A Mini Review of the Psychophysiology of Mind-Body Regulation and Its Importance in Homoeopathic Healing
Keywords:
depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, mind–body connection, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, inflammation, psychophysiology, homoeopathy, materia medicaAbstract
Psychological disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), cause measurable impairments in neuroendocrine, immunological, autonomic, metabolic,
and cardiovascular systems (Cannon, 1932; Selye, 1956; Osei et al., 2024). These psychosomatic
effects increase the risk of comorbidity and reduce quality of life. In classical homoeopathy,
comprehensive materia medica sources like Lectures on Homoeopathic Philosophy and Materia
Medica with Repertory (Kent, 1905; Boericke, 1927) list remedies (like Natrum muriaticum,
Lycopodium clavatum, and Pulsatilla nigricans) that are used to treat specific psychologicalemotional and somatic symptoms.
This review synthesises contemporary insights into mind–body pathways associated with
psychiatric disorders, including hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation,
inflammation, autonomic imbalance, and gut–brain axis modifications, while juxtaposing these
mechanisms with the remedy-profile rationale present in homoeopathic materia medica. Although
empirical evidence substantiating homoeopathy in mental health is scarce and inconsistent
(Davidson et al., 2011; Rotella et al., 2020), morally robust and methodologically sound research
avenues are suggested to investigate integrative models.
