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OK I'll bite.
"Since mind/body/spirit are not separate then how is it possible to tweak only one?"
That is a very good question! How is it possible for allopathic medicine to treat only one? How is this a departure point for "our" way of doing medicine? How? No one ever really mentions this elephant sitting in the room. You cut a man's chest open, put someone else's heart in, sew him back up and we say, it was a physical treament. Really?! Is that all it was? Give a woman an abx for her UTI and you're dealing with the physical, give her, oh I don't know, cranberry instead and what changes? Give her a potentized remedy, homeopathic to the case and then what are you treating? Can we say with any degree of authority that there is a difference? What we can observe is that there seems to be a subtle
and sometimes not so subtle difference in the outcome. But why is it different? Are you going to answer with, "Becuase it's natural!"?
I have an issue (anyone gotta tissue? ok, sorry) with the whole "nature/natural" thing. Frankly, "nature" simply means "things which exist". Pharm therapy is natural, in that it exists. I think we are on very thin ice philosophically by trying to claim "natural" as our distinguishing characteristic. Wholistic, wholism, Holon-ism, I think is more accurate.
Dr. Mitchell described the Vis Medicatrix Naturae (important to remember that the "thing" we are referring to is known by all three words together, the Vis by itself is something different, it is simply a force) as the equation through which what we call health and life is given some value. If it is best described as the
equation itself, then it can't be manipulated/stimulated. What is left for us to do is to change the value of the variables in the equation so that we come to a more favorable or an optimal end result. We can stimulate the vital force which is one of the variables but we can't stimulate the equation itself... it is always working exactly as designed whether we acknowledge it or not. At least this is my interpretation of what Bill was saying. This is also something that I can see happening in real life and which I think gets to some of those questions in the previous paragraph.
It is also important, I think, that while we are honoring the innate wisdom of the body, that we keep in mind that it isn't always the right. If it was, there would be no need for ND, MD, DO, DC, LMNOP's. Take H. pylori as one example, where the majority of the damage to the stomach
wall is coming from the immune system rather than the "pathogen". The healing power of nature is a real force and so is the destructive power of nature. Let's not forget that things which exist are capable of both.
Anyway, I'm starting to get lost in my head here so I'm going to check out for now.
William
PS: Does a buddhist's immune system fight off invading pathogens? I guess that is for another thread!
George.L.Gonzales.01@... wrote:
George.L.Gonzales.01@... wrote:
> Attempt to clean up the waste, promote normal blood and lymph,
> and increase vitality (isn't that tweaking around on the physical
> level and hoping that the vital force can properly channel that
> amazing vis?).
Since mind/body/and spirit are not separate then how is it possible to tweak only one? In addition many of our modalities focus act directly on the non-physical aspect of the mind/body/spirit, as well as the physical ones.
As to "learning the vis" I have never heard of such a term either but I hope that is precisely what we are doing. We are learning the laws of nature so that we can live in accordance with them, help our patients to do so and to direct our therapies in a way that makes use of this knowledge. You say the Vis is God. I wouldn't disagree with you but I would say that in my opinion the naturopathic view of god/nature is one that does not separate it from the physical realm, nor make it inaccesible to human capacities. This split of reality into Spirit and Matter is the basis of the philosophy of scientific rationalism or mechanism and is quite different or even the opposite of what I understand to be naturopathic principles. Certainly there are aspects that are mysterious and beyond our knowledge but I think we are capable of "learning" enough to work in accordance with it. That is why the Vis medicatrix is partially defined in our six principles as being "the inherent self-organizing and healing process of living systems which establishes, maintains and restores health. Naturopathic medicine recognizes this healing process to be ordered and intelligent. It is the naturopathic physician's role to support, facilitate and augment this process by identifying and removing obstacles to health and recovery, and by supporting the creation of a healthy internal and external environment."
To merely "learn" the ways and complexity that makes it ordered and intelligent and the different manifestations of the healing process is a great start to catching a glimpse of its mysterious aspects. Other gifted individuals (NOT ME) may in fact catch much more than a glimpse.
Luke, NCNM
William Franklin
SCNM Student
"How can a man find a sensible way to live? One way and one only – Philosophy. And my philosophy means keeping that vital spark within you free from damage and degradation, using it to transcend pain and pleasure, doing everything with a purpose, avoiding lies and hypocrisy, not relying on another person’s actions or failings. To accept everything that comes, and everything that is given, as coming from that same spiritual source." --Marcus Aurelius
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