by Eunice J Minford MBChB MA FRCS Ed, Consultant Surgeon, N Ireland
I used to think that complementary medicine and alternative medicine were the same thing. I have come across others who speak of them as one and the same thing as well. The words are used interchangeably by many, and both often get tied together in the abbreviation ‘CAM’ – to refer to all things complementary and alternative in the world of medicine.
I was also very dismissive of anything that was in any way alternative/complementary and basically anything that was not mainstream medicine, and which had not been verified scientifically as I understood it. I viewed them, as many medical doctors do, with contempt and considered them all to be a waste of time and potentially dangerous if they prevented people getting access to ‘real medicine’. I had heard stories of people refusing medical treatment and who insisted on the ‘alternative’ path – only to end up dead when their cancer was of course not cured by the ‘alternative’ treatment. So it would be fair to say I was pretty staunchly against anything that had the label of complementary or alternative, as to me they were all in the same bag!
At that time I was of course very much in the arrogance of the medical/scientific consciousness, which thinks that doctors and scientists are the only ones who understand the body, illness and disease and treatment, and that unless people have been through the rigors of a bona fide medical and scientific training, then they basically have no right to make any claims as to the workings of the body – even their own.
The fact that everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them was irrelevant. Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies – or so the thinking goes. Also included in this type of thinking is the desire to own knowledge – to be the ones that know – to be the ones that tell others how it is, what they can and cannot do, tied up with a belief about being special and of course super-intelligent. The arrogance and supremacy are very tangible, even obvious, in this form of thinking – and whilst it may be a common form of thinking, it is one that is deeply harming and defies who we are as human beings.
I was deeply immersed in this form of thinking, so I know it well! The ‘need to know’ can be never-ending, the desire to know more than another, to be superior, more intelligent, and to have the power that comes from being in possession of such knowledge that others do not have or know – all exists to cover up the deeply buried emptiness, insecurity and lack of true knowing. Yes, a good dose of ignorance goes into the mix with the arrogance and the supremacy.
So rather than take the time to find out what complementary and alternative medicine were, it was easier to just clump them together and arrogantly claim they were all unscientific, unproven rubbish at best, a waste of time and money, and even potentially dangerous and life threatening if they prevented people from accessing ‘real medicine’.
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I have since taken the time to find out more about them and have significantly changed my views in the process with regards to complementary medicine. The crucial difference then between complementary and alternative medicine is in fact in the name – one is complementary to and supportive of conventional medicine and the other is alternative to it. In other words in alternative medicine, a client or patient refuses all other forms of conventional medical treatment and uses only ‘alternative’ forms of treatment. As a surgeon, I therefore do not personally support the ‘alternative medicine’ approach. It can be potentially dangerous to always avoid conventional medical treatment, and I am not an advocate for alternative medicine.
However, this is quite different to how I now understand complementary medicine – which is a form of medicine that works side by side with medicine and is in fact in no way alternative to it. It embraces conventional medicine and knows that the latter is well needed in the world today. So a true complementary medicine practitioner works hand in hand with conventional medicine and would never advise a client or patient to not see their doctor for a medical condition and is supportive of medical treatments.
A complementary medicine practitioner can help the patient to go deeper, in terms of evaluating their life choices and how those choices may have contributed to the illness or disease. They take a holistic perspective that understands that all aspects of an individual are important in both illness and disease manifestation and in healing. They can address the spheres of a person’s life that conventional medicine neither has the time nor the training to address, but which are crucially important to health and wellbeing, in particular issues pertaining to the spiritual and emotional domains of life. Whilst alternative medicine practitioners may say they do likewise, I do not support it due to its anti-medicine stance.
Esoteric Medicine is a form of complementary medicine (and is in no way alternative) – but in fact it is even more than that. It is a truly holistic form of medicine that is supportive of and works with conventional medicine (hence complementary) and it takes the WHOLE being into consideration. It is encompassing of all aspects of the human person – body, mind, heart, spirit and soul. It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.
Therefore esoteric medicine, whilst seemingly fitting in to the category of complementary medicine, is in fact much grander and broader. As a way into understanding Universal Medicine its potential is huge. It raises the bar further and brings understandings to the whole of medicine that in my opinion are well needed and currently unsurpassed by any other form of medicine.
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ps – whilst we’re talking differences – did you know that there is a difference between complementary and complimentary?
Complementary(with an e) is what we use in referring to complementary medicine as described above, and as something that goes along with, or complements medicine, and can also be where two things combine in such a way that as to enhance or emphasise the qualities of the other – ‘the colour of your coat really complements or brings out the colour of your eyes.’ Whereas complimentary (with an i) is when we get given something for free e.g. tickets to an event. It also refers to when someone pays us a compliment, expressing appreciation, praise, adoration etc and so may be very complimentary regarding our appearance e.g. ‘you are looking very beautiful today’.
Medicine and Serge Benhayon 
Eunice, I hear you, as once upon a time, I went rogue with mainstream medicine, in that I knew there was another form of healing and I tried other things instead, alternative medicine. Somehow knowing that this wasn’t it either. With the consciousness of believing that mainstream is the only way, I went into a state of confusion about healing.
Roll forward two decades and I meet Universal Medicine and experience healing from esoteric practitioners, and my life has never been the same. I finally started to get to the root cause of my issues, conditions, whatever you want to call it. My life has been so vibrant and I embrace illness with both mainstream medicine and Universal Medicine and I will never go rogue again. I take more and more responsibility and bring understanding to the ailments my body presents and they don’t need to be excessive either.
I have learnt to tune into the wisdom of my body, like never before and amazed at the relationship I am forming every day. All I can say is thank God for mainstream medicine and Universal Medicine, the two definitely go hand in hand.
Before your blog I hadn’t really given much thought to the difference between complementary therapies and alternative therapies, but you have given me an opportunity to understand the difference quite clearly. My experience of Universal Medicine is that it works beautifully alongside conventional medicine, offering the client/patient the opportunity not just for a cure of symptoms, but of real healing.
Thanks Eunice for explaining the difference between alternative and complementary medicine so clearly. Evidence will show with the same clarity the benefits of Universal Medicine
We can be rather sloppy in the choice of the words we use and it is great to stop and consider what we are saying and bring back the truth in words so that we can learn to express what we do mean. Like, spirit and Soul, some years ago I didn’t even care whether they were different, to me they vaguely pointed out something that was not physical and that was good enough for me. I am so glad to know what I do know now.
I’m sure in the olden days medicine used to encompass ALL aspects of our health, including our mental and emotional steadiness and well-being, and any kind of imbalance in our health was addressed with the whole body and whole bigger picture in mind. It makes a lot of sense to me that as our health begins to decrease at a rapid rate that we begin to return to a much more whole-some way of treating ourselves.
Back in the ages of when men had no medicine, they had no choice but to rely on nature to be the healer and no doubt death would have occurred when the mechanics of the body couldn’t be rectified, as there was no medicine. But to solely depend on it is a concern, now that we have so many choices too.
So no one medicine, complementary or conventional, is it either. We discern what feels right for us and our journeys with our bodies.
“A complementary medicine practitioner can help the patient to go deeper, in terms of evaluating their life choices and how those choices may have contributed to the illness or disease.” Complementary medicine can make a very powerful triangle with conventional medicine and the patient who lives with their body that is presenting with a health issue.
This is really powerful, what you have written about the arrogance of thinking that unless you are scientifically medical in your training, then you do not have the ability to understand your own body.
For anyone that has been in the presence with Serge Benhayon he has openly always been very supportive of the Western medicine that is needed for those who need it, how ever what Serge offers is the Universal Medicine Modalities that complement this and supports to connect and heal the root issue.
This is one of the reasons why I have worked with Universal Medicine, as it is very much complementary to conventional medicine, and the way it asks you to take responsibility for the choices you have made to get your body to that state, to lovingly address this and heal it so true healing can take place with the Universal Medicine therapies. All the while when it is needed to embrace conventional medicine in full.
“… nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.” This is great advice for understanding how everything impacts on our health and wellbeing in either a positive or negative way. It also encompasses the Universe and how we are a part of something grander than human life – something that can be part of our daily medicine or living way.
I wonder if some (many?) medical professionals are uncomfortable with the idea that something that is not mainstream presents itself as complementary-to-medicine rather than alternative? Rejecting alternative modalities is relatively simple because medicine can fairly assume that it is the best that is available. However, with complementary-to-medicine approaches it would be more difficult to reject them, as medicine clearly does have gaps in its ability to keep us healthy, as the obesity epidemic shows as one example.
Eunice it is always a delight to read your articles, and the simplicity in which you explain the difference between alternative and complementary medicine one tries to find its own answers and the latter works hand in hand with western medicine.
The fact that these two words have been amalgamated in such a manner is definitely to aid skepticism.
Complementary medicine broadens and expands on conventional medicine, it not only looks at the illness but how we are living that may have caused it. It asks us to take responsibility for the part we have played and doesn’t put all the onus on the doctors to fix us. Conventional medicine is an important part of the healing but it is not the only part, conventional medicine and complementary medicine work together to deepen our understanding of illness.
Esoteric Medicine is most definitely complementary medicine as it not only always supports clients to access the support of Western medicine but also taking responsibility for one’s own health so that it becomes a partnership with all working together for the best outcome.
This is such a clear and very useful distinction between the two – the alternative medicine and the complementary medicine. In my experience, I don’t recall any so-called ‘complementary’ medicine that didn’t present itself as the alternative to the Western medicine until I came across Universal Medicine. Like many others, I felt the Western medicine was not the answer, and saying that I denied what it does actually offer as well. I also find that when we go for the alternative medicine, our attitude is pretty much the same as when we go to the Western medicine – i.e. asking for it to deliver/be the cure. What truly complements the Western medicine, and actually is a significant part of our healing process is us, and Universal Medicine amazingly supports us in that.
Absolutely we need to take an active part in the healing process and maintaining any lifestyle changes that are required for true health.
There are true complementary approaches that work with varying levels of success. One example is diets for cancer patients. Once they are successful they could then become part of mainstream medicine, which may be one reason that there aren’t many such examples at any one time.
Eunice, I love the way you write – it’s intelligent, not just based on facts but on the simplicity of life.
As a former homeopath I erred on the side of alternative medicine, despite training as a nurse formerly – a complete reaction against the system. Coming to Universal Medicine therapies I now understand and have used personally the amazing combination of both western medicine and the esoteric modalities – each complementing the other – true Medicine of the future.
“It is encompassing of all aspects of the human person – body, mind, heart, spirit and soul. It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.”
It is with the all that we will truly heal ourselves.
I read something that Serge Benhayon had written very recently and he was referring to the Esoteric Modalities and Esoteric Medicine and described them as “complementary-to medicine” in other words working along side medicine. The modalities and approaches to health do work alongside medicine very well for they support the person to feel the choices that they are making, that are not supporting their bodies and allows them the space to make much more supportive and loving choices, not because they are being told to ‘stop smoking or drinking for example, but because they can feel themselves that this is what is needed to support their own body. In other words it assists people in taking a greater level of responsibility for the choices they make and through this they are able to make new choices. Working in health care I can see how very needed this is to our current model of health care. We can no longer hand over responsibility to our health care practitioners to ‘fix us’. Our current model is clearly showing us this does not work. We all need to be playing our part and that includes when we are the patient.
Complementary medicine is very different to alternative medicine, yet it often gets put in the same category and your explanation is very clear, there is definitely a place for complementary medicine when it complements conventional medicine.
I used to be alternative and dismissed conventional medicine. It is no wonder that I had people around me dismissing me because of my anti-medicine stance. However, I have changed and become aware of the importance of conventional medicine. I have come to realise that we need both to truly heal and so embrace both the conventional and esoteric in my way of living for myself and family.
Thank you Eunice, for clearly explaining the difference between alternative and complementary medicine, as it is important that these 2 are not put into the same basket. My health has improved immensely with the support of complementary and western medicine – the 2 combined are a recipe for true health in my experience.
“The fact that everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them” – I agree, this indeed is often overlooked. Our lived experience qualifies us as an authority of our own body and own life – how empowering it would be if we could be educated this way.
Medicine has limitations – the strong emphasis on interventions, the fact that patients can be irresponsible without consequences (except those of their body), the high burnout rate among medical practitioners and would benefit if these issues were to be addressed.
Esoteric medicine is complementary to western medicine in that it supports a patient or person to look beyond the symptom and accept responsibility for making changes for the overall benefit of their health.
