Theorie about proving
http://www.gudjons-apotheke.de/apotheke/GudjonsAktuell/G_akt_2005_01.pdf
[Peter Alex]
Was hat sich an der VERFAHRENSWEISE HOMÖOPATHISCHER ARZNEIMITTELPRÜFUNGEN seit H. verändert.
Obwohl Hahnemann sicher war, für die meisten Leiden seiner Zeit angemessene, homöopathisch dienliche Arzneien gefunden zu haben, verlangte er von seinen Nachahmern, das Prüfen neuer oder zu wenig bekannter Arzneien weiterzuführen (Organen § 105):”Der zweite Punkt des Geschäftes eines echten Heilkünstlers betrifft die Erforschung
der, zur Heilung der natürlichen Krankheiten bestimmten Werkzeuge, die Erforschung der krankmachenden Kraft der Arzneien, um, wo zu heilen ist, eine von ihnen aussuchen zu können, aus deren Symptomenreihe eine künstliche Krankheit zusammengesetzt werden kann...”
Neben dem Behandeln besteht also unsere homöopathische Arbeit im Prüfen immer neuer Arzneien! Wie sollte diese Arbeit auch entbehrlich werden, haben wir es doch heute mit größtenteils völlig anderen Krankheitsbildern zu tun als die damaligen Homöopathen!
Während Tuberkulose, Scharlach und Cholera uns heute höchst selten beschäftigen, machten derartige akute, epidemische Krankheiten 90% einer Arztpraxis im 19. Jahrhundert aus. Hingegen kamen z.B. chronisch verlaufende Autoimmunkrankheiten wie Morbus Crohn, allergisches Asthma und Beschwerden durch elektromagnetische Felder, die heute häufig sind, damals kaum vor. Es ist also fraglich, ob Homöopathen, die meinen, besonders “klassisch” zu sein, im Sinne H.s handeln, wenn sie seine Anweisung von § 105 mit dem Argument hinwegfegen, wir hätten genug Arzneien.
Was die Qualität der Arzneimittelprüfungen angeht, so legte H. damals im “Organon” auch hierfür Grundsätzliches fest: Unter anderem forderte er:
Aphorisma § 122
“Es dürfen zu solchen Versuchen...keine andern Arzneien als solche genommen werden, die man genau kennt und von deren Reinheit, Aechtheit und Vollkräftigkeit man völlig überzeugt ist.”
Aphorisma § 126
“Die dazu gewählte Versuchsperson muß vor allen Dingen als glaubwürdig und gewissenhaft bekannt seyn ... keine dringenden Geschäfte dürfen sie von der gehörigen Beobachtung abhalten ...
in ihrer Art gesund an Körper, muß sie auch den nöthigen Verstand besitzen, um ihre Empfindungen in deutlichen Ausdrücken benennen und beschreiben zu können.”
Aphorisma §127
“Die Arzneien müssen sowohl an Manns- als an Weibspersonen geprüft werden, um auch die, auf das Geschlecht bezüglichen Befindens-Veränderungen, an den Tag zu bringen.”
H. war einer der führenden Wissenschaftler seiner Zeit. Insofern müssen wir davon ausgehen, daß diese Grundanforderungen in der 1. Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts
“Stand der Wissenschaft” waren. H.s Schüler: Stapf, Hartlaub, Trinks, Hering und andere prüften, ähnlich wie H., in ihrem Leben weit über 100 neue Arzneimittel.
Der Umfang dieser Prüfungen schwankte stark und auch bei der Versuchsdurchführung gab es keine genaueren Regeln für Versuchsvorbereitung und Dokumentation als
die im “Organon” niedergelegten. Dennoch gelten heute alle im 19. Jahrhundert geprüften Mittel als “klassisch” und daher per se als zuverlässig. Der Aufschwung, den die Homöopathie seit den 80er Jahren des 20. Jahrhundert erlebt, beflügelte auch viele Kolleginnen und Kollegen, sich der Erforschung neuer Heilmittel und der präziseren
und ausführlicheren Prüfung sogenannter klassischer Mittel zuzuwenden. Moderne Datenverarbeitung macht’s möglich, dass die Auswertung und Dokumentation von Prüfungsergebnissen erleichtert wird.
In dieser Zeit setzte auch -entstanden aus der Erfahrung eigener Prüfungstätigkeit- eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit H.s Vorgehensweise bei Arzneimittelprüfungen
ein, und es zeigte sich, daß unter heutigen Lebensbedingungen einige Ergänzungen zu den H.schen Anweisungen notwendig geworden waren.
Zunächst erwies sich H.s Hinweis als wertvoll, in der Selbstbeobachtung erfahrene Prüfpersonen auszuwählen. Arzneimittelprüfungen in zufällig zusammengewürfelten Gruppen ergeben weniger klare und praxistaugliche Arzneimittelbilder als gut vorbereitete und dokumentierte Versuche, wie sie heute wieder viele Prüfergruppen weltweit durchführen. Die genaue Einweisung der Prüfer hat sich als notwendig erwiesen, wobei Prüfpersonen nicht notwendigerweise HomöopatInnen sein müssen. H. hatte anfangs keine solchen Prüfpersonen zur Verfügung, und niemand schätzt seine Prüfungsergebnisse aus diesen Jahren deshalb als unzuverlässig ein. Wichtiger ist, daß ein/erfahrene/r Homöopath/in die Prüfperson genau überwacht, um auch diejenigen Erscheinungen und Befindensveränderungen festzuhalten, derer die Prüfperson nicht selbst gewahr wird. Insofern ist die Supervision der Prüfperson eine homöopathische Fallaufnahme mit umgekehrtem Vorzeichen zu nennen. D.h. je besser ausgebildet und je erfahrener der Supervisor ist, desto ergiebiger wird (Empfindlichkeit der Prüfperson vorausgesetzt) die Prüfung sein. Die Anzahl der Prüfpersonen spielt hingegen kaum eine Rolle.
Sofern empfindliche, gut supervidierte Prüfpersonen dabei sind, kann eine Handvoll Prüfer/innen genau soviel über das Wesen einer Arznei ermitteln als eine große Prüferschar, die weniger empfindlich und schlecht supervidiert ist.
Liest man alte Materia medica, so erscheinen sehr oft Prüfungen mit 3 - 6 Prüfpersonen, Prüfungen mit mehr als einem Dutzend PrüferInnen waren früher die Ausnahme.
Die meisten Prüfungsleiter wählen heute mindestens ein Dutzend Prüfpersonen aus, weil immer einige Personen nicht für das Prüfmittel empfindlich sind. Da es heute meist nicht mehr möglich ist, daß der Prüfungsleiter alle Teilnehmer der Prüfung persönlich überwacht, wozu täglicher Kontakt nötig ist, werden (Vorschlag von Jeremy Sherr folgend) Supervisoren für jeden Prüfer eingesetzt, die im täglichen Kontakt die Prüfungsergebnisse und wo möglich, objektive Zeichen, die dem Prüfer selbst nicht bemerkbar werden, aufzuzeichnen. Ebenso sind gelegentlich Supervisoren nötig, um Prüfer davon abzuhalten, das Prüfmittel zu lange oder zu häufig einzunehmen, da diesen die Veränderungen an ihnen selbst nicht immer rechtzeitig auffallen.
