Homeopathy—a primer
What is homeopathy?
German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) is widely considered the father of homeopathy, a system of medicine that saw its beginnings in Hahnemann’s experimentations with various medicinal substances and their effects on the human body. In 1796, Hahnemann described in writing the effects of ingesting quinine, a medicinal plant compound used to treat people sick with fever. Curiously, he noted that when he ingested the substance in his healthy state, it actually produced fever. Intrigued by this finding, he went on to catalogue many more experiments with various diluted substances, noting each time the unique set of symptoms that emerged. It’s important to note that medicine at this time had not yet conceived of the role of pathogens—so-called “germ theory” wouldn’t gain momentum until the 1890s. Thus the reliance on observing the expression of symptoms independent of etiology was paramount in the practice of medicine. The application of unique pattern recognition is a fundamental underpinning of the principle of homeopathy, and formed the basis of Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine, a philosophical framework and practical guide for physicians in understanding disease and in treating people according to their unique expressions of illness.
There are several key components to understanding homeopathic philosophy. The first of these is the concept of the vital force, or vis: a life-giving, animating, and homeostatic principle that can be related to the concept of Qi in Chinese medicine. Following this is the theory of “one disease”, which is to say that all illnesses arise from a disturbance in the vital force, generating a unique symptom picture based on a person’s predisposition, or susceptibility. In conventional terms, this susceptibility can be understood as an individual’s genetic makeup, or in relation to epigenetic influences on gene expression. Finally, the concept of how homeopathic medicines work in the human body is reflected in the word itself, which comes from the Greek ‘homoios’ and ‘patheia’, meaning ‘similar’ and ‘disease’, respectively. This “law of similars”, or the concept of “like cures like” is what Hahnemann discovered in his early experiments. The same substance which produces symptoms in a healthy person will actually alleviate those symptoms in an ill person, provided the list of symptoms for that particular medicine match the symptoms experienced by the individual. This is what is called a “proving”, and was how Hahnemann came to discover the medicinal properties of these substances. Homeopathy is thus a highly individualized system of medicine, relying on precise pattern recognition to find the most appropriate remedy: the “similimum”. Each remedy is catalogued and described in the homeopathic Materia Medica, and each possible head-to-toe symptom is listed in the homeopathic repertory, with corresponding remedies known to address those particular symptoms.
Homeopathy is frequently discredited as a “pseudoscience”, with detractors claiming that it lacks rigorous scientific backing and has not been adequately proven with an evidence-based methodology: that is, there are no randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies showing its efficacy, and it does not fit neatly into the biochemical mechanistic framework by which we assess pharmaceuticals, for instance. George Vithoulkas in The Science of Homeopathy, conceptualizes the vital force in terms of quantum physics, and goes on to claim that homeopathic principles and modern biochemical science are not mutually exclusive worldviews:
“During the past 250 years, a materialistic view of the universe gained steadily in the thinking of industrialized societies, and the vitalistic concept consequently fell into disrepute. The world came to be viewed by science as being completely explainable in purely mechanical terms. Biological sciences also adopted this viewpoint; thus vast amounts of information regarding physical and chemical functioning of the human body have been amassed. These data are true and correct. They do not contradict the idea of the vital force at all. Physical and chemical mechanisms are merely tools of the vital force acting upon the physical plane of the organism.” (pg 60)
How does homeopathy work?
Homeopathic remedies are substances initially dissolved in an alcohol/water combination and then serially diluted on a scale of 1/10, to the point where no trace of the actual molecule of the original substance remains. Instead, what is left is a sort of energetic imprint, which our current tools of measurement cannot detect. The evidence that these remedies are effective arises from the vast amount of clinically observed results from homeopaths around the world. Often dismissed as mere placebo, homeopathic remedies have yet proven effective when used on very young children as well as animals.
What conditions does homeopathy treat?
Homeopathy, at its very core, provides a gentle stimulus to the body to initiate its own innate healing response. It supports resilience and tolerance-building in a very safe and effective way. Because homeopathic remedies are virtually free of unwanted side effects, they can be used safely in people who are highly sensitive to standard doses of pharmaceutical drugs. Homeopathy can treat almost any condition, since it recognizes that individuals manifest symptoms of conditions very differently, and is tailored to these differences. Folks experiencing anxiety, depression, allergies, fevers, coughs, gastrointestinal issues, and nervous system disorders can benefit greatly from homeopathy. Often, homeopathy can provide relief for people who have seen no improvement in symptoms after countless doctor visits, diagnostic tests, and pharmaceutical interventions. Virtually any person with any complaint on the physical, mental, or emotional plane can be treated with homeopathy.
What does a homeopathic intake look like?
Some of the questions asked during an intake may seem strange and unrelated, but it’s important for the homeopath to see how your particular patterns are represented on the physical, mental, and emotional planes—so you’ll be asked questions that reflect all of these components. A typical homeopathic intake will last up to 2 hours, quite a bit longer and more thorough than your average visit to the doctor. This is to ensure that the remedy selected will be related as specifically as possible to your particular set of symptoms. Homeopaths aim to treat the whole individual based on their totality of symptoms, in order to avoid the overly reductionistic one-size-fits-all approach. Most times, once the proper remedy has been selected and administered to you (typically in the form of a few small pellets dissolved under the tongue), you will begin to notice a shift in your symptoms right away. Often, the process will continue to unfold over a period of two weeks to a month, but with noticeable changes occurring within the first few days to one week. Your homeopath will have you follow up periodically to monitor your progress.
Homeopathy is a safe, effective, and powerful tool to help stimulate your body’s natural ability to heal itself. This unique and elegant system of medicine is used worldwide with great success, and is a wonderful alternative to costly, invasive medical interventions that may cause a host of unwanted side effects while providing only temporary symptom relief. Call me if you are interested in scheduling an appointment for a homeopathic intake, and let’s take a deep dive into your healing journey together!
Citations:
Vithoulkas, G., & Tiller, W. A. (1980). The Science of Homeopathy (1st ed.). Grove Weidenfeld.
