin to lose their memory, it is called Alzheimer's disease. But a look at our modern society quickly reveals why these conditions are becoming more prevalent.
German New Medicine is more than an exact natural science. Dr. Hamer's profound discoveries also remind us that we have forgotten to live according to our biological nature. With this awareness we can consciously practice “togetherness” and practice at the same time real preventive medicine.
© 2006 by Caroline Markolin, Ph.D.