Rejoinder
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF HOMOEOPATHY 1997 Nov / Dec VOL 5 NO 6.
Dr Mahesh Gandhi
Editor: The article "Modern Trends" has appeared in many journals. NJH felt that to make if effective it should have comments from those addressed in the article. So we invited Rejoinders which are being included here.
I read the article 'Modern Trends in Homoeopathy' written by Dr B D Patel. On one side, I can appreciate his criticism of some of the recent work done in Homoeopathy which may appear unjustifiable and unwarranted. Contrary to his belief, most of these recent works are aimed at reducing the confusions one encounters in Homoeopathy rather than enhancing them.
The concept of situational Materia Medica by Dr Sankaran is one such example. It not only makes symptoms of Materia Medica more understandable and easier to remember but it also makes it easier to compare one remedy state with the other. To understand this concept we must know that every single aspect of him fits into that state. This inner state colours all his perceptions. In any given situation he reacts not to the actual situation but to the situation in which he consciously perceives himself to be in, depending on his inner state or what can be called his basic delusion. A Magnesium patient will feel and react like an orphan, though he may be having living parents. Situational Materia Medica tries to understand in which situation a particular state arises. This helps us in understanding the otherwise disconnected aspects of a remedy. To a novice this concept may appear confusing, but to understand it, one has to read Dr Sankaran's books thoroughly and preferably even be trained under a practitioner who is well versed with his methods.
Dr Patel feels that undue importance is given by some practitioners to the Mental symptoms. Some of his objections to it are that-
a) The patients do not present same mental picture in different interrogations.
b) Mental picture is greatly modified by his physical symptoms as well as his financial conditions.
c) Strong and powerful Counselling can alter many of the mental symptoms.
We must appreciate the fact that the mental state of a person is a reflection of some basic disturbance in him and that this state colours all his perceptions. His various sensitivities are expression of this disturbance. Even his delusion and dreams reflect that same innermost feeling. Hence delusions and dreams are sometimes substituted for each other. The whole art of case taking is to understand this innermost feeling. Case taking is geared at going from superficial mental expressions to deeper feelings. Most of us, from birth, have the same mental state and its expressions are manifested in various situations from childhood to adulthood. One tries to understand the individual because these individual reactions reflect his inner state. This basic mental state is not modified by physical symptoms or by his financial condition or any such situation. In fact, his individual reaction to such situations helps us to understand his inner state.
Most of the so-called powerful Counselling only helps a person cope with a situation but leaves his inner stat unaffected. Deep Insight oriented psychotherapy can help a person to become aware of his inner state and bring about a change in him, but this change too, can be much more easily brought about by Homoeopathy.
Dr Patel feels that 90% of Indians are not allowed to express their feelings and are denied any emotional freedom. He further tries to implicate that they have no minds of their own. With such preconceived fixed notions one cannot probe into the mind or understand its intricacies.
Homoeopathy is a holistic science and the remedy selection should be based on a holistic approach. If remedy is selected only on mental symptoms or physical symptoms we are likely to go wrong. Dr Sankaran mentions in the introductory note of his latest book "The soul of remedies" that it is a misconception that he stresses on mental and emotional symptoms to the exclusion of physical symptoms. If at all he speaks exclusively of mental/emotional state, it is because understanding this requires some degree of insight into the patient as well as into the remedy. In practice, he gives a lot of importance to the physical symptoms, to the meaning of the pathology, and to the modalities that have to be matched with those of the remedy.
A good Homoeopathic practitioner does not try to fit the patient to a particular remedy. He tries first to understand the patient and then through repertorization finds the remedy. Sometimes it is difficult to choose the most appropriate remedy from the few remedies, which come up based on symptoms at such a time, kingdom classification can be of some help in differentiating remedies. Dr Sankaran does not believe it is mere theory.... and yet he cautions the reader that it is his own experiences and not necessarily the final word. He has attempted to identify and enumerate the main differentiating features in the four major kingdoms ie plant, animal, mineral and the nosode from which our remedies are made. However, one needs training under a proper teacher to appreciate it and use it discreetly in one's practice.
For the progress of any science, we need to have an open, unprejudiced mind, with a readiness to experiment with something new. Dr Patel criticizes music provings and feels it has nothing to do with Homoeopathy. Healing powers of music are however, not unknown. Dr Sankaran felt that as music has healing qualities, it must be related to Homoeopathy, it must be based on laws of similars. He is learning music since many years. He conducted some experiments that clearly indicated that each raga evokes specific feelings and that these feelings are universal. He has conducted some provings in music in a scientific way. He was able to recognize that ragas could produce states, similar to those produced by our remedies. Use of music in Homoeopathy is still in its infancy. But what we need to know is that if we desire to know the truth, we need to have the courage to experiment with something very new.
Editor's comments: Music, as we all know, does have an impact on the emotional state. But this is only temporary and not long-lasting unlike the Homoeopathic remedy. Effects achieved when the similimum is given last, sometimes permanently.
