Obesity: A briefing for Complementary Therapists
Healing the Whole: The Paradigm of Holographic Healing
by Lynne S. Tynan-Cashmore
People go to doctors, herbalists and homeopaths to get better. They may view their healing/health as a journey that they are on, or, more commonly, they may have just started to take responsibility for their health. They may well be caught in the notion that someone can give them a little pill, or a few herbs, or conduct a procedure that will make them well.
As a complementary practitioner, I do not believe that I can make a person well. What I can do is help them on their journey to wellness, and create a framework, or understanding, in which they can perceive their creative place in the universe. I have a toolbox of experience and skills, apparently of completely different natures, and yet, by the careful and, at times, accidental manipulation of those skills, I can sometimes help create the space in which a change to the person’s wellness can manifest. It is my understanding that it is the holistic application of the range of skills that can lay out a blueprint, or road map, towards health and wellness and the client’s inner potential.
Working with the symptoms with which a client presents, not in isolation, but as an expression of the cause, enables the practitioner to treat the person as a whole. If a part of the body hurts, the whole body is hurting. The part is an expression of the whole and needs to be treated as such. Therefore, when a practitioner treats a client, they are looking, holistically, at all the body systems, and using all the tools at their disposal. The intuition of the practitioner and their connection to earth, and to the whole, is just as vital as their knowledge and skill base. So, we could state that the practitioner is also acting holographically.
For many years, the wonderful discoveries of physicists, such as Newton, laid the scientific understanding of our world and our place in the universe. The principles were generally stated as, ‘What can be perceived by the five senses that can be measured, and quantified, is reality’.
However a contemporary of Einstein had a different view altogether. Simply stated, John Wheeler 1 described a ‘participatory universe’, where what we observe, we create, and what we create is reality. This has huge implications for body, mind and spirit, and for global participation.
Taking this concept further, other notable researchers in memory and physics 2 developed other theories, such as, that the universe is holographic in nature. Still others have described DNA as holographic in nature 3. The synchronicity of such diverse research coming to the same conclusion could be described as ‘critical mass’: the whole coming together to provide new understanding and descriptions of the universe, and ourselves, as a reflection of the universe.
The implication of this is astounding. If a hologram is broken down into millions of fragments, just one part will reflect the whole, and the parts brought together become whole. So it is with the cells or DNA. One human cell contains all the information necessary to create a unique human, that human representing the whole part of the hologram, of which the cell/DNA is a part. Therefore, if a change can be made to the part, the implication is that there could be – should be – observed a change to the whole. What an incredible thought. How can we practitioners use this in our practice?
Nature is a wonderful visual representation of the holographic universe and the beauty of fractals. Plants, rivers, trees and even lightning reflect these fractals, which point the direction that we need to be travelling. Heal the part, heal the whole, address the whole and heal the parts.
This is one of the ways in which homeopathy works so well. The remedy picture is constructed from detailed case taking, and the rubrics suggest a remedy, which deals with the whole person. Homeopathy uses what could be described as the vital force, or holographic essence, of the original mother tincture to create a remedy of high potency. This potentised remedy enables the body to heal itself by changing/allowing the vital force the space to heal itself. Sometimes the effect is gentle and moves things forwards towards a greater good; sometimes the result is nothing short of astounding. The practitioner is the mediator of the process, but does not effect a healing. It is the remedy and the client who, working with the vital force, changes the whole, which affects the part. In my experience, homeopathy offers a great tool in the array of methods I would employ to facilitate a person’s journey towards wholeness.
I am also a herbalist. Many herbalists and complementary practitioners discover, over time, a deeper resonance with the cycles of nature and the rhythms of life. The remedies and/or plants used ‘talk’ to us, become allies and display, in some manner, their part of the whole and the place they have in the creation, and re-creation of health and well being.
Remedies made from the whole plant reflect a chemistry that affects the whole person, inside out. Herbal remedies don’t generally work in the manner of allopathic remedies, taking the symptoms and suppressing them. They support the body in building up, or addressing, problems in its core systems and, working with the vital force, expresses the symptoms and heals the cause. Standardised remedies, while seen by some as a more refined herbal approach, actual miss the benefits of the whole chemical process that interplays with the biology and spirit of the client.
