I wanted to share this because “alternative” therapies are never given the respect that they deserve.
Back in December of 2015, I was diagnosed with an auto-immune and “incurable” condition,Grave’s disease, which affects the thyroid with pretty debilitating symptoms, including chronic fatigue (which led to muscle weakness), insomnia, heart palpitations, night sweats, irritability, radical and drastic internal temperature changes, shaking/tremors in my hands to the point where I could not hold up a fork to feed myself, or hold a pen to sign my name, menstrual hemorrhaging (which led to anemia, low iron and hemoglobin levels, and low energy levels), memory blanks, depression, and itchy skin. Instead of losing weight, which usually happens with Grave’s, I gained 25lbs. in a matter of a few weeks, which in rare cases, happens.
I was hesitant to try traditional meds because the side-effects were too damaging to the liver, without any guarantee that they would work. Plus, I would only be able to take those for up to 2 years max, due to their high toxicity. However, I promised my doctor that I would take them as prescribed.
I’m also a firm believer in attacking the “source” vs. the symptoms, and decided to complement traditional medicine with naturopathic supplements (for symptoms), as well as, homeopathic medicine to get to the source, even if their effects took longer. So, I started naturopathic and homeopathic treatment in December 2015 and conventional medication in February 2016. I also decreased my stress levels to zero and tried to exercise by walking every day, despite the chronic fatigue. By March, I was able to resume my full-time working hours.
After only one month of conventional treatment, I was symptom-free and the doctor had to cut the dose in half because my thyroid levels were on the low side of normal. A month later, they were still normal, so I only had to take them 2x/week and in June, I should be in remission.
The doctor, who was shocked at the results, said, “I hope you don’t think your alternative fluff had anything to do with it”, but considering that none of the healthcare practitioners has ever seen a Grave’s case go into remission in such a short period of time, I know it had everything to do with it. The naturopath actually said, “What I usually see is thyroids being removed in most cases”.
Also, as a side-effect from the homeopathy, I haven’t had to take one single anti-histamine this Spring, after suffering from severe seasonal allergies since my teens. The barometric pressure headaches, which I used to get every time it rained and were as painful as migraines, also decreased to a mild feeling of pressure and completely pain-free.
I’m elated! Thank you, Allyson! I love having you as part of my healthcare team!
“Five Stars” to Allyson McQuinn for having the courage to write about how disease and failing to follow one’s own passions are irrevocably connected. Using her own life as an example, she describes with raw honesty the journey from “doing” for everyone else in stereotypical mother/wife-style, to the health crisis of a serious debilitating skin condition, and then on to remarkably attaining her health again after much soul-searching and life changes. Well worth the read! ~ Kim White
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“I purchased your new kindle book “The Art of Falling Apart”. I have really appreciated you writing it. I read it within a few days. I really loved learning how you processed and found your way through and out to the other side, and all the things you shifted and changed during that time. Very enlightening. It helped me to see how I have processed things myself. What you went through is certainly not for the faint at heart, and I can certainly relate to so much of what you shared. But it’s how we get to the best parts of who we truly are underneath all those layers that are not us. So thank you for sharing your experiences. All the best!!” ~ S.M.
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“I’m almost done with your new book. I’ll write a review soon! Wow, it is brilliant! Thank you so much for baring your soul! I felt like it mirrored so many things that I’ve been feeling, and it was validating to read someone else’s experiences. You know, that “I’m not alone” (aka crazy) feeling! Thank you for everything, Allyson! ” ~ S.T
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“Thank you for sending me the note about your book. I downloaded it and couldn’t put it down-even going cross eyed reading it on my phone lol.
The Art of Falling Apart is resonating with me deeply, I found my self going yes, yes, yes, and oh that’s why. I definitely feel that I am in the falling apart process, and instead of allowing it to take over with grace, I am resisting it with all my might, even though the voice in my head is say just let go and ride the wave. I too put others before myself quite often, and feel guilty when I don’t, and try to do everything myself so no one feels they need to look after me-but I am at a point where I need to step down a little and let someone…hubby…care for me too ( I have shut him out from that, because I never wanted to be the needy girl), no I am understanding that being cared for is not a needy…sorry I went off on a tangent…
I also enjoyed hearing about your experience with Christ and Mary. For the longest time I have avoided and felt repelled by, I don’t want to say Christ, but by Religion factor-but I find that since painting with Shiloh (whom has a very deep connection with Christ and especially Mary and the goddess) I find my self drawn more the stories, teachings and history. I am learning that I don’t have to be in organized religion to enjoy them, and be inspired by them. I wrote down each book you recommended on this topic…hope that made sense. ~ J.R.
