Common Illnesses and Metaphysical Causes 

By: Louise Hay


For every illness in the body there is a Metaphysical cause. When you are stressed, under emotional turmoil or have an energy block in a Chakra energy center you will experience a physical manifestation of illness.


A

Abdominal Cramps: Fear. Stopping the process.

Abscess: Fermenting thoughts over hurts, slights and revenge.

Accidents: Inability to speak up for the self. Rebellion against authority. Belief in violence.

Aches: Longing for love. Longing to be held.

Acne: Not accepting the self. Dislike of the self.

Addictions: Running from the self. Fear. Not knowing how to love self.

Adrenal Problems: Defeatism. No longer caring for the self. Anxiety.

Alcoholism: Feeling of futility, guilt, inadequacy. Self-rejection.

Allergies: Denying your own power.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Refusal to deal with the world as it is. Hopelessness and helplessness. Anger.

Amenorrhea: Not wanting to be a woman. Dislike of the self.

Anemia: “Yes-but” attitude. Lack of joy. Fear of life. Not feeling good enough.

Ankle: Inflexibility and guilt. Ankles represent the ability to receive pleasure.

Anorexia: Denying the self life. Extreme fear, self-hatred and rejection.

Anxiety: Not trusting the flow and the process of life.

Apathy: Resistance to feeling. Deadening of the self. Fear.

Appetite, Excessive: Fear. Needing protection. Judging the emotions.

Arm: Represents the capacity and ability to hold the experiences of life.

Arteries: Carry the joy of life.

Arthritic Fingers: A desire to punish. Blame. Feeling victimized.

Arthritis: Feeling unloved. Criticism, resentment.
– Rheumatoid Arthritis: Feeling victimized. Lack of love. Chronic bitterness. Resentment. Deep criticism of authority. Feeling very put upon.

Asthma: Smother love. Inability to breathe for one’s self. Feeling stifled. Suppressed crying.

Athlete’s Foot: Frustration at not being accepted. Inability to move forward with ease.

B

Back Issues: Represents the support of life.
– Rounded shoulders: Carrying the burdens of life. Helpless and hopeless.
– Lower Back Pain: Fear of money or lack of financial support.
– Mid-Back Pain: Guilt. Stuck in all that stuff back there. “Get off my back!”
– Upper Back Pain: Lack of emotional support. Feeling unloved. Holding back love.
– Back Curvature: The inability to flow with the support of life. Fear and trying to hold on to old ideas. Not trusting life. Lack of integrity. No courage of convictions.

Bad Breath: Anger and revenge thoughts. Experiences backing up.

Balance, Loss of: Scattered thinking. Not centered.

Baldness: Fear. Tension. Trying to control everything.

Bedwetting: Fear of parent, usually the father.

Belching: Fear. Gulping life too quickly.

Bell’s Palsy: Extreme control over anger. Unwillingness to express feelings.

Bladder Problems: Anxiety. Holding on to old ideas. Fear of letting go. Being “pissed off”.

Bleeding: Joy running out. Anger.

Blisters: Resistance. Lack of emotional protection.

Blood Pressure: 
– High: Longstanding emotional problem not solved.
– Low: Lack of love as a child. Defeatism.

Body Odor: Fear. Dislike of the self. Fear of others.

Bones: Represent the structure of the universe.
– Bone marrow: Represents deepest beliefs about the self. How you support and care for yourself.
– Breaks: Rebelling against authority.

Brain: Represents the computer, the switchboard. – Tumor: Incorrect computerized beliefs. Stubborn. Refusing to change old patterns.

Breast: Represents mothering and nurturing and nourishment.
– Cysts, Lumps: A refusal to nourish the self. Putting everyone else first. Over mothering. Overprotection. Overbearing attitudes.

Breath: Represents the ability to take in life.
– Breathing Problems: Fear. Not trusting the process of life. Getting stuck in childhood. Fear of taking in life fully.
– Bronchitis: Inflamed family environment. Arguments and yelling.

Bruises: The little bumps in life. Self-punishment.

Bulimia: Hopeless terror. A frantic stuffing and purging of self-hatred.

