The Rudolf Steiner Archive

15. Healing Methods

[ 1 ] The knowledge of the effects of remedies is based on an understanding of the development of forces in the non-human world. For, in order to induce a healing process, substances must be introduced into the organism which spread in it in such a way that the pathological process gradually changes into a normal one. Now the essence of the pathological process lies precisely in the fact that something takes place within the organism which is not integrated into the overall activity of the same. Such a process has this in common with one of external nature.

[ 2 ] If a process occurs within the organism that is similar to such a process in external nature, then illness occurs. Such a process can affect the physical or the etheric organism. Either the astral body or the ego must then fulfill a task that they would not otherwise accomplish. At an age in which they should unfold in free spiritual activity, they must regress to an earlier age - in many cases even to embryonic age - and participate in the formation of physical and etheric formations that should already have passed over into the realm of the physical and etheric organism; that is, which in the first human age are taken care of by the astral body and the ego organization, but later are taken over by the physical and etheric organism alone. For all development of the human organism is based on the fact that originally the overall formation of the physical and etheric body results from the activity of the astral and ego organization; but that with increasing age the astral and ego activity continues in the physical and etheric organization. If they do not, then the astral body and the ego organization must intervene at a stage of their development in a way for which they are no longer suitable at this stage.

[ 3 ] Suppose abdominal stagnations occur. The physical and etheric organization do not carry out the activities assigned to them in the previous age in the corresponding part of the human body; the astral and ego activity must intervene. This weakens them for other tasks in the organism. They are not where they should be, e.g. in the formation of the nerves going into the muscles. The result is paralysis in certain parts of the body.

[ 4 ] It is a matter of introducing such substances into the human organism that can relieve the astral and ego organization of the activity that is not due to them. It can now be found that the processes which work in the formation of strong ethereal oils in the plant organism, especially in the formation of flowers, can bring about this decrease. Substances containing phosphorus can also do this. You just have to make sure that the phosphorus is combined with other substances so that it develops its effect in the intestine, not in the metabolism beyond the intestine.

[ 5 ] If one has to deal with inflammatory symptoms of the skin, the astral body and ego organization develop an abnormal activity. 5 They then withdraw from the effects that they should exert on more inwardly located organs. They reduce the sensitivity of the inner organs. These, in turn, cease to carry out the processes incumbent upon them because of their reduced sensitivity. Abnormal conditions can occur in the liver, for example. And digestion can then be influenced in an unlawful manner. If silicic acid is now introduced into the organism, the activities of the astral and ego organisms that are carried out on the skin are relieved. The inward activity of these organisms is released again; and a healing process occurs.

[ 6 ] If one is faced with pathological conditions that manifest themselves in abnormal palpitations, an irregular activity of the astral organism affects the course of the blood circulation. This activity then weakens the brain processes. Epileptic states occur because the weakened astral activity in the head organism causes the etheric organism belonging there to become too tense. If the gum-like substance obtained from levisticum (lovage) is brought into the organism - for example in tea form, or even better in a somewhat processed form in a preparation - then the activity of the astral body, which is unjustly used up for blood circulation, is released and the brain organization is strengthened.

[ 7 ] In all these cases the direction of the effects of the disease must be determined by an appropriate diagnosis. Take the last case. It may be such that the cause is due to a disturbed interaction between the etheric and astral bodies in the blood circulation. The brain manifestations are then the result. It will be possible to proceed with the healing as described.

[ 8 ] However, the situation can also be reversed. The irregularity can occur causally between the astral and etheric activity in the brain system. Then the irregular blood circulation with the abnormal heart activity is the result. Then, for example, sulphuric acid salts must be introduced into the metabolic process. These act on the etheric organization of the brain in such a way that they cause an attraction to the astral body. This can be observed in the fact that the thinking initiative, the sphere of will and the whole unity of the being undergo a transformation towards the better. It will then probably be necessary to support the astral forces in their newly acquired effect on the circulatory system with a copper salt, for example.

[ 9 ] You will notice that the entire organism returns to its regular activity when the overactivity of the astral and ego organism caused by the physical and etheric organism is replaced by an externally induced overactivity in some part of the body. The organism has a tendency to compensate for its deficiencies. Therefore it restores itself if an irregularity is artificially regulated for a time in such a way that the internally caused process, which must cease, is counteracted by a similar process brought about from outside.