Organon of the Medical Art by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann(1)

Homeopath Edel Bolger O’Hora

​The Organon of the Medical Art written by Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) is a creative document that applies to today’s health and well-being as it did in his lifetime. This article will cover the meaning he gave to the ‘spiritual vital force’. This vital force dominates and controls the body it occupies.
 
There is the common assumption that the physical body is primary and its existence, and that of the brain, is what brings about consciousness. Hahnemann’s model is the exact opposite. According to him, it is not just that the body, itself, is an inactive “instrument” as he calls it, he calls it “living, healthy instrument”, but that the “spirit-like life force” is totally in charge, then we have a completely different view of reality. He refers to the life force as an “autocracy”, the dictionary defining the word as “absolute power, totalitarianism, dictatorship, …”

As if this is not enough, he adds that this life force has this purpose so that “our indwelling, rational spirit can freely avail itself of this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence.” If we put this into our own words, Hahnemann is saying that what we are, as a being, is not a physical organism but a spiritual one. It is the spirit which is “rational” that which thinks, is conscious. The physical body is simply a tool that is used for a purpose that the spirit has in creating it to be used.
 
Aphorism 9
In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force (autocracy), the dynamis that animates the material body (organism), rules with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards both sensations and functions, so that our indwelling, reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purpose of our existence.
 
The next question would be why there are health problems. If the life force is an autocracy, completely in control, then why would it be affected is such a way that we experience disturbed health? In answer to this, we will note that Hahnemann says that disease is not physical. He calls it a “mistunement” of the life force.
 
Footnote 31
When I call disease a tunement or mistunement of the human condition, I am far from wanting to give, thereby, a hyperphysical explanation about the inner nature of diseases generally, or of a single case of disease in particular. This expression is only meant to imply what diseases, as has been proven, are not and cannot be (physical). They are not mechanical or chemical alterations of the material substance of the organism; they are not dependent on material disease matter. They are solely spirit-like, dynamic mistunements of life.
 
This explains what he considers the disturbance to be but does not tell us why it happens. Why is the autocracy of the life force mistuned, altered from its usual pattern? He addresses it in aphorism 148.
 
Aphorism 148
A natural disease is never to be regarded as some noxious matter situated somewhere inside or outside the person. Rather, natural disease is engendered by a spirit-like inimical potence that disturbs, as if by a kind of contagion, the spirit-like life principle that reigns, with its instinctual governance, in the entire organism. Like an evil spirit, it torments the life principle, forcing it to engender certain sufferings and disorders in the course of its life. These are known as symptoms or diseases.

The word “inimical” means something harmful or injurious. He is saying there exists, at the same level, the spiritual (non-physical), an influence that comes in contact with the life force of the person or animal and has effect on it. Alarming as this sounds, it is important to know that Hahnemann also says these influences are not very powerful.
 
#31 The—partly psychical and partly physical—inimical potencies in life on earth (which we call disease malignities) do not possess an absolute power to morbidly mistune the human condition. We become diseased by them only when our organism is just exactly and sufficiently disposed and laid open to be assailed by the cause of disease that is present, and to be altered in its condition, mistuned and displaced into abnormal feelings and functions. Hence these inimical potences do not make everyone sick every time.
 
Hahnemann says these influences are not absolutely powerful, and this is what is really important here — “We become diseased by them only when our organism is just exactly and sufficiently disposed and laid open to be assailed by the cause of disease that is present…” In other words, we have to come to the position of being susceptible to them prior to the exposure to the inimical influence. 
 
I am bringing this ‘spirit life force’ and definition of health forward at the beginning of the year. Our daily habits, good and bad, affect our susceptibility to ‘dis-ease’. At this time of the year, we look at and can reform our habits so our ‘spirit life force’ becomes more resistant to outside influences.
 
New Years Resolution for the ‘spirit life force ‘are well known to reduce susceptibility and increase resistance in people: 
 

1. Recognizing the things in your life that you can be grateful for is good for your mental and physical wellness. "It literally breathes new life into us. It recharges, and it rejuvenates
2. It sounds cheesy, but if you have healthy family relationships, do everything you can to maintain them. Family members can help you get through tough times and celebrate the great times. This year, try to carve out one-on-one time with loved ones (close friends can be family too!)
3. Mindfulness doesn’t require hours of weekly meditation or any special training. In fact, practicing mindfulness is just doing everything you can to be grateful for what you have in the moment, where you are in life and who you are right now
4. Set aside one meal every week (even lunch on a weekend!) to try cooking with a new ingredient or making a new-to-you dish. You might be pleasantly surprised to find another dinnertime staple for your household
5. Are you the type of person that puts off vacuuming until the pet hair is too obvious to ignore? Try scheduling cleaning time into your weekly calendar so that things never get so messy that it’s intimidating to start
6. There’s a reason dry January and sober October are popular today. Actually, there are many reasons! Not only is drinking alcohol associated with a wide range of health risks, it also costs a lot of money. In the process, you might improve your mood, sleep, skin as well as your immune system
7. It’s time to stop shrugging off issues like insomnia and make a solid effort toward high-quality shuteye. A lack of sleep can lead to an array of problems, from memory problems to immune system challenges. A few ideas for better sleep: Tweak your bedtime routine, pay attention to your caffeine intake and exercise more
8. Starting a new hobby is one thing, but joining a club will help you meet new people in the process. Sites like Meetup can help you find a group of people with similar interests, and you can work on creating meetups with new friends in the process. Creative clubs can also be a boon in helping you stick to mastering a new craft
9. Cigarettes are extremely harmful for your health, particularly your lungs — but tobacco products in general (including vapes!) pose a serious threat. If you've tried before but need a bit more help, experts at the Cancer Society outline a few tools that you can turn to this year
10. Whether you're working on weight management or towards a balanced diet, vegetables are your friends. Fiber-rich vegetables are especially crucial for healthy hearts and strong veins: "A heart-healthy diet emphasizes produce, balanced by fiber-rich whole grains, fish, nuts, legumes, and lean proteins," she says. The healthiest vegetables that you should try to eat daily often double down on gut-healthy fiber
11. Just the presence of indoor plants can lower human stress levels, research shows, and one study found that actively caring for plants calmed the autonomic nervous system and lowered blood pressure. And when people work near plants, they report greater concentration, satisfaction, and perceived air quality.
12. Take 10 minutes to run up the stairs in your office, home or nearby park. A published study in the journal Physiology & Behaviour found that tired women who climbed stairs for 10 minutes got a bigger energy boost than those who had the caffeine equivalent of a can of soda or half a cup of coffee (and burned calories too!).
13. If you're reevaluating your intimacy, start by thinking about time spent simply in the arms of your loved one. Cuddling is often underestimated for its ability to bolster physical intimacy. But relationship experts say cuddling can help you feel more connected to your partner than ever. Cuddling just for fun can fight stress and improve both of your moods' by increasing oxytocin hormones and may also bolster blood pressure, too. "When you're regularly physically affectionate with your partner, they're more likely to see you as trustworthy and likable," 
    
    

References
http://www.homeoint.org/site/deepak/organon1.htm
https://hpathy.com/organon-philosophy/hahnemanns-vital-force-what-are-the-implications/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/lifestyle/g63392157/achievable-new-year-resolutions/

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THIS WEBSITE IS INFORMATION ONLY. The information on this website is based on the opinion and beliefs of Edel Bolger O’Hora. Edel would love to hear from you. To book a consultation, please use the contact me form on www.rhsl.ie