Three Views of Health

Health: Western, Eastern, Indigenous

 

Sickness can be thought of as an asymmetry in the mathematics of existence. If our life experiences are viewed as happening within an enormous mathematical shape, a sort of living geometry, then the form this shape takes influences the type of life experiences we have. If it's harmonious, we are healthy; if it's disharmonious, we are sick. 

Harmony can be seen as the symmetry that emerges when our bio-psycho-socio-spiritual aspects are fully integrated into a functioning whole. At least that's what my simple monkey mind recapitulating Ede Frecska sees. 

Different cultures have different narratives on how this symmetry might emerge. Each story, or prognosis, has limitations that determine the scope of its prescribed healing methodology, or diagnosis. Following the stories back far enough can unravel some basic metaphysical foundations propping up the worldview of that culture.
  
For the sake of brevity, I'll outline three major cultural narratives of why we get sick. 

1. The Western View is largely an Anatomical Narrative --- materialist, reductionist, and one-size-fits-all. An imbalance of some anatomical entity (god-dam that liver lookin' bad) is often the prognosis leading to a physical diagnosis like pills or surgery. An understanding of the composition of certain anatomical systems is vital to this narrative. 

1. The Eastern View is largely an Energetic Narrative --- borderline materialist-immaterialist, holistic, and one-size-fits-one-person. An imbalance in some energetic entity (god-dam that fourth chakra lookin' bad) is often the prognosis leading to a bio-energetic diagnosis like acupuncture. An understanding of the composition of certain subtle-energy systems is vital to this narrative.

1. The Indigenous View is largely a Spiritual Narrative --- immaterialist, holistic, and one-size-fits-one-person. An imbalance in some spiritual entity (god-dam that demon lookin' bad) is often the prognosis leading to a spirit-realm diagnosis like a psychoactive plant ceremony. An understanding of the composition of certain archetypal-spiritual systems is vital to this narrative.

Each of the three narratives agree that an imbalance, or disharmony, of some sort leads to human sickness. Whether this imbalance is strictly bio-chemical, bioenergetic, or spiritual is where disagreements arise. To lug in that awkward yet highly descriptive nomenclature, health is a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual integration --- it needs all three!