emotions, desires and behavior. Isn’t it interesting that traditional medicine considers the origin of
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which is the general term used for most intestinal diseases, to be
psychosomatic, that is, caused by the mind? In other words, if you feel frequently upset, angry, worried or
simply unhappy, you are prone not only to suffer from “mental indigestion” but also from physical
indigestion. Imbalances of the small intestines are characterized by holding on to things in our insides,
regardless of whether these are undigested food or unresolved emotional conflicts.
The cerebral cortex of the brain, which controls thought, is intimately connected with the digestive
process. Hence, not only foods, but also thoughts need to be properly “digested” or processed in order to
become useful for us, and not to cause us any harm. Undigested thoughts have a poisonous effect on the
body as a whole and, particularly, on the digestive system. Fear, anger, shock, trauma, anxiety and similar
negative emotions may be locked up in the cellular memory of the intestines for a long time and without
any obvious indications of their presence. Once they have reached a certain degree of concentration, they
may suddenly erupt and alter one’s personality in a negative sense; this can have a detrimental effect on
the body as well. It is interesting to note that one of the brain’s most powerful happiness hormones is also
produced in the digestive system. In fact, 95 percent of serotonin is made in the digestive system (to
regulate digestive functions), and only 5 percent is produced in the brain. A lack of happiness diminishes
serotonin secretions and thereby weakens digestion of food.
The mind/body connection also works in the reverse order. When you eat highly processed, refined
and denatured foods and/or when you eat while your AGNI is low (indicated by poor appetite), you begin
to accumulate toxic waste in your intestines. The presence of toxins in the intestinal tract may give rise to
nervousness, hyperactivity, nervous laughter or any other emotionally volatile condition. As a
generalization, it can be said that toxins in the intestines are the physical counterparts of negative
thoughts. Through the mind/body connection, negative thoughts and feelings translate into poisons and
vice versa. Normally, the immune system, two-thirds of which is located in the intestines, takes care of
both physical and mental toxins (negative thoughts and feelings). The immune system acts as both our
physical and mental healing system. However, the immune system can easily become overtaxed when it is
overly exposed to non-nutritious foods and negative thoughts (often called stress). You may already know
that the thymus gland, which is part of the immune system, can shrink to half its size or less when you
are under stress. This may make you susceptible to disease, ranging from a simple cold to cancer.
The “Useless” Appendix And Its Amazing Role
In a general sense, those parts of the immune system and the lymphatic system that are located in the
intestinal tract help to detoxify anything harmful that may come along with the food you eat. Through
highly sophisticated processes, these systems are able to separate useful nutrients from unusable waste
matter. Some potentially harmful waste products or natural food toxins such as plant-antibodies enter the
lymphatic ducts for detoxification and elimination. Most of the nutrient elements are passed through the
walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream, which carries them to the liver for further processing,
distribution and cell metabolism. Other more specific nutrients, though, can only be absorbed through the
walls of the large intestine. These nutrients are meant for nourishing and maintaining the nervous system.
Any nutrients, minerals, water and waste products that are not removed by the small intestines now enter
the ascending colon, just above the appendix.
In traditional Indian and Chinese medicine, the appendix is known to play a vitally important role. It
breeds large quantities of friendly, probiotic bacteria and supplies them to the colon and other parts of the
gut in order to neutralize any harmful substances. The strategic location of the appendix allows these
useful microorganisms to blend with the fluid fecal matter as it begins its passage through the large