I Love Homeopathy! (It’s Only Natural!)
Welcome to my website!
Have a seat, relax. There’s plenty to read while you’re here, you can’t possibly be bored!
When I tell people I’m a homeopath, they immediately confuse me with herbalists and vitamin enthusiasts. That’s just not what homeopathy is at all!
Samuel Hahnemann
Homeopathy was invented some 200 years ago by a German physician named Samuel Hahnamann.
It was always known that “likes cure likes” (which is what the word homeopathy means: “homeo”-same/similar; pathy-disease; hence, the medicine is similar to the disease); it was always known that sometimes a person needs “a taste of his own medicine” or a “hair of the dog that bit him”, but it took Hahnemann to put this folk-medicine concept into an actual science with medicines (that we refer to as homeopathic remedies; or, just simply ”remedies”).
So, why should you embrace this strange healing modality? For one thing, these remedies actually work–and without the harmful side effects
of drugs, and isn’t that what you want when you take a medicine?
People usually find out about homeopathy quite by accident. They simply go to the health food store looking for something for their sore throat and there they see a little homeopathic dropper bottle labeled “Sore Throat”.
They buy it expecting nothing much to happen, just hoping against hope, and are often astonished by the surprising result! As a matter of fact, an acquaintance came over the other day, having never taken a homeopathic remedy before and said he had an issue with too much sweating! I asked him a few questions and, after checking my books, decided the remedy he needed was Nux vomica.
I gave him a dropper dose of Nux vomica 30C. I saw him again a few days later. He said, “I want some more Nux vomica!” I said, “Why? Are you all better? If you are, the answer is no!” “But that stuff really works!” he said. “Yes, I know,” I said, “but you shouldn’t take it if there’s nothing wrong with you!” He kept on insisting. I tell you, he would NOT take no for an anwer! I wound up giving it again against my better judgement. Who asks to take medicine again when they don’t need it? But this is how people react to homeopathy–with enthusiasm; because, after all, this is what people want from a medicine: Results!
Homeopathy works for one simple reason: Likes are cured by likes! They are not cured by contraries/opposites, even though that would seem to be logical, and heaven knows it’s what most of standard medicine is based on, but you really have to think this through! The human body is a self-adjusting organism, it compensates and adjusts to every stimulus impressed upon it; so, if you burn your tongue with the hot mustard at the Chinese Restaurant–and who among us hasn’t–the ice water you dive into for relief “works” only so long as you have it in your mouth; but, when you swallow it, the burning gets worse, forcing you to drink more ice water, and on it goes, more palliation in the beginning, followed by another aggravation at the end. You soon realize you have to stop drinking the water, that it’s making you worse! But why does this happen? Why doesn’t the “opposite” impression of ice water cure? Because the tongue adjusts to the ice by heating up; and why is that a problem? Because your tongue is already burnt; so the ice is aggravating the burn, making it burn more! Now, think for a minute: What are all standard medicine names preceded by? The word ”anti”! And what does ”anti” mean? It means ”opposite”, as in the medicine is opposite to the complaint, the way ice water is opposite to a burn: antacids, antibiotics, antihistimines, anti-inflammatories…. These substances create the same scenario in the body as the cold water creates on the burnt tongue–temporary improvement, followed by an aggravation!
Do you get the picture now?
In fact, the body pushes back against all drugs because they all come in as antagonists! They pacify in the beginning and aggravate on their way out.
Does this scenario sound familiar? “Doctor, my sleeping pill doesn’t work anymore! It was great in the beginning but now my insomnia is worse than ever!”
“No problem!!! You just need a stronger sleeping pill!”
Famous last words.
Does anybody remember Michael Jackson?
So addicted to sleeping pills that eventually he needed anesthesia to get to sleep at night! Imagine that! And, predictably, he’s dead now! It probably all started with 5 mg. of Valium in 1971.