I never truly understood the difference between complementary and alternative medicine until I came across Universal Medicine and then I understood exactly what complementary medicine was, and how western medicine and complementary medicine through Universal Medicine go hand in hand.
I love that complementary medicine considers the whole of us and not just parts. We are deeply connected beings and to ignore all the components promotes ignorance of how interconnected we are whilst denying us the opportunity for taking responsibility for the all.
I am big on making sure we seek the support of mainstream medicine when we are ill. This does not mean we give our power away or give up when we are told that a disease is “life long” and that we “will have to live with the pain” or that we take everything a Doctor says as gospel. In saying that, there also needs to be a certain amount of respect towards western medicine and if there is any surgery or medication required, we need listen to the people that are trained and act fast. I do not agree with people being lead astray by alternative medicine with false promises that they can wish/manifest/positively think the cancer/tumour/disease away. I have been a client of Universal Medicine for the last 10 years and never have I been lead astray, in fact it has been quite the opposite experience, I am now more involved with my local GP, I am up to date with my vaccinations, breast checks, pap smears, blood test, dentist, physiotherapy, podiatry and I am a member of the local gym, in fact I have never been so on track medically. In addition to all this, I consult with my Naturopath, have regular massages and chakra puncture at Universal Medicine clinic so I can support my body and my mental health, having an hour to be able to talk with someone you trust about what is going on in your daily life is so important. So yes, complementary medicine and alternative medicine cannot be thrown in the same basket, I am glad you have clarified this and it means all the more coming from a qualified doctor that has obviously had a lot of life experience.
So enormously important to have a clear distinction between what is complementary medicine which works together and in unison with conventional medical practices, and what is alternative to medicine which seems to be always in opposition to conventional medical practices. And in some cases I have observed how sometimes the alternative route can even promote itself as better, as more effective, as more natural. And while all of this may sound very promising, there can be no practice that has everything that a person needs, just like no one person can be perfect, we all need each other and what everyone brings is what makes the whole of human life what it is and this applies to everything, even the healing arts.
I was once caught up in the belief that something was better because it was natural and I worked in healthcare. I also thought that this was complementary and that complementary was using natural medicines first and then pharmaceuticals second, until it was an acute or emergency condition. Now I understand that it is not a which one shall I use today, but modalities that walk along side one another. One supports the body in its functional capacity, the other supports our being, so we know there is more to us than our physical body. It supports our choices and how to take more responsibility within our own lives. Which ultimately affects the health of our body. Its a marriage of the two, a perfect partnership.
‘Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies – or so the thinking goes.’ I have two GPs – one is a specialising GP – and both ask me what I think is going on when I present with a problem. It’s been such a rarity in my life to find a doctor who wants to know my opinion as part of their diagnostic mix, and now I’m blessed with two. I’ll know what to look for if/when I need the medical support of others professionals in the future.
Yes, why not ask for information if it is available?
It’s likely very true that many trained doctors, nurses and consultants would have that same attitude to complementary health that you describe, viewing them “with contempt and considered them all to be a waste of time and potentially dangerous if they prevented people getting access to ‘real medicine’.” The whole ‘real medicine’ claim is holding humanity back. it can support the condition and the symptoms but in claiming its way is the only way it denies people the space to address the bigger picture and therefore bringing true healing.
I think it’s really damaging to have an abbreviation like CAM – where complementary and alternative therapies are lumped together and there isn’t the clear distinction made between modalities or modes of healing that work alongside and with conventional medicine to those that claim to be a complete alternative. I for sure can say that Universal Medicine is most definitely complementary and has actually helped me to appreciate more what is on offer through conventional medicine.
I used to think complementary and alternative were one and the same thing too, but since coming across Universal Medicine and understanding what healing actually is, I have a whole different perspective on it.
As an ‘alternative therapist’ of many years I was providing exactly that, an alternative to medicine. Today I practise wholeheartedly alongside medicine and any other therapy that has the potential to assist a true healing process. Medicine is made out to be the bad guy in ‘alternative medicine’ circles, hence it’s name and the underlying attitude associated. Not all medicine is truly good of course, but plenty of it is, and most can be worked with when it comes to true healing. The same cannot be said of many alternative therapies.
I agree there is absolutely nothing alternative about Esoteric Medicine, it has all the attributes to stand side by side conventional medicine and really offer a great deal in terms of whole person medicine. I have received sessions, had conventional medical support and now treat clients in Esoteric Medicine, it is a true complement to conventional medicine.
I agree that Universal Medicine is so much more than being complementary. Yes it is this but its grandness actually encompasses all of life so in effect, conventional medicine is complementary part of Universal Medicine.
Anything that complements something, adds to it – it takes it further and expands it. That sounds pretty good to me, be it medicine, food, what I wear … I love a good complement 🙂
I have been dismissive of conventional medicine and at one point in my life you could say I was in favour of alternative medicine. I found it difficult to grasp that drugs were given for symptoms, without clearly understanding what was going on within the body and around the patient and because of the arrogance and the ignorance I reacted. I am no longer in favour of alternative medicine and have completely changed my view on conventional medicine. Conventional medicine certainly has its place, but so does the esoteric and together they go hand in hand to support the body to truly heal.
I had never really broke the alternative world away from the complementary world either. I guess I had never any reason to discuss the 2 in a conversation that I remember but I did feel I had them in the same pot. How wrong was that level of thinking after reading this article. It makes perfect sense from the words themselves and now is very obvious, one is an alternative and one is complementary, simple. I also loved this and couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous this is for me, “The fact that everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them was irrelevant.” I am not laughing at others saying or thinking this but at myself because I have dismissed people who have had lived experiences thinking I knew better and that what they knew was ‘irrelevant’. This way of being with people some may call arrogant or similar but I would say it’s just not connected truly to what is in front of you. After all to have a true healing or truly offer someone support you would need to be truly connected first, otherwise what you ‘give’ them would just be something you know rather then what’s being called for.
It was just the other day I was having this very discussion about the difference between alternative and complementary medicine and whilst talking I was remembering this article and how it made the difference very clear, which then made it very simple for me to offer the distinction.
Your surgical dissection of the medical industry is very revealing. It makes me wonder if those refusing conventional medicine are sensitive to this supremacy energy and in reaction go the alternative route.
Given the level of illness and disease in the world, and how it is increasing, we know that medicine alone cannot have all the answers. Medicine is important without doubt, and helps millions of people, but the rates of illness are increasing, and this is where complementary to medicine modalities like those offered by Universal Medicine are needed. The two go hand in hand to offer a new way.
Spot on Heather, the Esoteric Modalities offer a different approach to health and healing, and support the client to discover any underlying causes with their illness or disease and not just treat the symptoms.
A clear blog stating the differences between alternative, complementary and esoteric healing.
A powerful blog in that a medical professional has seen the arrogance that can be embedded from their rigorous and lengthy medical training and be dismissive of any person being able to read their own body.
An inspiring blog, having observed in person the phenomenal changes that this doctor, Eunice Minford, has made in her personal life and work You rock Eunice and your patients are blessed with being under your guidance..
What’s particularly worth noting is that here we have someone who was entrenched or embedded in a certain way of thinking, with not a possibility of thinking from another perspective… And this is what Universal Medicine continually offers… The possibility, the potential, of another perspective, being able to let go of deeply embedded habits and paradigms, and literally to expand one’s perspective.
I’ve seen this many times and even experienced it in myself that complete paradigm shift. When working with the fact that there are only two forms of energy and when shifting from living in one then the other, the fact that our perspective on life not only changes but sometimes it’s like the former never existed (if it weren’t for our memory) it shows this use of energy in a very real, tangible way.
As a society we have a propensity to label things and assume we know all about them. To make it worse is that it seems to be convenient to put similar things in the same basket and tar the whole lot with the same brush. Invested parties can jump on the bandwagon to cloudy the waters even further. And so often all of this means we miss the truth of what is under our nose. The distinction between complementary and alternative medicine is one those. Thank you for the clarity you have offered here Eunice.
For years I clumped Alternative and Complementary Medicine together, and explored what they had to offer and was turning my back on Conventional Medicine because I felt let down by them, but what I have come to understand is that I had to play my part also and look at the things in my life that I could so easily change, and not expect Conventional or CAM Medicine to fix me.
Very much appreciating here, the addressing of the ‘arrogance’ that can occur within the medical profession as we know it. Thank-you for sharing and further elucidating upon this Eunice.
I’ve also witnessed equal or perhaps even more fervoured arrogance in alternative medicine circles…
How strong is our ‘human tendency’ to want so desperately to own knowledge as you say, and want to be the one who is ‘right’? Thereby often discounting the potential of what could actually be learnt from each other, if humanity’s true interests were to be at the core of our endeavours. We clearly have a long way yet to go to bring a true understanding of healing and just what makes the human body tick to humanity – our illness and disease statistics are not declining, despite all that we do know and how amazing our advances have been…
The ‘esoteric’, in all my experience of it, is that which offers the key and understanding to what we have been missing – never from a place of arrogance or exclusion, but ever from a willingness to found everything in the energetic truth, and build our understanding and application from this place.
Reading your words here Eunice, I can’t help but deeply appreciate all that a study and involvement in esoteric medicine has brought to my life, and indeed my view upon ‘the whole’ of medicine – all that it is, and our relationship with it in our everyday lives.
For many years, I held more ‘alternative’ views, and did not fully respect all that allopathic medicine offers us. Today the true nature of how esoteric medicine complements the allopathic – and vice versa – feels as natural as breathing, and nothing in me resists the great blessing to mankind that allopathic medicine brings. The two together are what is needed if we are to take a truly universal approach to healing, and what it can be for us. It was Plato was it not, who stated that the part cannot be addressed without the whole…
It is indeed attributed to Plato “as you ought not to attempt to cure the eyes without the head, or the head without the body, so neither ought you attempt to cure the body without the soul.” I am appreciating the wisdom of this more and more every day as thanks to the presentations of Serge Benhayon I am understanding the intimate energetic relationship between my body and all aspects of my life.
As a former nurse I was very much on the side of orthodox medicine – indeed wasn’t even aware of other forms when I trained many years ago. Subsequently, on becoming disillusioned with the medical model I embraced alternative medicine and trained and worked in alternative medicine as a homeopath for many years.
Upon coming to Universal Medicine I realised I had lurched from one extreme to another. Experiencing complementary medicine in the form of esoteric healing modalities for myself and witnessing the difference I felt in my own body, I now embrace both with open arms. Both are needed in today’s world – the medical model to fix broken bones and perform necessary surgeries etc and the esoteric to reach the causation of dis-ease so that true healing can occur – not just treating for symptomatic relief.
True complementary medicine knows itself to be a part of a greater whole hence not excluding but embracing any other part; it allows for an all-encompassing way of thinking and living, understanding life as multifaceted and multidimensional and nevertheless as one and contributes or complements to the whole. Universal Medicine is all-encompassing, understanding the whole and its parts as one, it starts with the whole and refers back to the whole to support the part being in harmonious relationship with every other part and the whole.
“…Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies…” – it is not just in medicine but here it gets very obvious that we value accumulated knowledge about something more than the experienced lived knowing everyone personally has. It actually starts with how we raise our children when we don´t honour or even ask them how they feel about certain things they experience and ignore what they have to contribute. That preps them for becoming what the world expects them to be and that there is only value in knowledge, qualification etc. No wonder that as patients they are only too willing to give their power away to the doctor and the doctor assuming his knowledge to be of more importance than the patients knowing.
Esoteric medicine and conventional medicine combined are the way forth, and both are much needed at this point in time.
Cracking blog Eunice and shows me how complementary medicine supports people to go deeper – this is so needed in a society where we throw our worries at our doctor and hope for the best. For me it is all about responsibility first – and this is a huge part of medicine and healing.
The difference between complementary and alternative medicine is a very valid distinction to make, thankyou Eunice. In the former we see the impulse to work with all parts of the Whole and with the latter we see the want to move in reaction to this and thus pursue a mere fragment of this, in total reaction to the whole of which it is a part of. If we are to truly arise out of the current ill health that we as a humanity have slumped into then we need a medicine that is truly universal and that is, it takes into account our whole being and the natural Whole-ness that we are a part of – the body, the being inside and the Universe/God it belongs to. This means we need to look at the underlying energetic root cause of our dis-ease as well as the subsequent ailments that arise from it.
“Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies” This old assertion was commonly behind how patients were treated in the public hospital system, which I witnessed as a registered nurse for many years. I also noted that it did actually disempower people who were conditioned to place all their trust in doctors and nurses and not in themselves. In my opinion this has had severe repercussions for the government expense of health. What Serge Benhayon and Dr Minford are presenting is vitally important for reversing the trends and supporting people to embrace their own self care as primary medicine and seeing other practitioners as complementary to this.
‘real medicine’. This is where conventional medicine and complementary medicine meet. Conventional medicine helps us deal with the symptoms and Universal Medicine helps us address the underlying cause in the way we are living that caused the problem.
As a complementary therapist practicing Universal Medicine modalities I work side by side with conventional medicine. Always aware and appreciative of what conventional medicine offers I’d never hesitate in signposting a client to their GP when needed. What we offer is a holistic perspective that includes all aspects of a client’s life, knowing that every choice they make contributes to the overall health of their body and wellbeing.
Thank you Eunice – your blog is a brilliant reminder of how we can so easily get trapped into thinking we know or understand something when, in actual fact, the truth of the matter is often partially or completely misconstrued.
Thank you for supporting us to see the glaringly obvious difference when you point it out! I too would say I am a big supporter of complementary medicine
What’s long been missing from conventional medicine is the ability to see the body as a whole instead of individual parts in isolation from each other and why true complementary medicine such as Esoteric Medicine is so needed for us to come back to understanding the body as a whole.
And it seems to me that we need to get rid of all of these nomenclatures around medicine. In fact is it possible that they are perpetuated by the arrogance, desperation and greed of the traditional medicine industry as they begin to see that in fact they are not the whole picture – a vital and brilliant part of the whole, but not the whole – and thus may not be able to sustain the gargantuan financial profits off which so many feed?
“Complementary medicine” is a gigantic understatement of what Universal Medicine offers. The clue is in the name! Brilliantly expressed with absolute authority. Thank you Eunice.
Amazing to touch on what the truth of both esoteric and universal medicine are here. The expansiveness of the possibilities here – and responsibilities too – can be felt deeply. Thank you Eunice Minford.
One of the great strengths of truly complementary medicine is that it takes a pro-active look at our lifestyle choices and their impact on our wellbeing. Mainstream medicine similarly recognises the impact of for example, smoking, alcohol consumption and diet on health. My feeling is that given the budget and the time, mainstream medicine would naturally look at the things complementary medicine is doing in terms of understanding further this relationship between lifestyle choices and health. The evolution of our medical systems has been understandably in reaction to the conditions they have been faced with. Embracing this more pro-active stance seems an obvious way forward.
A simple but very relatable example of complementary medicine to me is in brushing and caring for our teeth. We don’t stop going to the dentist but those trips to the dentist are very different because we do so. Complementary health care seeks to support our wellbeing in a pro-active way perhaps reducing the need for traditional medical intervention but not avoiding it. The two work very harmoniously together and are not in opposition as some people think.
It is an important point that we embrace western medicine as a very reliable form of health care and then Esoteric Medicine that complements it, so together they provide a whole way of bringing medicine to all our lifestyle choices.
Reading this blog allowed me to put my feet so to speak into doctors shoes, how they would see things, their view point from their training and what they see everyday. I was the alternative one, always looking for another route to cure, not feeling conventional medicine was it or knew the truth about energy. But the alternative route got me nowhere in fact I know now I just used this as an escape to not feel what was really going on for me. I agree Esoteric Medicine as taught and presented by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine does raise the bar and certainly does include the ALL; even to how we live with the everyday choices we make and how we walk effect our health and well-being. So now I am no longer an alternative champion, I am more aware of what this is trying to avoid! But am an Esoteric and conventional medicine advocate. Loved the little extra about complement and compliment it was cute and like extras after a film?
I know I sometimes do this ie. taking the time to do something or get to know it “So rather than take the time to find out what complementary and alternative medicine were, it was easier to just clump them together and arrogantly claim they were all unscientific,…” when in truth we know too right the ‘proper’ potential ie. do we avoid it because in truth if we take the time to know something we open ourselves up to a greater level of understanding and therefore responsibility. Huh! These words are my own writing on the wall so thank you Eunice for taking that time.
Yes, the ’need to know’ gets me too. For me when I go into ‘the need to know’ I lose me in the approach. It becomes a mind-driven-thinking-drama. The mind is its own drama all created to come back to its own original thought, and in this case ‘I need to know’. I have discovered if you start from ‘I do know’ and move and act in that way of absolute confidence within yourself, you’re confirming that it is very possible you do know, and the result can be that.
It’s very interesting Eunice how you describe in medicine how the doctors are trained to know all about the body, and through that education are not trained to truly support them to look after their own bodies.
Such an important difference between these two. One separates and limits what we make available to ourselves, while the other takes the best of Western Medicine and enhances it, making it more than it was before. A simple choice really!
Absolutely Simon. I am starting to see we can all choose to be complementary, to support and build relationships with others. This is the greatest compliment we can pay to the beauty of life and the opportunity we are given to heal and let issues go every day. Thank also to Eunice – and many compliments on these sage insights to life.
The thing is by its very own standards, conventional medicine is not truly working. It is not able to explain the full picture or truly understand what is at play in so much of what is happening today. That is not to discount the incredible advances we benefit from now. We can be grateful that we have this support, but what if we stopped and started to broaden our idea of what true medicine is? What if we started to work on this together as you suggest Eunice? Perhaps then we would see that this very individual way of being or compartmentalising medicine, life and our body, is our greatest disease.
‘A complementary medicine practitioner can help the patient to go deeper, in terms of evaluating their life choices and how those choices may have contributed to the illness or disease.’ Before I came across Universal Medicine I most certainly was on the alternative bandwagon for many years, avoiding the practical support that medicine offers in reaction to the type of arrogance in the medical profession that you describe you once suffered from Eunice. Matters of health can be truly confusing if one is blindly following the latest scientific data or self-serving claims of many over the counter supplements. Now because I have a greater connection with my body I feel confident to seek medical advice in conjunction with complementary support and feel what my body needs to support it.
In my own turn away from conventional medical practices, I used to get quite ‘hyper’ in my attempts to solve all of my and my family’s ailments with ‘home remedies’ or ‘alternate therapies’. This hyper-activity could become pushy and imposing, like a force was driving me on.
Before I understood the difference between Complementary and Alternative Medicine, I found an identification in Alternative medicine and was very proud this was the road I was following, using it to feel ‘better’ than everyone else in the sense of giving me a feeling of worth as well as thinking I was better health wise. I actually was not well but at the time could not see this and how sicker I was getting.
It was not until I met Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine that I saw and appreciated the value of the medical doctors and their knowledge of the body on a physical level. My thinking did not change in the knowing we are more than just the physicality, but what changed was not dismissing one approach for another. It was then that complementing the work of the doctors with the energetics of illness and disease, as well as addressing how I lived in the choices I made in life, has now become a true medicine for me and my family.
About 20 years ago I was a big advocate for alternative medicine, I was in total reaction to the mainstream model and reacted to the arrogance and supremacy that I saw around me in professionals and friends who were working in the industry. In my reaction I was no better that the very thing I was reacting to – the need to be right and better. I have learnt to support my body to be healthy, it takes a team of people who can support me, I look for professionals who are committed to their own health and wellbeing and live what they practice, who are open to continual development, and who are open to understanding that we are energy.
Your blog redefines the notion of a form of medicine that takes in the WHOLE. That is a phrase that I feel many, many modalities, therapies, treatments would claim in their ‘sales blurb’. You often read about that, about how important it is to look at the body in its whole, the lifestyle in its whole….etc…But, compared to the WHOLE that Universal Medicine looks at, this are just mere fractions of the picture. And whilst you are only looking at a fraction of the picture, you will never see the whole truth.
Eunice – I LOVE your post script. The fact that compliments are free. That is so cool and a little gem that I’m going to carry with me. I would also add that true compliments are superb complementary medicine – both for the giver and receiver.
I have, at times, definitely been caught out by the arrogance of wanting to be seen as special and knowing of more, of having the answers and being able to tell another person what to do. And what I have come to learn from these experiences is how we are all essentially masters of our own health and well being. And whilst there be may be certain skills that I can contribute to another person’s healing journey, I cannot heal anyone, that is the responsibility of each of us as we live and as we learn.
At this very moment there is, in quantum physics, a very challenging series of experiments happening that are about to lay waste to the theorems that have supported science’s explanation of the seemingly unknowable interactions of the energetic make-up of the universe. And yet… Within the ancient wisdom that has always been with us, is the knowledge and energetic truth that explains the very fabric of matter that so confounds science today.
Thank you Eunice for such a clear and concise sharing on the difference between Complementary Medicine and Alternative Medicine.
I have to compliment you on your blog, heheh, just practicing…but seriously, what a cracker!!
It’s interesting how we just throw Complementary Medicine and Alternative Medicine in the same basket and assume they are the same, its beautiful to have it so clearly defined now, thank you.
I have always seen complementary medicine as just that – complementary too. It confuses me when it is confused with alternative because clearly the definition of the two words is so different. Reading your blog makes me appreciate why the words are clumped together and confused and helps me appreciate a deeper understanding of what I have been fortunate enough to experience in my life. The outcome of my experience with my own health has been that whenever I have attempted to ‘cure’ anything in isolation without the combined work of both the medical and complementary to medicine world, then I have always had more to go back and revisit through a complication to the healing process or a recurrence.
Great overview of the difference between complementary and alternative medicine. I have a much deeper understanding now of the difference, as I have not heard it described so simplistically. Coupled with calling out how important ‘Universal’ Medicine is, how western and complementary medicine really need to be aware of and align to the rhythms and cycles of the Universe, this will improve our health and wellbeing ten fold when that becomes more mainstream.
I deeply appreciate that you Eunice, as a surgeon and a conventional health practitioner, are breaking the consciousness that Western Medicine is the only answer to those who are ill. There is much to learn from esoteric medicine and it will bring a much deeper understanding of us humans and the human body from which all health practitioners and of course patients will benefit.
Given the escalating rate of ‘health conditions’ – perhaps there should be more government funded research into natural therapies themselves and their possible impact on reducing the burden to the health system?
That’s an interesting point that you raise around efficacy of the modalities and whether they harm – It is also fascinating to see how modalites change and come in and out of fashion.
Right now, when you google ‘Universal Medicine’ it says at the top right from google ‘alternative medicine company’. This is just completely wrong but few people distinguish between complementary and alternative even though they are worlds apart.
I noticed that too christophschnelle, purely on a practical level the words have a huge difference in meaning.
It makes absolute sense that there is a universal form of medicine that included God, the universe and everyone and everything in it. Tue healing can only occurs if we see ourselves as part of a whole, just like in any injury if we only focus on the one part of the body that is injured and not ourselves as a whole person, then only cure but not true healing can be achieved.
Universal Medicine, have brought the responsibility back to the self. Accepting the responsibility for our own health instead of leaving it solely up to health professionals is the way we must progress.
Very true Nicole. It is so easy to shift responsibility onto the medical profession, expecting them to get rid of the symptoms as quickly as possible so we can resume our lives. But that approach just ignores our responsibility for the state of our health and wellbeing. It’s not a message that everyone wants to hear but Complementary and Western medicine is definitely the way forward.
There is much confusion over the difference between alternative medicine and complementary medicine and how they can fit within the conventional medical system we have. In respect to Esoteric Complementary medicine it is a form of medicine that assists the healing and supports western medicine, thus providing a means to reduce our reliance on medical intervention, this can only be a good thing for our strained medical system that is literally begging for more personal responsibility to be taken by its service users. If we consider that in 30 years the NHS won’t even be able to financially cope with treating one disease alone, diabetes or cancer, not to mention the myriad of other conditions taking hold, then it seems time we embraced the lifestyle changes needed for true health. In that regard Esoteric Medicine is the vanguard, the way of living that truly works.
I used to think alternative medicine and complementary medicine were the same thing also Eunice. I have tried both and didn’t received what I felt was true healing until I incorporated complementary medicine with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is exactly that an “alternative” which took me away from accepting the amazing support that was available to me through conventional medicine and put me a grave risk! Complementary medicine offered me a deeper understanding of my illness and disease while also welcoming the work conventional medicine could do to actually remove the possible life threatening disease from my body. Big difference!
What you’ve shared Eunice makes so much sense and is literally in our face by the very words – complementary and alternative – so then why have they been lumped together when the word itself clearly states one supports and the other does the opposite/alternative? How much damage has been caused by treating complementary medicine the same as alternative?
