A New Perspective on Health
During my journey, it became apparent to me that true health realisation does not come from the current paradigm that it became clear to me was egocentric in nature.
True health realisation has to go much deeper, it has to first address the ‘I’, the ‘you’, the ‘self’. This understanding is crucial, because without it the journey is always at the mercy of the whims of the ego and the construction that you call ‘I’. Lasting change and therefore realisation of health requires the conscious awareness of the interplay of the physical and metaphysical worlds.
Traditionally the journey towards health is driven by the biological and medical sciences, however they fail to consider the nature of conscious spirit at any level. If anything the science of physics has moved us closer to better understanding of our health than the previously mentioned scientific disciplines.
To put it simply, your health is first and foremost determined by your conscious mind. For it is only the conscious mind that can link the physical and metaphysical worlds. Every molecule of your body is a dynamic entity that has the capacity for endless possibilities. Form is created through thought, if the egoic mind dominates, the thought will always be dominated by separation and comparison.
The egoic mind, with its narrow fixed interpretation of the physical realm, does not have the ability to utilise the endless potential that the conscious mind can. This may all sound quite fantastical, but with the application of this understanding we will be released from the chains of our current health limitations.
Unfortunately the current paradigm in the health sciences is one that is very much dominated by a separation and a reductionist mindset. Despite the common acceptance that the mind and body are not two separate entities but are inextricably linked, academic institutions still perpetuate the separation by dint of their organisation makeup. This is amplified within modern medicine, in which as a doctor becomes more experienced at the same time they become more reductionist, until at the final stage of their career journey they become a ‘specialist’ in one specific field.
Knowing the interconnectivity of the whole physical system and how each system is influenced by other - often first appearing unrelated - systems, it seems ludicrous that this has become the accepted practice in western medicine.
But not only does the current health paradigm fail to address the body-mind relationship, but even more so it fails to incorporate the concept of the consciousness in any meaningful way. This has been an area that western medicine finds difficult to comprehend, as this just does not fit in with their current model. In fact to achieve a greater understanding we have to look to the world of physics and philosophy to give us a better explanation of the interconnectivity of our existence.
Consciousness in its most basic form refers to the experience one is having, that is, ‘the what is it like to be you’ experience. The basic assumption about consciousness is that it requires certain advanced physical properties, such as a nervous system. However it would be better to think of consciousness as a continuum. If we were to take a panpsychic viewpoint then consciousness is a ubiquitous feature amongst all matter. Obviously the nature of consciousness would be different, but at the same time consciousness still resides. Not only is there value in this view point, but also it is worth considering that should elements ‘come together’, couldn’t the resulting outcome be something that exhibits greater consciousness?
Is there evidence of this? Yes there is, because that well known saying that ‘we are stardust’ is fact. All the elements that make life on earth possible were formed from stellar events. Over time the building blocks of life came together in ever increasing complexity to ultimately form who you are now. That is why the egoic mind and its narrative of separation will always cause you suffering, because we are all connected at the molecular level as well as the interstellar level. And it is consciousness that provides the glue for this experience to take place.
The very real irony is that the very first stage of health realisation should be that of becoming consciously aware. It is about ‘seeing’, how the egoic mind has constructed a sense of self that is not aligned with the universal laws.
This separation happened early in our development - as a child as we increasingly become aware of ourselves as a separate entity. The world around us propagates this separation, until we become so wedded to it that we can no longer contemplate any other possibility other than the one that we are made to believe.
Health realisation is about ‘jumping right into the deep end’. Coming to awareness of how the egoic mind works and how it impedes your possibility of health must be addressed at the very beginning. Coming to this understanding will represent a paradigm shift, and the house of cards that represents you and your health limitations will come tumbling down.
The conditioned mind will allow you no opportunity for change, for it is fixed on labeling and categorising. As soon as we label and categorise, we immediately limit possibility. As soon as we label we give something power and control over us. By not attaching a label we give ourselves a space, we give ourselves opportunity for something else.
Our journey towards health is full of labels, and for many the label of this or that condition gives them an identity which is also self-limiting. This is another trick of the egoic mind, to hide the possibility that you have within you. Because the egoic mind is all about control, it cannot possibly allow you to take control of your own health, it wants to keep you a slave to its thinking.
Does that mean that the body-mind offers no purpose? Absolutely not, for the body-mind represents an important component in our health journey. For we can use the body-mind to help us cultivate awareness and consciousness. The body-mind is like your personal garden, one which you metaphorically speaking cultivate and nurture cell by cell. This process of cultivation will in return help you grow your conscious awareness for every and every cell.
As has been established, all elements of health realisation are underpinned by our understanding of our interdependence at both a micro and macro level. Practically speaking this means creating the right environment for healing and optimum function to occur naturally. This is about providing a fertile ground for health and wellbeing. Naturopathic medicine, ayurvedic medicine, and traditional chinese medicine are all practices that encourage this method of support. These practices view the body-mind in a more holistic way and look to remove obstacles that impede self healing.