Viscerotonics

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A category of substances or practices that are believed to enhance feelings of well-being and emotional stability, often through physiological means
2. Describing elements that may promote inner peace and emotional health by affecting bodily functions
3. Referring to approaches or compounds that aim to support mental and emotional balance by positively influencing the body's systems

Etymology: Built from Latin "viscera," meaning internal organs, and the Greek-derived suffix "-tonic," from "tonos," meaning tension or tone, the word literally points to tone in the body's inner organs. The American psychologist William Sheldon used "viscerotonia" as one of three temperament categories in his theory linking body build to personality. In that scheme, the viscerotonic type was associated with the digestive viscera and with a relaxed, sociable disposition. The sense given here, support for mental and emotional balance through the body's systems, seems to be a later extension that draws on that connection between gut and temperament. The core parts remain plain: "viscera" for organs and "-tonic" for tone or influence.