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Real, Raw and Amazing!
“This is by far one of the most honest, raw, emotional books that I have ever read. Allyson shares her relevant lifetime history and how it led her to the ‘baptism’ encounter. Most importantly, she gives a firsthand account of how she sought the true meaning behind her suffering and took it upon herself to dig into the depths of her soul to cure her disease outright – which is her heart’s calling for herself and others. Aside from the raw account of understanding her truth, Allyson’s writing style has once again left me unable to put her book down until I was finished reading!” ~ Kassie Ehler
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“This is your most intimate, and illuminating, piece of work so far- it was a baptism by fire for sure!
You drew me into your inner world-taking me through the dark recesses of our primal fears, self-doubt, and the dying away of the false ego, to emerge, renewed and more wholly in relationship, with your Self and your life. It’s heartfelt, terrifying, beautiful, and inspiring.
Often practitioners are placed on a pedestal (or we falsely place ourselves on one). Because our work is to guide others towards ousting the false ego, resolving trauma and aiding in their trajectory towards claiming the essential self- we must, to a degree, be able to do this ourselves. Therefore, it is humbling when find that we still have a lot of personal work to do, and I think sometimes, we feel shame when we falter. We need to confront that fear of revealing, that we too, are still in a process of becoming. It is a vulnerable position, and yet, it is the very thing that is necessary.
With this book you have illustrated the darkest part of our unfoldment, where we enter into the recesses of our fears and assume, with full consciousness, who we are meant to be. Many of us turn away at this point, because it requires that we acknowledge, and act, on our truth. This is not easy, requiring that we stay with the chaos, and have faith, surrendering, and allowing, the facade to burn away. It can be wholly life-altering if we have built our relationships, and our lives, on who we thought we were (or felt we needed to be). It’s seemingly easier to suppress symptoms and dis-ease, disassociate from our truth, and stay in our delusions, that is, until we are faced with our ultimatum. You have illustrated this so beautifully. I felt your fear, your brokenness, your self-doubt, your bravery.
Then you take us into the warm embrace of self-care, and the traversing of this passage, with tenderness and self-love. This is one of the toughest things for most of us to do. “What? Am I actually going to ask for, and do, what I need to get well? What about XYZ? I can’t.” Your false ego was flat-lined, and you did. I felt like I was there with you, building up your relationship with your self, acknowledging and acting on your desires. It was tender at first, and then I could feel your energy build. I felt the enthusiasm as your love function became activated, and celebrated, when you found yourself with your kin, wholly in love.
Your book felt like an intimate, resonant conversation; these are the conversations that I crave. It could only have been achieved if you allowed yourself to truly be seen, and to speak, from your heart, and from your truth. It is a remedy, truly, for those that are still pursuing this passage. With the sharing of your story, you become a maverick, and give others a hope, and faith in their capacity, to become who they are meant to be.” ~ Sara Dubeau, DHHP, DMH
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“”The Art of Falling Apart” was in my hands as soon as it was hot off the press. I knew that there would be many gems in this book, and I was totally right. In reading Allyson’s personal healing journey it felt so raw, real, painful and inspiring all at the same time. There were many aspects of her healing journey that have resembled mine in some ways over the course of the last few years. In reading her book it helped me acknowledge to myself that I’m on the right path. Allyson wrote a very enlightening book filled with incredible wisdom and courage. Thank you for showing us that it’s possible to arrive at who we truly are underneath the many layers that need healing. I appreciate you sharing your very personal experience with us. Highly recommended book!!” ~ Suzanne McRae
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“I very much enjoyed reading this book, so much so that I finished in a couple days. It spoke deeply to my current state of mind, and gave me hope that it is okay to just let go, and that I will find my path. Allyson has a captivating way of capturing her experiences in writing-such a personal story but also filled with much knowledge and direction to other resources if you so choose to go deeper.” ~ Jennifer Slader
Many of you know that I’ve been on a working and writing sabbatical for the past 6 months. While I love living like a solitary monk for most of the week, (except for 3 days when I’m on Skype with patients) a couple times a week, I love to go out. This past Friday, I spontaneously took myself out to the local Thai restaurant for coconut soup, pad thai and the best lemongrass tea I’ve ever had.
