The word spirit and science are two words that are contrary with each other, as the amount of divisiveness the advocates of each can attest throughout the decades in human history. Spirit is an allusion about the soul, while science is something that one can make a hypothesis and conclusions out of after applying the different methodologies of human observation. But if we are going to make an attempt to make an integrated approach to these two fields of study, then one can draw out the term “Spiritual Science”.

Spiritual Science can be viewed as both a science and religion, or as an act of mediation – a philosophy. It is based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (27 February 1861 30 March 1925), a philosopher, social genius, and architect. He founded the movement of Anthroposopy, and postulated a belief system that integrates the material world to the spiritual world. This integration is focused on spiritual sustenance that an individual can achieve in interacting with the physical plane through the gaining of wisdom and knowledge, with the conscious effort of being an advocate of love, humanism and the general well being of mankind. In this approach, one can reach the state of being divine, and be in harmony with the entity of God. In Rudolf’s early work on Anthroposophy, he penned the terms “Philosophy of Freedom”, which relates to man’s freedom to create his own view about mankind and the universe in light of his own unique belief systems that resulted from independent thought and interactions with the outside world.

It’s inevitable that we encounter the word ‘God’ in this discourse, and that is contradicting since it’s impossible to find a connection between Science and the idea of an all-encompassing Creator. Creationism is in direct conflict with Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theory (I’ll leave you to decide for yourself whether it’s still a theory), making the debate far from coming into a conclusion. In contrast, Spiritual Science is not adamant in regards to the teachings of different religions.

Rather than contradict religion, it utilizes the universal wisdom and knowledge that one can attain in its study. Spiritual Science couldn’t care less about the pervading conflict between the two, because even though it places emphasis on the importance of observation and critical thinking, it still accepts the notion of mystery and phenomena that current scientific processes are unable to explain.

One of the compelling facts of Spiritual Science is that it utilizes many schools of thought that have a foothold on both spiritual and scientific discourse, and the combination thereof, such as metaphysics, chemistry, the social sciences, arts, literature and many others. Its practicality in the ever-changing world and emphasis on progress to a multitude of human endeavors, make it all the more beneficial to humankind. It prevents divisiveness between several demographics because of its universal stance on every facet of all human concerns.

Even if the original organizations that advocate Anthroposophy have dissipated or sunk beneath social awareness, the teachings of Spiritual Science still permeate human consciousness, and are very much applied as a consequence of the changing times and mankind’s natural instinct to rise above himself and make the world a better place for everyone.

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Spiritual Science as applied to medicine is widely known as Anthroposophical medicine, and is being used by many physicians all over the world – more frequently in certain parts of Europe and North America. This methodology in medicine draws its practices and knowledge from the teachings of Rudolph Steiner, a founder and philosopher, who has founded the school of Anthroposophy.

Anthroposophy is a school of thought that relies on scientific approach in spiritual discernment. Anthroposophical medicine, despite its leanings to spiritual aspects, still relies on established facts and the systematic approaches to modern medicine. It uses fundamental principles in ancient medicine, such as Chinese medicine, Tibetan medicine and Ayurvedic medicine. In a nutshell, it is a more holistic approach, which puts emphasis on the spiritual well being, as much as it does on the physiological one.

The systematic model of AM (Anthroposophical Medicine) relies on the “four-foldness” of being. This means that there are four parts of what decides the general condition of an individual. The first one is the physical body, which is the vessel. The life/etheric body, which is the same as the Chinese idea of chi, embodies the second, while the third level is the soul/astral body. Finally, the fourth one resides in the spirit. In this model, the physician ensures that all these four levels are put under careful scrutiny, and he applies his knowledge of modern medicine and spiritual science in their treatment both in separate levels and as a whole. AM physicians use diagnostic tools, but also rely on intuition and understanding of the patient’s psyche and overall personality. The medicine often used in AM is homeopathic and medicinal, which makes it non-toxic and less risky.

The only drawback is that there are side effects. These side effects are often referred to as the “healing crises”, which results to the temporary worsening of symptoms – such as fever, headaches, nausea, muscle soreness, and many others. This is in harmony with their belief that modern medicine suppresses illness, and not beneficial to a patient’s health in the long run. So the rule of thumb is to draw out the illness in order for the patient to get rid of it completely and thus, pave the way to complete recovery.

Anthroposophical medicine also relies on allied therapies, which include massage therapy, eurythmics (otherwise known as movement therapy). Eurythmics is the science and art of harmonizing our inner spiritual movements. Psychotherapy is another branch of allied therapies, which helps in dealing with sickness and disease on a psychological level. During the first visit, an AM physician makes it a point to educate the patient in the overview of Anthroposophy, since it’s impossible to make any progress with a treatment that involves the mind and spirit without the patient’s conscious awareness. This is in the form of questionnaires and instructional materials, which are given to the patient before the first stage of treatment.

While some fundamentalists in modern medicine have abhorred the practice and made conjectures that it is synonymous to “voodoo”, studies have shown promising results. Whatever the case, Anthroposophic medicine continues to improve our spiritual and physical well being, and is definitely here to stay.

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