19/13/2015 Anthroposophical Medicine. 2 Anthroposophical medicine is an extension of conventional...

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Anthroposophical Anthroposophical MedicineMedicine

Anthroposophical MedicineAnthroposophical Medicine 22

• Anthroposophical medicine is an extension of conventional medical practice rather than an alternative.

• As an approach, it aims to treat the body as well as the mind, soul and spirit.


•Founded by Founded by Rudolf SteinerRudolf Steiner (1861-(1861-1925)1925) in co-operation with in co-operation with Ita Ita WegmanWegman (1876-1943).(1876-1943).

• It It "seeks to unite the spiritual "seeks to unite the spiritual element in the human being with the element in the human being with the spiritual element in the universe"spiritual element in the universe". .


In anthroposophy, illness is In anthroposophy, illness is not a chance occurrence of not a chance occurrence of mechanical breakdown, but mechanical breakdown, but rather something rather something intimately connected to the intimately connected to the biography of the human biography of the human being. being.


Anthroposophical medicine Anthroposophical medicine rests on these premises:rests on these premises:

•Every human being is a Every human being is a unique individual and needs unique individual and needs to be treated accordingly.to be treated accordingly.

•Scientific, artistic and Scientific, artistic and spiritual insights may need to spiritual insights may need to be applied together in be applied together in restoring health. restoring health.


Anthroposophical medicine rests Anthroposophical medicine rests on these premiseson these premises contd..contd..

• Life has meaning and purpose. Life has meaning and purpose. The loss of this sense is often The loss of this sense is often reflected in a deterioration of reflected in a deterioration of general health.general health.

• Illness may provide Illness may provide opportunities for positive change opportunities for positive change and new balance in our lives. and new balance in our lives.


TThe Anthroposophical picture of he Anthroposophical picture of man as a four-fold organismman as a four-fold organism


•Man has a Man has a physicalphysical body as any body as any other lifeless object from the other lifeless object from the mineral kingdom.mineral kingdom.

•This physical body would This physical body would actually disintegrate if an actually disintegrate if an organisation of opposing forces organisation of opposing forces did not keep it together. did not keep it together. Anthroposophy calls this Anthroposophy calls this organisation of formative forces organisation of formative forces the life-body, or the life-body, or ethericetheric body.body.


Plants root in the earth and Plants root in the earth and grow towards heaven; they grow towards heaven; they are enlivened beings that go are enlivened beings that go against gravity in their against gravity in their growth process. growth process. We find the We find the physicalphysical body and the body and the etheric-bodyetheric-body exclusively exclusively togethertogether in living nature in in living nature in the plant kingdom.the plant kingdom.


Animals, like man, have feelings, Animals, like man, have feelings, urges, desires, experiences - all of urges, desires, experiences - all of which are lacking in plants. The which are lacking in plants. The organ that makes this organ that makes this consciousness consciousness possible ispossible is the the soul soul or the or the astral astral bodybody..


The human being with his The human being with his self-consciousness self-consciousness goes beyond the animal. He can think, he can goes beyond the animal. He can think, he can imagine, can voluntarily remember, act freely, imagine, can voluntarily remember, act freely, can be creatively active, etc. Through the little can be creatively active, etc. Through the little word word 'I''I' man distinguishes himself from man distinguishes himself from animals. The human being has an animals. The human being has an EgoEgo as the as the fourth, supersensible member of his being. fourth, supersensible member of his being.


• The super-sensible bodies intimately The super-sensible bodies intimately penetrate the processes and organs of penetrate the processes and organs of the physical body during life. the physical body during life.

• These four members of man's being are These four members of man's being are especially related to the four traditional especially related to the four traditional elements, respectively to elements, respectively to EarthEarth, , WaterWater, , AirAir and and FireFire, we can influence these , we can influence these bodies through the balance of the four bodies through the balance of the four elements interweaving in the physical elements interweaving in the physical body.body.


Three-Fold ManThree-Fold Man

If we look at the human body we If we look at the human body we can distinguish three functional can distinguish three functional systems, of which two can be seen systems, of which two can be seen as diametrically opposed, polar as diametrically opposed, polar opposite energy centres, with a third opposite energy centres, with a third unifying force that balances them. unifying force that balances them. Each system permeates the whole Each system permeates the whole body but has its main centre of body but has its main centre of activity in a particular region.activity in a particular region.


• The The nerve-sensenerve-sense systemsystem with its with its main concentration at the head pole, main concentration at the head pole, though its functions extend right to though its functions extend right to the tips of the fingers and toes.the tips of the fingers and toes.

• The The metabolic-limbmetabolic-limb systemsystem mainly mainly working in the lower part of man at working in the lower part of man at the abdominal pole.the abdominal pole.

• The The rhythmic systemrhythmic system in the middle, in the middle, concentrated in the lung-heart area, concentrated in the lung-heart area, but extending throughout the body but extending throughout the body via the circulation of the blood.via the circulation of the blood.


Attributes of three Attributes of three regionsregions

1. The Nerve-sense system1. The Nerve-sense system

2. The Metabolic-Limb System2. The Metabolic-Limb System

3. The Rhythmic system3. The Rhythmic system


1.1. The Nerve-sense system The Nerve-sense system

• The environment predominantly acts upon The environment predominantly acts upon the nerve-sense system. Nerve tissue the nerve-sense system. Nerve tissue does not regenerate, and real growth as does not regenerate, and real growth as an expression of life hardly exists in this an expression of life hardly exists in this area; it is the most dead part of the area; it is the most dead part of the human body. human body.

