Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Holistic healing means healing of the whole human being, meaning body and sexuality mind and feelings, spirit and heart. Other words for holistic healing are existential healing or salutogenesis – rehabilitation of the sense of coherence . In lay terms “healing of the patient life” is an often-used expression. The art of healing a whole life is called existential therapy, holistic medicine , or consciousness-based medicine . Holistic healing was the intent of most premodern medical systems. The original way to induce holistic healing was the rehabilitation of the patient's character and knowing of self – his or her mission in life, gifts, and true talents. Different medical systems have used different cosmologies to give the different conceptual prisms through which the patient's character and personality were seen and understood, diagnosed and healed (see Table 3) . Table 3 The fundamental concepts of some pre-modern holistic medical systems (the basis of four types of “character medicine”, see text). System Element Concept Chinese – 5 elements Metal Sadness Spicy Fall Regression White Earth Worry Sweet Change Yellow Dampness Late summer Transition Fire Joy Growth Heat Summer Red Bitter Wood Rage Sour Spring Wind Birth Green Water Salty Winter Cold Death Black Fear Bones Ears Hippocratic – 4 elements Fire Transformation Warm Destructive Masculine Creative Air Easy Inspiration ... log in or subscribe to read full text