Mind in Kali Group

Kali's are difficult to spot. Although they present a plethora of symptoms (overt response, Mag on other hand display a covert response), it is heterogeneous, and hence it is difficult to build up a portrait out of raw material. A portrait is one that understands the nature and the value of data. It is chronologically and logically evolved data over a period of time where integration is the intertwining thread. This thread is not thick and strong enough in Kali to sustain the varying forms of expressions that Kali group projects.

Evolution of Kali: Transitional Phases

Childhood

Born oversensitive. Touchy. Attached to family-more to father if the gender is female or vice-versa or to elderly people. Calc. and Pul. are two other remedies with strong attachment to family but with some differences: Calc. out of insecurity and fears, Pul. out of its emotional dependence and company desire; Pul. is  more like a leech. Dependency does play a role in the attachment of Kali but Kali children are more demanding than Calc. and Pul. Parasitism in Kali is not only due to dependency but also due to hoarding instinct. Calc. on the other hand, are more self-content; Pul. pushes  her demands unconsciously. All three Kali., Calc. and Pul. want to be petted and caressed, but Pul. ranks highest. Phos. child also has the same temperament. But Phos.is more lively and cheerful- an innate and spontaneous trait; Kali. is cheerful out of dependency while Calc. gives more a  feeling of contention coupled with inertia. Out of all Calc. needs a stronger stimulus to remove its inertia.

In our experience, childhood of Kali has two- fold aspect - one of pampering and another of moral-ethical-disciplining. In the former, the child is given everything prepared; getting things ready-made is assumed by the child as if it is his right. This keeps the child dependent and with weak will and the latter develops in a child high sense of duty and responsibility. This blend makes Kali closed and reserved, conscientious and reliable, timid and self-centered.

Kali children can't keep a low profile. They are attention seekers and if their demands are not met with, they exhibit various psycho-somatic expressions viz. bed-wetting, somnoloquy and somnambulism, stammering and tantrum.

Family Upbringing  

Kali child may be born in a family where there is a conflict between father and mother in terms of materialism and spiritualism. There is a ritualistic atmosphere at home, but there is poverty. The child gradually learns the importance of money and his hoarding instinct increases. Or the child has enjoyed the childhood well in terms of richness and protection and suddenly there is a loss of a father or a business loss.  The child experiences both poles - richness and poverty. Early responsibility befalls on him and he becomes more responsible. He has to fight for his bread and butter and for his family. Pragmatism then becomes the theme. However, beneath this pragmatism lies his weakness of will which constraints him against major achievements and his hoarding makes him selfish.

We have come across one more family set-up where the parents are selfish and the child gets the training to be so. He learns the way of taking only, and not of giving. 

Adolescence Phase

Childhood traits are retained esp. the trait of attachment to self and to material objects. This sensitive, critical, crucial transitional phase is characterized by an extra-need of care, affection and love. Giving and taking love as a theme is proliferated and as long as smooth sailing goes, Kalis enjoy the intimacy. The emotional bond is intense; but beneath lies self- seeking attitude, anxiety, insecurity and hence vulnerability. If the bond gets ruptured and the fabric is torn, the mind gets affected intensely. Disappointment in love, for instance, as an emotional causative modality, can transmogrify the Kali adolescents. They behave then drily, with a bit of arrogance and become more self-centered. Some Kalis become more conscientious and resort to religious routes. Suppression and repression occur in some. Denying feelings may bury protection from emotional pain, but the price is high. Many adolescents develop the state of neurosis. Immediate other attachment helps them dissociate themselves from the pangs (unlike Natrums).

In school or college, adolescents prefer their own chosen group. They hate scrimmage and go by the prevalent norms. They learn the art of purposive fawning. Others recognize the pretence and put Kalis on the negative side. Beautiful Kali girls tantalize, prick and cause love pangs as more a cup-board love. The lovelorn harass the girls and develop in them anxiety and insecurity.

"Leisure of poor taste"(an easy, gay, happy go  lucky life) is rarely encountered in Kalis ; this style is found in Acid-f., Calc-fl., Cann-i., Hyos., Lach., Phos., Plat., Tarn. etc. Nevertheless, many Kali youyhs keep themselves in tip-top condition. This helps them fulfill their demands.

Weakness of will, dependency, insecurity, fears masquerade as anxiety. He prefers to remain a routinist, conformist, traditional and tries to avoid taking on any new enterprise. He can't face the challenges thrown to him. He becomes a shirker, an escapist. Any change in routine where he will have to stand up courageously aggravates him and develops in him an anxiety. If this extends too far, Kali goes to   the negative side being rigid, dogmatic and even dry. It is as if the system learns to remain grounded firmly for the sake of survival, instead of facing the harsh and complex life!

