Comparative Mind Rubrics

When receiving the case, it is often difficult to translate the person's suffering into the language of the repertory. Even more difficult is to understand the subtleties of the rubrics available to best define the symptom. We must be diligent in this process and becoming familiar with the mind section of the repertory is imperative.

Our client's mental and emotional suffering must be understood clearly. It is a good practice to really consider what the person is saying and ask open-ended questions for further clarification. Many times, this is enough to establish the feeling of the person in our minds. But if it is not, then having comparative rubrics to choose from really helps define the suffering. This should be learned by repeated study of the repertory and seeing many cases.

Here are a few mental rubrics that are very similar but have different meanings:

• Absent-minded; inattention of the mind without a fixation,
• Absorbed; with a fixation on one thought or subject.
• Abstraction of mind; when the mind has drifted to a new perceived subject or aspect of the subject.

• Adulterous; having relations with someone outside of the marriage.
• Lascivious; having lustful sexual thoughts or acts.
• Nymphomania; increased desire for sex in a female.
• Amorous; intense desire with a love balance.
• Lewdness; vulgar, unchaste sexual thoughts with voluntary acts.

• Avarice; the desire for more wealth and gain even with having plenty.
• Selfishness; concern for oneself with disregard to others.
• Fear of poverty; always worrying about the future welfare in regards to basic sustenance, ie. food and shelter.

• Brooding; mental occupation with present worries.
• Dwells; mental occupation with thoughts of the past.
• Absorbed; intellectual focus on one subject.
• Thoughts persistent; when one thought crowds and excludes others.
• Monomania; obsession or exaggerated excitement about one subject.

Let's analyze the next group of rubrics from the Complete 2009 Repertory and see how they compare in remedies.

• Mind; EUPHORIA, elation; A heightened sense of well being (115) : aego-p., agar., 2agath-a., agki-p., aids, alli-m., androc., ange-s., anh., aquilr-a., aran-ix., arge-p., asar., bani-c., bell-p., blatta, 2bos-s., 2c-di-o., cadm., catha-e., caust., chir-f., chlor., chloram., choc., cob-n., coca, coff., cortiso., crot-h., culx-p., cyg-c., cymbo-ci., cyna., cyni-c-g., 2cypr., dicha., diox., 2enal-c., ephe., ery-a., euph-pu., falco-p., ferr-m., fl-ac., galeoc-c., germ., gink., gins., haliae-lc., halo., herin., 2hippo-k., hydr-ac., hydro-c., hydrog., ignis, iodof., kali-p., kola., 3Kres., lac-lox-a., lach., lamp-c., lap-c-b., lap-mar-c., lar-ar., larr-t., lat-h., latex, 2lava-e., lsd, mand., mang-p., mant-r., 2melal-l., merc-i-f., 2musca-d., nelu., nept-m., nux-m., 4OP., ox-ac., 3Ozone, palo., perh., 2petr., phasc-c., plat., plut-n., 2psil-s., pyrus-c., rhus-t., ros-ca-a., ros-d., 2sals-t., senec., ser-ang., 2sia-c., sid-al., sinusin., spect., stan-e., 3Sul-ac., tax., teucr., thea., thyr., til-c., tung., uran., 2uran-n., uv-lux., valer., visc.

• Mind; ECSTASY A state of emotion so intense that one is carried beyond thought, rapturous (87) : 4ACON., aether, 3Agar., agn., am-c., androc., ang., 3Anh., 3Ant-c., apis, arist-cl., arn., bani-c., 2bell., berb., bry., camph., cann-i., 4CANN-S., canth., 2carb-v., carbn-h., cast., catha-e., cham., chin., 3Cic., cinnb., coca, 3Cocc., 4COFF., 3Colch., croc., crot-h., cupr., cupr-am-s., cur., cyg-b., cyg-c., cyni-c-g., 3Cypr., 3Dros., ery-a., 3Falco-p., fl-ac., geoc-c., 3Hyos., 3Ign., iod., jatr., keroso., 3Kres., 4LACH., 2laur., 3Lsd, lyss., m-arct., maia-l., neon, 2nit-ac., nitro-o., nux-m., nux-v., olnd., 3Op., ph-ac., 4PHOS., phyt., pic-ac., plat., plb., puls., sabad., salx-f., 3Sec., sel., senec., sil., stann., staph., stram., sulph., sumb., thea., tung., valer., 3Verat.