Burns: Anger. Burning up. Incensed.

Bursitis: Repressed anger. Wanting to hit someone.

C

Calluses: Hardened concepts and ideas. Fear solidified.

Cancer:  Deep hurt. Longstanding resentment. Deep secret or grief eating away at the self. Carrying hatreds.

Candida: Feeling very scattered. Lots of frustration and anger. Demanding and untrusting in relationships. Great takers.

Canker Sores: Festering words held back by the lips. Blame.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Anger and frustration at life’s seeming injustices.

Cataracts: Inability to see ahead with joy. Dark future.

Cellulite: Stored anger and self-punishment.

Cerebral Palsy: A need to unite the family in an action of love.

Chills: Mental contraction, pulling away and in. Desire to retreat.

Cholesterol: Clogging the channels of joy. Fear of accepting joy.

Circulation: Represents the ability to feel and express the emotions in positive ways.

Colds: Too much going on at once. Mental confusion, disorder. Small hurts.

Colic: Mental irritation, impatience, annoyance in the surroundings.

Colitis: Insecurity. Represents the ease of letting go of that which is over.

Coma: Fear. Escaping something or someone.

Conjunctivitis: Anger and frustration at what you are looking at in life.

Constipation: Incomplete releasing. Holding on to garbage of the past. Guilt over the past. Sometimes stinginess.

Corns: Hardened areas of thought – stubborn holding on to the pain of the past.

Coughs: A desire to bark at the world. “Listen to me!”

Cramps: Tension. Fear. Gripping, holding on.

Crohn’s Disease: Fear. Worry. Not feeling good enough.

Crying:  Tears are the river of life, shed in joy as well as in sadness and fear.

Cuts: Punishment for not following your own rules.

Cysts: Running the old painful movie. Nursing hurts. A false growth.

Cystic Fibrosis: Athick belief that life won’t work for you. “Poor me.”

D

Deafness: Rejection, stubbornness, isolation. What don’t you want to hear? “Don’t bother me.”

Depression: Anger you feel you do not have a right to have. Hopelessness.

Diabetes: Longing for what might have been. A great need to control. Deep sorrow. No sweetness left.

Diarrhea: Fear. Rejection. Running off.

Dizziness: Flighty, scattered thinking. A refusal to look.

Dry eyes: Angry eyes. Refusing to see with love. Would rather die than forgive. Being spiteful.

Dysmenorrhea: Anger at the self. Hatred of the body or of women.

E

Ear: Represents the capacity to hear.
– Ache: Anger. Not wanting to hear. Too much turmoil. Household arguing.

Eczema: Breath-taking antagonism. Mental eruptions.

Edema: What or who won’t you let go of?

Elbow: Represents changing directions and accepting new experiences.

Emphysema: Fear of taking in life. Not worthy of living.

Endometriosis: Insecurity, disappointment and frustration. Replacing self-love with sugar. Blamers.

Epilepsy: Sense of persecution. Rejection of life. A feeling of great struggle. Self-violence.

Epstein-Barr Virus: Pushing beyond one’s limits. Fear of not being good enough. Draining all inner support. Stress.

Eye: Represents the capacity to see clearly past, present, future.
– Astigmatism: “I” trouble. Fear of really seeing the self.
– Hyperopia: Fear of the present.
– Myopia: Fear of the future.

F

Face: Represents what we show the world.

Fainting: Fear. Can’t cope. Blacking out.

Fat or Weight issues: Oversensitivity. Often represents fear and shows a need for protection. Fear may be a cover for hidden anger and a resistance to forgive. Running away from feelings. Insecurity, self-rejection and seeking fulfillment.
– Arms: Anger at being denied love.
– Belly: Anger at being denied nourishment.
– Hips: Lumps of stubborn anger at the parents.
– Thighs: Packed childhood anger. Often rage at the father.

Fatigue: Resistance, boredom. Lack of love for what one does.

Feet: Represent our understanding – of ourselves, of life, of others.
– Foot Problems: Fear of the future and of not stepping forward in life.

Fever: Anger. Burning up.

Fibroid Tumors: Nursing a hurt from a partner. A blow to the feminine ego.

