Clearly, the most important part of our practice is the correction of vertebral subluxation, at least practically speaking. A vital part of our practice member educational program should be to help people understand vertebral subluxation. While many chiropractors focus on that, they may overlook or minimize the most important aspect of what we teach people, i.e., the presence of an innate intelligence within the body. We cannot take for granted that people understand what innate intelligence is. People seem to understand this principle on the same level that it functions–an unconscious one. We only think about our heart beating or our body producing insulin, adrenalin and cortisone if our attention is drawn to that fact. It is not under our conscious control. However, we need to help people really get it consciously. G.K. Chesterton said that, “God is like the sun. You cannot look at it, but without it you cannot see anything else.” In a similar vein the innate intelligence of the body is like the sun, you cannot see it but without it you can not see anything else. I would add that without an understanding of the innate intelligence one has no capacity to understand anything about the function of the human organism.
Imagine if innate intelligence functioned like educated intelligence or if we at least had the respect for it that we have for educated intelligence. We can measure one’s educated intelligence. We can demonstrate the level that one has and how well it’s expressing itself. The problem is that we all have a genius IQ when it comes to innate intelligence, but very few of us are doing summa cum laude work. When it comes to teaching our practice members about their innate intelligence, most of us have not gotten them out of the first grade. This is despite the fact that without the presence of innate intelligence we cannot see the signs of life because life is the expression of intelligence through matter. We cannot see the beauty of a spring day when the trees are not yet green with leaves and the flowers are not blooming. The knowledge of their presence allows us to look forward to spring with certainty, even in the middle of winter. At a minimum, our practice members need to understand and be able to apply the following knowledge to their lives:
1. Where does innate intelligence come from? This is a difficult question to answer inasmuch as our chiropractic philosophy does not relate to Who created the “Law of Life.” We can deduce its existence from the principle of universal intelligence but that leaves the question of where it came from. Logic would conclude that if there is a law then there is a Lawgiver. Here is where our chiropractic philosophy overlaps the ADIO viewpoint of life. The ADIO viewpoint maintains that there is a Supreme Being, therefore, it is logical to acknowledge God as the source of innate intelligence. It does not contradict our philosophy. Since over 85% of the public believes there is a Creator, it is not really a practical problem to acknowledge Him as the Source of innate intelligence.
2. Innate intelligence is present from the moment of conception. Only life begets life. While we may describe the organism in different ways including blastocyst, fetus, etc., the innate intelligence is the same from the moment a new life is conceived, even before conception. It is the principle that is causing the cells to divide and organize into the organs, tissues and cells of the body. It does not increase or decrease since it is a principle. A principle is 100% all the time. Its expression may change, but that is a function of the amount of and quality of the matter. The law of gravity—the attraction of bodies, is always the same. However, the size of the matter may cause it to be expressed differently, hence the differences on the moon and the earth.
3. Innate intelligence is in all living organisms. Too many chiropractors equate innate intelligence with the soul or some other spiritual entity. The principle of innate intelligence is the same in a one-celled animal as it is an elephant and in a human being. If we think of it as biological life it may be helpful. All living organisms possess biological life. It is an absolute. The one-celled organism is as much alive as the multi-celled organism.
4. The innate intelligence has the responsibility of running the organs, tissues, and cells of the body. It is in control of every unconscious function, that is every function that does not necessitate any educated thought. It does not make decisions for us on a conscious level, but it is responsible for keeping the organs and the cells that make those decisions working as well as they possibly can. So while it does not tell you what to eat for breakfast or what kind of a car you should buy, it does help the organ that makes those decisions (what we call the educated brain) to function at its maximum so the best possible decisions can be made.
5. Innate intelligence gives you the wherewithal to make good educated decisions. To make good educated decisions, you must have good information placed within your educated brain. Innate intelligence cannot help you with that. However, what can help you is having an ADIO world and life viewpoint. The chiropractic philosophy goes a long way toward helping you develop that ADIO viewpoint. Once you have that viewpoint then you need as little interference as possible. That is where the chiropractic adjustment comes in, although the innate intelligence can not supply good information. The educated brain is in many regards like a computer and if garbage goes in, garbage will come out.
6. What interferes with innate intelligence? Anything that interferes with the expression of the intelligence over the matter denigrates the ability of innate intelligence to be expressed. Sometimes, chiropractors think that the only way this occurs is by an interference in the nerve system. That may be a presumptuous position to take. While the nerve system is not the only way, it appears to be the major means of this expression and, of course, is the one that is the concern of the chiropractor.
7. How does innate intelligence correct the vertebral subluxation? For the body’s innate intelligence to correct a vertebral subluxation it must have two things: sufficient matter and sufficient force. Regarding the matter, it is the matter of the body, muscles in particular, that makes the ultimate correction. The matter of the nerve system may also be limited and not have the capability to carry sufficient mental impulses to the muscles. Regarding the force, those muscles must be supplied with sufficient innate forces to enable the matter to act upon the subluxated vertebra. It appears that B.J. did not consider this possibility because he seemed to think that the innate intelligence of the body could correct any subluxation if the interference was removed. That, of course, was the basis for the HIO technique: correct the atlas/axis subluxation and the innate intelligence will correct the rest. I think it is possible that the nerves could be so damaged that they would be unable to carry sufficient mental impulses.
Understanding the vertebral subluxation is important to an understanding of chiropractic, but it pales in importance to a practice member’s understanding of innate intelligence of the body. v25n4