by Eunice J Minford MA FRCS Ed. Consultant General Surgeon
Most people know what Western Medicine entails with surgery, pharmacology, medicine, chemotherapy, radiology and the many sub-specialities that are available to assist with the management and treatment of illness and disease but probably few know what Esoteric Medicine is really about. This blog will introduce you to some aspects of Esoteric Medicine.
As medical students we learn copious amounts of information about the human body and how it works, the anatomy, biochemistry, physiology and the pathophysiology of how it breaks down. We rely on memory and recall to regurgitate facts of knowledge about the body and how it works, the different biochemical pathways, the interactions of the different systems, the enzyme cascades – the list of facts that are to be learned is endless. Thus it is often required that entry to medical school requires a certain level of intelligence as determined by school examinations in order to be able to cope with the intellectual rigours of medical training.
However, even though there are many people who tick all the boxes and pass all the exams and who do well at school and medical school and who are deemed to be ‘intelligent’ in the process, it is not unknown for doctors to smoke, drink alcohol – often to excess, be overweight and eat junk food (and I myself was one of those doctors). So how come we can have this intelligence yet not care for the body that contains the intelligence? How intelligent is the intelligence that permits abuse or harm on the body? Something is surely missing from this intelligence. Some other piece of the jigsaw puzzle is required to explain how this could be. Those missing pieces or answers are for me found in the esoteric understandings of the human person and life.
The word ‘esoteric’ comes from the Greek esôterikos to mean ‘from within’ or innermost. Everyone has an innermost and everyone’s innermost is the same – it is pure love. This is our true nature. The word ‘medicine’, comes from the Latin ‘ars medicina’ and means the ‘art of healing’. So esoteric medicine – is the art of healing oneself by reconnecting with one’s innermost, with the essence of love that lives inside each person. It is about making choices from this essence of love that are honouring of the body and guided by the feelings in the body. For if our true nature is love, then in order to have harmony in the body we need to make choices that are self–loving. Sounds like simple common sense and it is – but we have forgotten how to apply and live this form of common sense or intelligence that is based on love and which is different to the mind-driven intelligence we all call intelligence. This latter intelligence is capable of bringing forth marvelous technology and great feats of engineering and medical progress, but it has also created weapons of mass destruction and been responsible for much death and destruction amongst mankind. At an individual level the mind can and does overrule the many messages we get from the body and gets us to do many things to and with the body that are not actually in harmony with the body. In contrast, the intelligence borne of love is all encompassing and if listened to, would not drive the body beyond what is natural and harmonious for it, would not feed it substances that are harming for it in any way.
As a consequence of our experiences, our upbringing, education, culture, religion, ideals and beliefs we have lost touch with this intelligence or essence of love and I for one certainly had no idea it was there. Love is the missing ingredient, the missing intelligence that is required for humanity to truly heal and make amends of its errant ways. It is because we have not been living self-loving and self-caring lives that we are in the mess we are in. It is the lack of the intelligence of love in the healthcare system that leads to burn out, disillusionment, stress, demotivation and the current crisis in caring in Western Medicine. There is more to understanding this than I can explain in this one post.
However, Esoteric Medicine can restore medicine back to its healing roots by bringing in the true intelligence of love and all that unfolds from the lived expression of that intelligence. There is no way that someone who truly lives from their innermost, from their essence of love, could do anything that was harming or abusive to their own body or that of another. For example, they could not abuse the body with alcohol or cigarettes or do anything that was harming to another – such is the nature of love. For this is not about love that is selfish – for that would not be love, it is not about self-gain, or living in a certain way just for one’s own benefit – the intelligence of love applies to all equally, is encompassing of the whole of humanity. Research has shown that the more doctors look after their own health and wellbeing, the more they are able to look after their patients also. So by applying the wisdom of love to one’s life, one becomes more self-caring of oneself and others…..it’s a win-win all round! Imagine a medical workforce trained not just in Western Medicine but in Esoteric Medicine such that they knew how to truly look after themselves, did not smoke, drink alcohol, eat junk food, overwork, nor use any stimulants and who were predominantly light hearted and joyful!