Fingers: Represent the details of life.
– Thumb: Represents intellect and worry.
– Index: Represents ego and fear.
– Middle: Represents anger and sexuality.
– Ring: Represents unions and grief.
– Little: Represents the family and pretending.

Food Poisoning: Allowing others to take control. Feeling defenseless.

Frigidity: Fear. Denial of pleasure. A belief that sex is bad. Insensitive partners. Fear of father.

Fungus: Stagnating beliefs. Refusing to release the past. Letting the past rule today.

G

Gallstones: Bitterness. Hard thoughts. Condemning. Pride.

Gas: Gripping. Fear. Undigested ideas.

Gastritis: Prolonged uncertainty. A feeling of doom.

Genitals: Represent the masculine and feminine principles. Worry about not being good enough.

Gland Problems: Represent holding stations. Self-staring activity. Holding yourself back.

Gout: The need to dominate. Impatience, anger.

Glaucoma: Stony unforgiveness. Pressure from longstanding hurts. Overwhelmed by it all.

Gray Hair: Stress. A belief in pressure and strain.

Growths: Nursing those old hurts. Building resentments.

Gum Problems: Inability to back up decisions. Indecisive about life.

H

Hands: Hold and handle. Clutch and grip. Grasping and letting go. Caressing. Pinching. All ways of dealing with experiences.

Hay Fever: Emotional congestion. Fear of the calendar. A belief in persecution. Guilt.

Headaches: Invalidating the self. Self-criticism. Fear.

Heart: Represents the center of love and security.
– Heart Attack: Squeezing all the joy out of the heart in favor of money or position. Feeling alone and scared. “I’m not good enough. I don’t do enough. I’ll never make it.”
– Heart Problems: Longstanding emotional problems. Lack of joy. Hardening of the heart. Belief in strain and stress.

Heartburn: Fear. Fear. Fear. Clutching Fear.

Hemorrhoids: Fear of deadlines. Anger of the past. Afraid to let go. Feeling burdened.

Hepatitis: Resistance to change. Fear, anger, hatred. Liver is the seat of anger and rage.

Hernia: Ruptured relationships. Strain, burdens, incorrect creative ｅxpression.

Herpes Genitalis: Mass belief in sexual guilt and the need for punishment. Public shame. Belief in a punishing God. Rejection of the genitals.

Herpes Simplex: Bitter words left unspoken.

Hip: Carries the body in perfect balance. Major thrust in moving forward. Fear of going forward in major decisions. Nothing to move forward to.

Hives: Small, hidden fears. Mountains out of molehills.

Hodgkin’s Disease: Blame and a tremendous fear of not being good enough. A frantic race to prove one’s self until the blood has no substance left to support itself. The joy of life is forgotten in the race of acceptance.

Hyperactivity: Fear. Feeling pressured and frantic.

Hyperventilation: Fear. Resisting change. Not trusting the process.

Hypoglycemia: Overwhelmed by the burdens in life.

I

Impotence: Sexual pressure, tension, guilt. Social beliefs. Spite against a previous mate. Fear of mother.

Incontinence: Emotional overflow. Years of controlling emotions.

Indigestion: Gut-level fear, dread, anxiety. Griping and grunting.

Infection: Irritation, anger, annoyance.

Inflammation: Fear. Seeing red. Inflamed thinking. Anger and frustration about conditions you are looking at in your life.

Influenza: Response to mass negativity and beliefs. Fear. Belief in statistics.

Ingrown Toenail: Worry and guilt about your right to move forward.

Injuries: Anger at the self. Feeling guilty.

Insanity: Fleeing from the family. Escapism, withdrawal. Violent separation from life.

Insomnia: Fear. Not trusting the process of life. Guilt.

Intestines: Represent assimilation and absorption.

Itching: Desires that go against the grain. Unsatisfied. Remorse. Itching to get out or get away.

J

Jaundice: Internal and external prejudice. Unbalanced reason.

Jaw Problems: Anger. Resentment. Desire for revenge.

K

Kidney Problems: Criticism, disappointment, failure. Shame. Reacting like a child.

