In this insightful conversation, Sophie Strand, a poet and writer who explores spirituality and ecology, dives into her memoir, The Body is a Doorway. She shares her journey post-diagnosis, discussing the nocebo effect and the power dynamics within doctor-patient relationships. Sophie highlights the societal pressures of identity labels and the significance of community support for those with chronic illness. The dialogue encourages embracing vulnerability, fostering deeper connections, and advocating for a more holistic approach to health and understanding.
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insights INSIGHT
Nocebo Effect
The nocebo effect, the opposite of placebo, can worsen symptoms after diagnosis.
Patients may manifest predicted side effects due to negative suggestions from healthcare providers.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Kimberly's Nocebo Experience
Kimberly experienced the nocebo effect with menopause symptoms.
She developed hip pain after learning about gluteal tendinopathy online.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Checking In
Ask specific questions like "What's happening today?" or "What's been hard?" to show genuine care.
Avoid generic "How are you?" questions, especially with those facing health challenges.
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Walter Ong's "Orality and Literacy" explores the profound influence of oral and written communication on thought and culture. Ong argues that the shift from oral to literate cultures fundamentally reshaped human consciousness, impacting memory, perception, and the very structure of thought. He contrasts the characteristics of oral cultures, emphasizing their communal nature and reliance on memory, with the individualistic and analytical tendencies fostered by literacy. The book examines how different modes of communication shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. Ong's work has had a lasting impact on fields such as rhetoric, anthropology, and media studies, influencing scholars like Marshall McLuhan. His insights continue to be relevant in understanding the impact of new technologies on human cognition and social interaction.
The Body is a Doorway
The Body is a Doorway
Sophie Strand
In this episode, Kimberly and return guest Sophie Strand celebrate publishing week for Sophie’s extraordinary new book The Body is a Doorway: A Memoir: A Journey Beyond Healing, Hope, and the Human. They discuss where Sophie currently finds herself in a post-diagnosis reality and what writing the book taught her about the mysteries of illness. She emphasizes the complex power of doctor relationships and medical information on the body through the nocebo effect. Kimberly and Sophie talk through what it looks like to support someone dealing with illness day to day. Sophie shares her personal and social experiences with chronic illness, as well as the contemporary cultural pressures to intertwine identity with labels. She also highlights the role of community, creativity and bad story on diagnoses and treatments. This open-hearted conversation touches on the broader implications of health, identity, and the need for a more open and relational approach to care and self-understanding.
Bio
Sophie Strand is a poet and writer with a focus on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous projects and publications, including Spirituality & Health, Atmos, Braided Way, and Art PAPERS. She is the author of The Flowering Wand and The Madonna Secret, and the creator of the popular Substack “Make Me Good Soil.” She lives in the Hudson Valley of New York.
What They Share
The impact of a long-awaited diagnosis
The No-Cebo Effect
What we pay attention to we pray towards
The Mystery of Illness
Bad Story in Myth and Psychotherapeutic fields
Self-Diagnosis
How to tell a different stories about chronic illness
Performing Sickness to have invisible illness be more visible
How to check in with friends having a hard time/facing health challenges
End of the addiction line
Chronic Sickness as it relates to sobriety
Eco-cidal culture wants to turn everything into product
Somatic Protest
Body can’t work
The miracle of GoFund Me alongside an unaffordable health care system
History of oral culture
Orality and Literature by anthropologist Walter Ong
What is an individual?
Monotheism of Psychology
The impulse to classify is about control and fear
Prayer is another energy that might have a better idea of what I need
Sex Birth Trauma with Kimberly Ann Johnson 