Linda that has been my experience, each time attending the doctors who, whilst they work hard to try and provide the best care, have always been unable to explain or share what the reason is for the condition in the first place, and therefore are unable to help support what steps to take to truly heal the condition.
The difference between alternative and complementary medicine seems to me a difference in perspective on the purpose of life. With Universal Medicine we are given the opportunity to heal all aspects of ourselves, from the physical body we inhabit to the spiritual being who resides within. Nothing is left out, no part of us is disregarded as unimportant because everything is considered and accounted for. Which means that every action, choice, and moment is equally important. In my experience, alternative therapies do not offer this kind of evolutionary opportunity to choose such a full and complete responsibility. The alternative therapies, in my experience, only offer a piece of the whole, a comforting solution which only further extends the irresponsible behaviours of a spirit inside a physical body.
I know with absolute certainty that had I the understanding of the energetic and esoteric aspect of my depression I would have been out of it years earlier than I was. The power of combining the esoteric with conventional medicine will one day mean our illnesses are on the whole shorter lived, recovery rates increased, recurring illness less frequent and developing illness less likely. It’s a win win all round – why wouldn’t we want this for every person?
So true Rosanna, through understanding the energetic and esoteric cause of illness, you have a great head start with making different choices well before physical symptoms progress.
I had always accepted and appreciated all that conventional medicine has to offer but I considered it a way to ‘fix’ a problem for something that was not my fault and just bad luck. When I came to understand Esoteric Medicine and Universal Medicine I came to accept and appreciate that I have a responsibility to play my part in the healing of the problems that I have caused to myself in the choices I make in life. Conventional medicine and esoteric medicine are complementary to each other.
It is incredibly important, Gill. Complementary medicine’s benefits are in the name. It is all about working with medicine allowing the parts to equal more than they are able to on their own.
Like many who have made comments on this blog, I too was subscribed to alternative medicine as being the best way to heal my body. Although, when it came down to it, I always ended up needing to go back to conventional medicine because all the herbs and crystals and reiki didn’t do anything for me if I got, say a tonsil infection. For that I needed antibiotics, and there was no way around that.
Alternative medicine seems to me like fighting with a hand tied behind your back, because it rejects what has been shown to actually be quite effective for many illnesses. Whereas with complementary medicine each part of the medicine enhances and builds on one another, instead of reacting and rejecting based on ideals of health.
I just have to say how extraordinary it is that this amazing article is written by a practising surgeon who has been trained in conventional medicine. This truly is awesome. Thank you, Eunice.
Absolutely Fumiyo, to me this shows the fact that the medical community know that conventional medicine needs to be supported by complementary medicine and specifically Esoteric Medicine, as without this many I speak to are missing the vital ingredient – the patient’s individual role and responsibility in their healing.
Yes, absolutely and I hadn’t appreciated this before in how unusual this is likely to be. Thank you Fumiyo and Eunice.
“Everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them” – I love this. We are the authority. I used to see ‘medicine’ as something I could just take, something I could rely on to make me feel better, and no matter how ‘complementary’ or ‘holistic’ it claimed to be, ‘I’ was absent from it. So nothing ever changed or healed in true sense; it kept coming back when the effect of medicine wore off.
Agree Gill, the key ingredient for the future is Western Medicine combined with Universal Medicine’s complementary approach. However, beyond all this is the importance of each individual taking responsibility to look after themselves to the best of their ability and living in a loving way with self and others. They would then see that illness and disease are not something to be feared or suffered but a ‘clearing’ of what is not needed in the body and hence an opportunity that is presented to heal what is holding us back from fully embracing the depth of love that is on offer.
In my experience of alternative medicine, there was definitely a sense that there were practitioners I could go to for a quick fix, to feel better momentarily, that allowed me to carry on making the same lifestyle choices which lead to my current state of illness or disease. Whereas with the complementary practices of Universal Medicine, each treatment is a massive stop, where I feel that I am given the opportunity to re-asses as many choices as I am willing to look at, and have the support to change what no longer supports me or my family.
It’s a real shame that Complementary Medicine has been clumped together with Alternative Medicine and labelled as dangerous. It doesn’t give an opportunity for people to feel for themselves what is right for them and what could possibly help them. There is an arrogance within the Medical world that wants to crush anything and everything that they don’t understand and is assumed as a threat. A great shame when actually it could be embraced as a way of enhancing the care and the health of their existing patients.
Thanks Eunice for bringing so much clarity into this topic. While I was reading your sharing, I caught myself, that I was also so arrogant about alternative and complementary medicine – I didn’t believe in it at all, I judged it as bad. And also your statement about seeking knowledge – it is so true. I also thought, the more temporal knowledge I know, the better I am – my self worth was connected to this. Thanks to Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon I know now, that temporal knowledge is needed to perform a certain job, but it is not everything – we carry everything in us, we “just” have to connect to it.
That’s right Sandra, and quite apart from the huge reduction in medical costs our society would be nurturing a far more vital, responsible, responsive and self-aware, community that would be able to support each other in what ever phase of life or medical issue someone is going through.
Gill, this is the way to go if we are to relieve the tremendous burden on the health system that is struggling to keep up with the increasing amount of illness and disease, which comes largely from people not taking responsibility for their health and expecting that someone will ‘fix’ them when they do get sick.
Well said Doug, getting rid of the symptoms is not healing. Not until attending presentations by Universal Medicine did I have any understanding of our ability to bury our conditions further and deeper into our body. It was a foreign concept for me. This understanding is a key ingredient for all Doctors to be aware of as otherwise they can be assisting people to function but also creating a situation where they will be worse off down the track because of the treatment.
Thank you Eunice for this very informative and elucidating blog – I enjoyed re-visiting and found still much to ponder on, and it now all makes total sense to me with the true understanding of the difference between ‘complimentary’ and ‘complementary’ – awesome.
I have found that combining complementary and western medicine is essential for taking responsibility for my health. They each offer a part of the picture that I need to make the choices that are going to truly support me. The more I embrace this, the more I meet medical practitioners who are totally open to this approach too.
To me that is the wonder and the gift we bring to humanity Vicky. Bringing the complementary medicine to the western medicine as we do, does enrich the power of westerns medicine because we bring the missing link so to say. As the medical practitioners I meet, are limited in their ways of treating illnesses and diseases, but the complementary part just brings that extra quality that was missing for ages.
Yes Nico, like in Eunice’s case, those who practice western medicine will allow a much deeper level of understanding their patients and the body because of esoteric medicine. They will be inspired because they all started out wanting to be a doctor to truly heal and support people.
I agree Joel and Gabriele, ignoring the messages of the body leads to a lack of self responsibility which then impacts on the whole of society. Is it not time for all of us to consider deeply the impact that we have on the whole of society when we make irresponsible choices?
A very valid point Elizabeth. Irresponsible choices and behavior have an impact on the whole of society. The way we are with ourselves and our bodies is the very basis of our life, if there is love in how we treat ourselves, there will be love in how we treat all others.
I like this line – “Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies – or so the thinking goes. ” – of course there are people so caught in their own drama that the accuracy of what they feel can be skewed…but if this is ignored and not used as a starting point, then there is no empowerment or self responsibility, which is something both complementary and western medicine are wanting/needing from patients.
Good point – we are told to ignore our own science and the fact that we live with and in our body 24/7 and that it provides amazing insights and gives us many, many signals as to what is going on. And ignoring them or being told that they don’t count only leads to a lack of self responsibility, as you rightly point out.
It has been my experience that it is not just the modality you treat from that determines the success of the treatment, but rather a combination of the integrity and quality of care the practitioner chooses to bring to what they offer to the public.
I have been openly working with my regular Doctor, Bio medical doctor and esoteric practitioners in a holistic manner, to treat not just the physical ailments, but also address the pattern of emotion and disregarding behaviour that has precipitated the imbalance in the first place.
Thank you Eunice. Indeed there is still a battle that wages between those that consider themselves in the ‘conventional’ medicine camp, and those more towards the ‘alternative’ medicine camp. Neither of these can indeed be wholly true if they are not taking into account the full aspects of a person. Conventional medicine has fantastic treatments, interventions and doctors that assist in the healing and cure of many health conditions. People also report many benefits from, and there is evidence growing for some complementary modalities. The ideal model is where the whole person is cared for and nurtured at their time of illness, and when needing support. This can indeed be a collaborative effort, so open-ness and respect between all parties is key, in order for there to be the best outcome for the person in mind.
I agree Amelia – if our whole being is cared for – this is where true medicine comes into fruition. For me personally – the doctors married with complementary medicine has allowed me to bring an understanding to what is going on in my body, and take more responsibility for where I am at.
Amelia, your point regarding a ‘collaborative effort, so open-ness and respect between all parties for there to be best outcome for the person in mind’ rings so true with me. So often those from different professional backgrounds or qualifications come predisposed with an ideal of how things should be done but this will be in discordance with those of others. The unified approach as presented by Serge Benhayon offer a way forward to truly begin to heal on every level.
The words alternative and complementary medicine are often used interchangeably but I too have come to see that they are nothing alike. Alternative medicine is often very condemning of conventional medicine and in reaction to it. Complementary medicine works along side conventional medicine and has much to bring to conventional medicine. I love that you have introduced something else Eunice and that is esoteric medicine, which goes beyond complementary medicine to encompass so much more.
Elizabeth I agree, and at first I thought they were the same but the difference is very stark. For me alternative means looking for another fix that is void of my responsibility, whereas complementary asks me to look at what else can be done to support the already sophisticated medical system. With Esoteric Medicine this asks me what part I play in my health and how I am that will complement the medical system when needed.
It makes sense David, given the time and money the medical profession give to their training, that we support their diagnoses with both intelligent questioning as to different treatments offered by conventional medicine, and our own input of how the chosen treatment can be complemented by us to support our body. The Esoteric modalities are hugely effective in this, and do not ‘clash’ with conventional medicine, unlike some alternative remedies which can have contra – indications.
As you point out, esoteric medicine does not only go way beyond complementary medicine but is also the very cradle of where our conventional system of medicine started and took its inspiration from.
This priceless and fascinating library of free audio: http://www.unimedliving.com/voice/audio-by-category/esoteric-medicine-audio is a must-listen-to and also has lots of wonderful quotes. It covers what Esoteric Medicine is, what it means to us and how it fits so beautifully with conventional medicine.
It is great Eunice that you clearly state the distinction between alternative and complementary medicine as for many this is often bundled into the one package. Yet complementary medicine can be a great assistance to conventional medicine and is not a forgoing of this, but an assistance we can use to take great care for our health. With the strain on health services we need to look wider for our medicine and consider our daily living a form of this medicine itself, that is surely the ultimate medicine we can reach for, lifestyle choices that prevent ill health.
15 years ago, I use to approach illness with alternative medicine and my first one was a rumbling appendix. At this stage I did not have much choices but to change my diet as I was over eating. I did see the doctor so it was not 100% alternative and I did not get an operation because there was no emergency at the time. But I am now much more for complementary medicine like Esoteric healing with Universal Medicine, and I still visit the doctor when needed. I have not had any major illnesses since, but I know that I would use conventional medicine should I need to.
Complementary and alternative medicine are often lumped in the one basket, much like the soul and spirit. However it feels important to be clear about the difference and how each will or will not work with conventional medicine. I was surprised when I first discovered Universal Medicine how ‘non-alternative’ it was, and how it held all the wisdom of conventional medicine with respect and added to it to complete the whole picture. This complete picture for me as a heath professional was essential.
Fiona, this makes a lot of sense because as fantastic as conventional medicine is, it can only handle so much and there will always be questions it cannot answer. The essential element that Universal Medicine introduces to conventional medicine is the science of the soul and this brings the whole person into account for every ailment they are experiencing and from there true healing can take place, but the two forms of medicine definitely are conducive to working side by side because no one person is entirely just a body or entirely just a soul.
When we understand our livingness in this way, the choice to care for and support our vehicle of expression (our body), and simultaneously our soul (that resides within this body) – it becomes obvious that although they work together and are most definitely connected, there will be times when they need different support systems. Much like children, peas in the same pod, but each needing attention and care in their own way at differing times. Care and attention to detail is necessary, at all times. Our soul is speaking to us via our body. There is an opportunity for us to respond and heal with a plethora of medicines and with our own self love.