Adulthood

Ego-centricity, but down to earth than egoistic (unlike Natrums). Emphasis on practical, result - oriented approach, pecuniary vein but no peculation find in adult phase. Mundane matters of everyday life suffice to engage. The world revolves around 'I' and 'my' family. Kali parents push their virtues on for the sake of their children to be good citizens of the country. They take care of their children and are anxious when they are late at home. Restlessness, peevishness, anguishes are mirrored soon. Kali parents are conciliatory towards progress of their children. They see that their children are moralistic, responsible and successful in their occupations.

Kali adult life is more like a cocoon.

Old age

Life is more a vanity fair (like Plat. but unlike it) than a natural variety show. In Plat. it is a contemptuous, scornful, snobbish behavior while Kalis project self- righteousness but with mannerly behavior. She can be straight - forward but not disdainful of others. Pictures more as a goody- goody fellow. If rejected, Kalis reflect through irritability but this is more a secondary symptom, a reaction to the problem they are experiencing.

One variant response is pusillanimity. Weak volition and anxiety lead to diffidence and then old Kalis become vulnerable, trap themselves in the state of anxiety and they become almost buckets (like Arg-n.), willing to pass responsibilities on  to others.

Sickness adds to the state of dependence. Kalis are indicated when multiple vital organs viz. heart, kidneys, lungs etc. are affected. Pathologies with water retention or with dryness supervene in old age. Disabling disorders with advancing pathologies destructive as well as degenerative characterize this phase. 

The oldster now needs the company of real caring ones who appreciate him and fulfil his demands. He is worse when alone and exhibits ill-temperance. His ego-centricity has not withered, but he has to resort to importunate behavior. 

Characters

Squareness

Routinism, conservatism, conventionality, rigidity - all with conscientiousness make Kali a 'square' person.  He clings to old concepts and firmly believes in 'old is gold'. Inflexible he is, while acting squarely, he will not square a person and will not allow others to take the bribe. People like Anna Hazare or Khairnar who fight against corruption in society have Kali element, but this theme is more characteristic of Lach., Lyc. or Natrums.; Caust. ranks high, however, amongst Kali group. However, other Kalis get engulfed  by  fears.

Kalis are not open to modern fashions and change in culture. Instead of being carried away, they will stick to their beliefs and values. Their value system becomes rigid (Kalis are recognised as stiffest of all remedies) and a person may become bigoted (unlike Thuj., which is analogous to Kalis at various levels). 'Dry, drab and uninteresting personality' as described in materia medica conform to the appearance of Kali whose dress is old and simple. Kalis will go on wearing the same clothes year in, year out though the clothes are washed (unlike Sul.).

Honesty coupled with pragmatism make Kali a reliable person. 'A friend in need is a friend indeed' applies to Kalis well (except Kali-i.). But the state of anxiety and volitional weakness preclude taking active and risky roles. Kalis will help others within their autonomic field and with their (limited) resources, not endangering their security. One is, hence, not sure when and to what extent Kali will offer its help, though help will be certain. Caust. is the only Kali, however, that it will go out of the way. It will not only talk, but will actually help out of its sympathy and over-compassionate nature. The vibrating nature arouses the innermost feeling of empathy to subdue the multiple fears. Idealism is an added strength.

Being pragmatic and down to earth, Kalis work hard and rise slowly to the mettle (like Bry.), but they are not workaholics (like Nux-v.). Ars. and Lyc. are  more hard working  and  perfectionist  than  Kalis.

Anxiety

Kalis represent the anxiety of an ubiquitous type.

Dreams and delusions-the sub-conscious, in - depth field of operation of mind amply demonstrate the state of anxiety of an overwhelming type. Agitational and anticipatory anxiety gets expressed through various dreams and delusions. Dreams also represent guilt as the theme that may, in many Kalis, add up to the state of anxiety. 

Anxiety of salvation, fear of poverty and weak will that keep on the trait of dependence make Kalis anxious. In order to overcome the state of anxiety, Kalis seek to parasitic, narcissistic and exploitative means. They electrify the situation out of anxiety and become hustlers.

Anxiety exogenous or endogenous; spontaneous or gradually developing; generalized or focal; realistic or hypochondriacal; undeveloped or full-blown; latent or exhibitionist; solo or a manifestation of underlying psychiatric disorders; panicky or diffuse; regular or irregular; rational or irrational; reasonable or unreasonable; simple or complex; psycho-somatic or  merely as a psycho - dynamic - all find place in Kalis.

