« Back to Index

Stress

Letter to Professor Lightman, Professor of Medicine. Bristol University (20th November, 2004)

Dear Professor Lightman.

Thank you for your kind response to my letter to Eric Thomas.

You ask, what is the difference between a professor of medicine and a professor of stress. I cannot let that pass without comment, because it goes right into the heart of what goes on in the Dorothy Hodgkin building.

The practice of medicine is in its purity, the care of the physical body.

Whereas the study of stress, relates to the person himself and the effect that he can have on his body.

But that has to take into account, that the person himself is a spiritual being, resident in a physical, animal type body, which has a physical brain inside its skull.

But there is more, because the spiritual being has a mind, which belongs to him, whereas his brain belongs to his body.

There are three separate entities.

Body, mind and spirit. Once that truth becomes blurred and confused and even denied altogether, we get into a muddle, which makes research in this field, into a dog's breakfast.

Your researchers would find their work, much more exciting, if they got these basic facts straight.

This letter may bring you out in a rash. It transgresses the consensus of academe. But do please let me have your comments.