That embracing of conventional medicine was a bit of surprise initially for me too, Fiona, as I was coming from an alternative medicine mind set, where it was believed that you could heal anything by the laying-on of hands, etc.
But when I heard Serge Benhayon saying, “if you have cancer, go to the doctor. If you have something wrong, go to the doctor…” I felt a wave of relief! I could see how trying to cut out conventional medicine was not actually taking care of myself, and I now felt how supportive conventional medicine is. Now with the added support of Universal Medicine complementing a visit to the GP, I feel truly supported within to without!
Very well said Fiona, and I agree – I was very pleased to discover how ‘non-alternative’ Universal Medicine was, having spent a lot of my life in that field, searching for a ‘better’ life, only to feel more and more lost. Universal Medicine is very real and down to earth, and most definitely showing utmost respect of and working side by side with conventional medicine.
‘Esoteric Medicine is a form of complementary medicine (and is in no way alternative) – but in fact it is even more than that. It is a truly holistic form of medicine that is supportive of and works with conventional medicine (hence complementary) and it takes the WHOLE being into consideration.’ Experiencing Esoteric healing modalities has been life changing for me – encompassing the totality of my health and wellbeing.
Well said Jenny – Esoteric medicine cannot be an alternative form of medicine as it 100% complements conventional medicine and no Esoteric practitioner that I know would suggest that anyone uses the modalites as an alternative to conventional medicine. And it is only through having sessions with Esoteric practitioners that I have come to appreciate and understand that conventional medicine is vital in certain situations, to the point where I no longer dismiss it as I had done for years, but I now embrace it as part of my own health care.
I concur fully in what you share Jenny, the difference in Esoteric Healing Modalities has been truly life changing. Understanding how western and esoteric medicine compliments itself brings the missing piece to the medicine.
I have visited my GP more in recent years, due to my increased self worth, in the past I would have not bothered so much and lived and tolerated what ever mild issue came up. Now if there is something that is not regular or not supportive that turns up concerning my health I do something about it. Visiting Esoteric Practitioners has supported my self worth to develop and so my relationship with conventional medicine has improved. They can absolutely work together.
Samantha I’ve followed the same approach and can really see how Esoteric Medicine complements Conventional Medicine. There are many areas that the Doctors are fantastic at supporting me with but without me doing my part they then end up with no where to go. Universal Medicine has certainly made a marked difference on the quality of my health by supporting me to make loving and deeply caring choices.
I’ve found that too Samantha, that’s a great point to highlight. Esoteric medicine has deeply supported me to build my self worth and through this I am much more embracing of conventional medicine.
Samantha, I too have taken to having regular medical checkups because from listening to Serge Benhayon I realise that I need to take full responsibility for my life and not expect anyone to fix me. So I go to the doctor to get a diagnosis and some support in managing the condition but I also go to Esoteric practitioners for support in dealing with the issues which are causing, or could cause a disease if I kept on burying them. Both aspects complement each other.
I totally agree Samantha and Eunice – conventional and Esoteric Medicine definitely can work together. I had a similar experience where I wouldn’t bother going to the doctors unless it was something serious that I couldn’t ignore any longer. But since attending Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon’s presentations, course and workshops along with Esoteric Practitioners I have changed this around. Now if something doesn’t feel right or feels out of sync I keep a close on eye on it and then i’ll take myself to the doctors if it doesn’t seem to clear. The fact that I have a relationship with my body where I can feel every little thing is thanks to the inspiration from Esoteric Medicine.
For many years I studied and worked with complementary and alternative therapies and I thought they were one and the same! It is astonishing that you can study and work with something and not really understand what it is really about. I am immensely appreciative of the level of attention and care Universal Medicine provides when teaching any of its healing modalities to make sure that the greatest level of understanding is achieved about the subject at hand, and the workshop does not move on unless a firm grasp of the intricacies of the subject among the group, and no one is accredited unless the full level of understanding and integrity can be lived by the practitioner. Also for the first time I am attending workshops to learn non-conventional-medicine modalities and instead of the token comment to clients to seek medical advice which is purely to avoid the possibility of getting sued for something later on, Universal Medicine actually encourages people to seek medical advice when there is a physical issue that needs addressing, and supports people with amazing results alongside medical procedures such as surgeries and chemotherapy. It is a completely new ball game.
Alternative medicine makes no sense – ignoring the body of wisdom and knowledge of conventional medicine – knowledge that actually works, just because that body of knowledge isn’t anywhere near perfect. ‘Alternative’ here means those modalities and practitioners who consider themselves viable alternatives rather than complements to conventional medicine. In my experience the biggest asset of many alternative medicine practitioners is being persuasive. Taking their medicine or using their treatments or techniques has not been an alternative to conventional medicine at all.
‘where two things combine in such a way that is to enhance or emphasise the qualities of the other’…It’s interesting the way this every day understanding of the word complementary has been disassociated from healing and therefore that a complementary healing approach cares for all levels of our body and being. We are doing ourselves a disservice by ignoring the ‘complementary’ in the context of medicine.
So we all know that everything is energy and science backs this up. So why do we not consider a deeper understanding of how our bodies got sick instead of just treating the symptoms in a surgical manner. It shows how the medical institution has been blinded by science and forgotten the basic first principal taught and known thousands of years earlier, that energy plays the leading role in our well being.
Indeed Gail. The fact that we are all made up of energy and what that actually means has been totally ignored. It was not until I heard Serge Benhayon present on the matter that the penny dropped – just how simple the equation is. ‘ if everything is energy, then everything is because of energy’ Serge Benhayon.
Very true Gail. If we do not include the energetic truth of things we will always just be looking at illness and disease from a limited point of view.
I would agree Doug there are just a few doctors I have come across that have been open to looking at this further and they themselves have spoken of how this is really not the way that the doctors work. Getting to the real root of any illness or disease has to be taken very seriously as the world will otherwise come to a standstill in time to come, we can no longer be working in this way and ignoring the clear statistics showing us that healthy people are still getting sick and sick people are getting sicker.
Conventional medicine is slowly opening up to complementary medicine, not as fast as we would like it. More and more doctors are becoming open to it, even if they are unable to say it on the books, they will refer people off the books. It is just a matter of time. More and more blog sites like this sharing miracles, will support conventional medicine to open the doors and work together.
This is a great point Shami. When I first discovered Esoteric medicine I thought it was another modality that would heal me without me having to do anything other than talk about my problems. But I learnt quite quickly that this couldn’t be further from the truth and that what this medicine does do is fully support us to take full responsibility for all of our choices and guide us back to true health. So far from any ‘alternative medicine’ I have ever come across.
I was a complete alternative medicine junkie in the past, turning my back on conventional medicine not just for myself but also my family. It is only since attending Universal Medicine events that I have begun to realise what complementary medicine is and have been willing to revisit my relationship with conventional medicine. Having treatment from esoteric practitioners alongside conventional medicine whilst taking responsibility for my own health with rest, diet and exercise has been by far the most beneficial to my body and my life.
Jane, my story is very similar. For most of my life I turned my back on conventional medicine for most things and had a range of home-based and alternative treatments even though I was forced into the conventional medicine system for mayor illnesses. It was not until I heard Serge Benhayon present that I decided to re-evaluate my relationship with conventional medicine and to appreciate what it had to offer. Now like you, I choose to have convention medicine alongside treatments from esoteric practitioners whilst always taking responsibility for my own health. As you say, this has been “the most beneficial to my body and my life.”
Jane, I also avoided conventional medicine and I had a great fear of hospitals and any invasive procedures. Then I ended up having to go into hospital to have my heart monitored and I realised how supportive it was. The nurses were so reassuring, not so much what they said but in the way they touched me which allowed me to trust and relax.The staff seemed to care about people and it felt good to be in the hands of those who really knew what they were doing. This experience banished my fear of hospital and increased my appreciation of conventional medicine.
Thank you for clearing up the difference between complementary and alternative medicine Eunice. It makes a lot of sense that they are completely separate, however they are very often grouped together, possibly because conventional medicine is seen as the very top of the healthcare hierarchy, with many people not willing to look outside of the box. But maybe this will start to change, as despite the increasing advancements in medical intervention, people are getting sicker and sicker, with the population living longer but with much more illness and disease. Maybe now or soon, people will start to think of the possibilities of healthcare that can work in conjunction. I personally disagree with alternative medicine, but see complementary medicine as an important part in people’s mental and physical wellbeing.
This priceless and fascinating library of free audio: http://www.unimedliving.com/voice/audio-by-category/esoteric-medicine-audio is a must-listen-to and also has lots of wonderful quotes. It covers what Esoteric Medicine is, what it means to us and how it fits so beautifully with conventional medicine.
Eunice, a great blog and a very important and detailed clarification on the different approaches to health – the medical, the complementary and the alternative. I have personally experienced Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine on different occation encouraging me to go and see a GP or a Specialist, there is no doubt that he is in favour and works with and in addition to conventional medicine and not against.
I agree Nicola, these are true gems and a must-listen-to. Thank you for making them easily accessible here in the blog.
Yes Eva I agree and can vouch that Serge Benhayon is very pro medicine as he constantly states both publically and privately. This can also be easily heard and read in many of his audio recordings and quotes. This is worth confirming as there are a few prolific hate bloggers and journalists out there saying the opposite and spreading malicious lies. I can also confirm from personal experience that Serge has on several occasions endorsed my decision to have surgery and I know he has supported many others likewise.
Nicola this is an awesome resource that totally confirms the 100% alignment that Serge Benhayon has with working along side conventional medicine. Like yourself I know many if not hundreds of people that Serge has encouraged and supported through medical procedures. I don’t know anyone else that is committed to humanity like Serge is. So refreshing and inspiring to have someone who makes it all about the people and what is supportive for them.
Thanks for the link – I’ll have a look 🙂
Thank you Nicole, this audio as many others is gold.
So true Jessica. Conventional medicine is allowing people to be kept alive for longer, but with little vitality in their lives. Complementary medicine is the missing ingredient that would support us with an all-rounded vision of health.
Agree complementary medicine is the missing link, together with conventional medicine they work miracles. One has to be open to both forms of medicine for healing to take place.
Yes Gill, I absolutely agree, it is not about one being better ‘than’ but about the ‘whole’. The wisdom of the body is what forms the foundation of our healing and Western Medicine supports us as we go more deeply into the choices we are making that creates the tension which results in dis-ease. This is a great blog by Eunice.
That Universal Medicine is actually needed to be ‘learned’ and ‘re-taught’ to us as a society / mankind is actually in itself telling how lost we are. Forever we’ve been speculating, reading, etc. about our Hearts and the relationshop with Love. But actually very few in the history of mankind have Truly chosen to live it. This is crazy, isn’t it. And now, when taught or better lived to be inspired from, it is by many ridiculed. Where as Love, being with our Hearts is actually our very Natural state of being. Even though me too find it still difficult at times to admit all the choices that I’ve made without being connected. Where as my heart is full of compassion and understanding. It doesn’t judge. The judgements come from the same source as the separative choices… What’s the trap here?
Everyone has a body and our lived experience can tell us so much, if we choose to listen. We do know ourselves better than anyone. The use of complementary medicine is such a great adjunct to orthodox medical care, and esoteric medicine has such a huge capability to add to the field of preventive medicine, as so many of us who are students of Universal Medicine are finding out.
Your blog is really clear in helping to explain the differences between alternative and complementary medicine. This is so necessary as the two terms have been bundled together as if meaning the same, but they clearly are not. Thank you
What you say Eunice is so profound that Universal Medicine ‘raises the bar further and brings understandings to the whole of medicine that in my opinion are well needed and currently unsurpassed by any other form of medicine.’
Your clarity coming from your perspective is fresh air to me to say the least. Just knowing that you are out there in your field turning the tides and presenting that there is another way to live is deeply inspiring.
I learn a lot from your presentations and writings and because you keep it simple, I get it.
I love how you have broken down and explained complementary, alternative and even complimentary. It is so important to know the difference and many don’t and thus work on assumptions not based on truth. It is awesome to read of a surgeon deeply appreciating and embracing the importance of Universal Medicine and what it can offer medicine and true healing. It absolutely raises the bar and offers medicine the opportunity to be more than it currently is and bring in a deeply healing holistic element that is currently lacking.
I would like to compliment you Eunice on your clarification of complementary medicine in relation to conventional medicine:-). It is amazing how we just accept words and allow ourselves a vague rather than wise understanding of what they mean. Although I love looking at the meanings of words, there is a real sloppiness here, speaking for myself, as I certainly hadn’t stopped to fully grasp the distinction. Thank you.