Calcareas are also anxious. They concern more with home than people. They are more vulnerable, less enduring and less self-righteous than Kalis. Lyc. anxiety is camouflaged with a lot of fuss owing to  blatant  ego - inflation. Lyco. is not only self-righteous but overbearing too.

Practical experience reveals that to end the work or fulfill the work is the problem with Kalis, not the performance (unlike Lyc. or Carc.).

Conflict

Kalis present the conflict between attachment and detachment, between resoluteness and indecisiveness, between determinism and non-determinism, between dependence and independence, between achievement and fear of failure, between co-operation and competition, between hostility and approval, between emotions and intellect, between holding and leaving or between hoarding and sacrificing. Weak will- the chief determinant of ambivalence. Conflicting emotions, attitude, values, goals, motivations - are mirrored in the behaviour.

The conflicting state of Kali could be related to two polar opposite states of water retention and dryness. Emotionalism reflects the water element, the emotional turbulences with the overtone of the   intimate bond - attachment - reflect the flowing water in a river and many Kalis are drowned in water.

The journey from attachment to detachment is a long process. Anxiety, agitation, anger, conscientiousness are brought to the fore as an interaction to unfavorable circumstances. Painful experiences teach a lesson to get out of water and be dry. To stand on terra firma without jeopardizing the existential security, then becomes the motive, thanks to ego-centricity, hoarding instinct and pragmatism.

Kalis thus are amphibious.

Controlling

The moralistic element - the 'super-ego'- keeps control over the emotions, motivations, aspirations, desires, lusts, impulses -  the 'id'-  the instinctual element. Kalis always feel the need to keep their emotions under control. This makes Kalis deceptive even to a discernible homoeopathic physician.

 'strong feelings are messy and unreasonable. It's unfortunate to have them, worse to show them and useless to discuss them. To stay in control of my life I need to control my feelings." This attitude bars against sharing of inner feelings. However, Kalis though closed are not melancholic (like Aurums or Natrums) but maintain optimism (like Phos.).

 Kalis use, rather drain their energy in controlling their emotions. However, the emotions get pent up, bottled up and re-enforce the phenomenon of psycho-pathology.

This theme of morality and control is extended further in Aur.; self - reproach and intense worthless feeling characterize Aur. which ultimately culminate in suicidal disposition.

Traps

Kali people represent various traps. It is the duty of a homoeopathic physician to see these traps, to see how these traps have evolved and how the inner psyche is represented.

 1. The Self-Doubt Trap: Kali people dwell on their insecurity about themselves. Lack of confidence, weak will and dependence lead to the self-doubt trap. The fear of feeling worthless and the fear of losing one's familiar identity accompany this trap. Too much of the wrong stuff during childhood lead to this self- doubt trap.

2. The Routine Trap: Kali people have reluctance to take on new responsibilities as these aggravate the mental set-up. Insecurity feeling, apprehensiveness, the fear of failure and conservatism make Kalis routinist. "I have to be where I am, doing what I'm doing". "It's better to die a potential winner than a proven loser."

3. The Conscience Trap: Feeling blame is a normal human phenomenon but getting stuck in blame is abnormal. Being sensitive and touchy, Kali people get hurt soon; they become angry but usually don't express it out owing to conscience trap. The blame, however, does not go far beyond the attribution of responsibility.

 Kali people present two traps. First 'I blame myself' and second 'I blame others (people, God or fate)'.

In the former, they keep screwing up, think themselves as unlucky and in the latter they theorize, "Man proposes but God disposes".

4. My happiness is your responsibility Trap: Kali people are irresolute and are dependent on the opinion of others. They have reluctance to expose their true feelings and have a tendency to avoid confrontations. Anxiety clings to them and they cling to anxiety every moment and hence these people are more cheerful when the things are worked out by others to their satisfaction. This mind trap of compelling others to work for them is the result of self - doubt trap and selfishness.

5. Detachment Trap: The source of this trap is attachment itself. The sensitive Kalis no longer are capable to use their resources to keep intimate and smooth relations. Various negative dispositions like jealousy, anger, resentment, rejection come on the surface. "Less intimacy, less pain", "The less I open myself up to you, the better," "Better to reject than be rejected" are the conclusions. Self - righteousness, straight - forwardness and ego - centricity play a role in making this trap. However, this trap is imposed upon the Kalis by the others. It is rather a state of emancipation than cut-off relations. If the relations are cut off, Kali people get deeply hurt and develop rejection trap.

Sep. detachment is inherent, self-imposed and is associated with masculinizing, independent element. Love, a natural expression of life, is viewed as a load and is not reciprocated. Hence problem with the other people in terms of behavior.

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