The Mind in Homeopathy:

Rhetoric vs. Reality

Neil Tessler ND, DHANPDeveloped from a speech given to the West Coast
Homeopathic Society, Vancouver, B.C. June,2004The intention of this
presentation is to share some thoughts on the historic development of
homeopathic method, most especially with regard to how we understand
characteristicsymptoms, the symptoms upon which we base our
prescription. We will particularly concernourselves with those characteristic
symptoms coming through the mental/emotional sphere.The driving force of
all homeopathic development is the quest for accuracy. Certainly we
cannever know the materia medica deeply enough, and many of us fall
down there. The materiamedica is vast, virtually unattainable and always
growing away from us. The repertory wasdeveloped to make the materia
medica practicable, but its limitations have been a stimulus of further
evolution with the same purpose in view. How are we to move beyond
remedypreferences and access the breadth of materia medica available to
us?Materia medica and method are very closely interwoven. Just as the
provings are meant toreveal the face of the remedy, the case is meant to
accurately reflect the characteristics of thepatient. As long as we lack full
and complete understanding of each remedy or a sufficientlyaccurate
knowledge of what is characteristic of the patient, there can be no straight
path to the
simillimum
in every case.In navigating the modern homeopathic world, where
potentially valuable new methods areoften half-understood and misapplied,
it is important to travel upstream regularly to immerseoneself in the historic
literature. One can find both solace and guidance. Along with the
Organon
and
The Chronic Diseases
, the lesser writings of Hahnemann, Boenninghausen and Kent
aretremendously valuable headwaters.It is also instructive to read cases
from practitioners of the nineteenth century to better understand the
method of remedy selection and potency choices of the earlier generation.
Kent,for example, very often prescribed single doses of extremely high
potencies, far higher then aregenerally applied nowadays. He also
prescribed a very wide range of remedies.What are the symptoms that are
most valuable for prescribing and how are they attained too?Famously
Hahnemann states that the striking, exceptional, unusual and odd
(characteristic) signsand symptoms are chiefly to be considered in the
selection of the homeopathic remedy. However,as Boenninghausen points
out in his essay

A Contribution to the Judgment Concerning theCharacteristic Value of

Symptoms
, it is here left to the physician to judge what is understoodby the more
striking, particular, unusual and peculiar symptoms. Boenninghausen
wasconcerned that no one had produced a definition, a schemata of
characteristic symptoms.He himself attempted to do so in the same essay,
offering seven categories of characteristicsymptoms. These seven
categories of Boenninghausen are:
Quis
,
Quid
,
Ubi
,
Quibus

Auxiliis
,
Cur
,
Quamodo
,
Quando
. This translates as Who (the nature or the personality); What (The Chief
Complaint): Where (the location of the disease): Concomitants (accessory
symptoms of theperson): Why (Causation): Modalities (modifying
influences): When (time of appearance,aggravation, amelioration).(This
ready summation was borrowed from a footnote to a recent essay on
Boenninghausenpublished in the
American Journal of Homeopathic Medicine
, Summer 2003, titled,
TheBonninghausen Repertory Method
by George Dimitriadis.)In the Spring 2004 editorial, we quoted
Boenninghausen from the same essay regarding
Quis
,or the person, which comes first in most homeopathic consideration. He
writes, As a matter of

course, the personality, the individuality of the patient, must stand at the
head of the image of thedisease, for the natural disposition rest on it
we have all the more cause to fathom these stateswith all possible
exactness
(my emphasis), as in them frequently the bodily ailments recede to
thebackground, and for this very reason offer but few point for our
grasp...Every man presents an individual nature different from every
other one, and every medicinemust be exactly adapted to this
individuality, in agreement with the symptoms, which it able toproduce in
the total manA great many medicines are thrust aside, just because they
do notcorrespond to the personality of the patientThis is a very significant
statement indicating the tremendous esteem and clinical valueaccorded to
the mysterious potency of the personality. Also, Boenninghausen is referring
tostates, the total man individuality something beyond the mere
collection of symptoms. Yet,when we review the cases of the old masters,
we find little evidence that these wonderful ideastranslated into practice.
Instead, mental/emotional symptoms are generally used as flat,undeveloped
facts.Hahnemann himself had said, Aphorism 211:
This preeminent importance of the emotional state hold to such an extent
that the patients emotional symptoms often tips the scales in theselection
of the homeopathic remedy. This is a decidedly peculiar sign which, among
all thesigns of disease, can least remain hidden from the exactly observing
physician.
Edward Whitmont summarizes the baseline homeopathic view of
mental/emotional symptomswhen he writes, The homeopathic prescriber
has learned to use the mentals (actually alterationsof the affect response for
most of them pertain to the emotions, not the mind) as aids in findingthe
simillimum
in the treatment of physical conditions, ordinarily classified as somatic
disorders.This is based on the rationale that the somatic derangement of the
proving is attended byemotional alterations which operate in demonstrable
functional unity (
Psyche and Substance
page 173).While waxing eloquent on the sphere of the personality, moving
on to the practical side of things, Boenninghausen places a great deal of
emphasis on modalities (
Quamodo
and
Quando
),often useful in classical method and a strong source of striking,
characteristic symptoms.Boenninghausen writes:This category has a
double importance to Homoeopathy, first, because it was first