Zu Zeiten H.s und Herings war die randomisierte, placebokontrollierte Doppelblindstudie noch unbekannt, und so waren Prüfungen in aller Regel offen, d.h. die Prüfpersonen wußten, um welche Prüfsubstanz es sich handelt. Somit waren die Prüfungsergebnisse aus heutiger Sicht manipulierbar, was den “klassischen” Prüfern aber niemand übel nimmt. Heute werden die meisten Prüfungen doppelblind durchgeführt, d.h. weder Prüfperson noch Supervisoren wissen, um welches Prüfmittel es sich handelt.
Diese Maßnahme ist jedoch umstritten. Der amerikanische Homöopath Jonathan Shore, untersuchte die Sinnhaftigkeit der homöopathischen Doppelblind-Prüfungen, indem
er Prüfern einen Vortrag über die angeblich zu prüfende Substanz hielt und danach ein ganz anderes Prüfmittel austeilte. Dennoch entwickelten die Prüfer Symptome des tatsächlich ausgegebenen und nicht des angekündigten Mittels.
Es gibt zahlreiche Beobachtungen, wonach Prüfer, die ein Placebo erhalten, trotzdem für das Arzneimittel typische Symptome ausprägen. Vor 2 Jahren leitete ich die Prüfung von Fagus sylvatica in einem Dreifach-Blindversuch, d.h. auch ich als Prüfungsleiter kannte die Substanz nicht und nahm sie auch nicht ein. Dennoch zwang mich eine heftige Lumbago in die Knie, die ich noch nie vorher hatte und die sich später als charakteristisches Symptom des Mittels herausstellen sollte. Bei unserem jüngsten Versuch mit Corylus avellana reagierten fast alle Kinder der PrüferInnen mit starken und übereinstimmenden Symptomen, obwohl nur die Mütter das Mittel eingenommen hatten.
Dies sind nur mehr Beweise dafür, was alle HomöopatInnen längst wissen, daß wir nämlich bei der homöopathischen Mittelgabe einem kybernetischen System eine Information zuführen und eben nicht eine chemische Substanz in einen materiellen Körper bringen. Daher eignen sich Versuchsanordnungen der reduktionistischen Wissenschaft für unsere quantenlogisch ausgerichtete, homöopathische Wissenschaft eben nicht. Während es der reduktionistischen Wissenschaft auf das Objektivierbare ankommt, wollen wir mit unseren Prüfungen gerade das subjektive Empfinden ermitteln, das durch das Wirken einer Arznei spezifisch verändert wird.
Deshalb sind Tierversuche in der homöopathischen Arzneimittelforschung sinnlos und überflüssig.
Erst als er die stärkere Arzneikraft der Potenzen erkannt hatte, ging H. dazu über, potenzierte Arzneien zu prüfen. In der 6. Auflage des “Organon” weist er an (§ 128):
”So erforscht man jetzt am besten, selbst die für schwach gehaltenen Substanzen in Hinsicht auf ihre Arzneikräfte, wenn man 4 bis 6 feinste Streukügelchen der 30th Potenz einer solchen Substanz von der Versuchs-Person täglich...nüchtern einnehmen und dies mehrere Tage fortsetzen läßt.”
Der Deutsche Zentralverein homöopathischer Ärzte nahm diesen Hinweis in seine Richtlinie für Arzneimittelprüfungen auf und fordert, keine höheren Potenzen als C 30 zu verwenden.
Der kanadische Homöopath Louis Klein, der viele Arzneimittelprüfungen leitet, läßt zur Sicherheit für die Prüfer nur eine einzige Dosis der C 30 nehmen und hat damit ausgezeichnete Prüfungsergebnisse.
International wurden in den vergangenen 20 Jahren meist bei einer Arzneimittelprüfung verschiedene Potenzen zwischen C 6 und C 200 angewandt. Die brasilianischen homöopathischen Ärzte sind weltweit führend in puncto Aufopferung und Risikobereitschaft - sie nehmen mehrere Gaben von Potenzen bis C 1000 ein und beobachten
die Prüfer (die allesamt Ärzte sein müssen) bei den z.T. sehr heftigen Prüfungssymptomen dann auf der Intensivstation weiter.
Ein wichtiger Punkt ist schließlich die Dokumentation des Versuchsablaufes und der Prüfsymptome. Hier lassen H.s Originaltexte, gemessen an seiner sonstigen Akribie,
zu wünschen übrig. Es ist oftmals nicht nachvollziehbar, wer welche Potenz wie oft und wie lange eingenommen hat und wie lange nach der Einnahme welches Symptom erschien. Konstitutionelle Eigenheiten einzelner Prüfer wurden weniger kritisch eliminiert als wir das heute tun würden. So erscheint bei H. ́s Schüler Langhammer in jeder Prüfung das Symptom “mürrisch, griesgrämig” in verschiedenen Variationen.
Langhammer mußte später einen Großteil seines Lebens in einer psychiatrischen Einrichtung verbringen, weil er gemütskrank war. Heute würden wir derartige persönliche Eigenheiten sicher nicht als Symptom der Prüfarznei ins Protokoll aufnehmen.
Wie bei der Fallaufnahme kommt es auf die Aufzeichnung “mit den nämlichen Worten des Prüfers” an. Ein Vertreter der “naturwissenschaftlich-kritischen Richtung” der Homöopathie, Julius Mezger, entwertete seine sehr ergiebigen Arzneimittelprüfungen dadurch, daß er bizarr erscheinende psychische Symptome bei der Veröffentlichung wegließ, um nicht als “unseriös” zu gelten.
Seine “Neuentdeckung” Mandragora brauchte fast 50 Jahre und mehrere Nachprüfungen, um als homöopathisches Arzneimittel wirklich bekannt zu werden, obwohl Mezgers Prüfer alle charakteristischen Symptome (z.B. “Träume von Flugzeugabstürzen”) angegeben hatten. Während Metzger, naturwissenschaftlich überkritisch das Kind mit dem Bade ausschüttete, werden viele moderne Arzneimittelprüfungen bemängelt, die fast nur aus Träumen bestehen.
Hier ist zu differenzieren zwischen willkürlich psychologisierenden Prüfern, die nicht blind prüfen, wobei die Gefahr besteht, daß man sich (vielleicht unter Hinzunahme der Signatur) etwas zusammenreimt und seriösen, sehr erfahrenen Prüfern, die besonders sensitiv sind.
International hat sich die Methodik des englischen Homöopathen Jeremy Sherr durchgesetzt und zum Standard entwickelt, die in seinem Büchlein “The Dynamics and Methodology of Homeopathic Provings” zu lesen ist.
Wenn wir die klassische Literatur mit heute erscheinenden Arzneimittelprüfungen vergleichen, finden wir moderne Prüfungen oftmals besser dokumentiert, tiefer ausgelotet und auch für die Praxis besser anwendbar als “klassische” Prüfungstexte von H. und seinen Zeitgenossen. Die Literatur und meine tägliche Praxiserfahrung beweisen, daß
wir ohne die seit 20 Jahren neu geprüften Mittel für viele Krankheitssymptome kein ähnliches Mittel finden. Ich bin daher allen homöopathischen ApothekerInnen und PrüferInnen sehr dankbar, die immer wieder die Mühe auf sich nehmen, neue Arzneimittel aufzufinden, so daß die Homöopathie als Wissenschaft wieder so dynamisch werden kann, wie sie von ihrem Begründer gedacht und angelegt war.
