Causticum :: Good Samaritan or Campaigner

Dr. Singh: Hi, Mati! Today we would like to focus on the most sympathetic member of the Kali group, Causticum. I always took Causticum as 'the good samaritan' but is he not more of a 'Causticum the campaigner'. Are his campaigns always for the social, religious issues or for personal issues too?

Dr. Mati: Causticums are always happy when they are working for some kind of cause. It can basically be any kind of cause, charitable, social or political. But what we always see in Causticum is a genuine concern for other human beings. They can be extremely sympathetic when it comes to other people's suffering, so the causes they choose to work for are always for the benefit of others in some way. Here we can compare Causticum with Natrum muriaticum. Natrum will often work for a cause after something painful happened in her life. For example, if her brother died from AIDS, she'll find a way to help prevent AIDS, or she'll start volunteering her time to help other AIDS victims. So, even though she is also doing something to help others, her desire to help is rooted in her own personal pain.

Causticum is different. He doesn't need any personal incident to become inspired to help others; he just feels a natural desire to make the world a better place. Therefore, he is less likely to campaign for anything from a personal point of view because his view is bigger than that, and therefore also more impersonal.

Dr. Singh: Is'nt he selfish about his vision, always running for a cause and if he is contradicted he is displeased.

Dr. Mati: To comment on this question, we first have to refer to the situation that goes with the Causticum picture. In the original situation, Causticum knew that danger was coming from somewhere, and that he could only save "his people" (village, family or group), if they would listen to his ideas and everyone would work together. The problem was, they weren't interested, they didn't believe him, or they didn't do as he said, and they all got hurt as a result. Therefore, although Causticum means well and his intention is to help his fellow human beings, the problem is that he can't help them on his own. He needs cooperation from the people he is trying to help. He needs them to listen to his ideas, and to understand that if they don't work with him, danger and harm can result.

When looking at core stories in general, what we find is that the original story will first change a person's perception of reality, and that this changed perception then leads to a change in action. In Causticum's case, the group of people he was trying to save didn't listen to him, and by the time the danger was there, it was too late for him to do anything to help them. To compensate for what happened, Causticum wanted to make sure nothing like that would ever happen again in the future. (This is a typical reaction after any core situation has affected someone's life.) Therefore, if you don't want to listen to him, he'll make you listen! This is why Causticums often become too emotionally intense for others. They can talk and talk about "their vision" for hours, and not only do you have to listen, they would also love it if you became so excited that you would like to help them reach their goals as well. Therefore, Causticum's most ideal mate is someone who can help him reach his goals. If they find someone like that, it is almost guaranteed to become "love at first sight." But if he doesn't find anyone who is interested in his "vision," he often ends up depressed and exhausted instead. How can he save people, if they don't want to be saved? What if they don't see things the way he does? This can become a real problem for Causticum, since he can only do what he wants to do if he gets enough support from others. So, what is the solution, if people aren't that interested in what Causticum wants to do, or if they don't even know what is in their best interest? The only solution, in Causticum's perception of reality, is to become controlling and dictatorial in their relationships to others.

So, even though Causticum's intentions are noble and unselfish, he actually becomes selfish in his pursuit of these goals because he has to find people he can work with, and they all have to work according to his vision, and always on his terms. Therefore, you'll often find that, even though he means well, he simply has to be in control of others. So, Causticum becomes selfish in his effort to reach an unselfish goal, and this has become a characteristic contradiction within the remedy itself.

Dr. Singh: Talking of the darker side of Causticum. Is'nt he more like the Fearsome, anxious, restless Arsenicum, or the fault finder Nux vomica who even takes up the fight for others. How is Causticum different?

Dr. Mati: The reason why Causticum often becomes fearful, anxious and restless is because there is always a feeling that danger is coming. He may not know where the danger is coming from, or even what the danger is, but there is often a sensation that danger will come, and he has to be prepared so he can save the people he cares about. Arsenicum is also worried about danger coming, but he is more concerned with who is going to save him, than about who he is going to save. So, even though both are fearful, anxious and restless, it is for different reasons, and with different outcomes.

I remember an old couple I used to work with. He was an old, mean army colonel, most likely an Arsenicum, and she was a very neat house keeper, probably a Natrum muriaticum who tried hard to be "the perfect wife." One day she contracted a serious case of pneumonia, and when I went over to see her, her face was cyanotic, she didn't breathe well, and she told me that the worst thing was that her husband wouldn't prepare any food for her. He would simply go to the nearest restaurant to eat, and not even bring back a meal for her. I turned to him and told him that his wife was too sick to prepare food for herself and that he needed to take better care of her. His answer, which I didn't understand at the time, was: "Well, who is going to take care of me, then?" I was shocked to hear his reaction, but now that I understand the Arsenicum issues, I can finally understand why he said that. His concern was that if his wife should die, who would take care of him? His wife's sickness had obviously triggered his classic Arsenicum fear of death, (his or someone else's), and when Arsenicum is in this kind of mental state, his own needs and concerns are the only thing that matters. In Arsencium's world, it is "everyone for himself." A Causticum in the same situation would most probably have done whatever he could to take care of his wife, unselfishly. So the main difference is that Arsenicum is more worried about himself, and Causticum cares more about others. This is why you will find Causticum listed under sympathy and compassion in the repertory, but you won't find Arsenicum listed there. 