I agree – my compliments for making the space to clarify the difference between something that is truly complementary and another thing that is complimentary. A most important distinction indeed.
In the first part of your article, you describe very honestly the arrogance of some of the medical profession, and many others when they think they know it all, and I can feel how that same arrogance was reflected in the alternative field, going against doctors and reacting in that same fight. In the end to hide insecurities people in both fields had. It was like truth had to be either in one or the other. Until we realized we can work together and take advantage of what each one can bring. It is obvious that conventional medicine does not have the answers to many ailments, and the same with complementary medicine. Working together and discerning what works and what doesn´t is essential if we want to find true healing for people. Because if we stay in the arrogance of one or the other, we forget the purpose of being health professionals which is to help people.
Great point Julia, no matter what the field or modality of medicine, there is a great arrogance in assuming that there is only one way or protecting that they know better than another.
BIG Thanks Eunice for this amazing post – I have learnt something and always do when you write anything – it makes sense.
Coming from a highly qualified medical professional, you sure are confirming that there is more that we could all benefit from by looking at the whole person and going beyond the body to everything as you say – “when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood”.
Like you Eunice and Universal Medicine, I am pro medicine but in the past I was totally alternative and it made me even more ill.
Today I would have no hesitation to check something out with my GP if my body didn’t feel right, but at the same time I would question myself as to why this could have possibly happened. In other words what choices was I making in my life that got me to this point. I learnt this from Serge Benhayon – a wise man who sure knows what he is talking about.
It’s important to turn to medicine, whatever kind when we are ill, but ultimately we have the power to know what is right for us at any given time. The role of medical practitioners is to support us to heal ourselves, which we can very well do if we are being honest about how we got ill in the first place.
Thank-you Eunice for sharing your research with such clarity – this banding together of both complemenatry & alternative medicines is common place. It is a true gift that we have surgeons, members of the medical profession such as yourself that are not sold out to the arrogance of the medical/scientific consciousness and understand the deep level of responsibility we all have in caring for and treating the WHOLE being.
From what I have experienced of the two kinds of treatment – complementary and alternative – the latter is steeped in arrogance that will not allow it to consider what conventional medicine has to offer. Many people do not see any difference between the two and perhaps are put off considering complementary modalities because of it being shelved as being from the same arrogant source.
I can testify for the exclusive stance that so-called ‘alternative’ medicine can and does adopt. The word ‘alternative’ should really not be used in conjunction with the word ‘medicine’ – we all need medicine and medicine is great at what it provides.
I knew that western medicine did not have the full picture, as my experience of it was it didn’t incorporate the whole person, the ’emotional’ or ‘spiritual’ aspects. However my lack of understanding as to what these words truly meant and what their energetic part in our health or illnesses was, was a mis-interpretation to say the least, and that’s where I chose to go down a totally reactionary road into alternative medicine.
Through Universal Medicine I now have a true understanding, experience and appreciation of the healing that is brought with the marriage of modern medicine and complementary medicine – where we can also consider our past choices, the effect of emotions, the part our spirit plays and the aspect of Soul. One day these two approaches combined will be what we will call Modern Medicine, it will be unthinkable that we can treat the body and its symptoms without also treating the energetic aspect of ourselves at the same time.
The arrogance that Eunice speaks of is there in many professions… In many aspects of science in general there is disdain of energetic awareness and yet at the core of the deepest science, is mysticism and an awareness that little is truly known of the fundamental nature of the universe.
Very true cjames2012. Science has amassed a lot of knowledge that has endorsed its superiority and arrogance. But when it is whittled down to its smallest atom, it cannot but grasp at tunnel visioned hypotheses. When scientists open up to feeling and understanding the world through energy, it will make truly boundless leaps forward for humanity.
Hi Eunice, this is a great blog, thank you so much for sharing. I can really relate to the supremacy thing you spoke of, thinking anyone who didn’t study their medicine or science degree couldn’t possibly know anything about the body, only funnily enough for me, I was that way with ‘alternative’ medicines at one point in my life, thinking all doctors or people of western training were completely naive and had no idea of the true cause of illness and disease.
It’s crazy how the different ideals we take on put us in the same energy of arrogance and ignorance. I now understand that there was a part of me that could simply feel that western medicine wasn’t completely it, that it is was lacking that holistic quality that you speak of here with Esoteric Medicine, and so I revolted against it.
Years later I have come to hold a deep appreciation for western medicine and the people that commit to the rigorous studies required to call oneself a doctor or nurse. I love that medicine and esoteric medicine can now combine or as you say ‘complement’ one another to give the full picture needed for true health and healing.
What Eunice Minford is presenting here is very powerful and indeed very important. We cannot expect conventional medicine to provide all the answers to the health care crisis we have today. Yes it can offer a lot but it cannot offer the whole picture and that is where Esoteric Medicine comes in.
Is it not time to drop the arrogance we have that we can do whatever we want to our body and then expect medicine to take care of the consequences? What Esoteric Medicine can support with is getting to the root cause of why we do what we do and why we have the condition that we have, so we are empowered to address it. Conventional medicine and esoteric medicine working together is a marriage made in heaven.
Absolutely Elizabeth. The match is already made in Heaven. It’s now up to us as Human Beings to let go of our arrogance and ignorance that we are doing okay where ALL our medical statistics are stating that we’re facing a bankruptcy of our health system. Are we ready to wake up? Or what other calamities are needed to come back to our senses? Stop playing roles.
Great and honest blog Eunice, it provides a very clear understanding between Alternative and Complementary Medicine and the way Esoteric Medicine encourages us to take responsibility of the choices we make as they have a direct effect on our health and wellbeing.
For many years I have used complementary medicine and it is most reassuring to hear not just a doctor but a well respected general surgeon re-confirm that this is the way forward. What you write Eunice has been my lived experience, “Esoteric Medicine is a form of complementary medicine . . . that is supportive of and works with conventional medicine (hence complementary) and it takes the WHOLE being into consideration”. Thank you for this inspiring blog.
The two together, esoteric medicine and western medicine are a potent and transformative combination.
I could say ‘ditto’ to all that you say in your comment here Shami, and indeed for me also, “……this is a way of living now that I could never turn back from.”
“The words are used interchangeably by many, and both often get tied together in the abbreviation ‘CAM’ – to refer to all things complementary and alternative in the world of medicine.” That this occurs is interesting and very telling of the approach medicine takes in educating our doctors and nurses. There is therefore room for the wider understanding of the whole person; mental, physical and emotional but also energetic and esoteric aspects.
Universal Medicine is indeed the true medicine that brings all our life choices into the sphere of health, healing and wellbeing. So many people with chronic illness give their power away to western medicine, expecting that it can support them back to health, without needing to change how they live. The unfortunate truth about western medicine, is that it gives its power away to people, by allowing them to think this way and propping people up to live without responsibility. Thus both our world health status, including in wealthy 1st world countries, as well as our health systems are floundering.
It is medicine to simply be asked, is it responsible to drink something that is poison to your body? It is also medicine to be asked, is it responsible to live in emotional reaction to so many little disturbances and imperfections in life? Universal Medicine is asking all the true questions to expose the irresponsibility of how we live and create our own ill health, while also offering a true marker of how different life can be if we take responsibility. Anything less is not truly complementary and not truly supporting us.
I can feel how the esoteric healing modalities held you through the medical processes you and your body went through johanna08smith
These esoteric healing modalities you mention Elizabeth are an extraordinary thing to experience. They actually facilitate the space for us to experience a deeper version of ourselves and for a long enough period time from buzz of life that we are can assess with clarity where we are really at within ourselves and where we could be relative to our own potential. A truly remarkable form of treatment and healing.
Coming from a background of nursing I always saw the point of conventional medicine but naturally understood that there was more to healing illness and disease than just this approach. I was naturally inclined to support each patient with a loving hand, a gentle word, meeting them in their eyes, attentive listening and further more deeply connecting from the joy of just being there with them. The complement to conventional medicine comes from our own bodies in how we are connected and connect with others. How much better does conventional medicine work when what is added comes from the heart from one person to another.
Elizabeth, I would love to be a patient on your ward! Feeling that heart connection and care from health practitioners makes all the difference in the world to how a patient feels. This is great medicine!
So true Shami , Esoteric Medicine allows us to see the choices we are making in our life and hence our responsibility in the outcome of these choices, and Esoteric Medicine offers us the support in making, if need be, new choices.
I love the fact that we can find support in all of these approaches and that they all hold part of the true way to heal our body and being.
I love how you so honestly share about the “arrogance of the medical/scientific consciousness, which thinks that doctors and scientists are the only ones who understand the body, illness and disease and treatment..”. In truth, we all understand the body, if we care in connection with it and don’t dismiss it as something that is just there. True equalness between doctor and patient is what we would like to have, where the wisdom of the patient and that what he/she feels in the body, is just as important as what the doctor/scientist brings.
Shami Duffy such a great testament to Universal Medicine – I too know that I can not turn back now – the only way is letting more of me out into the world. Full responsibility of all my choices, loving or not, and the knowing that it affects all others.
Melissa Fox – such a great name. I agree totally and I also know the joy that living true responsibility brings. I know that when I choose to live this true responsibility every day brings so much growth and confirmation of just how wondrous we truly are.
Spectacular Eunice what stood out for me tonight is this line :
“It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.” Universal Medicine is changing the world as we know it, it is the mighty rains after the drought. The flourishing of life that then follows is heavenly.
What Universal Medicine brings to the table is huge with the teachings of the ageless wisdom and the complementary healing modalities that support people to begin to take responsibility, improve the way they live through love, as well as understand the deeper root causes of their illness. It is the perfect marriage when conventional medicine and esoteric medicine work together for the well being of the patient. The all encompassing nature of taking consideration of the all, God, the Universe is definitely the missing link that needs to evolve from our linear type thinking that only works on the symptom, in total disconnection to the cause.
Great blog Eunice and wonderful that you as a surgeon now have this understanding through your own personal experience of complementary medicine and your own experience of connecting to your body and trusting it as a marker of truth. Knowing the body in this way is the most trust worthy scientific study that you can ever undertake.
‘Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies – or so the thinking goes.’ Working as a physiotherapist it has been wonderful to expose this belief that many of my patients bring to their treatment session, and to then watch the transformation as they realise when they start listening to their body, that they are in fact the masters of their own body.
“Working as a physiotherapist it has been wonderful . . . to watch the transformation as they realise when they start listening to their body, that they are in fact the masters of their own body”. If only all health care professionals worked as you do Jane, many more people would start to take responsibility for their own health using their body as the barometer!
Awesome article Eunice – thank you for bringing such clarity to the difference between complementary and alternative medicine and their relationship to esoteric medicine. Sometimes I think I have a clear understanding of something but when asked to explain it I discover I am scrambling to express it clearly. I feel I have this one well and truly covered now.
When I actually think about the risks I took with my own health and that of my family’s because of the belief I had that alternative was better/healthier/less damaging, it makes me shudder somewhat. I now happily go to my GP and wouldn’t refuse a vaccine or antibiotics or surgery if needed as I know many complementary practitioners who understand the energetic underlaying causes – and so can support a holistic marriage between complementary therapies and modern medicine…. with brilliant results.
I can very much relate to your comment Rosanna. When I feel now my blind belief and arrogance when it came to alternative medicine and feel in truth the lack of care and responsibility that I was living in but had convinced myself to the contrary.
I was the same Rosanna, very closed to the idea of western medicine and looking back I can see that I put myself and my children through a lot of unnecessary grief when we could have been much more supported with the western practices available.
This is a great read for me so I finally have a clear distinction between complementary and alternative medicine. I have never really given it a lot of thought, and this blog has broken it down to a very simple understanding. And I whole heartedly agree that the marriage between esoteric medicine and conventional medicine is a perfect match. With the esoteric side enabling you to see yourself in the whole picture while the conventional medicine deals with the nitty gritty stuff.
Yes Eleanor, I too had never really understood the clear distinction between alternative and complementary, but I can say that when I was very much into alternative therapies, I was certainly closed to western medical practices.