[Misha Norland]
– the provings from somewhere
over the rainbow
How is it possible that so many attacks have been made on homeopathy in
the last couple of years? The answer is very simple. Modern homeopathic gurus
have successfully removed any trace of the empirical method and any trace of
science and present their own rationalistic transcendental theories.
Let’s start with provings. Modern provings, do not comply with the H.
protocol anymore. The authors and conductors of modern provings proudly clam
that they are conducted according to Jeremy Sherr’s, Paul Herscu’s. Kent’s or
someone else’s proving protocol and methodology.
Indeed, it seems to be very fashionable to use the methods and
approaches as defined by modern gurus. This fashionable approach holds more
appeal than strictly scientific double blind trial methods used by modern
medicine.
If these new methods are indeed better, the information from new
provings should be even more reliable than ever before. Why is it then, that
Roger Van Zandvoort, the author of the biggest homeopathic repertory, took it
upon himself to remove 130.000 modern additions from the 2009 version of his
repertory? This was almost one quarter of his newer source material. In doing
so, not surprisingly, the repertory became more accurate in usage.
Modern repertories are often criticized as containing too many new
remedies and some repertories even went as far as creating “classic” versions
that disregard all new materials altogether. If the new provings were accurate there
would be no need for this.
Misha Norland is the Founder and Principal of The School of Homeopathy,
Devon, England. Despite the fact that his proving methods are very
unconventional and despite the fact that the conclusions he draws from the
results of the provings are even more controversial than the methodology, his
school has conducted about 25 provings, which are now included in most of the modern
repertories.
One of the early clues that make it clear that the reader should be very
cautious before using the results of these “provings” is the stellar company of
Patrons of the school
– Jan Scholten, Rajan Sankaran, Frans Vermeulen, Jeremy Sherr, Miranda Castro and Massimo
Mangialavori. It comes
as no surprise that the methodologies used by this school and by Misha Norland
are far from H.ian.
Proving of AIDS
nosode
Before even starting to talk about whether this proving is H.ian or not,
let’s quote the introductory comments:
“The procedures for conducting a proving were laid out by H. in §
105-145 of the Organon and on the whole there has been little need to change
them. They have been commented on and clarified by:
JT Kent “Lectures on Homœopathic
Philosophy Lecture XXVIII”
Jeremy Sherr “Dynamics and
Methodology of Provings”
Paul Herscu “Provings.”
Clearly, the methodology of H. was not strictly followed, but REPLACED
by methodology of Jeremy Sherr, Paul Herscu and J.T. Kent.
The section The group proving gives us even more unsettling overview of
the methodology:
“…There appears to be a teletherapeutic effect produced by the field
generated by the assembled provers, their experiences being in resonance. The
whole group is involved and those members who have not taken the remedy may be
as affected as those that have.
This means that the use of control provers who are given placebo is not
possible as they are also likely to prove the remedy. Because of the group’s
field effect It also means there is no need to repeat the dose if symptoms do
not occur immediately…”
So, in other words, the observation is, that regardless of whether the
person is taking placebo or remedy, their symptoms will be the symptoms of the
remedy.
How is this possible? A clue might be gained by the section The Proving:
“This stimulus, perhaps because it is amplified by the many
co-experiencers, and is ‘reawakened’ at monthly gatherings when experiences are
recounted, is sufficient to produce long range effects.”
It I understand it correctly, provers actually exchange experiences
about the remedy on a monthly basis. It is therefore clear that this
“teletherapeutic field” that mysteriously effects the group is simply
interaction between provers. The desire to succeed and to be special is one of
basic human traits. If other provers hear someone talking about interesting
transcendental experiences, you can bet that they will start experiencing
something similar.
Mind is a mysterious thing and if you rely on dreams and mental images
to give you the true meaning of an experience (things so easily influenced by
wanting to experience something special), your experiences will be shaped by
your interactions with other provers and by a wanting to experience something
special.
Interestingly, the proving starts with everyone talking about mental
images and impression immediately after taking the remedy. So, if one of the
provers knows the remedy (and some of them do, since in some of the proving
even the conductors of the provings take the remedy), this will set the tone of
the proving and reveal whatever “essence” the conductors of the proving want to
reveal.
This could also throw some light on another statement from the section
The Proving:
“ Results, of the initial provings, though portraying some symptom
pattern, did not convey the ‘shape’ of the remedy. Therefore, I sent some
pillules to Mariette Honig in Holland who carried out a similarly exhaustive,
yet, ultimately unilluminating, proving… However, the picture of the nosode
emerged with flying colours when in 1994 we carried out two group provings
amongst students at The School of Homoeopathy…”
Well this is now easy to understand. Is it possible, that the initial
provings followed a more strict protocol and the provers were not influenced by
experiences of other provers, so the results were “unilluminating”? Is it also
possible that once we get a group of provers that is influenced by the
gatherings, the symptoms will be more transcendental and more uniform? The
symptoms will be closer to the symptoms that the conductors of the proving want
to see rather than the real symptoms.
How else could we explain the phenomena that people taking placebo
experience the same symptoms as people taking the remedy? It has not been
observed in clinical trials and the control group taking placebo is used
effectively to disregard symptoms that are not caused by the remedy but are
caused by environmental effects.
We have two different experiences.
Experiences from properly conducted clinical trials that repeatedly show
that people taking placebo do not develop the symptoms of the remedy.
And we have “provings” following a different “method” which allows free
exchange of impressions on meetings, where some of the provers know the remedy
and where usually the proving does not include a control group taking placebo.
Both of these methods yield different results and while the results of
the clinical trials follow scientific protocol, and their results can be
rationally explained, the proving method of Misha Norland must introduce the
phenomena of “teletherapeutic fields” and “telepathy” and other mysterious
phenomena affecting other provers to explain the similarity of experience, when
the answer is quite simple.
If a group of people can have a free interaction and sharing of mental
and dream experiences, it is conceivable that vagueness of these phenomena can
be interpreted as having a similarity on a certain level. It is also
conceivable that if there is a sharing of experiences, people will consciously
or sub-consciously have a desire to experience something interesting leading to
similar experiences, dreams, etc.
Proving of the Dream Potency
Some of the problems with this proving are that the original potentized
substance are unknown.
A bigger problem however is, that out of a fairly small group of 15
provers only one was taking placebo. Out of 15 provers 10 were women, so it is
not surprising that
a common experience of the provers was, that they felt feminine.
Proving of Salix fragilis
Once again, the proving group is incredibly small and unbalanced. Out of
7 people, there is only 1 person taking placebo and interestingly enough, the
person taking the placebo is the only man in the group. Yes, all the provers
were women.
The worst problem is though that this starts as a meditative proving and
the “symptoms” of the only prover taking the placebo are taken into account as
well. To give you
an example of his mental stability, the symptom that was included was:
“During the proving my wife and I both experienced the presence of a ghost in
our house.“
This “symptom” was recorded in the proving despite the fact that the prover was
taking placebo and despite the fact that no other prover has experienced this.
So despite
a very dissimilar experience, it was recorded in the proving.