This is the story of all commercial drugs because they are all founded on an imagined law of contraries–”opposites cure opposites”–only because it sounds right, but, we are not passive entities that accept impressions without pushing back; in fact, we adjust to all impressions, and this is what the medical profession has yet to take notice of, and why modern medicine can’t cure a single disease! The complaints, under their treatment, just keep coming back, worse always than before, just the same way ice aggravates the pain of a burnt tongue.
Now, here is an additional mistake doctors make: being entirely symptom-oriented! Symptoms are signs that a problem exists and that the body is working frantically to re-establish itself, which is to say, the body is trying to set itself right by doing something that feels unpleasant– discharging or heating up or inflaming, as the case may be–to get rid of the problem; and, often the symptom itself is the actual cure; an example being when diarrhea is not only a sign that bad food has been eaten, but also the cure at the same time! But here comes orthodox medicine with its “opposite” drug, in this case something that paralyzes the intestines. This would seem to be a cure in the sense that the diarrhea is slowing down; but, with this short-sighted goal, now the bad food just sits there disseminating all the bad bacteria it wants! Not such a great idea after all! (Don’t try to be smarter than your immune system!)
Homeopathy does not view symptoms as some sort of mistake the body is making! We try to work WITH your symptoms, based on the assumption that your immune system is genetically programmed to do what’s best for you. Let’s consider a bone fracture, for example. The patient may be lying perfectly still, unable to move without experiencing a very sharp pain; now, what remedy creates this picture in over-dose? Bryonia!
The Bryonia patient holds perfectly still in pain, trying hard not to even breathe! A dose of Bryonia is given and the pain goes away because Bryonia is similar to that presentation, it “sympathizes” with that presentation, as it would cause that presentation in over-dose! (Gee, I hope that wasn’t too confusing.) Not everybody holds perfectly still in pain! Some people become frantic, moving about restlessly, screaming, “I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die!” These people need Aconite. Others might just cry pitifully for their “mommy”. These people need Pulsatilla. How do we know all this? Because all these remedies were given to test subjects (called “provers”) in overdose; and, in so doing, caused certain symptoms and behaviors to break out; thus, a profile or “image” of these remedies was gleaned; so consequently, we know how to recognize Bryonia, Aconite or Pulsatilla in a patient, and we give the “similar” remedy, and the complaint resolves!
Now, to go back to the original example, if you burn your tongue with hot mustard, and knowing that the body compensates and adjusts to all external impressions, what’s going to happen if instead of applying ice, you give a remedy that in over-dose would create a burn? The tongue would adjust to that impression by cooling down! Now this is more like it, isn’t it? This is the principle that homeopathic remedies work under. It makes more sense! You want to work with the idea of self-adjustment, you want to ask the appropriate question: ”What will cause this person’s body to initiate a cooling-down adjustment from the inside?”
Now, do you want to know what I, personally, would do? I would make a remedy out of the hot mustard! That would be very specific for a hot mustard burn, would it not? And it’s very easy to make a remedy from scratch; read my article called “How To Make Your Own Remedy” (http://hpathy.com/homeopathy-papers/how-to-make-your-own-remedy/), this is something everyone should know how to do!
What something can cause, it can cure in small doses.
This is a basic principle of healing, that’s why there are so many folk expressions referring to it! Expressions like, “We have to fight fire with fire,” actually come from somewhere! This healing concept goes all the way back to ancient Egypt!
Homeopathy works!
*****
For more information, see my articles in the sidebar and P.S., thank you, Alan Schmukler, for the use of your cartoon.
Elaine takes online cases. Write to her at LEWRA@aol.com
Testimonials:
Thanks for being so nice about answering my multiple emails. I really like this way as opposed to the couple other homeopathic docs I’ve worked with where I go a whole month without reporting anything to them. I appreciate your accessibility.
Jen
——————
Hi Elaine,
I love your articles in the Hpathy ezine and would like to read more of them.