Kidney Stones: Lumps of undissolved anger.

Knee: Represents pride and ego. Stubborn ego and pride. Inability to bend. Fear. Inflexibility. Won’t give in.

L

Laryngitis: So mad you can’t speak. Fear of speaking up. Resentment of authority.

Left Side of Body: Represents receptivity, taking in, feminine energy, women, the mother.

Leg: Carry us forward in life.

Liver: Seat of anger and primitive emotions. Chronic complaining. Justifying fault-finding to deceive yourself. Feeling bad.

Lockjaw: Anger. A desire to control. A refusal to express feelings.

Lump in the Throat: Fear. Not trusting the process of life.

Lung: The ability to take in life. Depression. Grief. Not feeling worthy of living life fully.

Lupus: A giving up. Better to die than stand up for one’s self. Anger and punishment.

Lymph Problems: A warning that the mind needs to be recentered on the essentials of life. Love and joy.

M

Malaria: Out of balance with nature and with life.

Menopause Problems: Fear of no longer being wanted. Fear of aging. Self-rejection. Not feeling good enough.

Menstrual Problems: Rejection of one’s femininity. Guilt, fear. Belief that the genitals are sinful or dirty.

Migraine Headaches: Dislike of being driven. Resisting the flow of life. Sexual fears.

Miscarriage: Fear of the future. Inappropriate timing.

Mononucleosis: Anger at not receiving love and appreciation. No longer caring for the self.

Motion Sickness: Fear. Bondage. Feeling of being trapped.

Mouth: Represents taking in of new ideas and nourishment. Set opinions. Closed mind. Incapacity to take in new ideas.

Multiple Sclerosis: Mental hardness, hard-heartedness, iron will, inflexibility.

Muscles: Resistance to new experiences. Muscles represent our ability to move in life.

Muscular Dystrophy: “It’s not worth growing up.”

N

Nails: Represent protection. – Nail Biting: Frustration. Eating away at the self. Spite of a parent.

Narcolepsy: Can’t cope. Extreme fear. Wanting to get away from it all. Not wanting to be here.

Nausea: Fear. Rejecting an idea or experience.

Neck: Represents flexibility. The ability to see what’s back there. Refusing to see other sides of a question. Stubbornness, inflexibility. Unbending stubbornness.

Nephritis: Overreaction to disappointment and failure.

Nerves: Represent communication. Receptive reporters.

Nervous Breakdown: Self-centeredness. Jamming the channels of communication.

Nervousness: Fear, anxiety, struggle, rushing. Not trusting the process of life.

Neuralgia: Punishment for guilt. Anguish over communication.

Nodules: Resentment and frustration and hurt ego over career.

Nose: Represents self-recognition.
– Nose Bleeds: A need for recognition. Feeling unnoticed. Crying for love.
– Runny Nose: Asking for help. Inner crying.
– Stuffy Nose: Not recognizing the self-worth.

Numbness: Withholding love and consideration. Going dead mentally.

O

Osteomyelitis: Anger and frustration at the very structure of life. Feeling unsupported.

Osteoporosis: Feeling there is no support left in life. Mental pressures and tightness. Muscles can’t stretch. Loss of mental mobility.

Ovaries: Represent points of creation. Creativity.

PQ

Pain: Guilt. Guilt always seeks punishment.

Paralysis: Paralysing thoughts. Getting stuck. Terror leading to escape from a situation or person.

Pancreas: Represents the sweetness of life.

Pancreatitis: Rejection. Anger and frustration because life seems to have lost its sweetness.

Parasites: Giving power to others, letting them take over and live off of you.

Parkinson’s Disease: Fear and an intense desire to control everything and everyone.

Peptic Ulcer: Fear. A belief that you are not good enough. Anxious to please.

Phlebitis: Anger and frustration. Blaming others for the limitation and lack of joy in life.

Pimples: Small outbursts of anger.

Pituitary Gland: Represents the control center.

Pneumonia: Desperate. Tired of life. Emotional wounds that are not allowed to heal.

Poison Ivy: Allergy Feeling defenseless and open to attack.

Polio: Paralysing jealousy. A desire to stop someone.