Using herbs in the whole state, with care and attention to the process of the body, a practitioner can support a long term positive effect on the client. Combined with a good look at lifestyle, and nutrition, we can address many problems and, if not always ‘heal’ them, then at least help the client to manage their process and life path.
Sadly, all of us acknowledge that sometimes our therapies are not enough, and, of course, where conventional medicine is necessary, responsible practitioners will make use of the best technologies and interventions that can be offered. But what if there were still something missing from our approach that could be of real use?
As we know, many ailments have their roots in the past of the client. Trauma, abuse to their body, poor nutrition, all these and many other things can have an impact on our client. What if we could step back in time and make a change to the part that would have an effect on the whole? Is this too big a leap to make?
I have studied the nature of time and I have come to accept that time is both cyclical, and entangled. If this is truly so, we can more readily accept that by addressing the past, or even past lives, we might be able to affect the health of the present.
Another area I work in is with students with severe, complex, physical and cognitive disability. Working with these incredible people, I have learned that the body shell can either be a cage for the mind, or the shell in which, like a hermit crab, the mind or spirit emerges, from time to time, to interface with the whole universe and all within it. I have learned that the human spirit is not constrained to its body shell and it could be considered to be an entity which drops in and out of a space-time construct, which we call life; and, if the spirit drops in and out of the space-time construct many times, we could call this phenomenon ‘past life experiences’.
For some, past lives, or their understanding of the story given to them, has a direct impact on present health. The brain is an incredible piece of organic technology. Its prime directive is to survive and to enable the body to survive. It may use stories or constructs of such complex nature to express its need for healing, or it may indeed provide an interface to its past life as the link to the eternal nature of spirit. Whichever process is actually going on, the client works with the truth as currently perceived by what the brain is revealing; and the brain, or the higher self, and vital force, leads the client to a place of healing.
I work with the story of people’s lives, the past that has constructed their present and potential future, and, in some cases, past lives. Their history tells me so much more about them than just a list of complaints and ailments. It tells me how they have perceived life, what their reaction to their perceptions has been, and how their long term health and well being has either dictated, or affected, their state of health.
I work on the basis that, in some manner, we may cross over the tangled web of time into the past or other lives as participators or observers, gaining insight and revelation. These revelations can often impact the manner in which a client views their present status to such an extent that, with careful support from a practitioner, their lives can be dramatically changed for the better. Of course, the opposite may be true too. Without care and integrity, the practitioner may manipulate the past life recall and cause untold damage that can do long term harm. But assuming that the practitioner is working with the highest, and best interests of their client, and with the greatest of integrity, their journey to wellness and complete integration within may be well supported.
If, as stated above, the universe is holographic, then aligning the two ideas of holographic universe and the cyclical nature of time, we could employ this remarkable working theory: if we address the client as a whole unit, by remediating where possible, ensuring superb nutrition, supporting with herbs, or homeopathy, or any other well practised complementary therapy, as active catalysts for healing with the vital force, and past life issues, we may affect, holographically, the present and potential future of the client.
Let me give examples of two women who used my skills as a herbalist. Their issues/ailments were of a repeated or long term nature, that did not appear to be resolved by either conventional, allopathic treatment or complementary support. They were helped by the herbs and diet, which for the most part they followed, but the essential, presenting complaints didn’t seem to be much affected. The case studies, although describing the past life sessions that were undertaken, are obviously abridged and names are withheld for reasons of confidentiality.
These cases changed my perspective dramatically:-
~oOo~
Case Study 1. Susan 45 yrs old (fictional name)
Presenting complaint – severe, disabling endometriosis. Not responding to conventional treatment. Only supported by, not resolved by an herbal and homeopathic regime. Recommended treatment of a hysterectomy not acceptable to the client.
Herbal treatment – Dandelion and Nettle to help clear liver and kidneys, Red clover to regulate hormones, Oatstraw to calm and sooth, and Chaste berry to help ease menstrual problems; all used at various times.
Homeopathic treatment given by another practitioner – (over a period) – Sepia, 200, Folliculinum 200, and Thiosinaminum 30. The client recorded that the Sepia was useful, the Folliculinum very helpful and the Thiosinaminum very useful, but that none actually completely removed the symptoms from the picture.