Unfortunately, hpathy is the one site on the internet, it seems, that
comes back with errors when I try to access it. Are your articles
published anywhere else? Several of these articles say just what my
clients need to hear. I would rewrite them but wonder if I
could just refer them to your articles as they are well written and very
entertaining at the same time? I am a recent homeopathy school graduate – of Caduceus School of Homeopathy.
Thanks, Sandy
——————————–
Hi Elaine
So, here is the thing — Arnica completely took care of two things — Spitting and the red spots. Oh, yes! Sore throat gone too. So, I guess this could be your next quiz. I’ll curiously follow it to see how many people come up with Arnica. Once again, that was a brilliant diagnosis by you. You are the best!
Partha
——————————-
Elaine
You are simply a brilliant teacher, excellence by par. God bless you with long long life.
Ravi
——————————–
Hi,
Just checking in on Hpathy and LOVED the interview you did with Alan Schmukler. I thought your Sulphur poem was most excellent! Wonderful! So funny as well as accurate. You have a gift for writing which I really enjoy. You reach the reader with insights and humor as well as knowledge and share that with them. Kudos to you!
Lynda
——————————-
Hi Elaine,
I’m so happy you selected my chit chat for the Quiz ..and yes more happy for the Gold Star! I never really had an idea that learning Homoeopathy could be so fun, musical and healthy!!
Rabi
——————————
Re: “FAQ”
A great article – lucid and detailed. Very practicable. Will guide beginners/ dabblers in the right direction. Will reassure many.
——————————-
Re: “A Flurry of Questions”
Wow Elaine – even as a student, I know the brilliance of this article! Perhaps because I am already an herbalist and energy worker and have similar issues. I will say that homeopathy may kick up the bar a notch though! 
Thanks for a dose of awesomeness!
——————————–
Re: “Tidbits”
Wayne Butcher
April 12, 2013
Thanks Elaine, I enjoy your work. You make everything so clear.
I’ll have to check out your web-site.
—————————–
Avinash Agnihotri
April 10, 2013
Everything is from Master’s pen- based on knowledge and experience. It’s like a torch light making things clear and understandable. Thanks Elaine, continue the good work.
——————————-
———————————–
Re: Elaine’s Tidbits by Elaine Lewis :
Packed full of knowledge and wisdom. Please continue the tidbits every month if possible. They will be helpful and benefit many. Thanks Elaine!
Mehra
————————————
A A
Thanx again Elaine! Learning a lot from you. I wish other homoeopaths would have the same urge to share knowledge … It’s my firm belief, “The more you give the more you get”. Wishing you more and more.
————————————–
Erin Waterbury
I’m a skeptic trying to keep an open mind when it comes to homeopathy; I’ve no experience with the practice but the concept fascinates me. I’ve read a few of your articles today and I just wanted to let you know that for the first time its actually starting to make sense. Thank you for taking the time to write!
————————————–
The segment, “Why Do We Have to Talk about Diet – Again”, by Elaine Lewis was superb! Straight talk that needed to be said.
Bravo!
Joy M. Wilson, DHom, MHom, CCH
Executive Director -The Texas Institute for Homeopathy
San Antonio, TX
——————————
rhonda fredericks perrett
Nice to know there are still people around who remember my father, Carlton Fredericks.
——————————
Charu
Hi Elaine,
Thanks a lot for this. Your articles on case management, potency and repetition have helped me a lot in my cases.
—————————–
From Roberto Camacho on “Revisiting: Constant Spitting With Sore Throat”–
Excellent as always. Very, very good teacher (of course, with the aid of Shana).
———————————-
FaMa
Thanks Elaine, you are a good teacher, indeed !!
———————————-
Ravi Sondhi
Like always, you are the best teacher and true ‘Homeopathic Philosopher’, reminding again and again, the doctrine of ” what causes can cure “, thanks once again. I really miss your comments every now and again…
God bless you.
—————————
