| |||||
|
| Reservations | Contents |
|
Issues of HealthloreDoctors save lives, except when they don't. - Jon Barron [Link] Lore is defined as "a body of traditions and knowledge on a subject or held by a particular group, typically passed from person to person (Oxford Dictionaries)." Synonyms include traditions, beliefs, fantasy, knowledge, wisdom and know-how. Healthlore is a rare word, but in use. Some so-called alternative treatments may be considered healthlore one way or another - Homeopathy, Dr Bach's flower remedies, gem water for healing, acupuncture, ear acupuncture, crystal healing, shiatsu, tsubo-massage, pressure point therapy, reflexology, wearing gems or metals on the body, traditional uses of various herbs and many more "holistic systems" that seek to redress one's subtler sides, such as the life energies - can go for healthlore, after all. How a particular form of alternative or complementary treatment is accepted in a community, decides how people often relate to it. Homeopathy is a good example of healthlore that is heeded and used by some; ridiculed by others, in particular allopaths; and with a large number of bewildered or perplexed people in the middle. Allopathy: the treatment of disease by conventional means, i.e. with drugs having effects opposite to the symptoms (and up to alarming side effects to handle as well). Often contrasted with homeopathy.
A theory snapshotThere are often doubts if alternative treatments work, or how they may work. The value of well designed and proficiently carried out research may remove some of the lingering doubts or denials, as the case may be. For the lack of staunch research into the ways of homeopathic treatment, it is far from foolish to "try and see". Some do. If a treatment is followed by improvements on a large scale, fine. However, single cases are not convincing to researchers. They offer only "anecdotal evidence". Even if impressive, it is not convincing enough to be counted for good evidence of general effects. Research probes into general effects, and individual cases are not general. You need at least some dozens cases to build on if you want generalised findings - and then you may use statistical key terms such as significance (on such as such a level) along with the other terms. They are put to good use in research. Homeopathy has been tested, but not well and for long; has been debated for centuries; and adherents have tried to explain how it may effect living beings by various concepts that hardly fit. That has been made fun of. Now, the main thing is whether a treatment helps or not, independently of the placebo effect (being swayed to improvement by good faith in the treatment, having a chance to talk of one's problems etc.). The placebo effect may be something to be carefully allied with if the effects are good and long-lasting. (Compare Lindahl 1978,xxxxx). But real help from a treatment rides above the placebo effects. Homeopathy and such as remedies from gems and plants may at best be said to carry hidden influences of those gems and plants in the carrier. The carrier may be alcohol or water or sugar pellets. What is called a homeopathic remedy is a carrier with names to it. The homeopathic remedy you buy in pharmacies, is often sugar pellets that result from a very special way of handling substances or compounds or plants or plant parts that gave their names to the end result, whether it is a liquid, sugar pellet or something else. The sugar you buy in this way has an astounding price per kilo, but hopefully you may do with much, much less than it. Thus, postulated influences in carriers is what many remedies are about. Some influences are taken to be good for you under such as such conditions, and other influences may be tried for various milder disorders. It is estimated that over 30 million people in Europe use homeopathic medicine, which has been recognised by an UK Act Of Parliament in 1948 as a safe form of medical treatment. (It is not wholly safe, though. There are some overlooked caveats too.) And, "Homeopathic medicines in high dilutions, prescribed by trained professionals, are probably safe and unlikely to provoke serious adverse reactions." [Note 1] Half of the French population are regular users. Mind there is some evidence that ◦it works too. There is also evidence that suggest it does not work. More and more people turn to this form of complementary therapy to help treat common ailments and conditions. Homeopathy's popularity is growing by leaps and bounds. Homeopathy is the fastest growing medicine (at 20% a year) in the world. In 2011 there were about 450 million people who resorted to homeopathy, writes Dr Nancy Malik in her very thorough and memorable Worldwide Status and Growth of Homeopathy