Proving of North Wales Slate (https://www.homeopathyschool.com/the-school/provings/slate/)
This “proving” is a dream proving, where the provers have recorded their
dreams which could be of value if the proving would not be supervised by the
very people who taking the remedy as well and might have influenced the
direction of the proving by sharing their experiences with the rest of the
group and even discussing the substance
the remedy was made of. Since the methodology is compromised in this
way, the symptoms gained from this “proving” are of little value.
I could go on discussing the problems in other provings conducted by
Misha Norland and the members of the School of Homeopathy, but I would present
only more and
more of the same evidence. Evidence being, that information gathered in
these provings should not be used in homeopathy, because it was gathered using
controversial
and questionable non – scientific methods which do not produce objective
information but may be largely influenced by the people conducting the proving.
Group and Proving Phenomena
To outline the method followed by Misha Norland and the School of
Homeopathy, let’s discuss the article Group and Proving Phenomena by Misha
Norland published in
The Homoeopath No.72.
“At the School we have achieved results using a variety of stimuli:
using material substance, by holding it, looking at it, meditating upon it, as
well as with the 30th to 200th potencies. We have invoked
group provings by one member ‘holding’ the concept/image of a thing.”
In other words, aside from actually taking the remedy, other approaches
are used. The “provers” either think about the substance, hold it or simply
look at it. That’s right, there’s no need to even take the remedy. Apparently
if you look, hold it or even think about it, you will experience this elusive
“essence” of the remedy. It is not surprising
that the “essences” of remedies gathered in this way prove the doctrine
of signatures. If you think about a falcon, or look at it, what other “images”
can you get than flying, freedom, good vision, clarity of sight, predator,
aggressivity, etc. Let us just compare the main ideas from the proving of Falco
peregrinus disciplinatus. The main ideas are: Freedom, Focused, Clear Vision,
Clarity, Above it all, Speed, Fierce and Passionate, Explosive anger, etc.
The proving has succeeded at simply brainstorming about the falcon and
proves nothing, except the fact that if you know what is the remedy proven and
you do a brainstorming session, results will be quite predictable. You will
get the same “essence” as you would think when you gather your thoughts
about the particular subject. In order to actually prove the remedy, and avoid
these brainstorming sessions, nothing else than the double blind trial will do.
When analyzing the provings done in such a way or with a more objectivity, you
can discern a lot of new information about the remedy, especially things you
would not suspect when thinking about the substance. There are plenty of
examples in the old literature. Symptoms are discovered that seem odd and seem
to have nothing to do with the original plant/animal/mineral, yet they are key
to a correct prescription.
A quote from the same article will give us some clues about why the
group of the provers experience similar things and why “essences” are closely
related to the original substance. “This stimulus, perhaps because it is
amplified by the many co-experiencers, and its ‘reawakening’ at monthly
‘gatherings’ when experiences are recounted,
is sufficient to produce long range effects“.
Not only do the provings contain people who know the original substance,
they can freely influence everyone in these monthly interactions, so that it is
made certain, that the proving will yield the desired result. There is no
mystery why even the people not taking the remedy are included in the proving
and experience similar symptoms. They are influenced by the recollection of
other people’s experiences and placebo effect takes over.
“In addition to following Jeremy’s [Sherr] proving methodology, we
record our experiences some minutes after beginning the proving. We get images
(such as black grave stones, waterfalls, orange flowers, and responses to these
images such as associated feelings, sensations or thoughts); feelings (such as
joy, sadness, and their responses such as smiling or weeping); sensations (such
as floating, burning, itching, and their responses such as restlessness or
scratching); thoughts and concepts which in turn may evoke images, feelings and
sensations. This then is our primary data. It would be in accordance with
tradition to say that proving responses are headed up by image at the top of a
natural hierarchy which proceeds down the levels, through thoughts to feelings
to sensations.”
It has been established by multiple provings, that the symptoms of the
remedy start manifesting some time after starting the proving. It can be
minutes, but usually takes hours and even days. It is debatable, whether all
the people were affected by the remedy just minutes after starting taking it,
or whether they are influenced by other factors, such as meal they have just
eaten, impressions of the day or actually knowing the proven substance and
wanting to experience something right away. This data is then used as the
primary data for the proving.
“Naturally I felt obliged to run a proving of placebo. You see, I had
speculated as to whether we were proving ourselves, our group psyche, whether a
group’s theme or themes would emerge. The result was that no theme emerged
within the group. This was a distinctly different experience from being under
the influence of the proving of a thing, where common imagery, feelings and
sensations dominate.”
No big surprise here. If provers know that they are taking a certain
remedy, especially a substance that they are familiar with (a well-known animal
or a plant) it is almost certain, that even before they start doing the
proving, they will have some mental images and preconceptions. It is then easy
to understand why these images are experienced in the provings, especially,
when simply “meditating” about the substance. Placebo (or an unknown substance)
would be a different thing. Proving where provers do not know what to expect
and when they cannot form a mental image of the substance they are proving. It
could be argued therefore, that emergence of an “image” about the remedy is
then actually a good indication that the proving is biased and its results
should not be used. This would be the case for nearly all the provings and
especially all the provings done by Misha Norland and the School of Homeopathy.
“A proving begins, in a literal sense, with the intention to prove a
thing, with it being imagined, identified, obtained, and possibly potentised…It
is common experience amongst provers that certain individuals … develop
symptoms which subsequently are confirmed as belonging to the proving before
anyone else had ‘taken’ the thing. I have parenthesised ‘taken’ because those
who meditate upon the thing come up with results which are no less pertinent.
Furthermore, we have found that those individuals within the group who wished
to remain outside of the proving have been unable to do so; they are
automatically included.”
This is true, the moment people know that something is about to be
proven, they will expect something to happen and if they even know which remedy
is going to be proven, they will form a mental image of the original
substance. It is then no mystery, that the moment they will think about
the proving, they will get the “right essence”.
“It is only matter that is bound to space and time. The immaterial
essence of the thing, actuated by the intention of the proving group
constellates the action field. … the thing that we are dealing with is essence,
spirit, … and is not bound within the constraints of space and time. Those who
key into it are part of it irrespective of distance or time;
they know it telepathically.” I would not call the phenomena telepathy.
It is simply thought and mental image. The moment you know the substance, the
mental image you form about the substance will determine your experiences. It
can be hardly called a telepathy. If I tell to a group of people to avoid at
all costs thinking about monkeys, they will not be able to stop thinking about
monkeys all the time.
Similar in proving an interesting substance. If I announce that at some
stage “condom” will be proved, guess what everyone will be thinking of? STDs,
condoms, pregnancy, AIDS, HIV, bubble, trapped inside of something… It is not
surprising that the proving of condom has “discovered” exactly these
“essences”.
“The spiritual dynamis of intention, having no material substance, is
not bound to either space or time. Should we accept this, then it follows that
proving experiences may not uncommonly predate a proving. However, the
experiencer would not know what to make of these experiences for they must be
held within the framework of the proving and given its context to make sense.” This
means, that the experiences are gathered even before the proving has begun and
before anyone has taken anything.
The summary of key points from modern “provings” can be summarized
thusly:
- taking the remedy is not necessary to experience the remedy
- it is not necessary for the proving to begin to start experience the
symptoms
- it does not matter if you take
placebo or not. You will experience valuable symptoms
- proving experiences are based
on telepathy.
In the researched opinion of P & W, that all information compiled by
the above methods, and called “Provings”, with its complete lack of scientific
protocol and a lack of H.ian compliance in which the data has been assembled,
negates the ‘worth’ of the information and should be discarded completely and
removed from Materia Medica’s
and Repertories immediately.
