A number of factors may combine to cause bronchial asthma. Of these, allergy, infection, genetic constitution, and emotional influences are the most important. However, as is often the case in the history of medicine, the last twenty or thirty years have seen an overemphasis on one of these factors at the expense of the others. There has been a remarkable preoccupation with the allergic factors of asthma. The preparation of antigens and their Use in skin testing and desensitization has all the appeal of being scientific. However, this preoccupation with allergy has led to the neglect of the emotional factors, which are much more elusive and harder to appreciate as an aspect of science. But the importance of the emotional influence is beyond all doubt.

I have bad a number of patients who suffered for years from classical asthma with proven sensitivity to common pollens and dusts. They ceased to have attacks of asthma after being treated by relaxing methods, even though they were still exposed to the same pollens and dusts which in the past had caused the attacks. Furthermore these patients have shown no formation of substitute symptoms, such as skin rashes, that have been reported by some authorities when hypnosis was used to stop asthma by direct suggestion. I could quote histories of a great number of patients whose asthma was either completely relieved or at least greatly improved following the practice of relaxing mental exercises.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable was a woman of forty-six who had suffered from severe asthma for thirty years. She seemed to live by repeated use of her spray. After practising the relaxing exercises, the woman simply ceased to have attacks, and her spray was completely abandoned. I am sure that if there had been any recurrence she would have returned to me, but she has not done so.

A lad of eighteen was incapacitated by asthma. He ceased to have attacks, and I lost contact with him until a relative came to consultation a few weeks ago, and reported that the lad had remained free of asthma since seeing me five years ago.

A young married woman was extremely sensitive to house dust, and any housework always produced a severe attack. After some relaxing treatment she came to be able to dust the house in the normal way without any ill effect.

The significant finding of my work in this field is that many patients who suffer from classical bronchial asthma cease to have attacks when the general level of their anxiety is reduced. Some other patients have continued to have attacks, but they have been much less frequent and much less severe. Other patients have remained uninfluenced by this approach. Approximately one third of the patients so far treated fall into each of these three categories. It would therefore seem that anyone suffering from bronchial asthma should at least try the method of relief through the principles of self-management. The method reduces the general level of anxiety in a way similar to the relaxing method I have used in my office treatment.

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