Premenstrual Syndrome: Allowing confusion to reign. Giving power to outside influences. Rejection of the feminine processes.

Prostate: Represents the masculine principle. Mental fears weaken the masculinity. Giving up. Sexual pressure and guilt. Belief in aging.

Psoriasis: Fear of being hurt. Deadening the senses of the self. Refusing to accept responsibility for our own feelings.

R

Rash: Irritation over delays. Immature way to get attention.

Right Side of Body: Giving out, letting go, masculine energy, men, the father.

Ringworm: Allowing others to get under your skin. Not feeling good enough or clean enough.

S

Scabies: Infected thinking. Allowing others to get under your skin.

Sciatica: Being hypocritical. Fear of money and of the future.

Scleroderma: Protecting the self from life. Not trusting yourself to be there and to take care of yourself.

Scratches: Feeling life tears at you, that life is a rip off.

Senility: Returning to the so-called safety of childhood. Demanding care and attention. A form of control of those around you. Escapism.

Shin: Represents the standards of life. Breaking down ideals.

Shingles: Waiting for the other shoe to drop. Fear and tension. Too sensitive.

Sinus Problems: Irritation to one person, someone close.

Skin: Protects our individuality. Anxiety, fear. Old, buried things. I am being threatened.

Slipped Disc: Feeling totally unsupported by life. Indecisive.

Snoring: Stubborn refusal to let go of old patterns.

Solar Plexus: Gut reactions. Center of our intuitive power.

Sores: Unexpressed anger that settles in.

Spleen: Obsessions. Being obsessed about things.

Sprains: Anger and resistance. Not wanting to move in a certain direction in life.

Sterility: Fear and resistance to the process of life or not needing to go through the parenting experience.

Stiffness: Rigid, stiff thinking.

Stomach: Holds nourishment. Digests ideas. Dread. Fear of the new. Inability to assimilate the new.

Stroke: Giving up. Resistance. Rather die than change. Rejection of life.

Stuttering: Insecurity. Lack of self-ｅxpression. Not being allowed to cry.

Sty: Looking at life through angry eyes. Angry at someone.

Suicidal thoughts: See life only in black and white. Refusal to see another way out.

T

Teeth: Represent decisions.
– Teeth Problems: Longstanding indecisiveness. Inability to break down ideas for analysis and decisions.
– Root Canal: Can’t bite into anything anymore. Root beliefs being destroyed.
– Impacted Wisdom Teeth: Not giving yourself mental space to create a firm foundation.

Throat: Avenue of ｅxpression. Channel of creativity. –
Throat Problems: The inability to speak up for one’s self. Swallowed anger. Stifled creativity. Refusal to change.
– Sore throat: Holding in angry words. Feeling unable to express the self.

Thrush: Anger over making the wrong decisions.

Thymus Gland: Feeling attacked by life. They are out to get me.

Thyroid Gland: Humiliation. I never get to do what I want to do. When is it going to be my turn.
– Hyperthyroid: Rage at being left out

Tics, Twitches: Fear. A feeling of being watched by others.

Tinnitus or Ringing in the Ears: Refusal to listen. Not hearing the inner voice. Stubbornness.

Toes: Represent the minor details of the future.

Tongue: Represents the ability to taste the pleasures of life with joy.

Tonsillitis: Fear. Repressed emotions. Stifled creativity.

Tuberculosis: Wasting away from selfishness. Possessive. Cruel thoughts. Revenge.

U

Urinary infections: Pissed off, usually at the opposite sex or a lover. Blaming others.

Uterus: Represents the home of creativity.

V

Vaginitis: Anger at a mate. Sexual guilt. Punishing the self.

Varicose Veins: Standing in a situation you hate. Discouragement. Feeling over-worked and overburdened.

Vitiligo: Feeling completely outside of things. Not belonging. Not one of the group.

Vomiting: Violent rejection of ideas. Fear of the new.

WXYZ

Warts: Little ｅxpressions of hate. Belief in ugliness. – Plantar Warts: Anger at the very basis of your understanding. Spreading frustration about the future.

Wrist: Represents movement and ease