When did we as a specialist therapy, exchange science for telepathy and spirituality
and give away the foundation of credibility in modern homoeopathy? The only
conclusion that can be made is that the teachers, gurus and leading lights of
modernistic homoeopathy are not homoeopaths.
What defines a homoeopath? For the answer, and against the trend of
modern homoeopathic wisdom, we must look to the medical doctor, pharmacist, and
scientist upon whose research, the accurate prescriber and homoeopathic
physician should take his or her counsel from, in order to practice medicine properly.
Homoeopathy is a medical therapeutic specialty, and as such, needs these words
taken to heart.
Aphorism 285, 6th Edition, footnote”
A fundamental principle of the homoeopathic physician (which
distinguishes him from every physician of all older schools) is this, that he
never employs for any patient
a medicine, whose effects on the healthy human has not previously been
carefully proven and thus made known to him.
To prescribe for the sick on mere conjecture of some possible usefulness
for some similar disease or from hearsay “that a remedy has helped in such and
such a disease” –
such conscienceless venture the philanthropic homoeopathist will leave
to the allopath.
A genuine physician and practitioner or our art will therefore never
send the sick to any of the numerous mineral baths, because almost all are
unknown so far as their accurate, positive effects on the healthy human
organism is concerned, and when misused, must be counted among the most violent
and dangerous drugs. In this way, out of a thousand sent to the most celebrated
of these baths by ignorant physicians allopathically uncured and blindly sent
there perhaps one or two are cured by chance more often return only apparently
cured and the miracle is proclaimed aloud. Hundreds, meanwhile sneak quietly
away, more or less worse and the rest remain to prepare themselves for their
eternal resting place, a fact that is verified by the presence of numerous
well-filled graveyards surrounding the most celebrated of these spas.*
* A true homoeopathic physician,
one who never acts without correct fundamental principles, never gambles with
the life of the sick entrusted to him as in a lottery where the winner is in
the ratio of 1 to 500 or 1000 (blanks here consisting of aggravation or death),
will never expose any one of his patients to such danger and send him for good
luck to a mineral bath, as is done so frequently by allopath’s in order to get
rid of the sick in an acceptable manner spoiled by him or others.
Homoeopaths today. Should read and re-read this directive. It defines
what a homoeopath is and what a person claiming to be is or is not. To give a
MEDICINE to someone require intimate knowledge of it’s accurately,
scientifically researched, and reproducible symptom producing capabilities.
In releasing the provings, as conducted, upon the homoeopathic medical
community, Misha Norland has joined the ranks of pseudo homoeopaths, and his
provings, along with other modern guru’s, are putting the lives of patients in
danger EXACTLY in the manner as described by H.
Unfortunately, Nakhira died, because she did not receive the treatment
she deserved. This outcome of this case resulted in a world-wide criticism of
homeopathy.
We offer no criticism of the individual other than the practitioner
claims to be a homoeopath and follows H.ian standards. This is clearly NOT the
case and needs to be stated publically, and real practitioners of Homoeopathy
distance themselves from this type of practise.
Giving a prescription of a medicine, unknown to the practitioner, and
without a proper proving, and with the unfortunate outcome, should have been
warning enough to cease with the non H.ian and scientific protocols in his own
flawed attempts to establish the action of substances for homoeopathic use.
As H. states: “A true homoeopathic physician, one who never acts without
correct fundamental principles, never gambles with the life of the sick
entrusted to him as in a lottery where the winner is in the ratio of 1 to 500
or 1000 (blanks here consisting of aggravation or death), will never expose any
one of his patients to such danger.”
Elemental levels of being, including Ether
The idea of correspondence between heaven and earth was central to the
alchemists. “As above, so below” is the primary statement of The Emerald Tablet
of Hermes, a seminal text of the alchemical tradition.
‘As it is above’ – the journey of spirit into Earthly form
1. Etheric energy – is immaterial, revealing itself through non-verbal,
telepathic resonance, and takes form as intuition.
2. Elemental Fire – almost immaterial, the energy of combustion, heat
and light, reveals itself to us as images.
3. Elemental Air – dense enough to fly in, reveals itself as thoughts.
These are products of the intellect, representing our discriminative awareness
‘playing over’ our experiences and memories. Also communication
of information and ideas, language
and speech conveyed through air.
4. Elemental Water – yet denser, to swim in, reveals itself as feelings.
These inform us of our likes and dislikes. Many memories, especially habits of
preference, are ‘held’ at this level.
5. Elemental Earth – solid, to build with, reveals itself as sensations.
These are experienced in the body directly by the five senses. Primal memories
are also ‘held’ at this level. Physical pathology is the final
outcome of derangements of the above
elemental levels.
‘So it is below’ – spirit grounded in matter
1st level – Elemental Ether
Elemental Ether is apprehended as direct, non-verbal experience. Like a
telepathic resonance, Ether is related more to the ‘vibrating fields of energy’
referred to by quantum physicists, than to matter. At the Etheric
level we experience directly what is there. In the therapeutic setting,
it is understood to arise out of the ‘seed-state’ of the disease and
communicates its primal being, its disease signature spontaneously. This is
analogous to a remedy’s signature, which is expressed by the substance’s
experience of being what it is. This is of course, the ‘like cures like’
principle in action – more than that; it is why homeopathy works – because
signatures of substances and diseases match up in their original seed states,
as “vibrating fields of energy”. In health, Elemental Ether manifests as
intuitions and clairvoyance and gives us insights into these interior seed
states. In diseases these are the very features that we are in search of. We
often get gestures from this level (that is from Etheric energy manifesting in
lower levels), and images (from Etheric energy manifesting in the 2nd level of
Fire).
2nd level – Elemental Fire
Elemental Fire links to images. It is chiefly through intuition and
clairvoyance (literally, ‘clear vision’) that spirit mediated through the
Etheric level, unhesitatingly expressing itself in Elemental Fire as image.
This can be seen because Fire illuminates, as well as heats. The heating
aspect is related to passion and desire, such as are enacted in religious
rituals, where the holy image is revealed upon the altar, and participants
reconnect with spirit. There is an equally compelling sexual expression, where
the imagery is erotic. This aspect of passion (Fire) is easy to market and
exploit in our society where attention is focused upon the material world. It
is also in the form of images that many experiences and their associated
sensations and feelings are stored as pictorial memories. References to images
are mostly found in the Repertory in dreams, fears, delusions and delirium
sections. Here the boundaries of consciousness and sub-consciousness are
blurred. Our dreams ‘speak to us’ in pictures, while we literally talk in
images whenever we use a simile or a poetic analogy. In drawings, especially
children’s fantasy sketches, images abound. They are also expressed in adult’s
doodles when exacting attention upon an object’s form is quiescent. As with
dreams their significance can be revealed using association and imaginative
amplification. It is primarily through images that intuition, clairvoyance and
the spirit world manifest to us.
Intuition and clairvoyance?
Differentiate by reason. This leads to the next level.
3rd level – Elemental Air
Elemental Air links to thoughts. These are products of the intellect,
that discriminative faculty which decides that something is this and not that.
