liveonearth | Grand Rounds: Mitch Stargrove ND on Naturopathic Thinking

this man was MC for The Gathering 2009
slide up: circle of life: south/fire, west/water,
north/earth, east/air, above/below/intertwining
co-author of herb-nutrient interaction book
couldn't hear the rest of intro
he's rambling about how he has a lot of material to cover
planning semi-unstructured presentation with group participation

he's working on the Foundations text (history editor)
also another project 10-20 year project in the works, it feeds his presentation today
model of medisystems: physiology vs pathology
health is default position
there is a unitary experience of the vital force
strategy map for therapies: how do you sort out what to do?

the emerald tablet--he recommends reading "as above so below"
(on amazon several different books come up under this title, not clear to which he refers)

looking at symbols in school seal, which he helped design
leaves on outside, then feathers, downward triangle for yoni, snakes around torch
snakes active and receptive, one black one white
feathers for air were not in seal until he added them
triangle got flipped over because it was "more stable" but now it's a fire triangle with a fire wand and no water symbology
not focus on real symbols in designing school seal

The Experimental Body
A Living Meta-Paradigm for the Practicing Meta-Physician
he says he doesn't like philosophy, he'd rather drink tea and fish
"I have the conviction that when physiology will be far advanced, the poet, the philosopher, and the physiologist will all undersatnad each other" --Claude Bernard
What's the difference between a dead person and a life person?
modern medicine doesn't have a good answer
he's a vitalist, says the answer is key to most patients
"What do you think about traditional medicine?"
"I like it, that's why I practice it, I think this modern stuff is interesting too."
use of word "supplement"---it might be your "therapeutic agent"
professional vs self-care streams of medicine
how many people are seeing a physician?
grandma takes care of most people
or the nutty medicine man

image: the icaduceus

from ancient Egypt
he's been teaching hx of med for 20 yrs
people live in different historical paradigms
tribal us vs them in sports
wings
wand
1st caduceus is Egyptian, painting shown is in some temple
guy with two wands is tahuti, beaky think on his head
god of magic, medicine, libraries, taking the inarticulate and giving it form
gathering and organizing information

surgery is sometimes the best way to support vital force
Dr Turska did surgery
vital force => don't try to micromanage it
he's even thinking statins might be sometimes useful

panaceae = someone with allies that can treat anyone

WORDS
he avoids "integrative"
integral
body/mind/spirit
argues that mind is in the gut, foremost, but also above

Natural medicine relies upon an implicit trust that nature knows more than doctors ever will and that the human body, as a living system, exhibits inherent wisdom and self-healing capacity.
healthy function is the norm
nat med: body dominant, physician assists
as vs physician dominant, body complies, which is what you want only sometimes

bookstore won't buy back old medical books
"they're outdated" in no time
--not so the truest old books

autopoesis

Naturopathic medicine is thus primarily a medicine of physiology, pathology is secondary.

health physiology/function
innate self-organizing and self-healing capacity

he's not sure about reincarnation
"not sure it's that linear"

mind is not energy
consciousness and matter interact (white and black)
energy is in the middle (draws yin yang)

"approach pts as dynamic living systems with an interior dimension, a somatic experience, and contextual relationships"

physis = nature in Gr

Descartes
the pituitary is the seat of the soul
not really a materialist

3 kinds of docs
fixers (when broken)
maintainers
treaters-->immortality, enlightenment

he says you can't combine all the words for energy--chi, prana, etc
each is bound to a cultural context
don't mean the same thing
but in his very own argument I see the opposite argument

tree model
you're not just the trunk
shared space above--connections based on what you love
shared space below--roots and genetic cnxn

Chinese physiology is functional
no word for muscle, word is "sinews"
Greek physiology is anatomical
very specific

The human body is vapor...--Paracelsus quote

he says we didn't used to hear high tones or see deep purple:
these are recent evolutionary developments

I am not simply in this body.
This body is in me.

Its healthy function and its problems are mine to perceive, respond to, and understand.

delusion to pretend that you're happy in miserable situation
normal and healthy to be depressed in terrible situation
must find life purpose, reason to live
revving car with engine in neutral is pointless

self organizing, transforming, somatic---3 levels of human

LEVELS OF knowing/mind
knowing from heart mind is knowing
gut is learned
instinct is lower world, biological intuition

Theory and practice should together form one, and should remain undivided.
--Paracelsus

must forsake these things to fit in today's world?
ceremony
ritual
astronomy
magic
energy

most important thing to teach pts:
how to be present in body with awareness

naturopathy lacks strategic thinking
he didn't get it in school
homeopathy has it, Chinese med too
sophistocated folk medicine has been gutted
witch burnings and inquisition are still having an impact on what we are willing to think/do
"gotta get out of the intimidation"

radionics
1920's naturopathic tradition
has been kept underground
was spoken of at the Gathering

Catholic church as split
half traditional/pagan, half authoritarian

naturopathy is part of traditional western medicine

clinical applications?

3 ways to approach: problem, pattern, person
problem = fix the it, lesion, pathology
pattern = organs, systems, metasys, expressions, syndromes, patterns, relationships, reactions
person = constitution, character, life myth/destiny
"It's an approach not an answer"
don't plan on miracles, work for gradual enlightenment

3 levels:
repair = reduce distress, correct pathology and pathyphysiologic process
maintain = keep health
enhance = toward ultimate goal, enlightenment, activated health, wellness

stages: one: dz, two: disharmony/dysfx, three: activated health/wellness

THE MAP
therapeutic options map = stages vs problem, pattern, pt
initial tx centers on problem and pattern, followup on pattern, work up to person
don't try to tx person at 1st visit

How many chiropractors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
just one but 3 visits a week

PCPs
naturopaths are the only ones who know what everybody else is doing
my idea for a name: synthesis wellness
provide a strategy for pts overall health development

every visit is a unique experience
modality that works for x in pt a may not work in pt b

A doctor who applies an identical treatment for an
identical disease in two individuals and expects
an identical development may properly be
classified as a social menace.
--Lin Yutang

Support the righteous and vanquish the evil.
(Chinese med)

what he does with pts
bring them in
clear out the noise so they get good feedback
noise = discomfort, blood sugar flux, hormonal sx
when I do x I don't feel good---then you have feedback to work with
body is supposed to be feedback system
drugs that keep you from feeling things eliminate the feedback
goal is freedom

Grand Rounds: Mitch Stargrove ND on Naturopathic Thinking

Radionics

Re: Radionics