We can read about many of these in Dana Ullman's book, The Homeopathic Revolution: Why Famous People and Cultural Heroes Choose Homeopathy (North Atlantic Books, 2007). And there are many, many others. Homeopathy offers the hope of help against these pressures or unpleasantries - add "perhaps" to that - at least some remedies help some persons. The hallmarks of remedies should ideally conform to the present troubles, the said potency should too, and the dosaging and administering - how long, for example. Faith doesn't go for much in these waters - even if it helps - Faith in homeopathic remedies and similar forms part of what doctors call the placebo effect. That good faith helps is "the bitter truth" to some, for placebo effects (faith in fool's medicine) can account for 50 to 60 percent of all improvements in testing of various medicines. Mind it may be OK to get allied with the placebo effect as long as we keep sensible. However, a rational being might do better than take to a marring faith, since marring faith has its dangers . . . In the Kalama Sutta, Buddha advocates that we investigate things freely, responsibly and well enough: it is sound counsel; fit for scientists and others who "have it in them". If we want to base our therapy on something else than placebo effects, we need controlled experiments to sort out what betterments are due to. Until such controlled findings are had, it might be a good thing to believe as little as possible. Or heed a proverb, "Believe, but make sure." Provisonal, good faith to try out things - including homeopathic remedies - may work well. Tidy, well designed and properly controlled explorations of the suggested remedies below are not made so far. Try them out only if it does not jeopardise anything of value. Take into account your life-field here. Know some fallacies involved: For a single person it could be equally wrong to say the remedies did not help if she got worse, or helped if she got better - This may sound alarming, but with single cases such conclusions are among the theoretical and possible alternatives. She might have got much worse without the pills in the first case, and much better without them in the second case. Now, if many people get a somewhat similar treatment, there are research designs available to help determine the chances that the glee of being "helped by homeopathy" is based on something significant or not. If not, homeopathy may still be effective; but then we may need better, more fitting research. Some researchers make big claims on poor grounds. Shame on them. Some are prejudiced, and weave parts of it into "research" too. Technical help is offeredFull names of the homeopathic remedies and flower essences are given in both Latin and English on another page. To understand why many take to homeopathic remedies and certain flower essences and go on to stick to such things, the ideas of Drs Harold S. Burr and Leonard J. Ravitz Jr. offer much help along with ideas set forth by the old homeopath James T. Kent, and likewise do research findings of Dr Karin Lenger. To "knit" the ideas of such fields better together, ideas from biomagnetic explorations may help too, although it depends on what meanings are put into the word 'biomagnetism' also. Remedies and many other problems are also found in the Kinnes Materia Medica and Remedy Finder (Repertory) of guiding symptoms. Boericke Materia Medica is on-line to browse for those who want to [Boericke presentation. Likewise are Dr Edward Bach's guidelines and descriptions of flower essences and essences of other plant parts. Sorry Idealists
Idealists may devote their lives for years to some grand cause and later get much disappointed and filled with regrets and remorse. After investing efforts, time, devotion, while somehow failing to get as much of value in return, do we feel out of step? Awfully disappointed? Blunted? Below are several plant remedies aimed at married guys with unfulfilling, boring lives, nuns, monks and others who try not to vegetate and ruminate for the remainder of their lives. "Aimed at" is about intentions. And if the remedies have been well tested and found effective, it is more. Wear and Tear as long-run results of intimate loveBeing an unfulfilled householder or a sorry monk or nun - both approaches may work, depending on what we may want to make out of life . . . The Bible says that before Adam and Eve fell, they strolled about naked and not shameful for it, and might have had sex full well too, to fulfil a God-given command about multiplying. Monks and nuns and plenty of couples, however, somehow have got other attitudes and notions. Even in Buddhism there are unmarried lamas, and Zen priests - but married lamas and priests too. One may readily see that dropping a spouse reduces many stresses of life (and may bring other ones instead). A little joke pinpoints some things: "A wife is a person who helps you through all the troubles you wouldn't have had if you hadn't got married." [Ole, in Rsn; Online] Now see how true it is - Love may be annoying, stressful, and work terribly. Severe stress may maim and eventually kill through psychosomatic mechanisms. And troubles make you gasp or pant. Panting may be further refined in walled-in monasteries or outside them. In Sorryland many should get away from antidepressants, and rather learn to sigh, and pant better. The heaving for breath may be a symptom, and not a cause. Just to take antidepressant to get rid of symptoms, may not work well in the long run. To take to much refined sighing (a pranayama) instead, is the yoga-fit way. Yes, it is a tip. Mind some top effects of patent love: Up to 11 of the 14 most stressing experiences of Americans tie in with love and love-making. In markedly better cultures it could be different.
The full table: Smith et al 2003:497.
