HETEROSTASIS I
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1526 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented |
- “The artificially induced stimulation of the body mechanisms” (H. SELYE, 1975, p.467).
This is the original concept of SELYE, quite different from KLOPF's one (see hereafter).
SELYE explains: “Natural homeostatic mechanisms are usually sufficient to maintain the normal state of resistance. When faced with unusually heavy demands, however, ordinary homeostasis is not enough. The ”thermostat of defense“ must be raised to a higher level. For this process, I proposed the term heterostasis (from the Greek heteros = other) as the establishment of a new steady state by treatment with agents which stimulate the physiologic adaptive mechanisms through the development of normally dormant defensive tissue reactions. Both in homeostasis and in heterostasis, the milieu interieur participates actively” (p.86).
This biological model implying cooperative help by some outside element or system, could probably be translated to psychology and the social sciences (in groups, organizations, entreprises, and cultures) with quite more than an analogical meaning. Unfortunately, the subject seems to have been generally ignored.