Examples of malfunction include confusion, being lost in thought, deviations of
memory and dyslexic communication. Delusions and delirium states give rise to
distorted thoughts and confused awareness, while clear thinking helps us stay
in touch with, and navigate according to ‘the higher purposes of our existence’
as stated in paragraph 9 in H.’s Organon.
Once we have established the truth of our intuition, we can respond
appropriately, that is, in the way of Homo sapiens (thinking humans), and then
cross the threshold (with human confidence) into the more primitive,
survival-oriented, world of feelings. Feelings ascertain whether a thing suits
us or not, whether we wish to accept it or not. This function has been
developed and championed by animals.
4th level – Elemental Water
Elemental Water links to feelings that arise in response to energy,
sensations, thoughts and their associated images and memories. Our empathetic
resonance with each other and with animals is a feeling response brought to us
by Elemental Ether. Feelings include love, joy, rage, grief, jealousy,
isolation – they manifest as emotion giving rise to actions (primary emotion).
When suppressed, emotions turn inwards upon themselves (secondary or
compensated state). Secondary feelings and emotions are complex derivations of
the primary, uncompensated source – this can make them difficult to navigate
and of lesser value to the prescriber.
Just as intuition mediated by thinking and feeling, takes care of the
soul, so instincts take care of the body. Instincts are experienced as
sensations which in turn drive actions and gestures. The organs of locomotion
and in humans, the hands, are directly expressive of instinctive will and of
feelings as emotions. I like to imagine that the energy
‘E’ of feelings plus motion equals e-motion. For this reason, gestures
and body language are worthy of the case receiver’s closest attention.
5th level – Elemental Earth
Elemental Earth is experienced in the body physically as sensations,
directly by the senses or indirectly through body memories. Sensations include
descriptions of pain, such as clawing, shattered, as well as experiences of the
other organs of sense, such as reeling, red, shrill, sour or putrid.
The material level or corporeal Earth is where the five different
elements all meet and manifest. As they play out into the body, if each is not
balanced, physical pathology is the result, its exact expression depending upon
the imbalance of the different elements.
Group and dream provings and the five elemental levels
Increasingly, work has been done over the last twenty years in the field
of dream provings in group settings. Here, remedies’ effects are noted
specifically at level 2 (images). At the School of Homeopathy, we have
regularly carried out full H.ian group provings since the early 90′s.
Obviously, provers respond according to their individual susceptibility, but
those who do not take the pill and are susceptible, are also affected. This is
best explained by supposing that the entire group resonate with the energy via
the etheric field (level 1) of the remedy. We allow the group to sit
with their experiences after taking, or not taking the pill. Within the first
minutes susceptible individuals experience sensations (level 5) and images
(level 2). Usually, it is only later that thoughts arise and emotions are felt.
In other words, image and sensation are the primary data. We will return to
this finding later, when we discuss what is most useful in receiving and
analysing a case.
On potency selection
Of particular value to the prescriber is the relationship of the
elemental levels to potency. Of course there are other considerations which may
modify this choice. At the very least, we should note the cautionary injunction
to lower potency where there is frank physical pathology threatening the well
being of the patient. As Elizabeth Hubbard-Wright has written, “Do not blow the
fuse with too high a voltage!”
We will begin our series starting with Elemental level 1: Ether, (MM and
CM potencies), where spiritual influx directly informs matter, and move through
to 5: Earth,
(mother tincture and low potencies). We will be using the potency scale
that was first propounded by Kent in reverse order. We are choosing this
because it is the most familiar.
Level 1: elemental Ether, harmonise with the highest potencies MM and
CM. Here the expression is instantly of spirit-energy into matter-body.
Children and vital, un-medicated old people often operate at this level and
respond well to remedies at the highest potencies. These may also be of service
in the most acute situations, such as a life/death encounter, where maximum
energy must be expended for survival, no matter what the later repair cost may
be to the organism. For instance, a high fever in a child may give rise to
convulsions and destruction of innumerable brain cells, in the process of
vanquishing invading bacteria. This expression of disease is direct and
uncompensated. We see and intuitively recognise the signature.
Level 2: elemental Fire, also do well on high potencies: 10M and above.
Elemental Fire communicates in images; intuitions are rendered visible, and as
in the case of ether, the person experiences the world spontaneously. When
questioning about a thing, they want to ascertain, “where did ‘it’ came from?
Where is ‘it’ going?” They often see things in terms of connections. In health,
they are passionate, ardent and motivated. If they are sexually active, then
this expression is direct and uncompensated, likewise their connection with
spirit is direct. HEAT (passion) and LIGHT (image) are the key concepts.
Level 3: elemental Air, do well on medium to high potencies: 200c to
10M. Elemental air is primarily associated with thinking – seeking knowledge
through discrimination - working out that something is this and not that. They
often ask, “what is ‘it’? How can I understand ‘it’?” They instinctively view
things in terms of concepts and theories. This is not to say that they are
necessarily gifted analysts, for stupidity and wisdom are no more than the –
and + of a similar attribute. The dark side of elemental air, because it
operates by division and subtraction (from the elemental Fire above it, where
intuitions give rise to instant illumination), manifests in delusions of death,
of separation, of fears and terrors, of the various realms of hell. In these
instances communication (a primary Air function) breaks down and feelings of
isolation predominate. COLD (as in
cold reason, cold hearted, emotionally indifferent) and DARK (as in
unconscious) are key concepts.
Level 4: elemental Water, do well on lower potencies: 200c and below.
Elemental Water is primarily associated with feeling. These patients
instinctively seek meaning by dissolving and merging; they exhibit alternating
and varied moods and their lives are led by their emotions. They want to
ascertain, “does ‘it’ suit me or not? Do I accept
‘it’ or not?” LIQUID or FLUID is the key-concept.
Level 5: elemental Earth, do well on low potencies: 30c to mother tinct.
They want to ascertain, “is ‘it’ really there? Is ‘it’ a fact? What is ‘it’
called?” SOLID and
FIXED are the key concepts.
LM potencies, starting low, begin to act at Earth level 5.
Regarding modalities: marked modalities indicate a dynamic vital
response, in respect of accepting or rejecting. These indicate a level 4 –
Water response.
Therefore, whichever lower (than third) level a patient is on, their
particular potency may be raised by a level. For instance, a patient with only
physical symptoms and fixed attitudes who has a very marked food aggravation
and time modality, may, on the basis of this, receive a potency higher than 30
C, say a 200 C potency. The obverse of this rule also applies. For example, a
patient operating at Level 3 , an ‘air headed’, intellectual type with marked
separation issues, fears and so forth, but displaying minimal modalities, would
respond to a correspondingly lower potency, instead of 1M, say 200 C.
Extracted from Miasms, Signatures, AIDS:
We will summarise our observations on the miasms and develop a
sequential model of miasms based upon their evolution in pace and depth of
invasion. We will begin by recapitulating H.’s three miasms:-
1st miasm, Psora – eruption of the skin, which, if
suppressed, becomes the developmental platform for all further disease. Psora
has the fastest development from contagion
to initial symptom production, but slowest overall evolution of chronic
disease.
2nd miasm, Sycosis – relatively quick development
from contagion to initial symptoms and medium-paced overall evolution of
chronic disease. Here the infectious agent, the gonococcus, inflames the mucous
membranes of the urinary-generative tract before penetrating more deeply into
the organism, typically developing iritis, rheumatism, warts and heart valve
disease.