• This system is the basis of conscious This system is the basis of conscious working life that continually erodes the life working life that continually erodes the life and vitality of the physical body. Should and vitality of the physical body. Should this region predominate we have this region predominate we have hardening, hardening, sclerotic illnessessclerotic illnesses, , conditions of old age.conditions of old age.


2. The Metabolic-Limb System2. The Metabolic-Limb System

This region exhibits warmth and This region exhibits warmth and movement. Movement, the movement. Movement, the action of muscles, and non-action of muscles, and non-visible movement, the visible movement, the transformation of substances transformation of substances (metabolism) is a part of it. (metabolism) is a part of it. Rather than passively taking in, Rather than passively taking in, as with the nerves and senses, as with the nerves and senses, this system actively transforms this system actively transforms and eliminates. and eliminates.


2. The Metabolic-Limb 2. The Metabolic-Limb SystemSystem contd..contd..

It also acts on the environment. It It also acts on the environment. It is very much alive. It rebuilds and is very much alive. It rebuilds and replenishes during sleep what the replenishes during sleep what the nerve-sense system destroys nerve-sense system destroys when awake. Should the when awake. Should the metabolic-limb system metabolic-limb system predominate we have predominate we have inflammatory illnessesinflammatory illnesses, , conditions more associated with conditions more associated with childhood.childhood.


3. The Rhythmic system3. The Rhythmic system

In the two polar opposites we see In the two polar opposites we see morbid tendencies, towards morbid tendencies, towards hardening and sclerosis on the one hardening and sclerosis on the one hand, and towards dissolution and hand, and towards dissolution and inflammation on the other. inflammation on the other. The The mediatormediator, which brings balance and , which brings balance and harmony to the potentially warlike harmony to the potentially warlike situation, is situation, is the rhythmic the rhythmic systemsystem, , the heartthe heart and and the lungsthe lungs. . The heart links the whole through The heart links the whole through circulation and the lungs through the circulation and the lungs through the breathing.breathing.


•Health is not an absence of Health is not an absence of inflammation or sclerosis - inflammation or sclerosis - but a delicate balance. but a delicate balance.

•The 'tendency' for illness is The 'tendency' for illness is there, but kept in balance. there, but kept in balance.

•The treatments attempt to The treatments attempt to restore the balance.restore the balance.


Pathology – Two Opposite Pathology – Two Opposite IllnessesIllnesses

• When physical and etheric forces When physical and etheric forces working in the metabolism gain the working in the metabolism gain the upper hand, upper hand, inflammatory or inflammatory or feverish conditionsfeverish conditions occur. occur.

• Illnesses of this kind are characteristic Illnesses of this kind are characteristic of childhood - for example measles of childhood - for example measles and chickenpox - and are regarded as and chickenpox - and are regarded as having an important influence in having an important influence in protecting the body from the protecting the body from the hardening effects of the nerve-sense hardening effects of the nerve-sense system, as well as strengthening the system, as well as strengthening the immune system.immune system.


Pathology – Two Opposite IllnessesPathology – Two Opposite Illnesses Contd…Contd…

• In contrast, In contrast, degenerative or sclerotic degenerative or sclerotic conditionsconditions are characteristic of the are characteristic of the second part of life. These are seen to occur second part of life. These are seen to occur when the waking activity of the nerve-when the waking activity of the nerve-sense system has been the dominant one sense system has been the dominant one over a long period of time. over a long period of time.

• These illnesses, which are often These illnesses, which are often accompanied by sleeplessness, anxiety accompanied by sleeplessness, anxiety and a subnormal temperature are and a subnormal temperature are considered to be connected to the general considered to be connected to the general intellectual culture of the present age.intellectual culture of the present age.


The two main kinds of illnessesThe two main kinds of illnesses


TreatmentTreatment

• AAnthroposophical medicine seeks to nthroposophical medicine seeks to understand a patient's illness in terms of understand a patient's illness in terms of the interrelationships between the ego, the interrelationships between the ego, astral body, etheric body and the physical astral body, etheric body and the physical body. body.

• The therapeutic aim is to influence the The therapeutic aim is to influence the activity of one or more of these elements activity of one or more of these elements in order to regain a healthy balance. in order to regain a healthy balance.


Treatment Contd…Treatment Contd…

The true "measure of man" is a The true "measure of man" is a universal measure belonging to the universal measure belonging to the whole of creation, where whole of creation, where "man has "man has the whole of the natural world in the whole of the natural world in him, and nature is an infinitely him, and nature is an infinitely differentiated human being"differentiated human being",, as as Paracelsus put it. Paracelsus put it.


TherapiesTherapies

• MedicinesMedicines

• Artistic TherapiesArtistic Therapies


•MedicinesMedicines are prepared from are prepared from substances taken from thesubstances taken from the mineralmineral, , plantplant or or animal kingdomanimal kingdom in which in which forces that counter-balance those of forces that counter-balance those of the particular illness may be found.the particular illness may be found.

• In order to strengthen these forces In order to strengthen these forces in the direction of one of the body's in the direction of one of the body's main functional systems, many main functional systems, many anthroposophically developed anthroposophically developed pharmaceutical processes are used. pharmaceutical processes are used.


• Artistic therapies also help the patient to participate actively in the process of restoring his or her own health.

• These therapies emphasize the need to bring unconscious feelings to outward expression.


•InIn conclusionconclusion,, one can say one can say that anthroposophical that anthroposophical medicine involves the medicine involves the collaboration of professionally collaboration of professionally trained trained doctors,doctors, nursesnurses,, therapiststherapists and and pharmacistspharmacists..


Anthroposophical Medical Society Anthroposophical Medical Society

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