discoveredand developed by Homoeopaths, and is, therefore, their

indisputable and exclusive property, andsecondly, because all the results of
provings and of experience, without exception, belong to themore or less
characteristic signs.During the progressive development of our science
the importance of modalities appearedmore manifest, and it was soon
declared to be indispensable, so that in the later provings theattention was
more and more directed upon it. I may openly confess that I consider
the indications obtained from this (category) and thefollowing (quando or
Time time modalities) as the most important, indubitable, and therefore
thedecisive ones for therapeutic purposes.It is interesting to realize that
even though he gives first importance to the person, he reliesvery much on
modalities to guide his prescription. Now there is nothing wrong with this as
far asit goes. A lot of great homeopathy occurs within the bandwidth of
keynotes and modalities, but itis hard to escape the conclusion that the
philosophy and the practice were not wholly congruent.In the course of his
article Boenninghausen gives important reminders regarding the nature of
totality, its reflection in the characteristic symptoms and the importance of
forming an artisticallyaccurate image of the whole person, just as a painter
captures all of the characteristic features of the peculiar physiognomy of a
face, as he puts it (in paragraph three under
Quibis Auxiliis
). It isan inspiring image, yet the face he perceived was quite dramatically
different then the face we
La mente en homeopata: retrica vs realidad
Neil Tessler ND, DHANPDeveloped de un discurso dado a la sociedad
homeoptica de costa oeste, Vancouver, B.C. Junio, 2004En esta
presentacin pretende compartir algunas reflexiones sobre el desarrollo
histrico del mtodo homeoptico, especialmente con respecto a cmo
entendemos el characteristics ymptoms, los sntomas sobre los que
basamos nuestra receta. Vamos particularmente concernourselves con los
sntomas caractersticos a travs de la esfera mental y emocional. La fuerza
motriz de todo desarrollo homeoptico es la bsqueda de precisin. Sin
duda nos cannever sabe bastante profundamente la materia mdica, y
muchos de nosotros caen all. El materia medica es enorme, prcticamente
inalcanzable y siempre creciente distancia de nosotros. El wasdeveloped de
repertorio para hacer posible la materia mdica, pero sus limitaciones han
sido un estmulo de mayor evolucin con el mismo propsito en vista.
Cmo estamos para ir ms all de remedypreferences y acceder a la
amplitud de la materia mdica disponible para nosotros? Materia medica y
mtodo estn estrechamente entretejidos. Justo como los provings se lleg
que la cara de la solucin, el caso se pretende exactamente reflejan las
caractersticas de the patient. Como carecen de plena y completa
comprensin de cada remedio o sufficiently accurate conocimiento de lo
que es caracterstico del paciente, no puede haber ningn camino recto a la
simillimum
en cada caso. En la navegacin el mundo homeoptico moderno, donde
potencialmente valiosos nuevos mtodos areoften medio entendida y mal

aplicada, es importante viajar aguas arriba regularmente a immerseoneself

en la literatura histrica. Uno puede encontrar consuelo y gua. Junto con la
Organon
y
Las enfermedades crnicas
, los escritos menores de Hahnemann, Boenninghausen y Kent
aretremendously valiosos cabeceras. Tambin es instructivo leer los casos
de los profesionales del siglo XIX para entender mejor el mtodo de
seleccin del remedio y opciones de potencia de la generacin anterior.
Kent, por ejemplo, muy a menudo prescritos dosis nicas de potencias
altsimas, mucho ms altos y luego are generally aplicado hoy en da. l
tambin prescribe una gama muy amplia de recursos. Cules son los
sntomas que son muy valiosos para prescribir y cmo estn logr tambin?
Famoso Hahnemann afirma que los sntomas de signs and (caracterstica)
impresionante, excepcional, inusual y extrao son principalmente a
considerar en la seleccin del remedio homeoptico. Sin embargo, como
Boenninghausen seala en su ensayo"
Una contribucin a la theCharacteristic juicio sobre valor de los sntomas
",".. .it se deja aqu al mdico a juzgar lo que es understoodby los sntomas
ms llamativos, particular, inusuales y peculiar'. " Boenninghausen
wasconcerned que no se haba producido una definicin, un esquema de
sntomas caractersticos. l mismo intent hacerlo en el mismo ensayo,
ofrece siete categoras de characteristicsymptoms. Estas siete categoras de
Boenninghausen son:
Quis,
Quid ,
Ubi ,
Quibus
Auxiliis,
CUR ,
Quamodo,
Quando. Esto se traduce en que el carcter o la personalidad; Qu (la
principal queja): Dnde (la localizacin de la enfermedad): concomitantes
(sntomas accesorios de invitada): por qu (causalidad): modalidades
(modificar influencias): cuando (tiempo de aparicin, agravamiento,
mejora). (Esta suma lista fue tomada de una nota en un ensayo reciente
sobre la Boenninghausen published en la
Diario americano de la medicina homeoptica, Verano de 2003, titulado
Mtodo de TheBonninghausen repertorio
por George Dimitriadis.) En el editorial de la primavera de 2004, cit
Boenninghausen el mismo ensayo con respecto a