Sound, over-all regulations count tooWhether a monastic or married guy or something else, there is much that can ease the stresses and strains of living. Stress suggests you have done major blunders, for stress tends to make ill, and can even kill. So beware of wrong adaptations - since some of them lead to stress, and stress may lead to disease and premature death also [Hi 492-525]. If said homeopathic influences (remedies) and said flower influences (remedies) alleviate stress and other psychosomatic imbalances independently of placebo effects, they help. If not they don't. So far as physical diseases are psychosomatically caused, wholly or in part, such influences (remedies) may help against physical problems too. In fact, something between 40 and 85 percent of the most common bodily diseases are linked to emotional stress. It means stress makes ill, and is a killer on a large scale. If the influences you try out do not seem to work, or do not seem to work much, you may try something that works: it is deep meditation. There is research on it. [Simple meditation works against stress and anxiety - and one method comes with a satisfaction guarantee]
Back to homeopathiesThere are several forms of homeopathy and many ways of describing homeopathy or commenting on it. In general, insider views may be far better than outsider views, and experienced, matter-of-fact insider views may be good. (Wikipedia, "Homeopathy") Karin Lenger's research says that homeopathic sugar pills and liquids are a sort of information carriers of a subtle kind (due to the work of photons with electromagnetic wave packets). My mentor Malcolm Rae taught much similar things by somewhat different words back in the 1970s. It was based on decades of particular investigations. Many factors add up to this: homeopathic remedies (pills and liquids) may regulate the electromagnetic field of a body by way of resonance, as each remedy carries its own resonance pattern. As indicated above, medical doctors estimate that emotional stress is involved in at least half of all common physical ailments, for example [Hi 505]. Some have higher estimates. And as for mind ailments, many are due to undue stresses. There is a WHO list of some of these troubles. There is a link to the list on another page: [Link]. What to do? Building carefully sheltered homes of the atrium type could work well in many places and bring about a taste of paradise where the weather is all right. It's in the art of living, and so is wearing clothes as is fit. Living in spiritual communities may work well if it does not violate the inner side of man and woman, the the maturing mind, freedom of adulthood, fact-searching, a fit conscience, and so on. The same holds good for family living. It may work all right. And there are different sorts of families. Some are not so good. They may be limiting, base, decadent, sour, infirm, and so on. Anyhow, the environment could be made quite garden-like. A man may be said to work well in unison with a woman in a garden-looking environment in general (It is the Biblical view of Eden. Add "more or less" if it fits). However, a fulfilling life is often different from the rest, because it ties in with the awakening individuality, which is unique, i.e., which is more or less like anyone else, yet with some characteristics of its own, presumably. Naturally, different persons have singular or even peculiar demands, and what is commonly organised had better allow for it. Monks and nuns and lots of othersSome idealists devote their lives for years to an idealised grand cause and later get much disappointed. There may be such very stressed individuals around. Let us talk of sad monks and nuns who had troubles in the sect they once felt drawn to, and have troubles after leaving. And then there are marriages. If half of them break, of not more, "Which half?" is the beginning of getting well informed, and if you get good clues, maybe you could avoid the worst mistakes, those that speedily lead to unhappiness and divorce, as the case may be. In many millions of marriages, some who stick to a not too well grounded choice of partner, job and settings may get much restless and unhappy. Also, some who divorce get unhappy, and some may not recover fully, and so on. If we see what causes the strains and stresses in marriage or life, we may better bulwark against some of them at least, and gain from it. If we learn how to deal with losses - including those of divorces - much might be saved. There may or may not be unhappy persons in routine-kept marriages too - it is not only the divorced that suffer, for sure.
