Holistic Health Care vs Traditional Western Medicine
Posted: Monday, August 01, 2005
by Dorothy M Neddermeyer
Genesis Consultants, Inc.
The Traditional Western Medicine Healthcare Community recently asked the question: Will Holistic Health Care [a.k.a. Alternative Healthcare] and Traditional Western Medicine [TWM] merge? This question implies there is reason to wonder and/or we need to consider it. The consideration of merging Alternative Healthcare and Modern Medicine is analogues to comparing apples to oranges. The only comparison between apples and oranges is that they are both fruit—but the comparison ends there. Alternative healthcare, better known as Holistic, Metaphysical, Energy or Mind, Body, Spirit Healing and TWM has nothing in common. Let me explain.
This sort of language is not uncommon from researchers in TWM. They perceive the human body as a battleground on which wars are waged against invaders (viruses, bacterial infections and tumors). Beginning with the Victorian era, Western society has become addicted to quick fixes and results with no effort. Modern Medicine has in some instances provided this result. When Modern Medicine doesn’t produce a ‘quick fix’ result the answer is: "Sorry, it couldn’t be helped—the surgery was a success, the patient died." It is interesting to note the AMA reports a dismal success rate—approximately 250,000 people die each year due to misdiagnosis and/or the wrong treatment. In other words these people did not die due to an illness they died due to the wrong treatment.
Holistic Healthcare, Metaphysical, Energy or Mind, Body, Spirit healing has existed since the beginning of time amid religious beliefs and practices, along with the mystery, superstition, fear, and misunderstanding. Holistic Healing is now becoming recognized regardless of what anyone chooses to believe or think. Ask almost anyone about their spiritual well-being and they will probably tell you, "Yeah, I am a spiritual person, I go to church frequently." Therein, the confusion arises out of the association of healing with religion. The majority of people, including religious leaders, do not understand the difference. Traditional Western Medicine theory and doctrines fail to recognize that diseases are not separate from the person. In fact every disease can be more accurately called an expression of the patient's lifestyle, beliefs, and energies. Cancer is not a tumor, for example: it is a systemic disorder that can only truly be cured by helping to support the body, not by attacking it with chemical bombs or knives. The tumor is merely one physical expression of the systemic disorder, and simply removing the tumor does nothing to cure the disease. The body is designed to heal itself—given it has the proper care—nutrition, herbal supplements, spiritual and emotional well-being.
Definition: "HEAL" 1. To restore to health or soundness, 2. To set right, repair, 3. To restore a person to spiritual wholeness, 4. To become whole and sound, to return to health.
Definition: "SPIRIT" 1. The vital principle or animating force within living beings, Incorporeal consciousness. There are about twelve more elaborations mostly to do with various religious implications.
Definition: "RELIGION" 1. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe, 2. A set of beliefs, values and practices based on the teachings of a religious doctrine.
Thus, based on these common interpretations of how things 'ARE', many paradoxes are created. The resultant effect is confusion and un-wellness. The Truth, as Carl Jung and others have carefully worded in their writing, is this: Every Thing in the universe is Energy and Consciousness. How anyone thinks or feels about that Fact cannot change it. The purpose of All religions is the recognition that humans have a part of themselves that is not physical and there is a need to explore and experience this aspect of themselves. Part of the intent is to discover one's purpose and to live in the best way possible. Another part of that goal also includes the attainment of Truth and Spiritual Wellness. However, the result of religious teachings with regard to our Spiritual health has been an abysmal failure. If the most important aspect of our being is our Spiritual self, and it has been neglected, it is a miracle we have existed this long.
Many churches are in a state of extreme confusion in an attempt to avoid accepting the "Truth." The greatest struggle is how to incorporate all the now known knowledge and assimilate it into the religious dogma and theology. The problem is the impossibility of reconciling the obvious flaws in most theology and doctrine. The obvious shortcomings and how political and nationalistic and other special interests and agendas have resulted in a history filled with disappointment, tragedy, confusion and religious wars.
In many cultures it has always been thought and/or known that we are spiritual beings, the biggest exception is in western industrialized cultures that we believe we are people who happen to have a soul. Eastern philosophy believes we are a soul first, housed in this thing called a ‘body.’ The most beautiful and simple interpretation of how everything 'IS' can be found in the Native American tradition. "Everything in the universe is Spirit, each thing in it is of the same Spirit and it is all Connected." This is exactly what we are beginning to understand in science and quantum physics, that everything in the universe is made of the same thing and has a consciousness about it. The two things that frustrate scientists the most is the fact that all these things operate across time, space and dimensions they do not yet understand, and the ability of things to operate on inter-dimensional and multi-dimensional levels. A high degree of new understanding about the science and physics of what spiritual really means is now mostly coming from independent researchers. High-tech and aerospace research physicists and scientists, all seem to have a more concise and accurate understanding of Spirit and the Spiritual than those from a theological background.
The Reality and The Truth of Spirit—In plain language, there is only One God or Universal Energy that Is Everything. There is only One Consciousness. We are only one individuated expression of The One. All the dogma, theology and religious beliefs anyone chooses to pile on this truth is commonly referred to as Bull. It is the lack of true knowledge and the application of these distortions, which have been the source of all the problems. Spirit is alive, it is something that is lived and experienced, the surest way to destroy or suppress it is to organize it and institutionalize it.
