M.D. (Hom.)
Prestige chambers, Powai naka,
www.ajitkulkarni.com
“Emotional feelings, instead
of finding expression and discharge in the symbolic use of words and
appropriate behavior must be conceived as being translated into a kind
of “organ language.”
- Past Maclean, M.D.
- Past Maclean, M.D.
Introduction
Body language is all around us. It is a
fascinating subject and a thrilling experience - to observe the motion
of the ‘intelligent’ body and to analyze the context in which it is
represented. Body language plays a significant role in oral
communication. It is powerful and indispensable and now it has become a
household word due to its popularity and utility.
The human being is the highly evolved
perfect design of nature. His spoken language is the most prized
possession, but his silence is no less precious. Hence it is said that “Speech is great, but silence is greater.”
It is through communication that a human being SHARES and the body,
synchronizing with the sub-conscious mind, gives off very sublet signs
through choreography without the use of words. ‘Communication is like a dance,’
states Condon, ‘with everyone engaged in intricate and shared movements
across many subtle dimensions, yet all strangely oblivious that they
are doing so.’ The wise body opens its gate to an astute observer to
fathom inner feelings, emotions, attitudes and ideas.
The Dimensions of Body Language
Our bodies are ambassadors of our inner
self. They convey more than our tongues. Research has shown that 35% of
the messages are carried verbally, while 65% are conveyed non – verbally
(Birdwhistell). Mehrabian put forward that communication is 7% verbal,
38% vocal and 55% non-verbal. The truth is that more communication takes
place by the use of gestures, postures, position and distance than by
any other way.
A human being communicates through
verbal and non-verbal language. Exchange of words refers to verbal
communication while non-verbal communication refers to all external
stimuli other than spoken or written words and includes 1. Bodily
gestures 2. Postures 3. Facial expressions 4. Personal
appearance 5. Eye contact 6. modulations in voice and 7. The use of
space and distancing.
Our bodies are rarely still. Our feet,
hands, eyes and heads are moving all the time. Our expressions change.
We pull faces, rub our noses, run our hands through our hair and do all
sorts of things which, when taken in isolation, seem very odd. However,
what is happening is quite straightforward - our bodies are ‘talking’.
We can guard our tongues- but not so easily shut off our body language.
Our Bodies, Emotions and Modern Life
Emotions are basic to human beings.
Being emotional is a part of being human. A human being has a rich
vocabulary of emotion cues showing how he feels about himself and
others. In the realm of emotions, the cues are usually unintentional,
involuntary and unconscious. Body language and emotions are almost
inseparable as body movement is central to emotional expressiveness. The
intensity of emotions charges the non-verbal brain to dictate its
commands; the body obediently follows the commands and presents its
choreography on the screen.
In view of accelerated tempo of life,
the modern man has to face with a pronounced exposure of emotional
stress. Today the modern man has become a speed merchant, driving the
motor of his life. Chronic time shortage, changing patterns of activity,
greater load of information and more active interpersonal relationships
- have affected the verbal communication. The need to pay attention to
non-verbal one has, hence, considerably increased. One of the major
aspects of Body Language is the expression of emotions. Emotions refer
to such states as happiness, depression and anxiety, and milder ‘moods’
such as feelings of pleasure and displeasure, varying degrees of
excitement or drowsiness, and the arousal and satisfaction of hunger,
sex and other drives. There are three components in each case: a
physiological state, a subjective experience, and a pattern of
non-verbal signals - in the face, voice and other areas.
Emotions are recognized from a whole
pattern of non-verbal signals, which are usually consistent with each
other and with the expectations created by the context. They provide
information about intensity, and about the tense versus the relaxed
dimension. A tense person sits or stands rigidly, upright or leaning
forward, often with hands clasped together, legs crossed, and muscles
tense. In such a case, the hands and feet display the emotions while the
face tries to conceal.
Elements of visible code:
The elements which are visually perceived and which perform role in communication are collectively termed as “visible code”.
Personal Appearance: Everyone wants to be “in the eye of the beholder.”
Everyone is concerned with first impression. Every person has its own
aura that vibrates, that pervades, that permeates and that renders its
unique message to the outer world.
One’s appearance may put the others into
a resistant or even a hostile attitude or induce in them a receptive
mood. A physician has to understand how his patient reacts to him:
positively, negatively or neutrally. The patient’s appearance and
clothing need careful observation. Dirty look, crumpled clothing
suggests alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, dementia, schizophrenia
etc. Manic patients may wear bright colors, incongruous styles of dress
or appear poorly groomed.
Sixelements are considered in personal appearance: Clothes, Footwear, Hairstyle, Ornaments, Make-up and Aromas.
