Psychosomatic Illness and the Spiritual Layers

Research on psychosomatic illness—”psycho” meaning mind and “somatic” meaning bodily—started with Freud and other early psychoanalysts. Patients would see a doctor for a variety of physical complaints like stomach pains and headaches, yet doctors couldn’t find any clear medical cause. Freud observed that when such a patient had an emotional breakthrough, the physical symptoms would clear up. This led Freud to the interpretation that some physical symptoms were all in the mind. That interpretation was not completely true, but generations of doctors assumed some symptoms were entirely psychological. This led to unfortunate outcomes for some patients. Today, psychosomatic researchers have found complex relationships between mental and physical symptoms. Modern holistic treatments can involve psychotherapy, physical therapy, meditation, and yoga.

Yogic philosophy’s teachings about the mind-body connection are called Panchakosha. According to these teachings, a human being is made up of five layers or “sheaths”:

1. The first layer is Anamaya kosha, or the physical layer. Anamaya kosha translates to “food sheath”. In a sense this name is accurate—what we eat becomes new cells and bones in our body.
2. The second layer is Pranamaya kosha, or the energetic layer. While the concept of life energy doesn’t translate well into Western terminology, some may be familiar with the term “prana” in yoga or “chi” in traditional martial arts. Both of these refer to the Eastern concept of life energy. According to this school of thought, life energy is tied to how one breathes, moves, eats, and thinks. Medical science has not been able to measure prana/chi, but there is evidence that yoga and tai chi can boost self-reported energy levels.
3. The third is Manomaya kosha, or the emotional layer. This is the origin of feelings like anger, sadness, happiness, etc. This layer also contains our emotionally-flavored values and judgments.
4. The fourth is Vijnanamaya kosha, or the intellectual layer. What’s interesting is that the intellectual mind is treated as separate from the emotional mind. Just as we have different internal organs with distinct responsibilities, panchakosha teaches that emotion and intellect come from different “organs” of the mind.
5. The fifth is Anandamaya kosha, or the bliss layer. It can be thought of as the spiritual layer. It refers to profound states of peace and focus, which according to yogic thought, cannot be reduced to the other layers.

According to Panchakosha, the layers interact and influence one another. For example, Panchakosha suggests that a person with a physical injury will recover more quickly if their energy is robust. This is backed by medical observations that a positive outlook is helpful for recovering from physical injuries. Another example is an emotionally distressed person recovering more effectively if they physically exercise. This is also supported by science—physical activity can help with emotional regulation.

The Panchakosha model also holds that overwhelming harm to one layer can overflow to all other layers. Medical science supports that both physical and emotional damage can trigger a full-system response, including spikes in cortisol and adrenaline, and activation of the immune system. Long-term, this can lead to aches, indigestion, high blood pressure, and other dysregulation. In some cases, patients with these symptoms along with a history of trauma are diagnosed with psychosomatic illness.

Traditionally, students of the Panchakosha teachings practiced yoga as a means to strengthen and heal all layers. Today, psychosomatic treatment makes use of physical activity to promote emotional wellness. This could be activities like yoga, walking, swimming, or weight training. Any of these can help one gradually reconnect with a sense of comfort in their own body.