The server, and owner, was immediately engaging. Her beautiful welcoming smile, bright twinkling eyes, petite countenance and forthcoming manner let me know that I was not going to be dining alone, reading my book, for much of the evening. A Phosphorous Constitution will come across bubbly, effervescent and all sparkly-like. They’re so much fun to be with and you will hardly ever feel lonely in their midst.
I knew I was in the presence of a firefly (phosphorous glows green in nature) as I watched this woman flit from table to table. As she came back to tell me how to freeze stalks of lemongrass to make the best tea in boiling water, I noticed my Heilkunst spidey-senses pick up on something else about her tone. There was clearly another layer on top of her Phos. nature.
I sat quietly, and curiously, waiting for the signs and signals I would inevitably be brought to render a more thorough diagnosis. She then asked me where I was from and I let her know that I’m a native of Saint John, New Brunswick. She then said, “Oh, I’ve been to Moncton. Not a good trip, though. I ended up in hospital there for pneumonia!” I heard the little “BOOM” I always hear in clinic when the pieces of a case start to phenomenologically congeal and then lock together.
That was the other piece I was patiently waiting for. Phosphorous constitutions possess a strong astral, more flighty (literally) nature. What this means, as per Rudolf Steiner, is that in the body, organs that are a mirror of each other like eyes, lungs and kidneys are related more to the cosmic, airy, astral realm. A Phos. lives more purely in the moment, with their affinity to the cosmos, they will naturally love to travel, fly, act, play and engage with people in the service industry. They love lots of change.
If, however, they feel suffocated to fulfill their true desire function, they’ll have a strong predisposition for the Tuberculinum Miasm. When they feel their dreams dampened (literally) down or suffocated, they’ll engender this disease matrix for which their constitution already has a strong affinity. They will develop a predisposition for this chronic constant disease and exhibit bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia every Winter.
Healthy Phos.’ are pure light-bearers but if they get too lodged in the material, physical world, they’ll get water-logged with etheric energy and their lungs will fill up and they will feel as if they’re drowning from the inside out. This was this other piece that I was feeling as I was engaging with this woman.
I also noticed something else. Every time my new friend, the server, walked away with a plate in hand after a clear closure in our conversation, she’d stop in mid-walk to turn around to tell me something else. This happened 3 times, twice, she seemed to correct herself mentally in mid-first-syllable and, as I looked up from my plate in answer, she’d smile and continue to walk away.
The one time that she could not resist the temptation to add something, she chose to add a tid-bit of information that didn’t really fit the prior conversation. It was sort of curious and mis-placed. Again, I felt inquisitive as to what this was about.
By the third time, I knew this was no accident. I recalled the rubric in Dr. Roger Morrison’s, M.D. “Desktop Guide, To Keynotes and Confirmatory Symptoms” and what he said about Tuberculinum in the sections under “Mentals” as, “Constant feeling that he has forgotten something. Returns repeatedly to office door to give insignificant information.” That was the confirmatory symptom I needed to render a thorough diagnosis. Both my gut feeling and mind were in agreement.
Hey, wait a minute, aren’t I just a simple woman out on her own for a good meal? Where is that bloody epistemological off-switch? That’s the problem with being a Heilkünstler, you can never really shelve that enthusiastic diagnosing tendency. After so many years, it seems to have a life of it’s own. Once you’ve readily agreed to ingest that homeopathic red pill, every situation becomes a source of further knowledge.
I knew in that moment, that my new Phosphorous friend with the Tubercular Miasm, was still harbouring this disease matrix. The underlying cause was still afoot. Whatever they’d given her at the hospital in Moncton (probably antibiotics which literally means “against life”) only suppressed the symptoms without curing it. It would come back each year around Dec. 21st, stronger than ever, if the root cause was not addressed on the basis of natural law, like cures like. I knew this to be true like Neo’s Oracle without the need to bend one spoon.