To some, talking about an innermost essence of love might sound like airy-fairy nonsense but the fact is this can be felt and known by all people everywhere. There are practical tools that help apply these understandings in daily life such that we become more gentle, self-caring, more self-loving and consequentially caring and loving of others likewise. The more we do so, the more we build love in the body, and the body rather than the mind is used as the marker, the barometer and guide. Being guided by what we feel rather than what we think is part of the unfolding path of someone endeavouring to live from their innermost. As we do so we become less emotional, more centred and we tend to give people more space and not take things so personally. We become less affected by the daily stresses and strains of life.
Fundamentally, Esoteric Medicine is about developing a way of living and being that is at all times honouring of the body and is self-caring. In doing so, we can be more harmonious and perhaps even prevent our deeper ills from manifesting given how we live, our lifestyle, is a major cause of illness and disease. It is, if you like, the best and most natural form of preventative medicine – living in such a way that the body comes to know itself as harmony and thus is less likely to deviate from that way of being. We know that most of the non-communicable diseases that affect mankind are due to lifestyle choices – Esoteric Medicine is about understanding how and why that is and what we can do to change it such that we develop a lifestyle that is more harmonious for the body. We need Western medicine because we have strayed so far from our esoteric roots and it is a crucial part of the whole healthcare system to address the health needs of humanity. However, it is clear to me that there is plenty of room within the healthcare system for Esoteric Medicine and empowering people to live in a way that is truly healthy, that improves their wellbeing and produces real tangible results in people’s lives. Esoteric medicine engenders personal responsibility for health and being aware how every choice can and does affect one’s health and wellbeing.
In summary, Esoteric Medicine is the art of living and healing by reconnecting to and making choices from one’s innermost essence of love, from the intelligence of love.
“True intelligence works for the whole of the body that the intelligence is contained in as it does for the whole of every other body, in the knowing that all other bodies are equal to the body in which that intelligence exists” (from the teaching of the Ageless Wisdom by Serge Benhayon).
Love is the true intelligence that encompasses every other body and love is the missing ingredient in healthcare today, the addition of which could beneficially transform medical education, healthcare and wellbeing for all people. Without love, we may fix, we may mend, we may repair, we may patch up, we may improve function, we may cure…… but never do we truly heal.
Medicine and Serge Benhayon 
“So esoteric medicine – is the art of healing oneself by reconnecting with one’s innermost, with the essence of love that lives inside each person.” It’s a great article, the intelligence of love is not really spoken about, we seem to do everything but bring love into the equation, and we can see the effects of that absence of loving self care in health statistics.
I have firsthand experience of this myself
“Without love, we may fix, we may mend, we may repair, we may patch up, we may improve function, we may cure…… but never do we truly heal.”
I saw a psychiatrist for many years and I was fixed to function in life you could say, but I never truly healed the root cause of the depression and sometimes suicidal thoughts. I was very abusive towards myself for years there was no love in my body not a smidgen of it. Esoteric Medicine does work because I am the living proof of it, I have with the support of Practitioners that use this modality changed my life completely I can honestly say I have joy in my life, everyday is a new beginning to fully commit to life and all that it offers. I have truly healed the hurts I had been carrying around for years.
If I had read this blog, two decades ago, I wouldn’t have heard or known the meaning to this word, ‘esoteric’. And yet, it was THE thing I yearned for all of my life.
As a health professional myself, I totally can relate to the smoking, alcohol and for me, it was also the binge eating and rectifying it with the exercise. The former was expected, as in, this is what you do on your days off or as a means of winding down, the latter, was self abuse.
I would have loved for someone to have included the esoteric in the curriculum during my training, I would have viewed my career from a different perspective and would not have been at a point, whereby I thought, is this it, is this my life from now on, burnt out and miserable…
Since connecting more to the esoteric and bringing me to the forefront, has my life changed. I bring all of me to work and I am not reliant on stimulants to keep me going. I love going to work, without it I’d be totally bored. For me, life is about serving, and how I can do this, is to bring the esoteric within me to work and offer this reflection all the time, the rest, well thats up to the individual.
“Love is the missing ingredient,” This doesn’t come in a pill or a medicine bottle but is a prescription for a way of living.
