Universal Principles and Osteopathy in the Context of Today
A Brief History of Universal Principles and Osteopathy
Just as the wheel is nothing new, neither is the concept of universal principles expressing themselves through the workings and rhythm of the human being. Both the wheel and universal principles have been vital roles in the evolution of humanity and our strive towards understanding the universe through science.
The endeavour to understand and work with universal principles can be seen throughout the ages of history. An example of this endeavour is the practice alchemy.
Alchemists strived to understand universal principles at work through the sense perceptible world.
Alchemists strived to understand universal principles at work through the sense perceptible world. The symbols and analogies they used were an expression of creative archetypes. These archetypes leave their signature in the revelation of the manifested world. Alchemists strived to work along side these creative archetypes, in order to evolve our understanding and relationship with nature and the cosmos. Alchemy set the foundations for modern science.
The discipline of osteopathy, founded by Still in the late 19th century is relatively new in the context of human history. Osteopathy is based on universal principles. In a sense Still reinvented the wheel. Or at least reminded us that the wheel is there to be used. He essentially created osteopathy as a way to observe and practice along side universal principles.
This is why learning the rhythms of nature and its laws were so important to Still as a foundation for understanding and practicing osteopathy.
Fundamentally, Still was a modern day alchemist; integrating the phenomena of the sense perceptible world with the underlying creative principles at work through nature and the human body.
Fundamentally, Still was a modern day alchemist; integrating the phenomena of the sense perceptible world with the underlying creative principles at work through nature and the human body.
The power and effectiveness of working aligned with these principles is evident through the success of Still’s practice.
Still would treat each case individually, he did not focus on diagnosing any pathology, but rather on the presenting phenomena of the individual. He stayed by their side, guiding them through the healing process. Still worked with individuals that were deemed a lost cause to medicine; bringing them hope and resolution.
At the beginning of his osteopathic journey, Still was deemed psychologically unwell by his medical colleagues of the time, the church branded him a witch doctor; as such he became a social outcast. Regardless of the hardship this created for him and his family, Still knew he was travelling the right path, he was guided and inspired by the signs of living universal principles.
The Development of Modern Science in the Last Century
Since the birth of osteopathy, the last century has seen natural science evolve at a great pace. This fast paced mainstream science has been predominantly from a reductionist point of view.
Reductionism as an epistemology is based on understanding the world by going into ever greater detail in the manifested parts.
Despite its hard efforts and advancement in revealing the complexity of the disintegrated parts, reductionism in its efforts to explain the phenomena of the universe becomes obsolete in the face of emergence.
Emergence reveals, once something is disintegrated, the parts do not represent the object that they were a part of. In essence, emergence shows the reality of the whole cannot be formulated by the parts, without first knowing what the whole is.
Reductionism as an epistemology is based on understanding the world by going into ever greater detail in the manifested parts.
The scientific advancement in understanding cellular structure, tissue histology and genetic coding are evidently advanced (eg, genetically modified organisms).
Although these intricate building blocks have been mimicked, the vitality of life forces expressed by living nature remain illusive (even nonexistent) to modern science.
In order to understand the complexity of its phenomenas, reductionism delves ever deeper into the intricacy of the building blocks, becoming more abstract and complex the deeper it goes.
Modern medicine has also adopted the reductionist stance to understanding and treating the human body. The ability to measure and record the body to finite detail in order to make specific tissue diagnosis and thus specific targeted treatment is considered the gold standard practice in modern medicine. As such, medical practitioners are encouraged to become specialists in specific parts of the body.
Almost every mainstream discipline of medicine (including osteopathy itself) now adopts this reductionist epistemology. As conventional, allopathic medicine has most strongly adopted this reductionist stance, it is considered the most scientific advanced discipline in the view of modern mainstream reductionist science.
Almost every mainstream discipline of medicine (including osteopathy itself) now adopts a reductionist epistemology.
The reductionist body is viewed as a complex machine or computer, which is prone to malfunction (needing regular maintenance and programming to keep it within acceptive parameters and avoid bugs or viral infections).
Just as we keep our cars serviced and our computers updated. Modern medicine aims to control and replace the natural rhythms and life forces of the body, keeping it within controlled and updated parameters.
The inherent wisdom of the bodies life forces has been deemed unsafe and non-scientific within the framework of modern medicine.
Faith in the bodies ability to self regulate and heal has been replaced by the anxiety of specific tissue diagnosis and subsequent treatment. In this way the body does not resolve any healing processes, rather it is inhibited and given something else to deal with.
The inherent wisdom of the bodies life forces has been deemed unsafe and non-scientific within the framework of modern medicine.
The resulting factor is a weakened inherent capacity to regulate, heal or evolve; the patient in this way, becomes disconnected from their body and gives up all responsibility to the medical practitioner.
This is the conclusion of all disciplines of medicine when the wisdom of the body expressed as universal principles are not considered.
The Vital Importance of Osteopathy and Universal Principles Today
When the body is inhibited and controlled, the individual becomes disconnected from themselves.
The body reveals wisdom that is beyond the comprehension of the intellect. Regardless of scientific advancement in technology, nothing will be able to transform matter like a liver; the greatest technology is already at our disposal within our own being. Our bodies are masters of transformation on every level.
The more we are able to connect with the wisdom of our own being, the more we are able to become free in our thinking, knowing and actions.
Every illness or symptom could be considered a way in which the body is guiding and reaching out to that individual, pulling them into themselves.
The body reveals wisdom that is beyond the comprehension of the intellect.
Osteopathy acts as way to help the individual find themselves again, it brings rhythm back to the body, letting its natural wisdom work unhindered.
The body in this way becomes the safest and most efficient physician to the individual; allowing rhythmic healing to occur at digestible stages. It is the osteopaths job to understand, hold the space and guide the individual through this process.
The resolution of healing can be seen as physical, physiological, emotional and spiritual evolution of the individual. Ultimately, the healed person is able to find their individual context and meaning to life within the greater picture of humanity and the cosmos.
The body in this way becomes the safest and most efficient physician to the individual; allowing rhythmic healing to occur at digestible stages.
Osteopathy is not just about helping people to feel better and become healthy, it is a way to evolve within the greater context of humanity and the universe.
There has never been a more important time than now, in the depths of reductionism, for osteopathy to be practiced according to the laws of universal principles.
It is time again for osteopaths to find their connection and follow these Universal Principles. In our modern day, this takes courage and faith.
Although modern science has evolved since Still’s day, it has not necessarily become safer. Classical osteopathic thinking and practicing is needed more then ever in our present day.
Finding a way together
Universal principles are not disconnected from the advancement of modern natural science. True science at every level is always a representation of universal law.
It is the scientist whom makes the connection of phenomena and brings them into the context of the bigger picture. Universal laws are present down to cellular and molecular structure, they will be present ever deeper in the complexities of these building blocks.
This great pace of evolution in natural science when understood in the context of universal principles, can be guided and steered with healthy humane intention and direction.