Posture: Refers to the
way one stands, sits and walks. The movement of the body, the position
of hands and legs and other parts of the body reveal individual’s
personality-whether he is vibrant, alive and dynamic, nervous and
jittery, confident and self-assured, etc. The posture of sitting may
exude an air of optimism, or despondency or be indicative of a sense of
failure or of inattentiveness. Walking posture may convey whether a
person is confident, energetic, withdrawn, diffident or nervous.
Gestures: A gesture is a
sign, signal or cue used to communicate in tandem with, or apart from,
words.A gesture is the verbal or non-verbal body movement used to
express or emphasize an idea, an emotion, or a state of mind. Gesture is
defined as ‘visible’ bodily action by which meaning is represented (Kendon, 1983). Each gesture is like a word in a language.
Gestures play a significant role in
making the communication effective. A well-timed gesture can drive a
point home. Similarly playing with a ring, twisting a key-chain, or
clasping one’s hand tightly robs a speaker of the effectiveness of his
communication. Sometimes gestures render elementary and short messages
such as “yes”, “no”, “come here”, “go there”, “be silent”, etc. However,
all oral communications are accompanied by gestures such as shrugging
of the shoulders, flourish of the hands, movement of head, etc. In fact,
without the accompanying gestures it would be difficult to speak. These
gestures add a greater value to what is being said besides exercising a
more powerful impact.
Facial Expressions: “Face is the mirror of life.” Our face a. defines our identity; b. expresses our attitudes, opinions, and moods; and c.
shows how we relate to others. A face is every human’s visual trade
mark, and is therefore, the most photographed part of the human
body.Emotionally, the face is mightier than the word. So closely is
emotion tied to facial expression that it is hard to imagine one without
the other.
Our face is exquisitely expressive. Its
features are incredibly mobile, more so than any other primate. A smile
(friendliness), a frown (discontent), raising the eyebrows (disbelief),
or tightening the jaw muscles (antagonism) can add to the meaning being
conveyed through verbal means.
A
wooden expression on the face may prejudice the listeners and it could
also be an expression of parkinsonism, schizophrenia or depression;
brightness in the eyes may keep their interest sustained and evoke an
enthusiastic response. Biting the lips, blinking the eyes or raising the
eyebrows at regular intervals often mar the smooth flow of
communication. Anxious patients generally have horizontal creases on
forehead, raised eyebrows, widened palpebral fissures and dilated
pupils.
Eye Contact: Eyes
reveal a great deal about our emotions, convictions and moods. Hess
(1975) observes that the eyes give the most revealing and accurate of
all human communication signals because they are a focal point of the
body and the pupils work independently. Whiteside (1975) describes the
eyes as ‘the windows of your soul..... and the mirrors of your
heart...... and the gauges showing fleeting feelings and changes.’ One
can see the anatomical importance of the eye as “an extension of the
brain.” Gazing at another’s eyes arouses strong emotions. ‘The eye can
threaten like a loaded and levelled gun; or can insult like hissing and
kicking; or in its altered mood by breams and kindness, make the heart
dance with joy’ (Emerson).
The eyes can be steely, knowing, mocking, piercing, shifting..... They can level a ‘burning’ glance or a ‘cold’ glance or ‘hurt’ glance or again, they can be wise, knowing, inviting, scary, disinterested, and so on.
Space and Distancing: A
fascinating area in the non-verbal world of Body Language is that of
spatial relationships or proxemics - the study of people’s appreciation
and use of space. Each person maintains a personal territory around
himself. He normally does not allow it to be invaded at the time of
communication. This has reference also to ‘standing-seated position.’
Space distancing differs from culture to culture, from individual to
individual. The amount of space a person needs is determined by his
personality.
It is important to observe the way a
patient sits in the chair. A puffy, egoistic person having lust for
power is not happy with one chair. He may occupy more space by extending
his arms. On the other hand, a shy and reserved patient occupies
himself in less space.
Modulations of voice:
Tone of voice reflects psychological arousal. Speech is an indispensable
means for sharing ideas, feelings, and observations and for conversing
about the past and future. A significant number of voice qualities are
universal across all human cultures.
a) Interpretation of voice
l Speaking loudly and rapidly = Anger or lack of interest in the other person’s
view. The speaker has run out of the logical support for his view.
l Clear controlled steady voice = Confidence
l Lively, bouncy, well modulated speech= Enthusiasm. Politeness.
l Lowered volume, reduced pitch, rate and intonation = Negative attitude.
Nervousness
l To mumble or gabble = Excitement. Fear
l Hesitation = Lower confidence
l Crying, Moaning and Sighing = Sighing. Silent grief. Complaining nature
l Hiss and boo = Disapproval
l The softer pitch = Friendship
b) Reading mind through laugh
Human laughter varies greatly in form, duration and loudness. One can ‘read’ laughter from the sounds that ensue.