I paid my bill and tipped my new Phos. friend heavily, thanking her for her wonderful service and the best of meals. I will go back to eat there, again sometime, and see if the opportunity organically presents itself for me to share a chocolate chip cookie with her (geeky Matrix reference … what can I say?!). Phosphorous’ are such beautiful spirits and I hate to think that she might suffer unnecessarily.
Perhaps in my next blog, I’ll share with you an illustration of the Arsenicum woman in my weekly yoga class, who eyeballs me to straighten my mat, a strewn outdoor clothes, and openly tells others how she’s a control freak and hopes the yoga will help her to let go more. God’s teeth … perhaps it is better if I just stay at home!
A response to the CBC Radio interview and article, “Public Health experts want nosodes taken off the market” (click on image to view article)
It’s all fun and games, CBC, until you have a vaccine damaged son. Junk reporting is a crime against humanity and against the truth. Where is your documented proof? All I see is conjecture. I also happen to know that you did a pre-interview with a naturopath who does support the use of homeopathic nosodes in their practice, but you chose not to use any of that material as it did not comply with your preconceived conjecture and outcomes.
Homeopathic medicine has not caused an ounce of harm for hundreds of years, with proven efficacy off the charts in both the treatment of acute and chronic diseases. There’s actual proof of over 70,000 people prevented from getting deadly leptospirosis year after year in Cuba, Dr. Isaac Golden preventing childhood illness for the past 30 years in Australia using homeopathic nosodes, not to mention Dr. Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathic medicine, who prevented and cured cholera and scarlet fever in Europe to the tune of thousands of people.
We’ve been preventing, curing, and treating individuals with the highest of efficacy over the past 30 years here in Canada, and internationally; there isn’t anything that you can say to change all of these facts and testimonials. If we didn’t use nosodes in this particular case, this young lass would still be suffering debilitating seizures.
Did you know that we also help people detox from the ill effects of vaccines? We tout the highest rate of efficacy in that regard as well. Would you like more proof? We have pages of testimonials indicating anecdotal efficacy using homeopathic nosodes. Sadly, I don’t see any science, nope not a shred, on your page. Does this mean that you don’t have any?
Perhaps you’ll notice something else of great interest to me and the parents who choose homeopathic nosodes to protect their children from childhood disease; the image you’ve used for your article has a sleeping infant in his parent’s arms. Do you see how happy and content this baby is right next to those homeopathic remedies? Why didn’t you use an image more favourable for your article that indicates the truth for allopathic vaccines, if this is indeed your stance?
Image and article, “From the files of Dr. Obvious: Infant brain waves indicate pain during vaccine jabs” from The Raw Story; A Non-Profit News Blog, Focused On Providing Independent Journalism (click on image to view article)
How about this one with a crying babe with bruises and swelling at the site? Or even worse, an image of a baby who’s died from junk allopathic science and vaccines that truly doesn’t have a shred of scientific evidence of efficacy. Perhaps watch the documentary, “Vaccination; The Hidden Truth” and then we can sit down and discuss the truth behind allopathic vaccines.
I wish you could have been there on the night my son emitted the most ungodly scream in the middle of the night after his DPTP shot, or during the 7 panic-ridden hospital visits when he could not pass his own poop, and then after, more than two weeks later, when they had to put him under general anaesthetic to remove the impacted stool manually. I would love for you to have seen the hours of his rocking back and forth, stimming, loss of speech and loss of eye contact after the delayed MMR shot at 15 months.
The Path To Cure – The Whole Art of Healing
Please also check out our international webinars and radio programs on Homeopathic Immunization, Ebola, Shedding, and the one for Measles. We work tireless hours doing the research and writing books, blogs, and articles, all on our own time without a penny received from government agencies or private investors. We’re motivated out of two things; love for our children, patients, humanity AND the truth.
I will be sharing your erroneous reporting with thousands of patients and fellow physicians worldwide on Facebook and Twitter. No doubt they’ll all be very interested as they hold their healthy babes to their breasts, with the safe and effective nosodes in hand, and acquired natural immunity obtained through a profound ethical centre.