From the Homeopathic WorldHomoeopathy is currently used in over 80 countries. It has legal recognition as an individual system of medicine in 42 countries and is recognized as a part of complementary and alternative medicine in 28 countries." "Homeopathy has now spread its wings globally, with currently 450 million patients." (Worldwide Status and Growth of Homeopathy] "Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital sees 2,500 new patients a year, with 81% of patients rating their care as very good or excellent. A survey in Glasgow has shown recorded referrals to the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital from every GP practice in Glasgow over a two year period." (Healthy Homeopathy: Homeopathic Facts ) From two countries: The number of homeopathic doctors in India were 246,000 in 2010 [279,518 in 2014], and the number of homeopathic hospitals/dispensaries were about 7,000 in 2014. There are over 200 homeopathic medical colleges in India, according to Dr. ◦Mansoor Ali. About 35 of them are government colleges, the rest are managed by private bodies. Here is a college list: [◦List]. Further, homeopathy is the third most popular method of treatment in India, after Ayurveda and conventional medicine. The legal status of homeopathy in India is very much as that of conventional medicine. [Cf. also Dr. Manish Bhatia. Homeopathy in India. 2006. [Link] In Brazil, where there are 17,000 practicing homeopaths, homeopathy is included in the national health system, and since 1991, physicians who want to practice homeopathy must complete 2,300 hours of education prior to receiving the proper licenses. (Wikipedia, "Regulation and prevalence of homeopathy")
Back to the sorry monk and nun or married couple without a fulfilling life togetherNo matter how many hundreds of thousands of homeopaths that are in this world, much depends on (1) the diagnosis, (2) the quality and inherent goodness of remedy descriptions for such as "finding it hard to be a monk or slave", and on (3) how the seemingly well-matched remedies are administered. These three sides to it are to be well handled for a rewarding outcome, it is told. Also, just how difficult celibacy is in an unhappy, unfulfilling marriage or otherwise, depends on how much sex drive you have, your personal firmness, and other outlets. Some take to much and strenuous sport. And much depends on how a setting of conformity is structured, just what written and unwritten laws, taboos, rules and regulations there are, and how much each member is to crawl instead of being about equals. Deep, unbecoming servility is not called shameful all over the world, but may be demanded by a too bossy mate, or superior monastics with a screw loose or otherwise. Servility may slowly derange or make unfit for better living, like slavery, a stiffer, more obvious cousin. How native assertiveness is plundered is an interesting topic, but better keep it. If it is too harmed one may try therapy after counselling, for example. Marriage counselling may not go well if former partners "leave beaten down with their spirits broken." Below are pieces of advice from a licenced therapist (psychoanalyst etc.). Bach flower remedies are suggested for some trials for some common traumas further down. Interested? Then find a dealer of homeopathic remedies and Bach flower remedies and take notes of the changes. A log with daily notes in it may do. Or if you prefer to make some remedies yourself, learn how to do it. Get good expectations to help you on and upBelow is a list of Bach flower essence remedies and a few homeopathic remedies - all called deep impressions or influences - you may find helpful in very stressful conditions, or right afterwards. Some do. However, rigid, scientific proofs are generally missing in these waters. But most grown-ups are free to try and see for themselves. That amounts to something too. This should also be noted:
The Bach remedies carry a so-called potency (charge) that corresponds more or less to c8-c11, if you believe Malcolm Rae, who launched ◦Magneto-Geometric Applications, MGA, in London with Margaret Belsham. MGA is still around. Adhere to the dosage instructions. You could do well to keep up "taking" a remedy mix for at least four weeks, preferably longer - up to ten weeks if needs be. It is thought that remedies like these, in the potencies they come in the list, help in crises, but don't expect lasting, permanent help from them. Some reasons stand out in case: (1) The remedy is not a great hit; does not match the deep disturbances; and (2) its charge is not enough to restore some measure of health; or (3) the effect may wear thin after time. The quite low potencies may not bring you all "the output" (charge) or the perfectly fit influence required to deal with the impact of unhealthful outer influences and social damage, or the traumatic past under rigid control. But you can give it a try. You may even get surprised. Some do get surprised. The Bach remedies are not said to interfere with the stuff medical doctors prescribe (prescripted medicine), and the same holds good for the homeopathic remedies, which are all marked with an asterisk (this sign: *). One may use Bach remedies and homeopathic remedies - if well done. That is taught too.
ImpressionsIn a nutshell: Possible impressions may influence those who get them and thereby lead to more or less obscure effects. Further, effects on a human or other living being may be measured. Measurements serve statistics, which may show how significant, or valid and reliable main findings are taken to be. For each mental state listed below you may chose one or more remedies as seem fit, and take them according to gentle rules of the thumb. There is one such set of half-rules for homeopathy, and another for Bach remedies. You can read more in this collection. [More] The remedies below are supposed to be taken in non-poisonous homeopathic potencies - that is, D6 C6 or x6 and higher potencies. To the layperson the counsel is to drop higher potencies than c50 and leave the highest potensies to qualified persons. There is still a lot to look into between D6 (c6) and D50 (c50).