Nutrition – allergies and sensitivities to wheat and dairy products were discovered and eliminated. Red meat, fats and carbohydrates were drastically reduced. Supplements of EFA’s, B complex, chromium and magnesium were given. The diet was adapted to also include phyto rich foods: legumes, pulses and nuts, including dramatically increasing the intake of multi-coloured fruit and vegetables.
Past life therapy – suggested as Susan described disturbing, recurrent dreams of extreme violence and alienation.
Susan was taken into an altered state of consciousness and was asked to “go to where the answers to your nightmares lie.”
Susan went to a ‘past life’ in the 1st century where she had been a young woman, who was brutally raped and left for dead.
Susan had a dramatic abreaction, where she experienced the assault as if it were actually happening, despite being ‘given permission’ to be an observer. She then went on to experience the process of watching herself being tended by women healers and also the long process of partial recovery in the physical state. She was a ‘damaged’ woman, both physically and mentally, and the healers decided that her body and mind were separated and needed to be brought back together again; so the women held a ritual in which the young woman was helped to see her place in the continuum and her wholeness as a woman. The session was concluded positively and the woman, though disturbed, felt that it answered some of her questions.
At a later date, Susan reported that her dreams had ceased and she was generally satisfied with the outcome; and saw in it a part of the process she was undergoing towards her eventual healing. But, interestingly, Susan went on to suffer the worst episode of endometriosis ever, which almost hospitalised her due to the extreme pain.
After three months, Susan reported that, after the extreme episode of the endometriosis, there had been no further occurrences of it; that it had somehow gone, with no symptoms whatsoever; and, to this day, there has not been a return of any symptom.
It is my theory that, in a past life, this client had indeed been assaulted and left for dead, and her body, in this life time, recalled that event and demanded some acknowledgement of the incident and healing; and that, in working with the healing in the past life, she found healing in the present.
Far from failing to address the ailment, the herbs and homeopathy helped set the tone for the dreams to manifest and then for a past life healing to occur. The healing of her endometriosis happened to a part of the hologram of her past, present and future self. Therefore changing the hologram in one part, changed the whole.
~oOo~
Case Study 2. Miriam 56 yrs old (fictional name)
Presenting complaint – severe chest infection failing to clear. Antibiotics not effective, despite several courses. Infection descended to lungs producing ‘stuck’ phlegm and pain. SMOKER! (Also described a history of severe and recurrent chest infections, well into the past, before taking up smoking.)
Herbal treatment – Echinacea and Cats Claw Tincture for the infection, Elderflower and Elecampane Tincture for phlegm, Parsley and Peppermint Tea for the phlegm. Dandelion and Nettle Tincture to help clear the liver and kidneys.
Homeopathic treatment – none
Nutrition – reduce dairy dramatically. Otherwise diet very good.
STOP SMOKING! Client did reduce but could not/would not quit entirely.
Past life therapy – to help with sensation of not feeling free to breathe, of an inner constriction. Not believed by Miriam to be associated with the smoking which she feels gives relief! Does not feel herself to be attractive, but is practical.
Miriam was taken into an altered state of consciousness and was asked to “go to where the answers to your sensation of restricted breathing lie.”
Miriam found herself in a life where she was an indulged, young woman in a very wealthy family, possibly 17th century. She was very pretty, but spoiled.
Miriam described her as a spoilt little bitch. On an outing to the local village, on crossing a river over a narrow walkway/bridge, a servant girl of hers refused to back away and let her cross, so she pushed the girl over the bridge. The girl, who couldn’t swim, drowned.
Miriam described herself, as that spoilt girl, as having no remorse.
In another life, (a journey in the same session), she is a father of a pretty daughter. They are very poor, with no money to buy soap and ‘pretties’. Miriam sees his/her daughter and is shocked and angered by the fact that the daughter’s hair is clean and she has a ribbon. Miriam deeply suspects that she has ‘done’ something, and is very angry. Later the daughter is found to be pregnant.
Another life time, still more anger that Miriam is trying to control. She is a big man, something to do with boats…… and describes him/herself as incandescent….. having been betrayed by a beautiful woman he/she loves…………….
Later still in the session, Miriam relates her sensation to suppressing huge amounts of anger and of not accepting prettiness, as it is ‘dangerous’.