Yes Shami, we – all human beings – have to make our own choices. Much appreciation could (or should) be going towards all the support that we actually get from both western and complementary medicine. They are doing an Amazing job, considering the amount of the choices that we make not with or from us. I’m still learning everyday to accept this fact and keep surrendering deeper into my own body. Even though I’m fighting it often enough, I actually feel that in this surrendering I am connected to the True me. And that choice to connect to me I have to make constantly. And if I’m not choosing me, I actually miss myself and am striving for finding me in the outside world rather than inside… How arrogant and ignorant are we, really…
So true, Shami. I have found that that responsibility is more healing than any other medicine I have ever been given. And combine it with conventional medicine, there is so much more that medication is able to do because the body is already starting to make the changes that come with healing the cause of the illness. It is a big step from over-burdening a doctor with ‘curing’ symptoms to presenting them with yourself being ready to look at where you are in yourself and why you now need medical attention.
Really well said Naren.
A brilliant blog which all healthcare professionals should read as there is as Jane says above – a very big difference between complementary medicine and alternative medicine. The mistrust and misgivings that Doctors and healthcare professionals have with alternative medicine is very often well-founded – however in reaction and mistrust there is a tendency then to dismiss everything that does not come from conventional medicine which means that legitimate modalities and frameworks of understanding such as Esoteric Medicine get tarred with the same brush. Fact is that conventional medicine does not provide all the answers – and nor should we expect it to. Esoteric Medicine is not only complementary to conventional medicine through bringing the responsibility of the patient squarely into the picture – but it is complementary to the patient themselves, as it does not seek to give answers, but work with the person for them to put themselves in the drivers seat of their own health and in doing so becoming very active and responsible for their own well- being – a responsibility that is theirs and not to be placed on others such as Doctors or practitioners.
Brilliantly summarised Sarah Davis, I totally agree: “The mistrust and misgivings that Doctors and healthcare professionals have with alternative medicine is very often well-founded – however in reaction and mistrust there is a tendency then to dismiss everything that does not come from conventional medicine which means that legitimate modalities and frameworks of understanding such as Esoteric Medicine get tarred with the same brush.”
Kate, Sarah, that’s a great point. Having seen so many alternative medicine techniques that don’t provide a true support for people to heal, it can be easy to tarnish everything with the same brush. The unfortunate thing with this is when you have an organisation like Universal Medicine offering a complementary medicine service that does support and allow a true healing, it gets put into the same boat. Time to clearly separate what does not heal with that which does and bring complementary medicine and western medicine together – a path that is returning to itself once again.
“Esoteric Medicine ….. is complementary to the patient themselves, as it does not seek to give answers, but work with the person for them to put themselves in the drivers seat of their own health and in doing so becoming very active and responsible for their own well- being – a responsibility that is theirs and not to be placed on others such as Doctors or practitioners.” This is another super relevant point – and the healthcare system is buckling under the financial and practical costs of the irresponsibility – and dare not yet empower others with the fuller picture of choice. A dear friend of mine works in a health care setting where the staff are often worn thin from hugely unwell patients being able to for example continue to eat foods that directly contribute to their very high care conditions – and are not yet allowed to suggegst the benefits of “becoming very active and responsible for their own well- being”.
What you share Kate speaks volumes to me.”…complementary to the patient themselves, as it does not seek to give answers, but work with the person…responsible for their own well- being”. As you describe there is so much for us to be responsible for and this will support the Medical System immensely when the truth of this is recognised and accepted.
Understanding that prevention and full treatment (i.e. supporting change in the parts of a patient’s life that lead to the particular physical outplay) is the way to complete the picture of addressing our out of control health stats – and over stretched health care systems – and that many of these changes are super simple as well as encompassing – this is the way forward. The wonders of modern medicine addressing the symptoms from the outer and Esoteric Modalities complementing this, addressing the ill from the inner – the life lived, the care for self etc. Together we then have the tools to be empowered to make complete long lasting sustained turn arounds from illness (rather than short term alleviation and solution – very needed but only one part of what’s needed) – this is when medical partnerships will truly change lives.
It is very interesting how much the word responsibility appears on this blog. Many people who work with Universal Medicine have taken responsibility for their health and wellbeing, and that includes 100% engagement with conventional medicine, but without giving away responsibility for self.
That is a great point Sarah, Esoteric Medicine definitely is not there to solve or give answers to any ailments but to inspire people to take full responsibility of their lives and wellbeing, it is complementary in every way.
This responsibility is what I have found Universal Medicine has supported with. That the way we live every day is the best medicine.
It seems as human beings caught in the mind and semantics of an intelligence that is very narrow and limited. Just as in the case of the word medicine, whether traditional, complementary or alternative. What if true medicine was the quality that we live in not merely what strategy or technique we use to address the illness and disease we create.
I agree Johnanna. Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have opened my eyes, along with countless others to the fact that we are ultimately responsible for our health, and the choices we make about how we live on a daily basis are absolutely the best medicine. There is nothing that is out of reach for anyone, just simple, sensible, responsible choices
As you say Eunice, it can be quite dangerous to go for the Alternative Medicine approach and dismiss all the medical knowledge and services available. Complementary medicine on the other hand supports conventional medicine and can work hand in hand with it. A much more rounded approach that accepts the benefits and wonders of both.
Thank you for clearly explaining the difference between alternative medicine and complementary medicine Eunice. There clearly is a big difference. Complementary medicine as I have experienced it with Universal Medicine has supported me to take more responsibility with how I care for my body, especially around sleep, food, and exercise. I have also learned so much about psychological well-being and how we can heal from emotional pain. Alongside conventional medicine Universal Medicine is the perfect partner for me, and I now have more appreciation for conventional medicine.
I too have developed a great appreciation for complementary medicine through the work of Universal Medicine. It has shown me my role in my own health, and now through taking that responsibility I know that I do not need to put a medical professional in charge of my life, but I can very much ask for their guidance and counsel on what physical support my body needs.
I agree Shami. I know I have had and still do in some areas of my life this big expectations that someone or something will make me better, rather than having to make the effort to look after myself and the culture we live in is very imbued with this kind of attitude. Universal Medicine does not offer that kind of service, all the seminars, workshops and esoteric healing modalities are about us resuming our natural responsibilities and healing ourselves. No-one can do it for us, ultimately it is a realisation that will dawn on everyone. How I choose to live each day either heals or harms me, my life choices are my everyday medicine. Having made such incredible shifts in my health and well being, I too will never turn my back all that Universal Medicine offers, it is a huge gift in my life and I appreciate immensely.
I recently had a similar realization regarding psychology. A deep pressure psychologists put onto themselves believing they should have or know all the answers. This always makes a person strive to be more pushing them into a drive that pulls them further away from their body, where the true answers lay. My Dean of Psychology in my last year of study said to me, be wary of those psychologists with hundreds of letters behind their names, they usually are not any good hence why they feel the need to study more. We laughed at the time but not until my work with Serge Benhayon did I truly understood to the extent of what was said. Now I know true intelligence comes from the body and no amount of degrees can buy that, only a commitment and dedication to the body can.
Yes I agree with this Caroline. You are true in saying the knowledge pushes us away from the body when we invest in it without feeling from our body. Perhaps this is what some want, that is to not feel!
Universal Medincine and looking at the whole person is more than complementary – it is true healing and living.
I had an operation some years ago and I am pretty sure it would not have been so successful should I not have had both complementary medicine as well as conventional medicine. They both worked perfectly hand in hand. Once was needed for the physical healing and one was needed for the emotional healing. While conventional medicine was required as part of the healing, it did not negate the personal responsibility that I had to take and the emotional trauma I had to look at which ended me up there in the first place. In taking responsibility and making better lifestyle choices I felt its true healing. Without the support from Serge Benhayon and the Universal Medicine practitioners, I would not be where I am today.
Donna what you have expressed here is the way forward for our medical system and for true healing. One can not do it without the other, if there was ever any proof needed of that, it is the ever increasing rates of illness and disease. No matter how much money has gone into research these rates have not decreased they have instead steadily and consistently raised. This is telling us regardless of what science cares to tell us, that what we are doing is not working. Yet the work of Universal Medicine and its astounding result using both complementary and conventional medicine are off the charts. The proof is in all those that have healed and moved on from significant medically diagnosed illnesses. Universal Medicine is before its time and unfortunately many are not yet ready or humble enough to admit they don’t have all the answers but when they do the way forward is already here ready and waiting.
it’s true Melissa, ‘the definition between alternative and complementary medicine has never been made so clear’, I had not realised that there was a difference and had put alternative and complementary therapies together, it’s great to have such clarity around these as they are very different approaches.
Thanks Eunice, the distinction between complementary and alternative medicine is so important to make.
So true – this distinction is Key! Two such polar contrasting categories so commonly incorrectly lumped into one basket.
I agree Kate, in the past I would have also done the same. Hmmm feels like quite the set up, to fool people. So that many would not even consider complementary medicine, as it has been miscalled as alternative – tarred with the same brush so to speak.
‘Tarring with the same brush’ is a great way to sum up the dangers here at play if we do not tune in to the huge clarity of difference of these two contrasting categories.
It is so important Tim. As an advocate of complementary medicine, it feels truly wholistic in it’s approach of working hand-in-hand with conventional medicine – to me it’s common sense. Whereas alternative medicine shuns conventional medicine often to the detriment of the patient.
That is the distinction that needs to be made – super important as complementary medicine is about the whole and how that is what will heal not one thing in isolation.
And really, if doctors, surgeons, pharmacists, medicine, herbs and esoteric healing practitioners worked together in harmony to treat a patient, then in truth, they are all complementary medicine.
The point you make below is so true Sandra – “if doctors, surgeons, pharmacists, medicine, herbs and esoteric healing practitioners worked together in harmony to treat a patient, then in truth, they are all complementary medicine.”
Re-defining misconceptions to a whole new level – to everyone’s benefit. I have had the opportunity to have several conditions treated with a team approach, with my local GP, a esoterically aware physio, counsellor and exercise physiologist, and a surgeon – all equal to, and yes, complementing each other in the team approach – with incredible results that not only immediately alleviated symptoms, but that entirely got underneath and so healed the way of living that had led to the condition, and if left incompletely addressed, would just have resurfaced in the same or another form. Definition of ‘complementary’ is often ‘making up a whole’ – which all ‘allied health’, be it a GP, surgeon, dietician, esoteric modality practitioner, physio, speech therapist etc. ALL offer when they collaborate and work together in equality – everyone benefits.
Sensational blog Eunice, maybe if this was part of the education of new doctors, we wouldn’t get all that supremacy, dismissive, know-it-all attitude that some doctors can have. PS Thanks you for your ps, I did not know that!
Absolutely agree Mark. Having been hospitalised several times in my later years, I am constantly surprised at the “dismissive, know-it-all attitude that some doctors can have” especially to female patients. Eunice’s blog should be prescribed reading at least one a year during medical training and then every day there after!!
Fabulous point Mark ! What if???
I Agree Mark and Yes Eunice the PS rocked – it amazing how the changing of one letter in a word changes everything.
The pressure on the conventional medicine system workers today, including Doctors and Nurses is immense, there is increasing illness and disease, and more and more people with complex multi-symptom issues. It is not surprising that some in the medical profession develop a dismissive attitude. This is simply to survive in what is a very demanding role. There is however another way, and Universal Medicine has shown that way. Being complementary to medicine, Universal Medicine presents that each person can take responsibility for their own health and engage conventional medicine when that support is needed, but never give away their own personal responsibility.
I never looked into the difference between complementary and alternative medicine so I appreciate this article that clarifies their method and philosophy. I have and continue to use Universal Medicine modalities and I acknowledge the holistic approach of each practitioner and so, will from now on, refer to these modalities as complementary medicine.
It just goes to show how much truth Universal Medicine stands for if you came to the understandings you now have from one that was very anti anything that wasn’t science based or mainstream medicine. A humbling journey and one that inspires others to look and see how marrying medicine with the esoteric modalities brings about true healing.
Certainly does show how much truth Universal Medicine stands for Tracy, and I am very grateful to be on this journey.
Yes Tamara I feel enormous gratitude for now being aware of so much in my life and others lives, all thanks to Universal Medicine. Also thankful towards my own choice to feel the truth of it all in my body. I couldn’t imagine life being led in any other way nowadays.
It is an amazing journey, Tracy, to begin to see everything in our lives that is medicine to our lives. It blows our preconceptions of what serves us and what doesn’t out of the water.
Thank you Eunice for bringing such a clear and concise understanding to the difference and real understanding of complementary medicine and alternative medicine. This is an amazing revelation which can support us all to true healing as a way of living and being together with our medical profession all so dedicated and supportive. Beautiful.