Two rules of the thumb often come in handy: For acute problems, use low potencies. For severe, deep, and long-lasting (chronic) problem, a homeopath usually administers higher potencies, but may start with low potencies and gradually step up the potencies a bit. You can learn to devise your own home remedies and save thousands of euros or dollars by it. That may be rather easily done in the long run.
Finally, it is possible to improvise a little bit in this terrain too, but keep it within limits till you are well qualified and experienced. Who is qualified? There is a Chinese saying: Good sourcesYou may also want to know where to get them. You could try the nearest pharmacy or health store in your country, or ask The Bach Centre for information. There may be other and better ways for you in the country you're in. Or you may prepare some non-poisonous remedies yourself "some sunny day." It is not hard. Two ways:
Homeopathy strikes back: Acknowledged effects on football players in GermanyIn 2008, a magazine article revealed that 24 out of 26 doctors (92.3%) who work for the German Bundesliga's first- and second-division sides (German football league) prescribed homeopathic cures for 76% of the football clubs, and "The success stories are impressive," according to Professor Peter Billigmann, a sports doctor and the head of the Koblenz Institute for Performance Diagnostics and Sports Medicine that carried out the study. Billigmam acknowledged that there is a faster recovery from injury [through some homeopathy]. Source: Worldwide Status and Growth of Homeopathy |
|
Bach, Edward. The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies. Reprint ed. Brightwell-cum-Sotwell, Oxon: The Bach Centre, 1952. ⍽▢⍽ Also in the form of an e-book from 2005. Ball, Stefan. Bach Flower Remedies (Teach Yourself). London: Teach Yourself Books, 2000. ⍽▢⍽ A self-teaching guide written by a Bach Centre expert. Boericke, William and Oscar: Homoeopathic Materia Medica. 9th ed. Philadelphia: Boericke and Runyon, 1927. Chancellor, Phillip. Handbook on the Bach Flower Remedies. Rockford: Daniel, 1971. Lindahl, Olov, och Lars Lindwall. Vetenskap och beprövad erfarenhet. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur, 1978, p. 109-20. Shrand, Joseph A., with Leigh M. Devine. Manage Your Stress: Overcoming Stress in the Modern World. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2012. Smith, Carolyn D. et al., eds. Hilgard's Introduction to Psychology. 14th ed. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth, 2003. Stephenson, James Hawley. A Doctor's Guide to Helping Yourself with Homeopathic Remedies. 6th impression. Wellingbourough: Thorson's, 1983. Vithoulkas, George. Homeopathy: Medicine for the New Millennium. 26th ed. Alonissos: IACH (The International Academy of Classical Homeopathy), 2000. ⍽▢⍽ In 1995, Vitoulkas (born 1932) established the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy (IACH) in Alonissos, Greece. He won the Alternative Nobel Prize in 1996. 9.000 medical doctors and homeopathic practitioners from 32 countries have been trained in the Academy he founded. His books have been translated into 23 languages. In this one he presents basics for practice. Voegeli, Adolf: Heilkunst in neuer Sicht, 7. Aufl. Heidelberg: Haug, 1991 (orig. 1955) Voegeli, Adolf. Homoeopathic Prescribing: Remedies for Home and Surgery. Tr. Geoffrey A. Dudley. Wellingborough: Thorsons, 1976. ⍽▢⍽ Home manual. Adolf Voegeli (1898–1983) was a Swiss classic homeopath and writer of textsbooks. After studying medicine in Switzerland and four neighbouring countries he set up his practice in Zurich. The University of Zurich offered him a professorship he declined. He contributed to the spreading of homeopathy in Switzerland and Germany through his teaching activities and writings, and left behind an extensive work. With his Heilkunst in eine neuer Sicht: Ein Praxisbuch (1955, 7th edition 1991) he became known in Germany in specialist circles. At the end of this work, he presents the basic principles of homoeopathy in 33 points.
NoteN 1: Dantas F, Rampes H. "Do homeopathic remedies provoke adverse effects? A systematic review." British Homeopathic Journal 2000 (Supl 1); 89:pp35-38.
|
 |
Section | Set |  |
 |
User's Guide ᴥ Disclaimer © 2002–2018, Tormod Kinnes, MPhil [Email] |
