Exploring The Threefold Nervous System

Anthroposophical Medical Conference, July 2009, at Stonehill College

PAAM (Physicians’ Association for Anthroposophical Medicine) and AAMTA (the association for anthroposophical health professionals) are holding their annual conference at the site of the Rudolf Steiner Institute, in Easton, MA, south of Boston.

The threefoldedness of the nervous system will be studied from different therapeutic perspectives to get an insight into its role as bearer of soul and spirit. Presenters include Branko Fuerst, MD, on the peripheral nervous system; Cathy Sims-O’Neil, DO, on the central nervous system; Gerald Karnow, MD, on the autonomic nervous system; Jef Saunders on art therapy; Miriam Karnow on eurythmy; Marion Van Namen on music therapy; and Elisabeth Sustick, RN, LMT, on rhythmical massage.

Orpheus, by Odilon Redon (1840-1916)

From Fundamentals of Therapy, by Rudolf Steiner and Ita Wegman, MD:

“The etheric body is predominantly active in the sympathetic nervous system, which is present throughout the digestive organs. The nerve organs concerned are essentially organs that are live by nature. The astral and the I organization do not organize them from inside but from outside. This means that the influence of the I and astral organization active in these nerve organs is powerful. Affects and passions have a continuous, significant effect on the sympathetic system. Worry and cares will gradually destroy it.

“The astral organization is predominantly active in the nervous system in the spinal marrow with all its branches. This makes it the vehicle for the soul aspect of the human being, of reflex processes, but not for anything that happens in the I, in the self-aware mind and spirit.

“The actual cerebral nerves are the ones that are subject to the I organization. In them the activities of the etheric and astral organization are less marked. We see that this results in three regions within the sphere of the total organism.”

Anthroposophic medicine and therapies constitute a holistic and human-centered approach to healing and understanding human illness. These approaches recognize and utilize modern medicine’s vast information and rigorous methodology. Each anthroposophic therapist is fully credentialed in his/her profession.

The anthroposophic approach goes further than conventional modern therapeutics, adding knowledge of the laws of the living organism, the psyche, and the spirit. This knowledge is derived from a spiritual scientific methodology, which expands on conventional science. It requires—besides the ongoing professional, personal, and moral development required of every true health professional— an active meditative life.

This inner activity leads to a deepened capacity for apprehending the whole human being. Such a meditative journey was outlined by Rudolf Steiner in many books and lectures, and has been practiced and written about by many authors since that time. The result is an integrated image of the whole human being in illness and health. This makes possible a holistic but also rational approach to the healing professions. — [From the conference invitation.]