Miriam found the session very illuminating. Within two days of the session she had a crisis where she had to stay in bed and be cared for by her doting husband. She expectorated huge amounts of phlegm and cried a lot. She recounted a conversation she had with her sister during this time, who was described by Miriam as pretty, but who had managed to ‘get away’ from the home while Miriam had to stay behind and look after the mother.
Miriam realised that she was dealing with huge anger about being practical and not pretty that she had not expressed, and realised too that she was unable to accept that others did not perceive her in the manner that she did..
Although Miriam did not stop smoking, the sensation of inner restriction had gone and she felt more ‘free’ than she had previously. She went on to partake in more sessions.
My understanding is that the herbs – Elecampane, in particular, is said by my old Grandmother to gladden/lift the heart – and the change to Miriam’s diet had set the scene for her past life therapy work to be more effective, enabling her to come to the conclusion that her inner rage, whether from a past life or present day, needed to be acknowledged, accepted, embraced and loved. She recognised that this process was ongoing and her heart attitude needed to be nurtured to enable the rest of her body to recognise and accept her love for herself, and others’ love for her.
Although Susan and Miriam and other clients I have worked with had positive reactions, I would still regard their journeys as process. This is because life is like an onion: there are many layers that make you cry, while still enriching the recipe of life!
~oOo~
There are always other issues: once one layer of the onion has been removed, other layers have the freedom to manifest, with the clients knowing or trusting that in this life there is a good chance of resolution.
Conclusion
My studies over the years have lead me to develop a practice where I truly believe that it is the application of a whole package of experience, intuition and skills that sets the scene for resolution and development in people’s lives. I am always happy to deal ‘just’ with herbs, nutrition, homeopathy or the ‘buzz’* as I suspect that they do indeed set a resonance that enables potentials of healing and wellness to manifest. It is also true, in my observations, that over time my clients will have made decisions and taken actions that set the scene for wholeness if they can pursue it.
I believe, that the readiness to use any, or all, of the skills available is incredibly valuable to my clients.
‘Healing’, or the creation of a path towards wellness, is a change of state, whether of perception or manifestation. We all will die differently. Our path to the culmination of this life time is unique, and may be affected by previous lifetimes, present circumstances and potential occurrences.
If, time is entangled and not linear, and if changing one part of the holographic universe can change the whole, then healing, that encompasses past lives and changes in the present, may have an effect on the future of the client.
(*My definition of the life force flowing through my hands to the client, almost like Reiki though I have not been trained in such a practice.)
Glossary
Hologram – a pattern which is complete unto itself and is at the same time a part of a greater pattern.
Critical mass – an amount necessary or sufficient to have a significant effect or to achieve a result: a critical mass of popular support.
In the context of this essay, critical mass could mean a number of ideas occurring throughout the world, generating independently a mass, that when hitting the ‘critical point’ becomes a synchronicity of ideas.
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References and Appendices
1. From a transcript of a radio interview on “The anthropic universe” Science Show, 18 February 2006
“Nothing is more important about the quantum principle than this, that it destroys the concept of the world as “sitting out there,” with the observer safely separated from it … To describe what has happened, one has to cross out that old word “observer,” and put in its place the new word “participator.” In some strange sense the universe is a participatory universe.” Physicist John Wheeler
2. LIKE BOHM, KARL PRIBRAM SEES THE HOLOGRAPHIC NATURE OF REALITY
Working independently in the field of brain research, Stanford neurophysiologist Karl Pribram has also become persuaded of the holographic nature of reality
Karl Pribram: “What the fuss is all about.” in The Holographic Paradigm, ed. Ken Wilbur, 1982. p.33
Excerpt of an interview with Karl Pribram.
Interview with David Bohm
3. Our genes and DNA create fractal templates which are used in complex processes involving information exchange. This process occurs within 98.7% of the so-called “Junk” DNA.
This article is featured in the June/July 2006 issue of The Healing Journal, in British Columbia, Canada.
It is written by FractalArt. ca’s artist, Cheryl Lee Harnish.
4. The Holographic Universe Michael Talbot Harper Collins 1991 ISBN 0-06-092258-3
Part 1 of an interview with Michael Talbot on You Tube.
Peat. D.F. (1988) Synchronicity: The Bridge Between Matter and Mind, USA: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publications
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