‘Ha-Ha’ is laughter that is genuine, coming straight from the heart. It expresses pure joy and self-fulfillment.
‘He-He’ is mocking laugh, usually issuing from a condescending remark or a joke about a person.
‘Hee-Hee’ suggests a secret giggle or a snigger that is emitted when a person is being cynical or spiteful.
‘Ho-Ho’ communicates surprise, even disbelief, by a person who is critical, protesting, or challenging.
c) Speech and psychiatric illness
Speech may be fast, as in mania or slow,
as in depression. Depressed patients may pause for a long time before
replying to questions and may then give short answers, producing little
spontaneous speech; the same among shy people or low
intelligence patients. Sudden interruptions may indicate thought
blocking or may be effects of distraction. Rapid shifts from one topic
to another suggest flight of ideas, while general diffuseness and lack
of logical thread may indicate thought characteristic of schizophrenia.
2. B. Basic modes
There are 4 basic modes- Open, Closed, Forward and Back. In Open mode gestures indicate ‘open’ attitudes - open palms, open arms, open body; (no physical gestures like crossed arms or crossed legs) and face-to face interaction. Extroverted persons show this mode more. In Closed category fall the most obvious gestures and postures, like crossed arms, crossed legs, body turned away. Introverts fall here more. Forward mode involves postures that indicate activity in communication. Leaning forward, strong eye-to-eye contact, pointing the finger emphatically, loud voice etc. In Back category we find leaning-back postures, staring at the ceiling, doodling, or cleaning one’ s glasses, signalling whether the person is passively absorbing or ignoring the message.
There arefour combinations of posture
groups in four basic modes. The Responsive mode (Between Open and
Forward), The Reflective mode (Between Open and Back), The Fugitive mode
(Between Closed and Back) and The Fugitive mode (Between Closed and
Back).
If
a homoeopath keeps in mind these basic modes and apply them correctly,
it is easy to understand the utility of body language. The remedies
could be categorized for the sake of their application. But one must
understand that the mode of a patient must be the crucial factor, it
must define the personality, it must explore the inner self in an
unambiguous and convincing way.
Body language and Homoeopathy
Homoeopathy recognizes a man as the multi-dimensional, composite entity where mind,
body and spirit are viewed upon through
indivisibility. The study of a human being in totality involves paying
attention to both verbal and non-verbal communication. It is not always
that the patient will speak with a physician in a ‘free’ way. Patient’s nature, his dispositions, his composure, the frame of reference (the environment in which setting physician ↔ patient interaction takes place), the experiences in the life of a patient etc. have a role to play in communication block.
Homoeopathic Interview
Imagine conducting an interview with a
patient behind a two-way a mirror. We wouldn’t have the benefit of
responding to their facial expressions and would feel quite unnerved by
the experience. Every little frown or smile gives us the caution or
confidence to make our next statement and it is a sublime skill which
every human being has developed since childhood. In other words, if we
do not look at the Body Language and take on interview only through
verbal exchange, such an interview would be a dry one. Somehow, the
feeling will be that there is no life or soul in the interview.
Homoeopathic
interrogation is an intricate and complex process of making our
patients talk; for, the aim is not only to come out with a nosological
diagnosis but to understand the patient through his emotions,
intellectual faculties, delusions, dreams, life-space account and the
kinesics of the patient which add flavor to each response of the
patient.
Resemblances between Homoeopathy and Body Language
When I compare the two fields of body language and homoeopathy, I am astonished to find some striking resemblances.
The concept of totality
– One of the warning signals of body language is that it must not be
interpreted in isolation. It must be studied in clusters. In homoeopathy
also one must study on the basis of totality and not on fragmentary
data.
- The Man behind sickness – It is the Man who moves the body. The whole process of interpretation of body language revolves around the man; homoeopathy too advocates the same principle.
- Commonality – In homoeopathy data commonality is a universal feature, so also in body language. What is important in both fields is to look for individualistic symptoms / gestures.
- Contradictoriness – Often the gestures and verbal language do not go harmoniously and in homoeopathy too, anomalies or contradictory symptoms are presented by a patient.
- Judgment – Judgment plays a pivotal role in both – the study of body language and homoeopathy. The caution is that one must avoid going for prejudgment. One must judge only after gesture – cluster / totality have been perceived.
- Perceptive field – The whole process of homoeopathic interrogation and patient’s observation of visible code is through sharpening of the awareness by relying on facts.
- Analytical process – Both body language and homoeopathy extensively utilizes the analytical process in order to derive a concrete reality.
- From ‘gestures’ / symptoms to a ‘person’ – Just as the symptoms are external manifestations of an internal malady, body language core elements exhibit the internal man which one has to explore.
- The phenomenological concept – In phenomenon we discuss cause ---- effect relationship, chronological sequence, origin, zenith and nadir under time-space continuum. Both body language and homoeopathy utilize the phenomenological concept.
