Author:
Jan Scholten
Book:
Homeopathy and Minerals
Type:
Remedy
Chapter:
40
Magnesium phosphoricum
Of Magnesium phosphoricum we only really know the usual physical complaints, such as the typical spasmodic pains, which improve with pressure, bending double and warmth. But the mind picture is quite unknown. What is the underlying theme in Mag-p?
Concepts
Magnesium Phosphoricum
Pacifism Communication
Aggression Sympathetic
Fear of loss Friends, acquaintances, neighbours
Pain Brothers
Homesickness
Curiosity and travel
Restlessness and fears
Analysis
The group analysis gives the theme for Mag-p: the fear that their aggression will take away the possibilities for contact. They need to make many contacts, to exchange ideas and feelings. But they are afraid that they will say something wrong and make the other person angry. Then the other person might even break off the friendship.
So they are very careful. They quickly have the feeling that their ideas might offend someone. They become more and more tense, almost spastic. Eventually it becomes such an effort to have a normal contact that they start to avoid it altogether. They even develop a fear of people.
A variation on the theme could be that aggression will take away the possibility for study. They can have the fear that they will not be allowed to carry on with their studies if they show their anger too often. For instance a child at school, who would like to study, but who is afraid that he is not allowed to go on to university.
Another variation is that they might have a brother who is aggressive. They feel suppressed by that brother. They feel that they cannot express their own ideas and opinions because he always brushes them away. This can also cause the with-drawing and timid behaviour as described in the previous paragraph.
It is rather striking that both Magnesium and Phosphorus have a great need for contact and are afraid of losing contacts. This theme comes out clearly in a proving dream of Lassauw (personal report): 'I was standing in a courtyard enclosed by a school building (Phos) on three sides. It felt a bit like a prison. There was nobody else there, I suddenly felt very lonely (Mag and Phos), away from home, not knowing where to go. It was an awful feeling; I had never had it before. There was a black person who came out of the building and walked away. I then started wandering through the town. I was then approached (Phos) by a woman, who offered to show me a beautiful park. She was a very nice (Mag) person. We went to the park down a long stairway. It was all very beautiful, but it did not make me any happier. I still had the feeling 'all this isn’t for me. When it is all over I will be left with the lonely feeling I had in the courtyard'.
The feeling of loneliness in this proving is even stronger than in the other Magne-siums and Phosphoricums.
Essence
The delusion that they will lose all contacts if they get angry.
Mind
They are very nervous and fearful, especially in their contacts with other people. They are afraid that the other person will get angry with them. They are afraid of saying something wrong, which will annoy the other person. And they are afraid of quarrels, in case the fragile contact gets broken. But they do have a great desire for contact and communication. However, in the long run they start to avoid these contacts again, because the tension that comes with them gets too much for them.
School is difficult for them. They feel that they cannot learn fast enough. They think that others will blame them for this and will start quarrelling. Or they think that they will be sent away from school. Because they are so tense while they are studying they soon get exhausted.
They like travelling or, quite the opposite, they often suffer from homesickness.
Fears: of being alone, people, disease, death. Easily frightened.
Generals
Location: right sided.
Physique: thin and tall.
Temperature: cold, sensitive to thunderstorm.
Time: < 7 am and 9 pm.
Desire: spicy, salt, fish (3), cold drinks (2).
Aversion: salt, fish.
Menses: copious.
Physical: rubbing.
Body
burning pains.
Haemorrhages of bright red blood.
Neuralgias, neurological complaints, convulsions, hyperventilation.
Cramps, colics, chorea, Parkinsons, writers cramp. Nystagmus.
Migraine.
Tuberculosis, lung problems, bronchitis, asthma.
Bone problems, growing pains, rachitis, osteoporosis.
DD: The remedy which most closely resembles Mag-p is Colocynth. Both have suppressed anger. The difference, as far as I have discovered until now, is that Coloc suppresses his anger because of social pressure or a social code of behaviour. Mag-p however suppresses his anger because he is afraid that he might lose his contact with others. The physical complaints are very similar in both remedies: spasmodic pains, > pressure and bending double, > warmth. But there is a slight difference here too. Coloc is ameliorated more by pressure, which we could translate as 'keeping it under control', or 'holding it in'. Mag-p is ameliorated by warmth, which we could translate as human warmth, or 'contact'.