A seeming paradox in chiropractic is the fact that we do not go by feelings. Symptoms are not a criteria or a guide to health (or absence of health). Yet we want our practice members to listen to the innate intelligence of his/her body. I don’t mean in some metaphysical way like “innate tells me where there is a parking spot” but in what to eat, what exercises to do, rest, etc. How are they to be guided by their innate intelligence if they do not depend on feelings? I would very much like to see your thoughts and comments.
I would say there is a difference between “feeling” a symptom and a “feeling” of what’s best for your body, with the latter being a “gut feelilng. The phrase “gut feeling” may also be used as a short-hand term for an individual’s “common sense” perception of what is considered “the right thing to do”. So maybe using perception or gut feeling to describe where innate intelligence is guiding us would be better than just “feeling”.
Using the word “feelings” lends itself to creating an apparent paradox, since feelings may be physical sensations or mental or emotional or spirtual sensations. Perhaps a more accurate statement would be that we do not go by symptoms to measure our health. Innate mind is the subconscious. Educated mind is the conscious. When something enters our consciousness, it is subject to educated interpretation, even if it comes from innate. Unless educated mind knows that symptoms are not the enemy, but an alert to interpret and deal with the cause as needed, innate’s chances of being “heard” are decreased. Unless educated mind knows that health is normal function, not the absence of symptoms, innate may be ignored. When educated mind has removed the barriers, it can listen more completely to innate mind, give more value to innate suggestion, and be confident in taking action based on that suggestion.
Hey Joe
Symptoms do not dictate care, which is not to say they are unimportant. They are still the best way for the patient to measure progress. Simply put, having symptoms does not mean they need an adjustment. You can also go back to what BJ said about retracing. If your symptoms remain but you feel stronger or more energetic you are retracing, if symptoms remain and you are feeling weaker and more fatigued the condition has not been affected by care.
Quite often we tell the story of the two men with ptomaine poisoning, one spends all night in the bathroom doing unpleasant things the other wakes up dead, then we ask which was the healthy one. We love to see their expression change as they come to realize all uncomfortable “feelings” are not bad.
I think people should be led by their Innate. I think Innate uses feelings to get people to snap out of their stupor. Symptoms are Innate’s version of slapping them across the face and saying, “hey buddy, change what you’re doing or else…”. Feelings are important for that reason. But basing your determination of whether you are healthy or not on how you feel is not safe. Feelings don’t serve you well that way because we all know you can feel fine but have cancer or diabetes. Health should be based on function. Feelings are Innate’s fire alarm. Just because the alarm stops sounding doesn’t mean the fire is put out, it just means the smoke has been temporarily handled.
Great comments! Too few chiropractors are thinking these days and even fewer are sharing their thoughts. This is exactly what I hoped this blog would do. Now if we can all keep it on the same high level of discussion we can keep it from degenerating as other blogs have. I am going to keep my comments to myself for a day or two. Some people think I am intimidating. (Although my kids who I tried to intimidate never thought so). Meanwhile thank you for your participation.
Whew! This is a good one. This might take some thought before commenting.
Great question, Joe. It is tough sometimes to get a proper message to people because of the way they have been taught to think and are continuously exposed to daily. We need to teach them what it is we do and why as chiropractors, but also how to think in light of that philosophy. Obviously, symptoms are not (or should not be) a guide for the Chiropractor to determine the health of a practice member, not is it a criteria for being subluxated or giving/receiving care.
I think that symptoms are neither good nor bad, but merely a sign of change. They can be either, but that isn’t for me to determine as their chiropractor. Symptoms can be a total malfunction and the body’s cry for help, but they can also be a sign of perfect function.
I think that most people are probably already aware and even capable of how to listen to the innate intelligence of their body, if they will actually just listen. Unfortunately, they have been conditioned to only listen to symptoms (what they consider “feeling”), not listen to it at all, not trust it and flat out ignore it. Then without even realizing it, they lose a sense of power and then of course responsibility to even need to listen any longer. It is an uphill battle and as we educate them they have to “undo” a lot of negative information and damage even before they can move in a positive direction.
Some people were living innately thousands of years ago. Don’t your wonder how they did it? Just do it for YOURSELF and YOU will be a light for others to follow (if they want to).
Dance YOUR dance and others will eventually join in.
Tom and I were talking earlier today. He has very good insight on this. We agreed that once someone accepts that Innate Intelligence is not a “thing” and is not something that is “located here or there” or comes from “this or that”, that it just IS, then “feelings” are just not a consideration. BAM!!! God, I love this stuff!!
The first step, I believe, to “listening” to your ii is to have an awareness and understanding of ii. Most of our lives we have been brainwashed into thinking the answers we seek lie outside of us (oibu) and from some higher authority. No, not that HIGHER authority, but rather from some other human who has more education than we do. It’s sad to see that some chiros are still talking about ii being located in the brain, f-l-o-w-i-n-g over nerves, being stopped by vertebral subluxation. The public at large as well as a good percentage of chiros have no clue about ii. I remember once at an ADIO Seminar back in the 90’s where after listening to speaker after speaker speak incorrectly about ii, Reggie got up to give his talk. He was going to speak about something totally different but was so upset about the mis-use and misunderstanding of ii he proceeded to school a room full of chiropractors on philosophy 801 ii, as only he could.
Without an awareness and understanding of ii there can be no listening to it. “Listening” to your ii is a humbling experience as basically it doesn’t matter your level of education, ii is on the job 24/7/365, and does so regardless of your level of education. I’ve found that the more educated have the biggest problems relating to the concept of ii as their educated mind has a difficult time relinquishing “control”. Conversely I’ve worked in an extremely high Amish population who did not have classical higher education and was basically led by the hand during more than one orientation. In fact, I would tape all my orientations and recall one in particular with an 85 year old Amish woman. In relistening to the tape I said 3 times to her, “Are you sure you haven’t heard this before?” Her reply simply was, “No, this just makes total sense.” She was one step ahead of me the whole time.
Continuing education in the chiro office is a must if people are to get a clue about ii and other very important philosophical concepts. It’s impossible to do an adeqate job during the intro orientation as it is just that, an introduction to chiropractic. Reggie, oops, I mean BJ once said, “Get the big idea and all else follows”. Help people to an awareness and understanding of ii and the listening will follow.
Hahaha…I didn’t read the other comments before posting my thoughts. Nice to see a few familar names, more importantly nice to see a number on the same page. Man, I miss the Triune Seminars! Thank you Joe for this forum!