There will be a conference on Homoprophylaxis held this October 2015 in Texas, keynoted by Dr. Isaac Golden, with physicians in attendance from all over the world, who, like us, will be sharing many decades of sound research based on observational science. Please contact Kimberly at 703-860-2711 if you’d like to attend or sponsor the event if anything I’ve said here rings true for you. I’m sure that they’ll be thrilled to hear from you. We’ll happily see you there.
Most Sincerely,
Allyson A. McQuinn, DHHP, JAOH
Response from Dr. Golden regarding CBC’s recent misinformation:
“A very important aspect of this book is the discussion on how our own mental and physical state affects our pet’s health. We have all witnessed a pet’s ability to empathize. My rather large English Bull Terrier was famous for cuddling up (preferably on your lap) when a family member was upset. But what we need to understand is that their response to our well being goes beyond transitory sympathy. The actual depth to which they take on our issues is truly astonishing, potentially leading to their failing health, and must be addressed if we are to give our pets the best opportunity for health and vitality.
This is why the Heilkunst approach is so effective: all aspects of the whole being and their environment are considered in their treatment. Having worked in health care for many years, I know I cannot effectively provide lasting relief to someone by isolating one aspect of their life (e.g. pain) from another (e.g. emotions). The disconnect leaves too much room for the presenting problem to recur. The Heilkunst approach understands and addresses this vital synergistic connection so that the patient, whether human or furry, can flourish.”
Catherine J. M. Diodati, B.A., M.A., R.M.P.
Author: Immunization: History, Ethics, Law and Health
Vaccine Guide for Dogs and Cats: What Every Pet Lover Should Know
This is the response to my first reading of Wachsmuth’s book “evolution of mankind”, on the basis of my own personal impressions and reflections. Where Wachsmuth’s scope is quite broad over historical time, and the scope of his book covers much territory (both literally and figuratively), my preliminary remarks below will be far from comprehensive. My point of view is from my own personal connections and associations made from my general life experience, and my particular knowledge linked to the theory and practice of medical Heilkunst. There are so many topics raised by Wachsmuth which could continue to be explored and expanded on over time, which will not all be represented in my reflections below.
General concepts and associations:
The nature of the evolution of consciousness is that there is no stage of development which is “better” or “worse” than another — they are all part of a whole, just as the stages of development of an individual are all necessary components of their total development — the stage of being a toddler is no more or less important than any of the later stages of being an adult. The allopathic view of history presumes a continual progression from lesser to greater development of human mastery over the world, and that our current stage of development is the highest cultural and technological form yet.
Our varied (over time) cognitive capacity, including that of supersensible versus sensible perception is intimately tied in with human development, which is in turn tied in with the geological, cultural, and political shifts and developments over the surface of the earth since the beginning of human history. When reading Wachsmuth’s description of the cultural development of Switzerland, and how a blended meeting of different cultural orientations in the pre-history of Northern and Southern Europe, I wondered if this is what accounts for Switzerland’s modern political stance of “neutrality” on the world stage.
Also, the shifting of the continents at different phases of evolution allowed for different conditions of human development and geographic migration. The remnants of much older phases of consciousness still exist in certain pockets around the globe, as if frozen in time. Along these lines, it is interesting to me that the current disposition of the continents allows for a continuous walk around the globe, illustrating our current global trend towards an emerging “one world government”. This capacity for a continuous journey by foot around the world is currently being illustrated by Karl Bushby, who set out from the Southernmost tip of South America, and will plan to eventually return to his home in England after several years on foot (see www.odysseyxxi.com).
We’ve been very much enjoying the TV show Being Erica, and have seen all but the final episode. If you have not watched all of the episodes, you may want to save the remainder of this blog post to read later, if you prefer not to have key plot points spoiled before you get to enjoy them for yourself first.
In the fourth and final season of the show, Erica goes to the next stage of her therapy, and actually begins to undergo training to become a doctor herself. In her apprenticeship under her therapist, Dr. Tom, she goes through some training experiences to teach her some of the principles of therapy. Two of the key principles she learns are:
You are your patient : This is the same idea in Heilkunst, and the basis for “participating the patient”, where one relatively healthy person (the therapist) is able to relate to and resonate with any and all qualities of the patient, even if these are dark or undesirable. As the expression goes, “You get what you need, not what you want”, and the therapist is certain to come face to face with any shadow aspect of themselves they have not integrated into their conscious identity, and have to delve into such issues in a patient who shows up in their practice.
