The Spiritual Meaning of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a relatively common skin condition that comes with itchy, scaly patches that can show up on various parts of the body. It’s not contagious and tends to come and go, which is a good indication that emotional factors could be at play when it arises. While it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor or health practitioners about your psoriasis and any medications that might help you, let’s see if there’s a spiritual or emotional imbalance that could be contributing to your psoriasis flares.

The Skin as a Barrier

The skin is a barrier between yourself and the world. It can represent protection and boundaries, and psoriasis can be a sort of overreaction of the immune system causing extra skin to be produced when it’s not needed—almost as if the body is trying to build an extra layer of armor against the world.

Consider the following questions:

• Do you feel attacked, criticized, or invaded in your day-to-day life?

• Do you feel like you want or need more protection from the world or the people around you?

• How comfortable are you at setting boundaries so that you feel safe?

• Do you feel generally safe in the world?

The Skin as the Conduit to Connection

In addition to being a barrier, our skin is also, paradoxically, the main way we connect with the world. We decorate our skin with makeup, tattoos, adornments, and clothing, which can be forms of self-expression or masking, showing or not showing aspects of ourselves.

We also connect through touch—the sensitive receptors of our skin feel other people and the world around us. The skin is both the barrier against and the avenue toward other people.

Consider the following questions:

• How connected do you feel right now to a partner, your family, or your community?

• Are you lonely, but also tend to resist reaching out to make more connections?

• Do you sometimes feel inadequate, ugly, or not good enough to reveal yourself to the world?

• Do you feel like you belong—that who you are is fundamentally okay?

Criticism and Feeling “Picked On”

For some people, psoriasis is itchy; it asks for attention and is something that wants to be picked at. There is a relationship between psoriasis and feeling criticized, especially if criticism was excessive in childhood and left one feeling “picked on.” It could be possible that this criticism has become internalized, even if it started externally.

Consider the following questions:

• Do you feel criticized easily?

• Do you have a history of being bullied or criticized, especially randomly or for small things?

• Do you have a harsh inner voice?

• Do you criticize yourself often?

• What would it feel like or look like if you really believed you were enough as you are?

Serpent Skin

Psoriasis is unique in that it can almost look like someone is trying to grow fish scales or serpent scales on their skin. This could indicate a transformation—one that is either deeply desired but has yet to happen, or is happening whether the person likes it or not.

Consider the following questions:

• Are you the self you really want to be? Or do you feel you need to change?

• Is there a skin you need to “shed” in order to be renewed in some way—to become who you need to become?

• Are there changes happening within and around you that feel uncomfortable or unsafe?

• Are there changes that you believe should be taking place but aren’t?

• Where can you access choice, power, and control right now?

• What could it look like to change into the self you truly are? (Even if it’s just privately at first, within the pages of a journal, by creating art or fiction, or by sitting in quiet reflection.)

Psoriasis Location

Psoriasis can show up nearly anywhere on the body. It’s especially common on the scalp, elbows, knees, trunk, and fingers. Location can give us some more information about what the body might be trying to communicate, either spiritually or emotionally.

Depending on where your psoriasis is presenting, consider the following questions:

Unseen Parts of Your Body

• What is your relationship to secrets and to what you do or don’t show others?

• Is there a history of secrets in your family system?

Visible Parts of Your Body

• Does your outward expression match what you feel inside authentically?

• Do you feel too seen or too exposed in some way?

Moving Parts of Your Body

• How does psoriasis affect range of motion with this part of your body?

• Where on the body is movement being impeded? What does that body part do?

• Is there a reason you may not want to move, literally or metaphorically?

Fingers and Hands

• Fingers are the way we express ourselves and reach out to others. How are you protecting when, how, or whether you reach out and touch someone?

• Hands grasp, hold, touch, connect, and express. Is there a dissonance between what you want to touch or hold onto and what you can?

Chest

• Breasts and the chest are connected to nourishment, the mother archetype, and matters of the heart. Is there fear, criticism, or a need for protection related to any of these issues?

Knees or Feet

• Knees and feet relate to the root chakra, the energies of safety, security, home, and money. They can also speak to our metaphorical and literal movement. Where are you going that you shouldn’t be? Why are you staying in place instead of going where you should?

Upper Trunk

• Elbows, shoulders, wrists, and hands all relate to the heart chakra and our connection to others. Is there resistance or difficulty connecting with and expressing yourself toward others?

Scalp

• The scalp is connected to thinking and spirituality. Are you overthinking something or avoiding a difficult thought or truth?

• Do you feel a need for protection from spirit rather than connection with it? Or do you feel that in some way you are not good enough for that connection?

Ultimately, these questions are intended to help you connect with your own intuition and inner knowing about the spiritual meaning of your psoriasis. Take the time to sit with the questions that resonate with you and work from there, whether through contemplation, discussion with a friend, healer, or therapist, or however else you process these ideas.

Learn more about how to listen to the story of the body.