Quis
, o la persona, que es lo primera en consideracin ms homeoptico. l
escribe, "a manera de

curso, la personalidad, la individualidad del paciente, deben permanecer a

la cabeza de la imagen de thedisease, para el resto de la disposicin natural
en l...
tenemos ms motivos para entender estos Estados exactitud posible todos
(My Emphasis), como en ellos con frecuencia las dolencias corporales
retroceden thebackground y a esta oferta de razn pero pocos punto de
nuestro alcance... ""... Cada hombre presenta una diferente de cada otro, de
naturaleza individual y.. .cada medicinemust adaptarse exactamente a esta
individualidad, de acuerdo con los sntomas, cual toproduce capaz en el
hombre total... Un gran muchas medicinas son empujados a un lado, porque
lo hacen notcorrespond a la personalidad del paciente "es una declaracin
muy importante que indica la enorme estima y clnica valueaccorded a la
potencia misteriosa de la personalidad. Tambin, Boenninghausen refiere a
"Estados", el "hombre total" "individualidad" algo ms all de la mera
coleccin de sntomas. Sin embargo, cuando revisamos los casos de los
viejos maestros, encontramos poca evidencia que estos maravillosos
ideastranslated en prctica. En cambio, los sntomas mentales/emocionales
se utilizan generalmente como planas, hechos. Hahnemann mismo haba
dicho, aforismo 211:
Esta importancia preeminente del estado emocional sostenga hasta tal
punto que los sntomas del paciente emocional consejos a menudo las
escalas theselection de remedio homeoptico. Esto es un signo
decididamente peculiar que, entre todos thesigns de la enfermedad, menos
puede permanecer oculto del mdico exactamente observando.
Edward Whitmont resume la vista de lnea de base homeoptica de
symptomswhen mental y emocional, escribe, "el prescriptor homeopata ha
aprendido a usar lo mentals (realmente alterationsof la respuesta de efecto
para la mayora de ellos pertenecen a las emociones, no la mente) como
SIDA en findingthe
simillimum
en el tratamiento de las condiciones fsicas, normalmente clasificadas como
trastornos somticos. Esto se basa en la lgica que el desarreglo somtico
de la prueba es atendido byemotional alteraciones que operan en la unidad
funcional demostrable..." (
Psique y sustancia
Pgina 173). Mientras que encerar elocuente en la esfera de la
personalidad, pasar al lado prctico de las cosas, Boenninghausen pone un
gran nfasis en las modalidades (
Quamodo
y

Quando
), a menudo resulta til en el mtodo clsico y una fuente fuerte de
llamativos y caractersticos de sntomas. Boenninghausen escribe: "esta
categora tiene una doble importancia a la homeopata, en primer lugar,
porque era el primer discoveredand desarrollado por Homoeopaths y es, por
lo tanto, su propiedad indiscutible y exclusiva, andsecondly, porque todos
los resultados de travs y de la experiencia, sin excepcin, pertenecen a
themore o menos caracterstica firma... durante el desarrollo progresivo de
nuestra ciencia la importancia de las modalidades appearedmore
manifiesto, y pronto fue declarado indispensable , para que en los provings
ms adelante theattention fue dirigida cada vez ms en l... Puedo
abiertamente confieso que considero las indicaciones de esta (categora) y
siguientes (quando o tiempo tiempo modalidades) como el ms
importante, indudable y por lo tanto thedecisive los fines teraputicos. " Es
interesante darse cuenta de que aunque l da primera importancia a la
persona, reliesvery mucho sobre las modalidades para su prescripcin.
Ahora no hay nada malo en esto lo va asit. Un montn de gran homeopata
ocurre dentro del ancho de banda de ponencias y modalidades, pero es
difcil escapar a la conclusin de que la filosofa y la prctica no fueron
totalmente congruentes. En el curso de su artculo Boenninghausen da
consejos importantes sobre la naturaleza de la totalidad, su reflejo en los
sntomas caractersticos y la importancia de la formacin de una imagen
artisticallyaccurate de la persona, as como un pintor captura todos los
rasgos caractersticos de la fisonoma peculiar de una cara, como l dice (en
el apartado tres bajo
Botanas de Auxiliis
). Ella es inspiradora imagen, pero la cara vio era absolutamente
dramticamente diferente entonces la car