- Free E-Book - Continued -
The Truth About "Natural" Healing
--- Ten Things You Should Know
8. Is It For YOU?
Just because something CAN be done doesn't mean it SHOULD be
or that EVERYONE should do it. Some people can live, work and
function for a time in outer space, but it isn't for everybody.
At least not according to NASA (U. S. National Aeronautics and
Space Administration). The last I heard, the requirements for
astronauts were still pretty high.
To determine what's good for YOU, your own needs, values,
ablilties and limitations must be taken into account. Your total
self. And, with an endeavor like "natural healing", how much of
that "self" you're willing to put into it.
One of the most common lines of fallacious health reasoning appears
to go that if it's natural it's safe; and even doctors can never be
absolutely sure how each medicine will react on each individual; so,
if it's ok for them to "experiment", surely it's safe for us to do
so using only natural therapies. But, realistically, how would you
feel about going to a doctor who you knew had never studied, but had
found some other way to pass all the exams? Surely you see the
point: If we're setting out to "heal thyself", we'd better "do OUR
homework" too, hadn't we? We can't just blindly experiment, and
expect to be "cured" or to have perfect health. We must be truly
committed to this concept and to the lifetime of personal study and
research that it requires --- along with the time and patience it
takes to change only one element of our regimen at a time and keep
careful personal notes of the results. (SOME friends and relatives
may think we SHOULD be committed, but that's a different kind :) You
may spend less on medicine and doctor bills, but you STILL have to
"pay the piper", so to speak and not everyone will be able or
willing to do that.
And "natural" doesn't automatically mean "safe". Some of the most
toxic materials known to humans grow "naturally" out of the ground.
More reason to "do our homework"! Nowadays the specific meanings of
"natural" apparently depend on what you're trying to sell but
generally suggest a wholesomeness beyond human wisdom; not tampered
with, artificially produced or modified in any way. Not nearly as
mystical, magical or spiritual as it sounds, really. Even so, by the
above definition, we'll never live a truly natural life in THIS world.
After all, is there any thing or any place on earth not affected in
some way by human activity --- that often took place somewhere else on
the planet? You just have to try to find the things that have been
altered the least. And even something that's "good" and "natural"
isn't always good for EVERYBODY. If you know very many people
rather well, try naming three foods that nobody is "allergic" to.
Another misconception can arise from the term "COMPLEMENTARY
Alternative Medicine". While commendable if it means working
together to benefit humanity, (and despicable should it be an effort
of the profession "in power" to maintain TOTAL CONTROL of all
"health care") the fact remains that not all therapies are as
"complementary" or compatible as the term would seem to infer.
Remember the somewhat startling news on national TV in some lands a
while back that so "natural" and "harmless" a product as grapefruit
juice could seriously alter the body's response to a number of
prescription drugs? So, if you try to "get the best of both worlds"
you have even more "homework" to do and an even higher standard to
search for in knowledgeable professionals.
If you're really serious about taking personal responsibility for
your body and health, which truly natural healing requires, the
first thing you need to do is understand as much as you can about
how this marvelous "machine", the human body, actually functions.
(Watching all the doctor and hospital "soap operas" won't "cut it"
---sorry!) What you need is a good anatomy and physiology textbook.
And some quiet time. Which won't likely come tap you on the
shoulder. Even searching for it may not help. If you're like most
of us, you'll probably have to TRADE some OTHER time for it, but it
will be one of the best "investments" you ever made. And prepare to
be amazed beyond words --- unless you have a really fantastic
vocabulary. Then, when you go looking for natural healing advice,
whether in print or from a professional health care provider, you'll
be better equipped to evaluate how (or if) it should be applied to
your particular needs --- or whether someone is simply (sincerely
or otherwise) "selling you a fantasy".
LEARNING all this is the relatively easy part. APPLYING it with
SOUND REASONING is where it gets tricky. Nearly all of us grow up in
a very narrow culture. Our view of life and the world around us is
shaped and often distorted by that upbringing. The common "western
world" view for example, is that to be "intelligent" one must accept
unquestioningly whatever is popularly considered "scientific" at the
time. Nothing could be futher from the truth, of course. ANCIENT
SUPERSTITION accepted unproven "scientific" beliefs as fact. So does
"modern superstition", sad to say. To true science, however, no
understanding of the physical universe is above question --- not even
one's own observations and conclusions.
Some obvious but often overlooked questions about health advice you
receive from magazines, "junk mail" or the internet include: Is it
selling a product or service? Is it a "sure cure"? --- Or a "cure
all"? Does it contain negative connotations toward all other
therapies and methods? How proud of themselves and their supposed
knowledge do the writers sound? It's great to share one's knowledge
and experience, but not to consider it the "last word" or the "stone
tablets from Sinai". Of course, all human nature seems to have a
touch of pride, prejudice and other greed which can sabotage the
credibility of even the best advice; so, try not to be paranoid
about it --- or the "eternal skeptic". But try not to be gullible,
either. We all at some time tend to believe what we WISH were true
--- OR ARE AFRAID TO QUESTION. Try instead to be not only
knowledgeable but sensible. (There's a difference.) In everything
strive for balance --- the key to health and life itself.
For more questions you're "not supposed to ask" about widely accepted
beliefs on sickness and health along with some unconventional concepts
to which they point,
PLEASE SEE THE NEXT PAGE,
9. "How Does It Work?"
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