Anthroposophic
medicine is an extension of conventional medical
practice. As Rudolf Steiner (1860-1925), the founder
of anthroposophy, once put it, anthroposophy is
a way of schooling oneself and gaining knowledge.
It seeks to unite the spiritual element in us with
the spiritual element in the natural world. The
differences between the anthroposophic view of the
human being and the conventional modern view can
be seen if we make the following comparison:
One kind of remedy frequently offered by AM is the
homeopathic remedy, which is not surprising since
classical homeopathy is rooted in vitalism, as is
Steiner's philosophy. Like homeopathy, AM also features
a highly individualized treatment of each patient.
However, since Steiner believed in reincarnation,
an AM doctor has to try to figure out "the particular
state of soul and spirit"* of the patient in regard
to its many lives, past, present, and future.
Steiner believed the model for the human body should
be of a 3-part system: we takes things in, we put
things out, and some things we keep constant by
rhythm. The senses take things in; we excrete things;
and we breathe and our blood circulates. We have
a cooling/hardening system, the senses and nerves,
centered in the head and spinal column. We have
a heating/softening system, a reproductive/metabolic
system, centered below the diaphragm. And we have
a rhythmic system, the heart and lungs, to balance
the other two systems. Health is when these systems
interact harmoniously. Illness is disharmony and
treatment may include not only medicine but also
art therapy (painting, modeling, music, singing
and creative speech) .