Spiritual Experiences teach us: Everything we think or feel affects oneself and others. We need to realize every feeling—anger, fear, hate, sadness, judgment—are mind generated emotions and need to be modified or eliminated. Left to fester—anger, fear, hate, sadness, judgment, creates physical reactions. For every physical reaction, a.k.a. symptoms—i.e. colds, cancer, MS, and everything from A to Z, there is a direct link to mind generated emotions. When these mind generated emotions are eliminated and the wounds created from long term and dysfunctional expressions are healed, the physical manifestation labeled as illness by Modern Medicine is eliminated.
The bottom line for many concerning their Health and Well-Being in their present existence is much affected by two factions, Doctors and Ministers. Doctors are trained as mechanics who work on the physical mechanism. They are in the Business of "Treatment." They are Not Trained in the "Art of Healing". Most doctors do not even understand the most rudimentary concepts of Healing. Most do not realize how they can produce damage and even induce death sentences on their patients.
There is little difference in the effects produced by an intentional damaging curse or a prayer prayed improperly, bad advice or simply some random negative thought. Ministers are trained in traditional theosophical dogmatic perceptions specific to the cultural religious views they ascribe to. Most people have little concept about True Spirituality or how the universe really operates. As a consequence they convey misinformation, half-truths, superstitions and fears along with a multitude of associated damaging information into a person's consciousness. The result of which is Confusion and Paradox—which leads to distress, disease and un-wellness.
Both the good in our lives and the dis-eases we have are the results of our experiences, conditioning and beliefs. It is the experiences, conditioning and beliefs that are counter to our true nature that causes the damage. No matter how dire a client’s predicament seems to be, I Know if they are Willing to do the emotional and spiritual work of releasing old habits, beliefs and forgiving everything can be healed. The word ‘incurable’ used by Modern Medicine really only means that the person can not be ‘cured’ by ‘outer’ methods and that they must Go Within to effect their healing. The condition was created as a way to cope—it came from within and can be healed from within.
Since Holistic Healthcare focuses on supporting the Mind, Body, Spirit to heal itself as it is designed to do and TWM perceives the human body as a battleground on which wars are waged with chemical bombs and knives against invaders, how can these divergent ideologies be merged? The answer: They can’t be—i.e. water and vinegar doesn’t mix—it is metaphysically impossible. Likewise, it is metaphysically impossible to merge Holistic Healthcare and TWM.
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Thank you this was a light shining on my spirit.
always such deep contradiction in "new age" ideas pointing to a very simplistic and limited level of awareness. This article is written from a level of arrested and closed awarenes at the egalitarian level. consider this statement "there is only One Universal Energy that Is Everything." Then consider the deeply dualistic stance in this statement "water and vinegar doesn’t mix—it is metaphysically impossible". WOW dig how those two statements together create a huge confusing paradox ! yet the article contains this statement "Confusion and Paradox— leads to distress, disease and un-wellness.Oh new age people -- when will you stop pretending like you are holistic and spiritual ?Humans have been healing themselves through natural methods and protecting their health and well-being for hundreds of thousands of years in ways that are supported by holistic healing modalities world-wide. In addition, there are wonderful new technologies emerging in the modern age that are non-invasive and non-destructive to the mind, body and spirit.So who was here first.....the healing professionals who support a natural, self-empowering approach to maintaining health and healing disease, or the Western Medical (a.k.a. Allopathic) professionals, who in the past few hundred years have taken a different, more invasive and even martial approach to healing?There is no doubt that in emergency situations, allopathic medicine offers some alternatives we would be wise to consider. But why are we not seeking to prevent the disease first, rather than focusing on symptoms and what to do at the 11th hour? Who really is the "Alternative"?
"The most beautiful and simple interpretation of how everything 'IS' can be found in the Native American tradition. "Everything in the universe is Spirit, each thing in it is of the same Spirit and it is all Connected.""ahh the cute little noble savage natives whith their simple childlike ideas.the new age wouldn't be the new age without a little condescending rascism thrown in there. I'm glad she didn't leave that part out. nothing brightens my day more than a little projection of my hopes and dreams onto a simplistic racial stereotype.The term New Age or 'alternative medicine' is a misnomer at best and confusing at worst. The term, New Age or 'Alternative Medicine,' implies that Traditional Western Medicine a.k.a Conventional or Allopathic Medicine is the preferred choice for medical care, but there are alternatives to consider.Humans have been healing themselves with natural remedies and protecting their health and well-being for hundreds of thousands of years in ways that are supported by holistic healing modalities world-wide. In addition, there are wonderful new technologies emerging in the modern age that are non-invasive and non-destructive to the mind, body and spirit.So who was here first.....the healing professionals who support a natural, self-empowering approach to maintaining health and healing disease, or the Western Medicine professionals, who in the past few hundred years have taken a different, more invasive and even martial approach to healing?There is no doubt that in emergency situations--broken bones, lacerations and head injuries, allopathic medicine offers some alternatives we would be wise to consider. But why are we not seeking to prevent the disease first, rather than focusing on disease and what to do at the 11th hour? Who really is the "Alternative"? And What is really New Age?Since holistic health care and natural remedies have been in existence since humans came onto this planet, and Allopathic medicine came into being in the late 1700's and became a sanctioned profession in the early 1900's then what is the New Age profession? Since math serves as a tool to discern this question, the beginning of human kind on this planet, which is when holistic and natural remedies were first used--then Allopathic (a.k.a. as Western Medicine) is the New Age profession.I chose to reference Native American Spirituality because my readers are primarily U.S. readers and are more familiar with Native American traditions. However, I could have referenced Hinduism or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which includes Chi energy, Chakra energy and Chinese herbs.I wish you well on your journey to health and healing in Mind, Body and Spirit.
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