About Nux and Causticum, you are right that both are fault finders, but for different reasons. Causticum is a fault finder because he believes that if people don't do exactly as they are told by him, doom will result, and Nux is a fault finder because he tends to think that others are just incapable idiots who can't do anything right. So, if you are trying to differentiate between two remedies, always ask why they do the things they do or feel the way they feel. What is the motivation behind their actions? Where are they coming from? Homeopathy has traditionally been more interested in WHAT, than in WHY, and this is one of the reasons why I felt that a book that addresses the WHY is very much needed. Without knowing WHY, there won't be any understanding, and the need for understanding is essential in homeopathy, as well as in life for that matter.

Dr. Singh: Thanks, for your advice, I hope from now our readers would inculcate this change of perspective while going through the understanding of patients.

Now, if caught in a duel between supporting his family vs society, what will Causticum do, will he go for the higher cause or shield his family?

Dr. Mati: This is not an easy question to answer. On one hand, Causticum is very attached to his family - family means the world to him. Without family, he would feel completely lost. But at the same time, the society is a much bigger picture, and Causticum is always more attracted to the bigger picture. His final decision would probably be based on what would be better for both in the long run. If the danger to his family was immediate, he wouldn't hesitate to at least find a safe place for them to go. But, if the danger wasn't that immediate, he would most likely work on changing the society instead. Imagine if Causticum was working to overthrow the government because he believed that communism would benefit everyone in the long run. Even though his family might have preferred it if he would go out and bring home more money for groceries and bills, Causticum would feel that overthrowing the government would be a more important task since this would create a more permanent solution for everyone in the long run.

These kinds of decisions are always difficult for Causticum, and he will often decide to work for long term goals, rather than what is needed here and now. However, this kind of attitude will often put extra hardship on his personal relationships. His wife or mate will have to keep things running here and now, while Causticum is working to change things in the future. Causticum doesn't really understand why this is a problem, since what he is doing is so much more important than what his wife has to do on a daily basis, but his wife often sees things differently. If only he can get her to expand her vision so that she'll be able to see things the way he does! Then there won't be any problem! But this is often easier said than done, and Causticum's wife may some day decide that enough is enough...

Dr. Singh: So it seems Causticum would really have a difficult time if he does not get his ideal counterpart, which is rather tough. Now who can be most compatible to Causticum in relationships?

Dr. Mati: To answer your question, first we have to define what we mean by "compatible." Most people probably think it means 'someone who will make me happy," but unfortunately, this only happens in fairy tales. So, why is happiness in relationships so hard to come by? From what I have seen, after studying core issues as well as real life relationships is that the person we are attracted to, is actually someone who is willing to play a part in our core story. In Causticum's core story, nobody listened to him, and he failed to save his people from danger. Therefore, what he wants in a relationship is someone who will help him dream even more incredible dreams, and who will also help him achieve his goals, but what he actually attracts is someone who will try to stop him from dreaming about his utopia. Someone who is loyal and capable, and who will try to pull him back to a more practical level of reality, perhaps a Natrum muriaticum. What Natrum wants in relationships is to find the perfect mate whom she can live happily with ever after, but what she actually attracts is someone who won't give her the love and attention she craves, no matter how hard she tries to please him. Causticum, who is a dreamer, often becomes so absorbed in his own visions that he forgets to pay attention to Natrum's needs, and she'll end up resentful and eventually stop listening to him, which then pushes Causticum's issues about not getting any support from his people. So, in this relationship, both will end up pushing core issues in each other. This will give both the opportunity to face their own issues, so even though they may not be too happy with the situation, they are actually together for a greater reason than just compatibility and happiness. We are here to learn to overcome old, unfinished issues from the past, which is what the concept of Karma is all about. Karma, as I see it, is simply unfinished issues that still make us suffer until they are resolved. Therefore, a mate who can help us face and resolve these issue, are actually the most "compatible" person to be with, at least from a spiritual point of view, even though the relationship may not bring the level of happiness we were hoping for. The most ideal relationship is actually one, where old issues are only being triggered once in a while, so there is opportunity for mutual growth. If old issues are triggered too often, the relationship can become so intense that it turns into a power struggle where ego battles ego. Therefore, compatibility is more a matter of consciousness, than of what combinations of remedies we are dealing with. 

Dr.Singh: Tell something about Stages of development of disease in a Causticum patient.

Dr. Mati: Causticum is a great remedy for many types of paralysis. Paralysis has to do with an inability to move on their own. A paralyzed person can only move with the help of others, which is basically what Causticum always wanted. He wanted the support of others in his life. Therefore, it is obvious, that if Causticum never gets any support from others, and feels like he can't move forward, a state of paralysis will start happening in his mind. How can he get the help and support that he wants from others, if nobody is interested in listening to him? By making himself paralyzed, of course! This usually happens when Causticum has struggled too long and his energy is running out. Therefore, Causticum is a good remedy for old, broken down constitutions. This is a good example of how physical illness always starts in the mind, which is where the delusional perception of reality is held. And because the delusion no longer has any relevance to here and now, we can easily conclude that delusion equals sickness and imbalance. The key then is to become aware of the delusion, so it will no longer affect us: in Causticum's case, he simply has to see that what happened "then" no longer applies to here and now. There is no danger, here and now, there are no people to save, here and now, and there is no longer any need to become dictatorial over others to prevent some imaginary situation happening in the future. In other words, he has to learn to live in the now, and deal with life, spontaneously, as, or if, it happens. This new perception would allow him to leave all his neurosis behind, allowing him to free himself from the bondage of his past, which is what we are here to learn in this lifetime.

Dr. Singh: Thanks Mati, I hope this account of yours would help our readers in understanding the personality of Causticum as a person and as a patient.