Arlene R. Taylor PhD

www.arlenetaylor.org

thebrain@arlenetaylor.org

Brain References

Presents

Meet Your Amazing

Immune System—‘Your Doctor Within’

Prevention and HealingArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Each patient carries their own

doctor inside we are

at our best when we give the

doctor who resides within

us a chance to go to work

Albert Schweitzer MD

Your ‘doctor within’ is your Immune System in concert with your Brain …

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)Arlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org

The first organizational PNI meeting

was held in 1986 in Colorado, USA

This branch of science was developed to

investigate bidirectional linkages between the

brain and the immune system, and to identify

the clinical implications of these linkages on

health and disease

—Margaret E. Kemeny PhD, UCSF

How long you live and your level of

health during your lifetime are related

to PNI function

Unexplained healings do occur, but in general,

if you get sick and if you get well, your body

heals itself, because your ‘doctor within’ is set

up to do that—estimates are that 85% of

illnesses are within your brain-body reach for

healing

Who Get Sick & Who Gets WellArlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org

You Play a Huge RoleArlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org

Your personal lifestyle choices and

habits along with your mental attitude

can make the PNI process easier or

more difficult

About 70 percent of how well and how long

you live is in your hands—ideally, prevention

strategies are the best bet and tend to pay

exponentially high dividends

He who has health has hope; and he who has

hope, has everything Thomas Carlyle

‘Star Wars’

RevisitedArlene R. Taylor PhD

www.arlenetaylor.org

Brain – Immune ConnectionArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Historically, lists of immune system

organs have not included the brain

However, the immune system and your brain

are very closely connected; their hands are

shoved so deeply into each other’s pockets

it’s often difficult to tell which is which

What happens in the brain, in effect, also

happens in the immune system and vice

versa

Arguing as an ExampleArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Couples who argue (brain-based) suppress

immune system function

Break the cycle, stop arguing,

and stop suppressing your

immune system

One strategy, write a letter to the other person

from the perspective of a neutral third party—

then pay attention to the different perspective

Lifestyle choices can override your genetic

code and effectively reduce or even eliminate

your chance of repeating your family’s history of

poor health. Even with a familial history of

cancer, there are things you can do to bathe that

gene in a way to keep it from expressing itself—

your genes may produce healthy tissue instead

of tissue that is diseased or cancerous.

You have the choice to bathe your genes with joy,

happiness, exercise, and nutritious foods, and

forgiveness, or bath them with anger, lack of

hope, unforgiveness, junk food, and a sedentary

lifestyle —David P. Rakel, MD

Cancer as an ExampleArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Functions of the IS Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Four main functions

1. Recognizes the self

2. Destroys foreign invaders

3. Destroys internal mutations (abnormal

cells and tumors)

4. Keeps things tidy and clean

Testing for IS FunctionArlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org

Saliva samples (IgA) for level and activity

• studies of pre- and post-examination

• Studies of pre- and post-laughter

Place Natural Killer Cells (a hand-to-hand

combat fighter white blood cell) in a test tube,

add tumor cells from a supply in the Lab, wait

three hours, and then count how many tumor

cells were killed

Testing, Cont’dArlene R. Taylor PhD www.arlenetaylor.org

Measure the amount of specific

cytokines or types of antibody

in the blood (e.g., test known

as C Reactive Protein)

Tests for an immune response to an

antigen: take internally or injected under

the skin and look for redness and swelling

or other immune response

Illness FactorsArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

When illness occurs it is typically the

result of a complex interaction of factors

Some factors can be termed nonmodifiable

because they may be outside your

control (although it can be

helpful to know about them)

Other factors can be termed

modifiable because they can be partially (if

not completely) within your control

‘Nonmodifiable’ FactorsArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Gender (systemizing, empathizing, intersex)

Birth defects and organ transplants

Chronological age (but your biological and

psychological ages are modifiable)

Handedness (can develop skills but don’t

change your innate handedness)

Chronobiology (natural immune system rhythm

is stronger in summer, weaker in winter)

Et cetera

Modifiable FactorsArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Knowledge about the immune system

Experience and learning from mistakes

High EQ (managing emotions/feelings)

Exposure to pathogenic organisms

Toxins, pesticides, radiation, safety …

Longevity lifestyle (sleep, exercise,

mindset and attitude, spirituality,

nutrition, beverages, play, abuse)

Who you hang out with

Stress management strategies

Epigenetic actions upon your genes, turning

them on or off . . .

StressorsArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Severe or chronic stress can also suppress

immune system function and increase your rate

of aging by prematurely shortening

telomeres (the little caps on the ends of

chromosomes that shorten with each cell

division)

Continued distress and/or your perceptions

after the stressor rsolves can also shorten

telomeres equivalent to at least one decade of

additional aging

Practice the 20:80 RuleArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Take control of your perceptions, part of your

mental attitude

Only 20% of the negative impact

to your brain and body is due to

the experience or the event

80% is due to your own perception

of the experience or event and the

weight or importance you give to it

Your Duty Arlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Your singular duty to the immune system

is to develop a lifestyle (and a mental

attitude) that will support its constant

defense work on your behalf instead of

sabotaging its efforts

How you live day by day determines

whether your immune system works at peak

levels or is inhibited by neglect and even

abuse —Neil Nedley MD

Be Pro-ActiveArlene R. Taylor PhD Realizations Inc

Be aware of the

nonmodifiable

factors in your

generational

inheritance

Identify and

manage the

modifiable factors

in your daily life