A concise and clear discussion of the key points of the Sensation approach.Dr. Shekhar Algundgi, consultant and faculty, ‘the other song: International Academy of Advanced Homoeopathy’.
IntroductionIn my introduction, I wanted to offer you all my dear colleagues, sentimental narration about
Homeopathy to show the song and harmony of an individual’s inner being. You were witnesses of how the inner world of the patient is revealed during sincere and cordial conversations, not only to the physician but to the patient himself. All of this considered together gives me the possibility to propose that the secret of
Homeopathy, on which the antagonists’ every sensible notion breaks itself apart, exists in each one of us. This secret is holy and the ultimate truth. It warms the soul of the physician and revives the sick. Over two decades of tidal experience hooking and pitching in this wonderful science, allows me to re-evaluate the possibilities and prospects of health in one’s life. This is simply the influence of my beloved teachers who have been my mentors all through these years.
I would take the liberty to express my gratitude towards them in bringing forth this article and one of the cases from all those that have been enjoying the freedom of health as they would want it to be in their very own way. People have been exposed to deprivation, through sickness that very freedom of enjoying human health. It inspires fear not only in those who happen to witness life’s catastrophe, but also in the physician’s mind who bitterly acknowledges the helplessness of medicine.
We have voyaged together in the midst of treating the sick for decades. Tremendous developments have precipitated in our specialty and considerable new information has cascaded down the academic and professional homeopathic world. We have seen changes in the way we view the individual, with the understanding of the mind-body relation, understanding nature’s innermost essence which gives the summary of its healing power, the way in which we approach towards treating it over the years since the time of Hahnemannian days.
Homeopathy is a science that has the power to heal an individual. We often have patients coming to us and telling us, “Doctor, after starting
Homeopathy, my life has changed radically. I find myself better not only physically, but the things which used to affect me a lot mentally do not affect me as much now. I have grown as a person”. This is what ultimately every homoeopath is looking for, what gives him true satisfaction, because as true practitioners of the healing art we know that when healing occurs, it occurs at all planes simultaneously.
The concept…Dr. Hahnemann writes in Organon of
Medicine in §6, ‘The unprejudiced observer….takes note of nothing in every individual disease, except the changes at the level of the body and the mind (morbid phenomena, accidents, symptoms) which can be perceived externally by the means of senses; that is to say, he notices only the deviations from the former healthy state of the now diseased individual, which are felt by the patient himself, remarked by those around him and observed by the physician. All these perceptible signs represent the disease in its whole extent, that is, together they form the true and only conceivable portrait of the disease.
So when the master has clearly outlined for us, what is to be looked for in every case, what remains for us is to clearly follow his instructions by using sound senses, having freedom from prejudice and having fidelity in tracing the picture of the disease. Every case is individual, each expression varying – some may express only their physical symptoms, while some may talk of what their disease feels like to them, and how it affects them, while a few others are very emotionally disturbed from it. For example, consider how arthritis patients express themselves; one may say ‘I have arthritis and lot of pain due to it’, the other may say ‘I am extremely frustrated from this pain’, someone else may say ‘Dr. this condition is just not leaving me and I am harassed due to it. It is just latched on to me’, whereas someone else may say ‘The pain is as if my parts have become very stiff, as if they are bound and I have no space to move at all’.
The key to understanding their problems is to understand these expressions. And the expressions can be well understood if we have an idea about the level at which the person is speaking at. Once these expressions are understood, it is the physician’s skill in taking the case that helps elicit the expressions of disease at various levels – the body and the mind and helps to form a totality which reflects the disease in its whole extent – the portrait of the disease.
Experience, the interpreter between creative nature and the human race, teaches the action of nature among mortals: how under the constraint of necessity she cannot act otherwise than as reason, which steers her helm, teaches her to act.
- LEONARDO DA VINCI, Thoughts on Art and Life
Let us take an example; a patient once came to me for the complaint of sleeplessness. She could not sleep every night until a certain time. On enquiring further, I came to know that this had all stemmed from an episode where she was shouted at in front of an audience with apparently no fault of hers. I ventured a bit further and asked her what was the effect that time and I was told that she was extremely affected, feeling insulted as to how she could be treated like that. She then went on to describe how she is very sensitive to such things and a small scolding produces a state of severe disturbance in her, which causes in her tremulousness and palpitations. Now, if I were to look at her case, I see symptoms manifesting at different levels. Her main complaint – sleeplessness, the causation which led to it – an incident, the emotions associated with it – insult and the experience to such tendency to be insulted – sensitivity which results in palpitations and trembling. So, is only sleeplessness her disease or is her tendency to being sensitive her disease, where she is reduced to a state from it? We all know it is the entire picture, with the disturbance at all levels elicited which is her true disease and this portrait when matched in total with the remedy will give you the simillimum.