Autism and Psychoneuroimmunology is one of the least explored areas of research in autism. This article is the first of its kind that seeks to present the practical application of the discoveries in Psychoneuroimmunology that are already showing results in helping overcome many of the debilitating symptoms in autism.

At the outset let’s first understand what exactly does this scientific discipline represent? Psychoneuroimmunology is an emerging field of science that has revealed that there is direct and extensive communication between the brain in the skull and the immune system. It investigates the interactions between psychological processes/behavior and the immune system, mediated by the endocrine and the nervous system. What is of importance here that is providing us with a new understanding of the symptoms in autism is the fact that enough evidence has now emerged that this brain-immune system interactions are modulated by psychological factors. And these psychological factors directly influence immunity and immune system mediated diseases and conditions.

In other words, this points to the existence of a direct link between the adverse psychological factors a person with autism is exposed to and is getting affected by, the consequent breakdown of the immune system and the enhanced susceptibility of the person with autism to experiencing immune system mediated diseases and conditions. The most common among such conditions being the extensive prevalence of the gut-related symptoms in autism.

Understanding the far-reaching implications of the discoveries in psychoneuroimmunology would be incomplete without mentioning the meticulous research and documentation done by Dr. Paul Pearsall [1]. Here I present these excerpts from (late) Dr. Paul Pearsall’s ground-breaking work in the field of Psychoneuroimmunology. (Excerpts presented here with permission from his wife).

This excerpt highlights a major aspect of the brain-immunity-psychology triad which is the role played by Cellular Memories.

According to this study of patients who have received transplanted organs, particularly hearts, it is not uncommon for memories, behaviors, preferences and habits associated with the donor to be transferred to the recipient.

Extracted from Nexus Magazine: Volume 12, Number 3 (April - May 2005)

By Paul Pearsall, PhD

Gary E. Schwartz, PhD

Linda G. Russek, PhD

“It is generally assumed that learning involves primarily the nervous system and secondarily the immune system. Hence, patients receiving peripheral organ transplants should not experience personality changes that parallel the personalities of donors they have never met. When personality changes have been observed following transplants, the kinds of explanations entertained include effects of the immunosuppressant drugs, psychosocial stress, and pre-existing psychopathology of the recipients. However, living systems theory explicitly posits that all living cells possess "memory" and "decider" functional subsystems within them. Moreover, the recent integration of systems theory with the concept of energy (termed dynamical energy systems theory) provides compelling logic that leads to the prediction that all dynamical systems store information and energy to various degrees. The systemic memory mechanism provides a plausible explanation for the evolution of emergent (novel) systemic properties through recurrent feedback interactions (i.e., the nonlinear circulation of information and energy that reflects the ongoing interactions of the components in a complex, dynamic network).Recurrent feedback loops exist in all atomic, molecular and cellular systems. Hence, evidence for atomic systemic memory, molecular systemic memory and cellular systemic memory should be found in these systems. The systemic memory mechanism has been applied to a variety of controversial and seemingly anomalous observations in complementary and alternative medicine, including homoeopathy. It also makes new predictions. One prediction is that sensitive recipients of transplanted organs can experience aspects of the donor's personal history stored in the transplanted tissues”.

(The complete article can be read on Dr. Paul’s website: www.paulpearsall.com)

The other discoveries made in psychoneuroimmunology that further help us in understanding the autistic brain better is the research done by Dr. Steven Maier, PhD, professor of Psychology at the University of Colorado. His research reveals that the immune system sends signals to the brain "that potently alter neural activity and thereby alter everything that flows from neural activity, mainly behavior, memory, thought and mood."

The important discovery here is that the information from the immune system is delivered to the brain through the vagus nerve [2-4].

This comes as no surprise, now that we know that there is a brain in the gut and that the same neurotransmitters that are present in the brain are present in the gut too. (To understand this in greater detail it is recommended to peruse my editorial titled ‘The Third Brain in Autism’ that is available at www.intenthealing.com/blog) [2,5].

All “Neurotypical” people too have the same mechanism operating in them. Then why is it that the person with autism is affected more and presents with debilitating symptoms involving the gut, cognition, mood, behavior, thinking process and more brought on by the same operational system present in all human beings? The answer lies in the term “Energetic Immunity”.

Everything in the universe is Energy. Therefore the “immunity” of an individual depends upon the the strength of the energy field that is the basis for the Energetic Immunity of the person. What exactly is this energy field? It has been scientifically proven that all systems have “subtle energy” that flows through every single cell in the system. It is this “quantum energy” or “subtle energy” that forms the basis for the existence of all life forms in the universe [6-10]. When this field of energy is functioning without any blocks or stagnation in the flow, the energetic immunity of the individual/system is strong. This reflects as robust health and well-being that is recognized as “good immunity”. On the other hand, when this energetic immunity is compromised, it results in the individual/system experiencing symptoms of illnesses and immune system breakdown related conditions.

Autistic beings are highly energy sensitive and have poor energy boundaries when compared to “neurotypical” individuals. This makes them more susceptible to the “disturbing” psychological triggers in their environment and interactions with others that affects their Energetic Immunity and correspondingly the physiological immune system. This triggers the cascade of events set in motion by the brain-immunity-psychology triad which in turn manifests as many of the debilitating symptoms in autism. This is the typical scenario where hormones and immune products regulate the neural function.

The Solution? Strengthening the Energetic Immunity in the autistic person first. This is being achieved by Applied Energy Medicine and Applied Intentional Epigenetics that are already showing results of healing in autism as evidenced by the disappearance of the debilitating limiting symptoms in autism. To know more about this it is recommended to read the other peer-reviewed journal articles on these scientific disciplines at www.intenthealing.com/blog.

Energetic Immunity dictates or pre-orders the psychoneuroimmunology of the person with autism because autistic beings are highly energy sensitive and have poor energy boundaries when compared to “neurotypical” people [11].

Psychoneuroimmunological studies have revealed the neurohormonal connection between the heart and the brain. The organ we need to focus on in equal measure to the brain in the skull is the heart, as it controls the activities of the brain and the cells in the heart have cellular memories that extend beyond the lifespan of a person.

The Brain-Immune system connection can be re-wired to resonate with optimal health and well-being using the ability of ‘Neuroplasticity’ in the brain that enables a person to create fresh neural pathways in the brain with new abilities encoded in them such as improved memory, speech and so on.

Alternative healing approaches such as Applied Energy Medicine and Applied Intentional Epigenetics are being applied to erase faulty cellular memories, rewire the brain and reprogram the DNA thus strengthening the psychoneuroimmunology in the autistic person to reflect health and well-being free from the limiting symptoms in autism, including and not limited to only the gut symptoms in autism. To know exactly how this is being practically applied in autism healing it is recommended to peruse the other peer-reviewed articles on this topic at intenthealing.com/blog [12-16].

Cognitive abilities can be improved in the child/person with autism by leveraging the immune system-brain connection. Now that studies in Psychoneuroimmunology have proven that hormones and immune products regulate neural function, we can leverage this in improving the cognitive functions in autism. And one such tool that has a global effect on the hormonal system, immune system and the brain is Intent Healing based on the principles of Applied Energy Medicine [11,17].

The lifespan and quality of life in the person with autism can be extended using psychoneuroimmunological techniques such as daily self-healing practices with Intent Healing using Applied Energy Medicine.