You are not your patient : Yes, the opposite is also true for the therapist — this principle means that they cannot expect their patient (or anyone, for that matter) to behave, think, or feel the way that they would about a given situation. The morals of the therapist, tastes, and judgments in life cannot be expected to be mirrored by the patient, who is their own unique person, and will navigate their life in their own way. The job of the therapist is to bring the patient to their own form of highest health and expression, and not to be moulded to be a replica of the therapist.
Also, just as in Heilkunst, the doctor or therapist-in-training must also undergo their own ongoing therapy as part of keeping their own health evolving, and moving forward through their issues, so that they have an ever greater capacity to help patients with theirs.
Over this past weekend, Jeff and I watched, “Sexual Chronicles of a French Family” on Netflix. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. It spoke so much to my new book, “Sophie’s Truth: How A Young Girl Unfolded Her Essential Self Through Love.” It was about a shy, somewhat depressed, teenaged French boy who never smiled in his family’s annual portraits due to the fact that he’d never tasted from the fruits of love or intimacy like everyone else had. His frustration and anger becomes clearly symptomatic as Romain loses it while at a family gathering where all they discuss are mundane topics like sports. As a result of the anger not being properly discharged, he is caught masturbating in class on a dare from his friend and potential love interest, Coralie. His Mother on his behalf, starts a family anthropological dig into all the of member’s relationship to sex in order to examine what was formerly taboo.
I loved the fact that the family embraced the opportunity to go to the root cause of Romain’s ills instead of reacting with the emotional plague reaction of fear or anger as we’re so privy to in our modern North American culture. There was no stuffing down of the issues of what every human being ultimately craves, love and intimacy. Even his father gifts our main character with condoms beside his bed and Romain is condoned to have sex in the family home in his own bedroom; a wonderful display of acceptance!
When the focus shifts from suppression to condonable, the movie depicts normal, healthy loving relationships between committed teens, the parents and even Romain’s grandfather. The audience also witnesses the voyeuristic tendencies of Pierre, Romain’s brother, a symptom more of the former suppressive forces. It is interesting as Bronislaw Malinowski illustrates in his book, “The Sexual Life of Savages” that the desire for multiple partners and pornography only came in after the Church arrived on the island where the Trobriander Islanders were permitted to have habitual carnal unions throughout their childhood and teenage years. As an emblem of healthy sexual unfoldment, these children and teenagers were built huts by the tribe specifically for multiple hour long unions. For whatever reason, these tribal kids never spontaneously chose multiple partners. Incidentally, Pierre is the only member of the family who is more closed-mouthed about his sexuality which may be more indicative of the former state of mind in the home dictated by the parents.
In the depiction of a very similar theme, I take my character Sophie through from the very anal construct of her suppressive home-life in maritime Canada, also to France to unfold herself more naturally in this more romantically-based culture. This natural backdrop provided just the contrast I needed as the setting for my character Sophie to realize her full potential as a sexual being which essentially becomes an artistic rendering of Dr. Reich’s full orgastic potency. From a therapeutic context, the audience really gets to participate firsthand the before and after effects of the similar, wholistic de-armoring process that Romain lives through over the course of a year through his sex. Like my own book, the last shot of Romain reveals precisely what the revelatory factor is in being able to explore sexual unions when an individual steps into his whole sexual self naturally. The fact that his family wholly supports this healthy, natural desire to know love is a considerable step-up from our typical North American morals and restrictive attitudes on sex which is probably why we have such burgeoning medical practices. Dr. Reich also wrote about how a sexual damning up produces neurosis, psychosis, armoring, cancer biopathies and other diseases.
