James Walsh - Psychotherapy

This influence of the expression on the mind is an extremely important element in psychotherapy. Men and women must be taught to shake off inner sadness, and over-occupation of mind, by training their facial muscles of expression as far as possible to occupy positions expressive of good feeling, but above all not to let them be fixed in positions indicative of ill feeling. It makes a great difference for the mental state whether a man has the corners of his mouth drawn down or up, or whether they are pulled straight across the face to give the severe, austere expression that some people seem to cultivate. If the corners of the mouth are allowed to droop the glumness and depression is likely to grow deeper. If the lips are curled upward and smile, even though it may be a forced smile, the inner feeling will soon yield to it. Actors are able to counterfeit the reality, but much more than this, as we have said, they realize that, by imitating the externals of the feeling, they awaken the feeling itself within them. This is true for anger and loathing, and for many of the more serious dispositions as well as for those that might be thought more superficial, and hence more controlled by the external muscles.

The Mouth .—It is interesting to realize how different are the expressions of the face as a consequence merely of control of the sphincter of the mouth and its associated muscles. Physiological psychologists have often called attention to the fact that only a few lines are necessary to picture the characteristic human expressions of sadness, joy and severity. If a little droop is given to the line that represents the lips, melancholy is at once expressed, while the upward curve expresses joy, and the straight line severity. These types of human expression are easy to control, and the internal effect of each is soon felt where there is deliberate, or indeliberate, perseverance in its maintenance.

Fig. 1. Three abstract faces.

The Eyes .—A typical example of the influence of the mind on the body is to be found in the use of the eye muscles, especially the oblique muscles. Of definite and important use for many purposes, they are especially employed to attract attention by means of the eyes. Coquetry has used them to express various phases of sex attraction. We all know the picture of the young woman who "makes eyes." It is interesting, however, to set solemn people imitating these exercises of the oblique eye muscles. For most people it is practically impossible to use these muscles without a corresponding quasi-demure setting of the features, commonly associated with those who use them most. There is even likely to be a certain attitude of mind aroused corresponding to the setting of the features in a particular way. While this is true for almost any other expressive state of the countenance, it is not so easy to demonstrate as is this.

The use of the superior recti muscles has also a definite effect upon the disposition. One of the pleasures of walking in a well-kept forest where the trees meet high overhead, is that the eyes are inevitably attracted upward to range among them, and there is a corresponding elevation of feeling. Bernard Shaw once said that it was impossible to enter a Gothic church without an elevation of the spirit, because the eyes were surely attracted upward by the height of the nave, and a corresponding uplift of feeling ensued. During a period of glumness it is apparently impossible to keep the eyes raised. People who are depressed and "cast down," as the expression is, invariably keep their eyes downward, and just as soon as a man "looks up and not down" there is a lifting of the depression. Even such apparently trivial muscular actions as this may influence the mind, and thus react upon the physical system generally.

Wrinkles .—Many influences of the body on the mind group themselves in the muscles of expression around the eyes. Wrinkles, for instance, are originally a habit of mind, and then the emphasis of this, in the muscles of the face, is reflected back to deepen still further the dejection or nervous unrest that originally causes them. It is surprising to see what an influence it has on patients who go round much with wrinkled foreheads, to have them give over the practice and discipline themselves to appear with uncorrugated superciliary muscles. St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, and one of the wisest managers of men that ever lived, has emphasized in one of his rules that "wrinkles on the forehead and still more on the nose" are a sign of interior disquiet and must not be seen. He realized that the interior feelings could be influenced by suggestion at least, by having those who indulged in wrinkles keep their foreheads and noses smooth. Most of the expression of the face is concerned with the eyebrows and neighboring regions, and people should occasionally be asked to look at themselves in the glass, so as to rid themselves of habits of expression indicative of a disturbed mind, for this will do much to help to relieve the mental disturbance.

Attitudes and the Mind.—With regard to the influence of the body on the mind, and the stimulating mental reaction that follows even a pose of well-being and good feeling, perhaps nothing affords more striking evidence than the effect of assuming the expressions and attitudes usually associated with various states of mind and then noting the results. If a man throws his shoulders back, and takes in long breaths of air, expanding his chest and stimulating his circulation, his whole body as well as his mind feels the effect. A slow walk with bowed shoulders and head, while one moodily turns over all the possibilities for ill in the life around, does very little good, while a brisk walk with head thrown back, shoulders erect, brings a man home with mind and body both ready to throw off temporary obstacles of all kinds, and in addition to the fact that the mental depression has disappeared, to some extent at least, all the physical functions will be accomplished better than before.

Tears and Feeling.—Some of the usual translations of the meaning of external expressions are not justified by what we know of their actual purpose and effects. For instance, tears are supposed to be a sign of deep grief. Except in the very young they are not, as a rule, to be thus understood. As we grow older they are much more frequently a sign of deep feeling that is usually quite pleasurable. It is almost impossible for a human being to be touched deeply without a glistening of the eyes that readily runs over into tears. A mother who is proud of something that her children have done is quite sure to have tears in her eyes. If she is present at a successful musical or dramatic performance given by a son or a daughter, especially where there is something of a triumph for them, she is sure to have tears in her eyes. There are few mothers who fail to be moved in this way when their children take prizes, or when some one writes to tell them how well their children are doing. Tears, indeed, far from being a sign of sadness, usually in adults indicate profound joy.

Tears, then, instead of being discouraged, should rather be encouraged, unless when indulged in to excess. We realize how trying to health and strength is the stony grief that does not melt into tears. The mother who faints over the sudden death of her child, and who wakes to silent consciousness, is in a dangerous condition until the solace of tears comes to her. Until there are tears, we fear for the effect upon her mind of the grief. The sufferer from melancholia is sad, but a good outburst of tears will, indeed, often mean the end of a prolonged period of melancholia. In the trials of life tears are a consolation rather than an addition to sorrow. In the olden times men wept as well as women, and Homer's heroes thought it not at all beneath their dignity to be seen in tears. Over and over again, the physician learns that while people have been going to "shows" that were supposed to make them laugh and so divert their minds, the best possible effect is derived not from trivial laughter, but from a serious play that touches the heart deeply and makes all who go to it melt a little. Many nervous patients never feel better than after they have had a good quiet cry.