Homoeopathic Psychology Book Reviewed By Dr Neha Kakkar

 Introduction and My Perspective on the Book

Homoeopathy as a medicinal system based on the philosophy of Organon laid down by our great founder Dr Samuel Hahnemann has given a lot of emphasis on to the mental and emotional make up of individual as an integral part of the diseases causing process and also equally important for the healing/cure to take place. (Aphorisms 91-100)

Our subject of Materia medica includes hundreds of drugs from different origins which in their proving and have elicited many of the symptoms associated with the mental emotional plane of an individual. 

Citing an example from Allen’s Keynotes, the proving of Chamomilla produces an over impressionable mental state of the child who is very irritable and cross at trifles. This mental state is so marked that it forms the very basic nature of the drug. While making a prescription by the Homoeopath this mental picture of extreme irritability of the child guarantees alleviation or cure of any of the physical symptoms that the drug may be prescribed for.

The modern medical world has also now slowly recognized the psychosomatic basis of disease.

The Book in Review ‘Homoeopathic Psychology ‘Personality Profiles of The Major Constitutional Remedies written by Dr Philip M Bailey a M.D an allopath who converted to Homoeopathy.

Dr Philip Bailey originally trained as a medical doctor from London in 1984.He studied Homoeopathy at The Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital and under the able guidance of Sir George Vithoulkas. He also possesses psychotherapy and hypnotherapy skills and is currently practicing as a Homoeopath and Counseller along with Conventional Treatment in Fremantle, West Australia.

The mentioned book by Dr Bailey provides a very deep perspective and understanding of the major polychrest remedies present in our Materia medica. It altogether gives a different yet connected overview of any remedy in concern.

There are 35 remedies explicitly explaining the constitutional makeup of the remedy along with different mental layers a person possesses i.e. intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual.

Every remedy starts with the Keynote expression of the Drug. E.g. the keynote of Lycopodium is given as ‘Impotence’ and of Phosphorus as ‘Lack of Boundaries’.

The detailed description of the mental picture of each remedy under different headings is the forte of the book. Each layer is dwelled upon by the acute observational powers of Dr Bailey differentiating based on gender too. The book also provides insights about what kind of profession the individual takes up depending upon the intellectual persona of the remedy.  Different variations of the same remedy characteristic in different situations and scenarios are also presented.

E.g.: Graphites is typically a female remedy which covers the climacteric period of the lady along with characteristic mental picture of that of ‘Simplicity and Gentleness’ as mentioned by Dr Bailey. But to get a Graphites male is a rarity. Graphites male individuals are ultra emotional males, have weak masculine traits and are painfully shy. This gives them a disadvantage in modern culture but are great partners to their spouses. They are honest workers and do technical jobs easily as they are not too ambitious.

The remedy Natrum Muriaticum has been opened and explained beautifully covering around 50 pages of the book. One can imagine the depth of detailing.

The remedies are concluded with the heading of ‘Physical Appearance’ which presents a tentative physical presentation of the patient.

Conclusion 

It would not be wrong to say that Psychology is the core of Homoeopathy. A homoeopath needs to be ‘mind reader’ and use his/ her observation skills with perfection to get out the perfect remedy from inside of the patient in concern. Without the prerequisite knowledge of the mental picture of drugs of our Materia medica this task is farfetched.

This book aids us by providing the necessary prerequisites we all need to have and helping us in journey of finding the correct prescription that we homoeopaths hunt in every case and strive to find a cure. I would strongly suggest all fellow homeopaths to take up the study of this book which opens a new realm peeping into the vast human brain and consciousness.