‘Love is the missing ingredient’, so true. It’s not the Hollywood/Bollywood love either. This love is so profound, there is no emotions, it is selfless and it’s about the all. Can you handle that?
Beautifully said, without love we never truly heal … amen, and looking at our world just now this explains a lot. Intelligence based on love is something else entirely and something for us all to embrace and explore, it can literally change the world, and all in it.
I love what you are saying here about the intelligence of love and how if we applied this more to medicine it would add so much more to the marvels that are already done within the medical model.
Esoteric medicine is – “the best and most natural form of preventative medicine – living in such a way that the body comes to know itself as harmony and thus is less likely to deviate from that way of being” – I totally agree with you.
One of my favourite premises of Esoteric Medicine is that you applying the medicine before you get sick, ie you choose a way of caring for yourself and of living your life that does not harm your body, rather than the traditional view of medicine where you deal with the problem or disease once it has occurred. It makes perfect sense to me to be on the front foot when it comes to our health and well-being.
‘We may fix, we may mend, we may repair, we may patch up, we may improve function, we may cure’ – Western Medicine is very good at the aforementioned but without healing the ill energy that is the root cause of the illness in the first place what level of healing has really taken place.
What an amazing article, thank you. Everything you have shared makes so much common sense to me, that we need to reconnect to our love and make that our daily life so we are in harmony with ourselves and our body, and not fighting or degrading any part of ourselves. A beautiful definition here “So esoteric medicine – is the art of healing oneself by reconnecting with one’s innermost, with the essence of love that lives inside each person.”
“Love is the true intelligence that encompasses every other body and love is the missing ingredient in healthcare today,” And until the intelligence of love is felt in the body of those who work in healthcare, they will continue to impart knowledge and skill, not true love, the defining difference and foundation of true healing.
Even referring to love as “the intelligence of love” changes our current perspectives of what love is, not the ubiquitous idea that it’s something we get from other people, but that it’s an intelligence that we can reconnect to which supports us to takes care of every part of ourselves, and be aware of and care for those around us.
A huge marker of intelligence brought out by this article, is in the fact that with all of that vast and amazing knowledge about the human body, doctors – our most esteemed of intelligent people – still continue to drink alcohol. This says perhaps of the real strain that the medical system is in, and how the very people who are running it, who are the great cogs that make it all happen, are possibly not being cared for in the way they should – right from the start. Which means that yes we do need their brilliance, we do need their ultimate skills, but we also need them, the person, to be in the room, to be present, and for this perhaps we need to look at how doctors are educated and if they are being supported to be all of themselves in the work place.
I love reading the blog so much because it reminds me of the absolute logic of Esoteric Medicine as a responsible way to live our lives “So esoteric medicine – is the art of healing oneself by reconnecting with one’s innermost, with the essence of love that lives inside each person.”
It is amazing to have the support of trained doctors but our responsibility is to care for the body we have been given by listening to its constant communication. Esoteric medicine is an amazing support with this and as we become more deeply self-caring and nurturing of ourselves we embrace any clearings we are offered as part of our journey of healing.
It is an incredible truth that lives here on earth, the fact that one can heal their self simply by re-connecting with their innermost, their Esoteric Heart. And that this does not mean that physical illness does not occur or that all of life will be clear and without struggle, it shows how deeply loved we are, because as all of the layers of what has not been love begin to come away, revealing what is love underneath, we can support each other as each person’s journey and learning will be unique – hence the true and dedicated love that is there and has been there all along begins to be uncovered and finds its way to be expressed.
When, according to the World Health Organisation, lifestyle contributes to 50% of cause of disease then what you are proposing makes absolute sense “Esoteric medicine engenders personal responsibility for health and being aware how every choice can and does affect one’s health and wellbeing.” This is such a loving way to approach life, health and wellbeing.
Absolutely and it has to be the way forward if our health services are not to collapse under the burden of caring for those who have succumbed to the many diseases that are down to our own self-abusive choices.
“So how come we can have this intelligence yet not care for the body that contains the intelligence? How intelligent is the intelligence that permits abuse or harm on the body?” Very clearly it is not intelligent but it is what we have come to champion and so thank you for your blog because it supports each and every one of us to see that we reduce our intelligence when we make it about what we learn that does not take into account the whole of the being which includes the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social.