3rd miasm, Syphilis – slowest development (a
protracted dormant phase) followed by fast overall evolution of chronic
disease. Here the infectious agent, the spirochete, destroys the interior of
the cell, eventually attacking the most interior structures: the bones and
central nervous system.
H.’s triad is fundamental and sufficient for an understanding of the
further miasms posited by us and other homeopaths. It has to be understood that
H.’s definition has been extended to include the taints of non-infectious,
non-venereal diseases which are nonetheless transmitted by inheritance (genetic
mutation), weakening the inherent susceptibility of the constitution.
Miasms are:
Tubercular miasm – a mixture of Syphilis and Psora;
Cancer miasm
– a mixture of Sycosis and Syphilis;
AIDS miasm
– a mixture of Psora and Syphilis.
From a historical perspective, tuberculosis (famously a 19th century
disease), cancer (which escalated rapidly in the 20th century) and
AIDS (currently escalating, especially in Africa) have followed on each other’s
tails over the last 200 years.
Rajan Sankaran’s miasm map is similar to this one. It differs primarily
at the front end, ‘unpacking’ the Psoric miasm into Acute, Typhoid, Ringworm
and Malarial miasms, while then it conforms, with Sycotic being followed by
Cancer, Tubercular, and Leprous (which overlaps AIDS miasm). Sankaran places the
Syphilitic miasm last in the series, while this model has Syphilis as one of
H.’s first three miasms and subsequent miasms as mixtures of the first three.
Sankaran’s concept of miasms (while elegant as well as practical) is different
from the concept underlying the model in this book. For Sankaran, the miasms
represent the pace, depth and desperation to which the vital sensation
(uncompensated state) is experienced in any disease.
Miasms and signatures in three nosodes of mixed miasmatic character
Tuberculinum is associated with restless discontent. This situation
might arise for an individual who feels trapped in a restrictive and inimical
environment. His best option, given the suffocative feelings that he
experiences, is to break free. Once he has done so, he usually feels that there
is no going back – it is an irrevocable declaration of adolescent dissent.
These assertions, give their destructive nature, are primarily driven by the
Syphilitic aspect of the miasm. Tuberculosis is derived from a disease that
typically arises in populations and societies that have been dispossessed.
Their fixed posture, their stuck place, is that their home, land and culture
have been irrevocably lost. Therefore, they are restlessly searching for a new
resting-place, but cannot find it. This severance from the protective home is
essentially a Psoric expression, characterised
by forsaken feeling, poverty and longing. It has been altered by violent
upheavals such as war and famine, giving the typically Syphilitic modulation
for which Tuberculosis
is known.
Carcinosin is associated with suppression of ego drives – the ‘unlived
life’ syndrome which so often underpins the cancer patient’s story, the Psoric
note – and striving for conformity (in this respect demonstrating its
relationship with Lac humanum, human milk). In children, an
uncompensated state often prevails, typified by difficult, contrary and defiant
behaviour, while in adults, a suppressed state typified by fastidiousness and
well-mannered behaviour is usually seen. It is common for patients requiring
Carcinosin, should they be fastidious, to express it as a drive for matching
things.
The nosode is derived from diseased tissue which is characterised by
overabundant proliferation of cells of one type, like bricks in a wall. The
cells represent a monomania
of conformity. Cancers are only limited because their unruly
proliferation destroys the host organism. Sycosis is the leading miasm, in the
sense that the desire for more and more is expressed by the unruly growth of
the tumour, with strong Syphilitic (destructive) tendencies.
We have projected our carcinogenic patterns into the world around us,
for is not a vast monocultured field of one species of plant a perfect
expression of a cancer? On a molecular level, the monomers that make up many
plastics are similar to tumours, being macro-molecules made up of smaller
molecules that seamlessly join themselves up in three dimensional structures.
Used for everything from food packaging to furniture, plastics are cheap, ubiquitous
and manufactured in vast quantities. The children’s toy, Lego, which enjoys
such universal appeal, is made of plastic bricks. Lego-land housing estates
designed with standardised computer programs are also an expression of the
conformity of the cancer miasm. Mass communication has granted certain TV
programmes worldwide popularity, providing the basis for common thinking and
responding. Conformity, wherever it rules, belongs to the cancer miasm, while
when the note is that of invading personal boundaries, keeping you glued to the
screen against your better judgement, and then the Aids miasm is invoked.
Aids: The AIDS nosode is associated with boundary issues: keeping what
is in, in; and what is out, out. The disease is characterised by a complete breakdown
of the immune system.
In health, the vital force through the medium of the immune system
reacts homeostatically to morbific influences, throwing them off: keeping what
is out, out. Examples on the physical level are acute displays such as fevers,
discharges, diarrhoea and pus. Examples on an emotional level include shouting,
hitting, moaning and tears. However, should the individual become encumbered by
disease through a deficiency of acute responses, due to miasmic predisposition,
social suppression or drug use, and then chronic disease will settle in. In
this aspect, the AIDS nosode, because it is failing to externalise, is similar
to Carcinosin. Underpinning both nosodes is the ubiquitous Psoric influence.
The relationship between AIDS nosode and Lac humanum is noteworthy. In
Rajan Sankaran’s provings of Lac humanum, as in the AIDS proving, themes of
houses, self-loathing and rejection came prominently into the foreground. Not
surprisingly, milk and blood have features in common. Milk is derived from
blood. As blood circulates through the body, it ‘touches’ every cell, bringing
to mind the AIDS nosode theme of belonging and its opposite of feeling outcast.
The key common theme of AIDS nosode and Lac humanum is relationships, how we
nurture and how we touch or don’t touch. Part of the Lac humanum idea is ‘good
mother, bad mother’ (partly because the mother’s influence helps to socialise
us); the AIDS idea is that of blood brothers, ‘good brother, bad brother’ –
trust and its opposite, betrayal. Blood brothers can be a group or tribe, like
the gay community. However, gay anal sex involves touching blood in a
potentially disease-creating way.
In Lac humanum, the central issue revolves around individuality versus
conforming to the group; self-interest versus helping others; going off and
doing one’s own thing versus staying at home and attending to family
obligations. The opposite of Lac humanum’s individuality theme is universality.
This, as we have already posited, is similar to the AIDS theme: “I flow into
you and you flow into me.” The opposite of Carcinosin’s theme of conformity is
“I shall not do what you want of me – get out of my space!” The opposite of
AIDS’ theme of no barriers is “I am completely separate from you”.
As Lac humanum is about the price of individuality, Carcinosin is
primarily about the price of conformity, and AIDS is about the complete
breakdown of defences and barriers. The key concept of AIDS is chronic weakness
at the boundary. The positive outcome is freedom to experience love, while the
negative is feeling excluded, rejected, isolated.
Following the theme of blood brothers, the ideal of the Aquarian age is
the brotherhood of humankind. Here the barriers between us are dismantled and
we learn to provide
for each other. The ‘Global Village’ ideal of fair play and fair trade
becomes established. We come to understand the implications of sharing the
planet’s resources: the air
that we breathe, the oceans, and the land. We share the information of
all nations via optical and electronic means. What we do and think is
transmitted via satellites into our homes, providing us with the choice of
staying in touch, and staying in agreement with one another. This
democratisation of information could result in a giant step in human evolution.
