Spongia Tosta. The Meaning of Life.

THE CHARACTERISTIC PICTURE OF SPONGIA (WELL-KNOWN)

The symptoms tend to center around the throat, the heart, the respiratory system, and the glands. It’s not unusual for a medicine so well suited to certain physical locations, to be overlooked as a significant mental and emotional remedy. Spongia, as it turns out, has a well-developed mental picture which is not often used.

Spongia is best known as a CROUP remedy, especially with its characteristic cough ‘Sibilant, dry, like a saw being driven through a pine board’. It’s probably sitting in most first aid kits precisely for this reason, as a COUGH remedy. There are a number of indications by which Spongia is usually chosen.

Choking in the throat. Raw pains in the throat, during cough. Goiter.

Strong focus on the Larynx, a center point for Spongia. Laryngitis < singing, swallowing, talking, touch. Sensation of a plug. Ticking. Roughness. Dryness. Irritation. Constriction of the larynx

Voice is Crowing, Hoarse, Hollow.

Asthma that comes after taking a cold.

COUGHS. Day and night. Barking. Constant. Croupy. Hollow. Rasping. Spasmodic. From tickling or irritation in larynx. Cough > drinking, eating.

Bronchitis. Angina pectoris. Cardiac murmurs. Palpitations after midnight (like ARS), which wake them. Gout of the joints. Induration of glands. Swelling of affected parts.

General intolerance of clothing or for the pressure of clothing. Aggravation from physical exertion. Ascending aggravates, Descending ameliorates. Worse motion. Worse after sleep. Aggravated by wind, especially cold or dry wind.

There are some intriguing peculiar symptoms as well which are less commonly used for prescribing Spongia.

Sound of a gun, in the ears at night. Coryza comes on from a dry easterly wind

Taste in the mouth like licorice. Sensation of something alive in the cervical glands

Pain in the larynx as from a nail. Sensation as if the larynx had been removed

Respiration obstructed, as from the sensation of a plug in the throat

Expectoration tastes like seaweed. Sensation as if the heart is progressively swelling and would burst

Back pain comes instead of the menses. Numbness of the fingertips during whooping cough

Aggravation after dancing. Breath catches after dancing, almost like sobbing.

Sensation as if the glands are inflated, blown up, or filled with air. Standing bent ameliorates

SPONGIA, THE MENTAL PICTURE

Spongia is the only remedy found in a very particular three-value rubric, which makes it an extremely important key aspect of the core state of this remedy. Three-value rubrics represent very valuable and reliable aspects of a remedy, clinically verified.

RESIGNATION, A FEELING OF SENSELESSNESS

The acceptance of the inevitable meaninglessness of things. Spongia people may not be living a life that has value or meaning for them, and it appears they do not feel that such a life is possible for them. This existential despair is supported by other three-value rubrics in which Spongia is found.

DESPAIR OF LIFE

DELUSION EVERYTHING IS MEANINGLESS

ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE

A person who has lost hope that their life will move forward into a better future (Desire for change in life) instead resigns themselves to something much less (Delusion everything will fail).

In order to cope with this deep internal hopelessness, Spongia creates a very strong focus on Work. It is not uncommon for people to attempt to suppress such negative emotions by keeping themselves occupied. For Spongia though, it only partially works as they seem unable to continually or fully suppress this feeling, as seen in their constantly fluctuating emotional state (discussed later).

Restlessness when idle. Dreams of work. Desire for Occupation, which ameliorates.

Work often provides meaning in our lives. Meaning can be found when a clear connection is seen between what we value, and what we spend our time doing. What happens when someone works but it does not provide meaning for them?

Anger about Work. Despair over his Work. Restlessness while Working. Singing alternating with Loathing of Work.

While engaging in Work, Spongia experiences Absentmindedness, Awkwardness, Difficulty Concentrating, Confusion, Laziness. They make Mistakes, work Slowly, Postpones the work. Always late.  These are all behaviours typical of a person who is working in a job they hate or which they find has no value to them or to others. The wrong job.

However Spongia will keep trying to find peace this way, even when they don’t enjoy the work.

Laziness, but works well after starting.

It’s a pretty unhappy person we are looking at here (Ailments from unhappiness). What is the point of each day, of getting up and going to work? (Sadness, will not leave the bed). Even once they get there, they are not the nicest people to be around or work with.

Anger with despair. Anger when spoken to. Inclined to vex others. Anger with a red face. Anger from interruption, from contradiction, when spoken to. Violent when things don’t go as they wish. Throws things around. Cursing in rage. Dictatorial, talks with an air of command. Discontented with everything.

In fact one might see a similar picture of Tuberculinum here. It does seem that Spongia fits well into the Tubercular Miasm.

Craving for amusement. Desire for change. Violent anger. Audacity. Capricious. Checking things twice or more. Contrary. Defiant. Destructive. Disobedience. Desire to leave home. Insolent. Malicious. Mischievous. Obstinate. Quarrelsome. Restlessness which drives from place to place. Striking themselves, striking their head against a wall. Desire to travel.

How deep does this despair go? For a person who feels there is no meaning in anything, what effect on them do you see? How do they react?

Brooding with suicidal disposition. Brooding, moping in a corner. Suicidal from despair. Talks of death. Weary of life (but fears death). Taciturn, sits and does not move. Despair from the smallest criticism.

