to this extreme. But she is simply overwhelmed by her emotions. They are no longer controllable and she cannot view her situation objectively. Eventually she goes into her room, slams and locks the door and breaks down into uncontrollable sobbing. This crying is not the sweet weeping of Pulsatilla, flowing easily and ameliorating the patient; rather, it is rathe, a spasmodic sobbing which is punctuated with deep catching breaths, a convulsive sobbing which racks the entire body and is agonizing to the patient. In a relatively short time the spell passes, and the patient regains her former control. She looks back on this episode with dismay, feeling silly or ridiculous. If she does not relieve herself of the pressure which led to this breakdown in the first place, more such episodes come and go until finally a more continuous state of pathology results.
Basically, the Ignatia patient is a sensitive woman who maintains a controlled and rational exterior, in keeping with her ideal self- image. When she becomes over – strained, everything becomes too much for her. Her emotions take over in spite of her attempts to sup- press them, and she becomes hysterical and irrational. This state is not one of true hysteria (Moschus, Valeriana, Lilium tigrinum ). True hysteria represents a punishment of one’s self and others; it is an intentional state, much like a temper tantrum. In Ignatia, the pa- tient genuinely wills herself to maintain control, but she simply can- not do it. She possesses an idealistic image of her lover, co – worker or child, and she is incapable of resolving this image with the other person’s actual behaviour. She brews and sulks awhile, keeping her disappointment inside; her brain works itself into a feverish pitch try- ing to reconcile her internal conflict. Finally, thoughts seem to crowd into her mind until she can no longer control herself, and she breaks down into this unpredictable and paradoxically contrary be- haviour.
Having this image in mind of the Ignatia essence, it would be use- ful now to review the evolution of the various stages of Ignatia with regard to age.