All told, when the moralistic lid comes off in the movie, it was fascinating to see all the family’s lovers wholly accepted and embraced into the fold during family gatherings, celebrations and even a funeral. For me the mother is key in the way she sets the tone for the new unfolding of the spontaneous ardor that had laid hidden below the family’s consciousness until now. Romain clearly benefits from this new level of acceptance. No doubt that Dr. Wilhelm Reich, the father of the philosophy of true orgastic potency through natural love, would have applauded the Writers and Directors, Jean-Marc Barr, Lucy Allwood and Pascal Arnold, for “the Sexual Chronicles Of A French Family.” It is said that novels and film are often artistic representations of a reality to come in about 20 years. We can only hope, as then I will have the opportunity to realize Dr. Reich futility in his time as a celebration in mine.
Last evening I had the pleasure of seeing a solo performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, by actor Raoul Baneja. When I say that it was a solo performance, I mean that this one actor played all 17 parts of the play. Theatre can tend to be a very immersive experience, and this format most definitely accelerated that.
The usual function of theatre, as carried through the actors, is of a kind of participation of distinct states of mind portrayed by each of the characters. The actor, them self, may experience a deep cathartic release from entering into their character, and re-connecting to a human aspect of themselves which they have been cut off from. In its extreme form, as was recounted after the death of Heath Leger, was that the depth which he entered into the character of ‘The Joker’ was more charge than he could handle, and led to his demise.
The journey of health ultimately aims for us to reconnect with every aspect of the human experience, at least in its pure form of archetypes and states of mind. The feat accomplished by Raoul Baneja is one which represents this phenomenon of a reclaiming of a full spectrum of our humanity, and which we can each hold as an inner model of “putting Humpty back together again”.
In a similar vein, the act of creativity is essential to the unfolding of our health. The forms of creativity are varied, and unique to the skills and talents of each individual. The creative mind of Shakespeare, for example, would have also accomplished this same feat in creating all of these characters originating from a single mind.
As one further note of interest about this play, there is an aspect of the law of similars, which I have previously written about here.
On the subject of essence-based (rather than substance-based) remedies, the objective feeling of a given piece of music can act in this capacity. As an example, I will present the objective feeling of The Köln Concert, which was a completely improvised solo piano concert recorded by Keith Jarrett on January 24, 1975 at the Köln Opera House.
Keith Jarrett’s career is remarkable in the scope it’s covered, kind of like the way Rudolf Steiner or Wilhelm Reich have gone into many seemingly unrelated fields of study, as unified by their underlying capacity to unearth knowledge in different fields through their genius. Jarrett’s musical background is quite rich, and unusually spans both the classical and jazz worlds to a depth which would be remarkable even if he had only specialized in one of these areas.
One amazing feat he has accomplished is in his solo piano concerts, which are 100% improvised from the ground up. He specifically works before a concert to empty his mind of any musical preconceptions, which he found just get in the way of the improvisation process. His technical mastery is breathtaking, and his fans include many musicians around the world. More than his technical mastery, though, is his deep penetration of the wesen (essence) of musical creativity itself, beyond the limits of any one genre. His solo piano concerts are an incredible display of his ability to draw on seemingly any musical style at will in order to serve the deeper feeling he is portraying in his improvisation at that moment. Weaving together blues, jazz, pop, classical, world music, etc. appears that it would have to have been pre-composed, and rehearsed, yet it is not.
The Köln Concert came into existence under very trying circumstances. The concert had almost been cancelled, as it was discovered too late that the wrong piano had been moved to the hall, which had quite an inferior sound quality. To top it off, Jarrett had had some sleepless nights, and was suffering from back pain, and was ready to call the whole thing off. He was persuaded to go ahead with it despite all of that, and in his improvisation, created a style of piano music which best matched the inferior sound of this particular piano, which essentially sounded best when it was used in a more percussive manner. Both from a musical and technical point of view, there are a number of his other solo piano concerts which are better, such as The Paris Concert or The Vienna Concert, yet there is a special emotional quality to the Köln concert, which is what makes it such an enduring best-selling album.
The narrative which is created through the course of this performance speaks to a deeper objective feeling of the human spirit and its capacity to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The human journey, itself, is such a journey of overcoming obstacles, and this objective feeling in this piece is what has given it such a universal appeal. It is, in fact, the best-selling solo album in jazz history, and continues to be from one decade to the next. Out of the specific subjective challenges Jarrett was facing in this performance, he tapped into a deeper, universal and objective human feeling.