• Mind; EXHILARATION Enlivened, stimulated, happy without real cause (166) : absin., acon., aesc., aether, 3Agar., agar-se., 2agath-a., agav-t., agn., aids, 2alco., 3Alco-s., alf., allox., alum., am-c., ammc., anac., anag., androc., ang., 3Ant-c., arg., arg-n., arist-cl., arn., ars-h., arum-d., 2asar., asc-t., aspart., bapt., 4BELL., bor., 2bos-s., bov., bry., calc-f., camph., 4CANN-I., cann-s., canth., caps., carb-ac., carb-an., carb-v., carn-g., cast., caul., caust., cean., cham., chel., chin., chin-ar., chin-s., chir-f., cimic., 3Cinnb., clem., cob., 3Coca, cocc., cod-n., 4COFF., colch., coll., cortico., cortiso., cot., 3Croc., crot-h., cub., culx-p., 3Cupr., cupr-ar., cycl., cyg-b., cyni-c-g., cypr., cypra-e., ephe., erio., eucal., eug., falco-p., 3Fl-ac., flag-l., 3Form., 3Gels., geoc-c., 3Graph., 2haliae-lc., hist., hydr., hydrog., hyos., ign., iod., iodof., 3Kali-br., kali-n., lac-ac., 4LACH., lap-c-b., 2lat-h., laur., lil-t., lsd, lyss., m-aust., maland., mand., 2med., meny., meteo., mez., myric., nat-c., nat-m., nitro-o., nux-v., 4OP., 3Ox-ac., ozone, pall., petr., ph-ac., phel., phos., phys., 3Pip-m., plat., plut-n., rhus-t., ros-d., sabad., sang., schran-u., scut., sec., seneg., 2sep., spig., 2spong., 3Stram., sul-ac., sulfa., sulph., sumb., tanac., taosc., 4TARENT., 3Teucr., thea., thlaspi, thuj., tung., 2turq., ulm-c., valer., verat., verb., visc., zinc., 4ZIZ.

• Mind; BUOYANCY Lightness of being, vivacity or hilarity (31) : arum-d., carbn-o., chin-s., cimic., coca, 3Coff., crot-h., diosp-k., elat., eucal., 3Fl-ac., hydr., kali-br., lac-mat., lamp-c., mit., nabal., neon, 2nic-r., 3Nux-v., ph-ac., phos., phys., pip-m., pyrog., sals-t., sarr., scut., sec., stram., uran.

Looking at these four rubrics, we can see that they are all very similar. They describe a person who is not so grounded and is living in a semi-altered state of being. I have seen many cases where, in spite of the physical sufferings, one of these rubrics described the core essence of the case. A remedy that would help this state of being would help all other symptoms as well.

When we add all of the remedies that are combined to form all of the rubrics, we have 273 different remedies covered by the four rubrics. But when we cross all of the rubrics and look for those remedies that are included in all of them, we have only 4 remedies;  coffee cruda, flouric acid, coca, and crotalus horridus. Doing this would be very exclusive.

At the next level of remedies that cover three of the four rubrics, we have 17 more remedies; op., lach., agar., cypr., phos., falco-p., LSD, nux v., sec., stram., androc., cyni-c-g., phos ac., plat., thea, tung., valer.

Choosing the correct rubric would require us to interpret the symptom and choose the best rubric. When the person has the quality as the most striking part of the case, it is very important to understand the symptom and choose the very best rubric. It would be easy to choose the wrong rubric that was similar but just different enough that the remedy for the case never appeared in the repertization. The possibility of the rubric containing a very small remedy that is not well known but could be perfect for the case exists as well. When it is unclear that the one rubric is the best rubric to describe the case and is so similar to another rubric, I will often include both rubrics or combine them. This way I am sure not to lose the possibility of a remedy being in one rubric and not the other.

These examples illustrate how precise the language of the repertory is. Understand exactly how the person is feeling. Do this without asking many questions, as more directed questions will lead the person away from the pure expression of the symptom. This is the real art in case receiving. Look for patterns and repetitions of words and stories that the person tells. Look for the ways they become animated when telling the stories. Watch the body language. All of these will be ways to really understand the symptom and then guide you to choosing the correct rubric. Mastering this art will bring the level of your successful prescriptions to very high percentages.

Keep the conversation going! I would love to hear your questions and thoughts below!