Where might this have come from? What might Spongia be reacting to, to harbor such a deep sense of meaningless? There are more clues within the rubrics that may reveal this answer.

Delusion, has horrible visions of the past

Dwells on past disagreeable occurrences, tormented by a frightful scene of some mournful event of the past

Thoughts, tormenting, about past disagreeable events

SENSITIVE TO MENTAL IMPRESSIONS (Spongia is the MAIN remedy in this rubric)

What is a ‘mental impression’? This is an effect, a feeling, or image retained as a consequence of an experience. It is something that leaves a mark on a person.

Spongia is easy to mark, to scar, to dent, to bruise, and such marks last a lifetime (Wounds tend to heal slowly). They are sensitive individuals who, once they experience a terrible event, cannot forget it and are haunted by it. Spongia appears to be what is known as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP).

CANNOT BEAR SEEING OR HEARING CRUELTY

HORRIBLE THINGS, SAD STORIES, AFFECT PROFOUNDLY

SYMPATHETIC

Delusion, seems as if he saw through someone else’s eyes (Sensitivity so great they experience what they see other’s experiencing, resulting in potential vicarious trauma).

The HSP is so much more vulnerable to violence and trauma, even when it happens to others. They are also more vulnerable to being emotionally neglected or abused as children. Interestingly, Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) can lead to adult feelings of meaninglessness.

Despair from the smallest criticism. Despair, wants to be supported. Desires to be respected. Delusion not appreciated

Spongia’s compensatory mechanisms for their deep despair are interesting, and help to create a more complex picture . Rather than simply giving into it, there is a great deal of energy put into creating the exact opposite feeling, an exuberant overcompensation.

CHEERFUL ALTERNATING WITH SADNESS. EXHILARATION ALTERNATING WITH SADNESS. Cheerful alternating with Destructiveness (only remedy). Singing alternating with Loathing of work (only remedy). Anxiety alternates with Exhilaration or Joy. Cheerful after sadness. Quarrelsome alternates with Laughter. Vivaciousness followed by Depression. Pert (someone who is attractive, lively, cheerful). Speech, Merry. Dwells on past Happy moments. Laughing, everything seems ludicrous, over serious matters. Mania with singing

Spongia can forget their pain, forget their past, forget their trauma (TRANSIENT LOSS OF MEMORY) even if only for a short while, by creating intense joyful emotions and by engaging in merry-making activities (Delirium, gay, cheerful. Cheerful with Dancing, Laughing, Singing). It doesn’t last and you will see them oscillating back and forth between these negative feelings and the positive ones they try so hard to make into their reality. This might also be a typical presentation for BIPOLAR DISORDER, where alternating Mania and Depression tend to define the condition.

So you can see a person who is very sensitive. (Awareness Heightened), very emotional (Ailments from Emotional Excitement), very affected by the suffering or pain of others, who cannot let go of what they have seen or have themselves suffered. It occurred to me that this might be mistaken for the problem Natrum muriaticum patients have (Dwells on past disagreeable occurrences).

In fact it is interesting to see what is common between Nat-mur and Spongia. There are significant similarities in these two remedies. What follows is a list of rubrics where both Nat-mur and Spongia are present, showing a strong similarity between the two. This similarity could cause one to be mistaken for the other.

Ailments from various emotions (Anger, Suppressed Anger, Anticipation, Bad news, Fear, Fright, Mental shock, Mortification, Unhappiness)

Angers easily, at trifles, violent.

Anxiety about the Future, Driving from place to place

Cheerfulness alternating with Sadness, alternating with Dancing, Laughing and Singing (both remedies will present a ‘happy face’ to the world despite their internal pain)

Mania for Cleanliness

Aversion to company, desires Solitude, Avoids the sight of people. Wants to be Quiet. Reserved. Morose when questioned.

Intolerant of Contradiction

Delusions not Appreciated, is Persecuted

Delusions, sees Ghosts or Visions on Closing the eyes (Nat-mur is very well known for being haunted by images of the past, and becoming obsessed by those painful feelings ie. When the eyes are closed and they are not distracted. This is common to both)

Despair of the future, despair of recovery

Discontented with everything

Too exclusive (both remedies want to remove themselves from others)

Fear something will happen, Fear of misfortune, Fear of people (both remedies allow past experiences to shape their responses in the future)

Horrible things, sad stories, affect profoundly

Laughing over serious matters (both remedies will respond to internal suffering and negative feelings by trying to create the opposite feeling as a compensation)

Moods that Alternate, that are Changeable.

Sadness worse in Company,

Dwelling constantly on her condition

Sensitive to Mental Impressions (a core element of the Spongia state)

Sensitive to the Opinion of others, to Reprimands, to Rudeness

Somnambulism (Strong Keynote symptom for both remedies, which can represent actions determined by the unconscious). Talking and Weeping in sleep is also common to both, so you can see the buried experiences in the unconscious trying to break through.

Suicidal from Sadness

Sympathetic, especially towards animals

Desire for Sympathy from others (which both appear to reject)

Thoughts of the past, thoughts that are tormenting

I believe there would be a need to differentiate these two remedies if you are looking at a person who dwells on some past hurt and is unable to move past it or let it go.

An important difference between them though would be where Nat-mur seems to cultivate their pain (Sadness, and enjoys it), while Spongia wants to push themselves as far away from it as possible (Sadness, desires to be diverted from thoughts of himself. Desire for Amusement)