Beautifully explained Eunice, love is the true ingredient to healing, and as more people realise that western medicine can fix, patch, repair, make good, but not heal the root cause the more responsibility society may take when they see others living in a way that heals from love.
Love is indeed the answer to true health on both sides of the health care fence – both the patients and the practitioners. Not the emotional kind of love but simply reconnecting with and acknowledging the deeper essence of what makes us up as human beings. It is actually very scientific and not airy fairy or wishful thinking at all.
It is really very simple, yet we are so ingrained and in our beliefs, ideals and patterns in life that the simpleness of self care seems to be far from the thing that will bring about the changes we want. If true loving changes that are in harmony with our body are what one truly chooses, than self love/care must be our very first port of call.
I agree that love is medicine and a deeply healing form of intelligence and is the missing ingredient currently in our health care systems. Our mind driven intelligence has only got us so far and all the signs are that we are losing ground when it comes to maintaining the health and wellbeing of our populations so may be it is time to swallow our pride and stand down this form of intelligence and give love and the inner heart a go and see what happens. Other than our pride we have not got anything to lose.
Most take the blessing of western medicine for granted and do not always appreciate that without it humanity would be in a mess many times more massive than the one we currently are in today
Without Esoteric Medicine my understanding of health and well-being would be ‘as long as I can go to work and function’ regardless if I was miserable and hating my work. Esoteric Medicine has and continues to raise the bar on what it means to be healthy and have a well-being.
There was a recent news story about how doctors with all their years of schooling are lacking nutritional knowledge because it was not a part of their training. There are no courses about the effects of the food we eat and the long-term effects it has on our bodies. Is nutrition the best tool all doctors should have in their bag?
Thank you Eunice, you provide a very valuable and greater understanding of what Esoteric Medicine is and how powerful it is in the healing of the body.
Thank you Steffen for sharing your letter, you clearly hold a great knowledge in the world of medicine and have an abundance of practical experience in both, from my own experience Esoteric Medicine truly supports Conventional medicine.
Love is the missing piece in Western medicine which is restored with Esoteric Medicine.
Every single aspect of life bar none would improve if we were taught from young to care for and love ourselves. And as we live in society we don’t have to have kids to be someone’s role model as we are constantly learning how to live via others.
“Without love, we may fix, we may mend, we may repair, we may patch up, we may improve function, we may cure…… but never do we truly heal.” Love is indeed the key ingredient when it comes to true healing.
So refreshing to read a doctor writing with such humility and openness. So true, doctors know a lot about the body, but whether they are connected to and honour their own body is questionable. It would be wonderful if medical schools were to consider including esoteric medicine in their curriculum. That would benefit the patients and the doctors all the same.
I agree and when you have doctors mental health at risk, and the suicide statistics for doctors say we need to pay attention to their mental health as well, then we, as a community have to step forward and take more responsibility for the way we are approaching our health and step up to be equal partners.
It seems that we have a huge responsibility for the decisions we make whether that is the Doctor, who may over indulge or the patient . For without love we all miss out !
It is common sense that if we care for ourselves, then naturally we are able to care for others more deeply.
If you were a mother with a new born and you decided to go out and party hard for a night and leave the baby at home with Dad, when you return to bub with a massive hang over and tend to the baby, how does that feel? Of course, to most of us, it would feel wrong but why is a person old or young, baby or not, considered okay to treat in a hospital with a hang over? What type of care is a patient receiving if a health professional has been using drugs or alcohol the night before? Or what type of operation will that hung-over Doctor perform? The code of ethics that Universal Medicine has brought through is amazing and ground breaking but one day I hope it is a normal code of ethics for all practising health professionals.
“Such that we develop a lifestyle that is more harmonious for the body”. If only our motivation was self love and care, instead of fitting in, being skinny or looking like a Greek God. Our lifestyle reflects what motivates us, always. A body forced to look or be a certain way lives differently to one that is honoured, respected loved.
Our lifestyle reflects what motivates us and through Universal Medicine I’ve learnt that how the body moves gives away whether it is love, or reactions and emotions in the absence of love, that is fueling the motivation or driving force behind the life.