Utility of Body Language for a Homoeopath
The utility of body language is
tremendous for a homoeopath. If verbal language offers only 35 %
communication, a homoeopath is at 65 % loss if he pays no attention to
the non-verbal communication. Body language is a bridge between mind and
body and when a person becomes sick, he represents the sickness through
his unique body language. The essence of the sick individual can be
understood through the cluster of gestures and postures, being
represented consistently. Body language has a definitive place in
homoeopathy and has a tremendous potential in redefining the concept of
totality.
- One-sided diseases.
- Psychiatric difficulties.
- Semantic difficulties.
- Pediatrics cases.
- Contradictory / ill-defined data.
- Deaf, dumb, imbecile cases.
- Clinical diagnosis of a case
- Understanding ‘inner’ personality in a better way.
- Evaluating mental expressions, dispositions and mental state.
- Giving gradation to mental symptoms by appreciating the associated body language.
- Enriching and simplifying the intricate study of Materia Medica and Repertory.
- Explaining the rubrics with the help of body language.
- Living Materia Medica - adding ‘life’ in the drugs
- Body language serves to act as a facilitator in conversation.
- Body language may unlock the issue under exploration and may unlock, thus, the entire case too.
- Saves the valuable time.
Some suggestions for physicians
- Are you sending the right signals? Just making a few subtle changes can have a significant impact on how you are perceived by others. Create a lasting impression and win peoples respect and trust for a lifetime.
- Simply, be ‘open.’ Be aware of your own body posture. Discover how people truly feel about you.
- Do not cross arms in front of you, or cross your legs away from the person you are talking with.
- Maintain eye contact. Glance away periodically to prevent intimidation but not at crucial moments. Converse at patient’s eye level.
- ‘Touch.’ It helps patient know that you view them as ‘people.’ A pat on the back, a light touch on the shoulder can be reassuring to patients. But beware of its universal application.
- ‘Barriers.’ Masks, safety glasses, gloves, bibs etc. Communicate ‘barrier free’ with the patient.
- ‘Facial expressions.’ Openness, smile, eagerness, interest yet serious and sincere.
- ‘Tone of voice.’ Polite tone. Speak slowly, articulately. Proper enunciation and pronunciation of words.
- ‘Body Movements.’ Avoid excessive, repeated movements of body, legs, hands, fingers etc.
- The FIRST person you need to impact with positive Body Language is not others, but YOURSELF.
Epilogue
Both nature and nurture (e.g. culture)
play a role in body language. Hence ‘movements’ need interpretation.
They are highly unique, succinct and individual. They deal with nuance,
with feeling, with degree. One has to recognize them. ‘All movements of
the body have meaning. None is accidental.’ The specific meaning of body
movement may be different from person to person. Sometimes body
language may not coincide with verbal language. The interpretation
requires high skill and perspective vision. Hence, it is always better
to see the body language in conjunction with verbal language and not in
isolation; together they comprise a dual dialogue. If they match and are
consistent with each other, they strengthen and underscore the meaning.
One swallow doesn’t make a summer and
one body language signal doesn’t necessarily make a message. It is
estimated that humans are capable of producing more than 650,0000
nonverbal signals. Body language is full of ambiguities. To have
clarity, one must focus on the cluster of signals and upon those signals
that are persistent, pervasive, repeated and characteristic. The words
(i.e. verbal language) themselves are produced by articulated body
movements of the vocal tract is also a point to be noted.
Body language opens up new vistas of
perceptions heretofore unexplored. The language of symbols, the language
of universal symbolism is blended with holistic philosophy of
homoeopathy and a homoeopathic physician will miss a lot if he neglects
the important information flowing from the cluster of symbols, signs and
cues. Hence the issue of ‘non-verbal consciousness’ has a great scope
in homoeopathic practice. It is a peep-hole into patient’s hidden
conflicts and feelings and will certainly help a homoeopath in knowing
an elusive and indefinable mind. The concept of totality which is
central to homoeopathic prescribing will be redefined if we include
appropriate appreciation of body language. At the same time, a
homoeopath must know its limitations and he should be wary of its
exclusive clinical application. Body language must be interpreted in
reference to the situation, the context, and the culture of the people
involved and there can be variations.
* Dr. Ajit Kulkarni
– A veteran homoeopath, an academician and a famed international
teacher, is known for his contribution to homoeopathy. He is famous for
his innovative and novel presentation on body language – its
interpretation and practical application in homoeopathy.
Books by Dr. Ajit Kulkarni –
- A Select Homoeopathic Materia Medica (co-author)
- Body Language and Homoeopathy
- Homoeopathic Posology
- Kali Family and Its Relations
- The Law of Similars in Medical Science