On the negative side we note that the collapse of the immune defence
system is mirrored in world ecology by such phenomena as the ozone hole. The
analogy rests upon the fact that a healthy upper atmosphere acts as a barrier
to harmful radiation. Ecological homeostasis gone awry, as evidenced by the
current crisis of global warming, is another aspect of the AIDS miasm – the
biosphere heats up because it cannot let out enough of the heat it absorbs. The
barrier has become too impermeable. (The homeopathic proving of Germanium
reveals a remedy with a similar theme. Peter Fraser suggests that Germanium is
to the AIDS miasm, what Sulphur is to the Psoric miasm, or Thuja is to the
Sycotic.) On a smaller scale, the rampant diseases of crops in a monoculture are
similar to immune system breakdown. They are combated by agricultural chemicals
in a manner which is mirrored by multiple drug therapies employed in the
conventional treatment of AIDS related diseases.
Increasingly, crops are being genetically engineered to confer selective
resistance to pests and herbicides. Genetic engineering, like HIV, subverts not
only the barrier of the cell but its very centre, the nucleus, and thus may be
immediately recognised as related to the AIDS miasm. In a healthy ecology, plants,
bacteria, insects and animals interact for the benefit of the whole. This
wide-ranging symbiosis represents a ‘make love, not war’ attitude in nature.
The barriers protecting individual species remain intact because they are not
threatened by the overcrowding of monocultures. In human terms, any war where
land boundaries are breached is an expression of the Aids miasm, as is personal
abuse, whether sexual or other abuse, because the boundary of the self has been
violated.
It is worthy of note that AIDS was becoming rampant in 1983, when Pluto
had entered Scorpio, an event associated with plagues by some astrologers. We
could unpack the meaning of this slow-moving astrological configuration as
personal and ancestral shit hitting the fan! During this period the world was
uncovering child abuse. Also around this time, Chiron, the asteroid associated
by astrologers with wounding and healing, was discovered. The primary
significance of Chiron could be summed up in the phrase, “suffering is the
passport”. As a colleague, Ian Marrs, put it, “the flaw is the floor”. In other
words, the wound forms the basis on which healing can take place. The wound of
the AIDS miasm is also the foundation of its healing – the breakdown of the
barrier allows love to come in.
The proving of the AIDS nosode
The proving was undertaken initially in 1988 using single doses in
either the 30th or 200th centesimal potencies of the blood of a man who
subsequently died of AIDS-related diseases. Results of the initial provings,
though portraying some symptom patterns, did not convey the ‘shape’ of the
remedy. Therefore, some pillules were sent to Mariette Honig in Holland who
carried out a similarly exhaustive proving. The verified symptoms of these
provings have been included in the extraction presented. However, the picture
of the nosode emerged with flying colours when in 1994 we carried out two group
provings with students at The School of Homeopathy. One group received 3 C and
the other 200c.
At the School we have carried out all our provings with unit doses. This
stimulus, because it is amplified by the group and reawakened at monthly
gatherings when experiences are recounted, is sufficient to produce significant
and long-range effects.
During the course of the School weekend (Friday through to Sunday) we
took stock of thoughts, dreams, sensations, feelings and external world events,
using transcripts of tape recordings to ensure accuracy, and diaries kept by
supervisors and provers. Audio recording spanned a period of three months, while
some reports of cured symptoms continued to come in for the next two years.
Major themes in the proving
Because the AIDS nosode is a relatively new remedy, insufficient
clinical evidence exists as to the ‘AIDS type’ of patient. However, some
consistent themes emerged, many with strong motifs of boundaries (houses,
walls, rooms, shell, contamination, popping seeds and bubbles), rejection, and
isolation:
Content. Serene. Relaxed. Confident. Elated.
Sensation of things coming out; of flying gently, of floating, of being
uplifted; of love and companionship for everyone; of growth, of blossoming.
Playful. Remembered childhood.
Expansive. Extravagant.
Wanton. Invulnerable. Reckless.
Sympathetic. Sensitive.
Massive. Passive. Slow. Can’t be bothered.
Fragile. Weak. Exposed. Shy. Dependent. Can’t cope.
Confused. Forgetful. Making mistakes. Concentration difficult.
Restless. Frustrated. Irritable. Easily offended. Insensitive. Violent.
Desire to kill.
Feeling rejected; “… does not belong”; “… felt excluded, lied to”;
outcast.
Feeling betrayed. Suspicious. Persecuted.
Withdrawn. Wants to be alone. Isolated.
Frightened. Loss of identity.
Loss of protection/shell/wall. “I felt that I had lost my wall and my
shell, and there was a free flow of emotions both in and out. I was exposed,
almost naked, with no control.” “… uninterrupted flow between self and group”.
Feeling contaminated and fear of contaminating others (always washing).
Self-loathing.
Responsibility for others; responsibility for children.
Left-sidedness.
Curative response to the remedy proving
I think the curative action of the proving [of the AIDS nosode] is that
I did have a sense of feeling that I belonged with people that I had never had
before. I had always felt like I was outside and unacceptable, so all the
while, whilst I might look like I was part of the group, I actually felt myself
on the outside.
The night of the proving, I slept really well, like I haven’t slept in
ages. Very comfortably. I remember my dreams were very colourful, I remember a
whole load of flowers. [A number of provers in the initial stages of the
proving reported images of flowers and seeds.] Usually my dreams are very
unlike that, basically very dark, very violent, as if there is something
following me, there is blackness and I don’t know what is going on. Constant
nightmares rather than dreams. The nightmares have completely stopped. And one
more thing that has stopped is that I no longer always feel crushed, like there
is a heavy weight and as if I am being sexually tortured in some way.
And the other thing that went after the proving, is a lot of anal
bleeding and vaginal pain, which I realise dates back to tearing.
I don’t throw up when people hug me. It’s quite an advantage actually,
it’s kind of detrimental to relationships! But yes, I used to be very nauseous
around touch and my osteopath really noticed it, that she was able to work on
me much more. Before I would have a delayed reaction to the session. Over time
we had found a way of working but I would still vomit afterwards, maybe even a
day later.
I feel a bit like a small child. I think before, I felt that there was
this small child in this adult’s body, screaming its head off to be heard. That
was one of the things I felt I carried, this giant scream around in me all the
time. I don’t have that now. I guess it’s the difference between vulnerable and
open. I feel like a more open small child who will be able to receive and take
things; whereas before, I just felt completely vulnerable, and terrified,
making sure that I kept people out, and yet desperately wanting to be in
contact with them as well.
Dream themes
For the provers of the AIDS nosode the most striking and reoccurring
image to appear, particularly in dreams, was the form of a house. More than
half of the dreamers had this. This image was reiterated in many different
configurations and can be used to describe the wider picture of the remedy. We
will offer interpretations of this imagery
when we come to it towards the end of the proving. Dream themes
included:
Huge houses, vast rooms, small outside, huge within;
Houses or things richly ornate, jewelled, gold, beautiful interiors,
colours stunning and rich;
Big, grand houses, ornate, ramshackle or both;
Staircases and corridors;
Wood, metal, water;
Colour: red;
Violence;
Panic;
Responsibility;
Anger, irritability;
Fear;
Teeth;
Snow;
Septic state;
Children;
Transport, travelling, buses, cars, trains, airports, bus station, train
station;
Lots of people/being busy/rushing about.
Vorwort/Suchen. Zeichen/Abkürzungen. Impressum.