An important point made here Shami, and something I can very much relate to. Having never taking responsibility for my body in the way that I now do I can look back and see how different my life is now and how when I see a doctor for any issues I have a great understanding of me, my life and what may have created this illness or issue to occur which has changed my whole doctoring experience. Given that I never used to see a doctor as I felt it was a waste of time I now have a great relationship with my doctor and I have an even greater relationship with my body.
I agree with Shami’s point too Amina, now when I visit my doctor I can share the responsibility for whatever treatment I need with them. It has certainly changed my experience of doctors, and its probably changed their experience of me too. It must be so good for them to have some patients who ask how they can work with the treatment for a good outcome. Win win!
I too can relate Shami and Amina. I used to go to a Dr or alternative medicine practitioner and expect them to ‘fix me’ without really taking responsibility for my own choices. It’s only been since I’ve come to work with Esoteric Healing via Universal Medicine that I now take responsibility for any ailments or illness and where needed, work with my GP or medical specialist as well as an Esoteric Healing practitioner. The most significant part of the healing has been changing my behaviour or habits that I can see have contributed to the ailment or illness in the first place.
I too find now that when visiting my doctor it is about taking more responsibility and care for myself and being equally engaged with the doctor and health care plan we come up with.
This is a hugely important article Dr Eunice – with the distinction you highlight being an essential key; “a true complementary medicine practitioner works hand in hand with conventional medicine and would never advise a client or patient to not see their doctor for a medical condition and is supportive of medical treatments.”
In the area I live, there is a strong anti medical stance to the point we have the lowest immunisation rate in Australia, and the plethora of ‘rainbow crystal tantric aura healings’ and similar are often held as a alternative, (ie replacement for) conventional medicine. It is these many ‘out there’ anti medical practices that give true complementary medicine a bad name.
Understanding the distinct difference between alternative (instead of) and true complementary medicine (which works alongside and in partnership with conventional medicine) is an absolute essential key to prevent us ever from ‘throwing the baby out with the bathwater’!
I agree Kate. Understanding the difference between the two is vital to being able to get to feel what can in fact be very supportive for people’s true healing.
Being anti conventional medicine is something I have heard from many alternative healers, but with Universal Medicine there has never been that stance. It is in fact the opposite, they live and promote conventional medicine and the services they offer are 100% complementary to that medicine.
That has been my experience too Heather, both with alternative healers being anti conventional medicine (hence ‘alternative’) and Universal Medicine practitioners consistently being in full and sensible support of conventional medicine. Without the support of Universal Medicine practitioners I might myself have remained anti conventional medicine thanks to the alternative practitioners I once listened to. In sharp contrast, UM practitioners actively supported me to seek medical advice, intervention, etc, as a needed part of my treatment. Thanks to Universal Medicine I now take myself or my family to our wonderful local GP whenever needed. This is where the distinction between true complementary and what is actually ‘alternative’ could not be clearer and needs to be made.
I used to confuse alternative and complementary medicine until I began attending Universal Medicine events and was inspired to take my care of myself, which included medical check ups. I now fully understand and appreciate the complementary medicine offered through the modalities practised by Universal Medicine practitioners.
I too used to get alternative and complementary medicine confused Michelle. But it was Serge Benhayon who cleared up this confusion for me. I was very ‘anti’ conventional medicine for a long time and sought more ‘natural’ ways to heal myself when I got sick. Then I heard Serge talking one day about conventional medicine and how important and amazing it was to have in our lives, but we need to have an understanding of why we got sick in the first place. This where the esoteric teachings come in. I came to understand that the marriage of these two modalities was in fact the ultimate form of medicine.
Esoteric medicine truly does complement conventional medicine, and vice versa. How amazing will be the day when this is globally recognised.
‘ How amazing will be the day when this is globally recognised’ Yes Sandra, I agree. I feel so much more responsible for myself as member of a community seeking medical advice and treatment, it feels in fact a very self loving act.
Having tried many types of alternative medicine in the past, and having found little if any benefit, and in fact at times harming myself through the imposition of things like kinesiology and acupuncture, I can attest to the fact that Universal Medicine is a complementary to medicine organisation. The work of Universal Medicine assists me to support my body on a daily basis to live a healthy, loving and joyful life, and when I have physical issues, that foundation is there working alongside medicine to help my body repair and rejuvenate.
The lifelong battle I have had about feeling different, that then turned into wanting to appear different to the world, is brought to rest by an article such as this. I understand now how we can work together to bring about change, put aside opinion and dogma and observe what supports a harmonious and purposeful way forward that actually develops and evolves us. So, from out on a limb with alternative medicine I have come to embrace and appreciate the complementary modalities of esoteric medicine alongside conventional medicine, which, in turn, has broken many other divisive beliefs I have held. Thank you, Eunice, for articulating this and so much more so clearly.
Well said Matilda – the key phrase being… “that actually develops and evolves us.” Thank you for sharing this.
Hear hear !
Well said Matilda. Universal Medicine has supported me to take a step back from my emotive reasons for choosing alternative therapies and start to observe what truly works. A big step for me to take as I was passionately anti orthodox medicine and very pro alternative. The big change came when I was introduced to a way to stop and observe myself, my body and to feel the effects of how I was choosing to live.
The changes I have made in my life have resulted in a much more healthy lifestyle, which means that when I do take myself to the doctor’s surgery, I take along a well cared for body that requires support, rather than a body that is struggling and desperate for help. The ensuing outcome of the exploration, support and help I receive from my doctor is quite different.
Universal Medicine is the only therapy that I have met that is a true complement to orthodox medicine, actively encouraging people to support and nurture their health on a daily basis so that when we do need medication, tests, or surgery, our bodies are able to respond positively to the treatment.
Beautifully said, Matilda! A big part of the draw of alternative medicine for me was its rebellious streak, its ‘we know better than you’ stance. But now I know that all that was doing was creating a situation where both sides of the argument saw the other as quacks. Therefore, nothing was moving and the sides stayed on their sides separated by a wall of idealism and righteousness. Esoteric Medicine is an amazing tool to as you have said, ‘bring about change … that actually develops and evolves us’.
Naren, your observations here about each side seeing each other as quacks has highlighted some of the under currents that have created the great divide between mainstream and alternative medicine. Esoteric Medicine strips all of this away and stands there presenting back to us a way of living and healing that is true. There are no ideals, no beliefs or no hidden attitudes, just simply a level of responsibility that does not hold back on the fact that we are choosing everything we experience.
Indeed, Vicky. And that is by far the most beautiful aspect to Esoteric Medicine: it comes down to the simplicity of a choice.
Matilda, you have summed up Eunice’s blog beautifully. I too now understand how we can support change by working together once we get oursleves out of the way, and inspire others that they can do the same. And as you say, living this way ‘develops and evolves us’. I do not know of any other form of medicine or way of living that does this.
For many years I felt a bit lost as to who to trust in regards to medicine. On the one hand Western medicine claimed its ways to be scientifically proven. Yet I knew that multinational drug companies wield a lot of clout and fund vast amounts of research which then go on to be the ‘evidence base’ which mainstream medicine relies on. On the other hand, alternative medicines often lack any sort of regulation and are open to corruption also.
When I came across Universal Medicine, I was very grateful that it offered me a bridge to understanding how I am responsible for my own health, but that it is wise to use traditional medical services when required. In this way it made perfect sense to understand that what esoteric medicine offers me is complementary to what is available through Western medicine and that both are important for health and well being.
So true gilesch, the essence our own health and wellbeing is our own responsibility! We will be ‘well’ if we take responsibility and from there we can discern more accurately what will support us or not!
Beautifully said Bernadette! Whilst we don’t take responsibility that we created it from the beginning we will look outside ourselves to blame or fix us and probably create it all again.
Thanks for sharing gilesch, responsibility for our own health and the lifestyle choices we make is such a vital ingredient to true health and wellbeing. Universal Medicine has supported me to know that self responsibility is not an arduous task, but a natural way to live.
I agree here Gilesch, them working truly hand in hand is an enormous step forward for this world. Given that humans are getting sicker and sicker and reflecting on how humans live each day brings about the simple facts that how we live definitely impacts the way we feel and our health. Looking at our daily choices and identifying which are loving and which are unloving choices is a science in itself, and something that offers us much in terms of why illness and disease occurs if we are willing to look. Universal Medicine take this to the absolute root cause of living in disconnection to our essence,and that being the full reason why we would make so unloving choices and harm ourselves to such degrees, hence why Universal Medicine, Serge Benhayon and all the teachings here are so very important for all of Mankind.
Your blog is great to read Stephen. I love the part where you expose how much you were only willing to seek medical treatment when your ‘sporting’ reputation was at stake, as if having to check your health just because there is something wrong is not good enough. Alarming but so common for so many people, especially boys and men.
What a liberation to not longer work against each other but together, hand in hand. So much more energy and vitality which I can use for something sensible.
Annie – the wisdom you share here is powerful. It is not just enough to say that we are closed down to one another. In order to understand why humanity is littered with arrogance in so many walks of life we have to get underneath it and ask why. The fact that we are collectively so empty is of course very logical even if we didn’t allow ourselves to feel it, because otherwise where would the impulse come from in order to be domineering or to allow ourselves to be less? We see this all the time in the playground – children are constantly making others feel less in order to boost themselves up and others are beginning to accept that this is their lot in life. It is no different as adults. The next question to ask is: Well, if I am so empty and I am not full, what choices have I made so as to lose that fullness I remember having as a pre-schooler?
The arrogance and supremacy that you speak of Eunice are not confined to the medical world, but can arise in any field and indeed in any interaction with other people in every aspect of life. And with supremacy comes a form of domination and control to keep the status quo and for it not to be exposed, because underneath that energy is one of emptiness or lack, hence the drive to feel superior, when deep down we know that we are all completely equal. And for some the acceptance of choosing inferiority and disempowerment, which is a form of abdicating responsibility, is what aids and abets the supremacy and arrogance to flourish. Each side is driven by hurt, and the results can be catastrophic. We all have a responsibility to hold each other in absolute equalness, respect and love. It starts with self, family, friends and every person we meet, and the ripple effect will impact on our communities, and whole countries.
Good work Eunice, it’s so needed having people in the medical profession endorsing the work of esoteric medicine.
Even the word ‘alternative’ can get some people on edge, because it makes people think of things that are ‘weird’ and ‘other’ to what is normal. Is it possible that we instinctively feel that ‘alternative’ is separating people, where as complementary is working together, the way we on some level know we should be working as a whole.
I agree Melissa – understanding the meaning behind the words we use is a powerful thing, for words spoken with understanding carry there meaning with them – when you chose to call something either ‘alternative’ or ‘complementary’ and know what they really mean, a lot of harm will be avoided, as so many people shy away from both words, when in reality it is only the meaning of ‘alternative’ that they disagree with (no use of medicine at all) where as ‘complementary’ medicine like that offered by Universal Medicine could bring many people great healing of their illnesses and diseases when used along side Western Medicine
Esoteric Medicine “is a truly holistic form of medicine that is supportive of and works with conventional medicine (hence complementary) and it takes the WHOLE being into consideration. It is encompassing of all aspects of the human person – body, mind, heart, spirit and soul.” Surely this is the answer to anyone’s health problems – for the whole to be taken into account? Medical specialists divide the body up into parts and maybe know a great deal about their particular field of medicine, but no-one looks at the whole person. Some people with many conditions visit two or three different consultants, none of whom speak with each other, as far as I’m aware. In the UK even GPs are more concerned about the physical body and are given no training about energy, which as Einstein says (…is everything)…….
Yes Gill, Esoteric Medicine is a shining example of how we can improve our lives greatly by taking responsibility for the way we live, and in doing so prevent many illnesses and disease from actually occurring. And to work along side and complement mainstream medicine would be a truly revolutionary approach and as you say would reduce the immense strain and financial pressure on the health service that we know today.
I agree Ariana with Alternative Therapies not having any awareness the role self-responsibility plays in our true healing. This is exactly what Universal Medicine offer, and in my experience of combining with Western Medicine is where the true healing evolves. Nothing happens in isolation, we are part of universal energy and to understand and heal a part of us we are called on to understand our part in the whole.
I agree Gill and also see that national health debt would also reduce if Esoteric Medicine was fully taken on board as a complementary medicine in the eyes of the health system.
I personally love how Esoteric medicine asks us to be responsible for our living and way of being. It is refreshing and empowering.
So true johanna08smith – ‘refreshing and empowering’ to take responsibility for our living and the results in our bodies.
Is not ‘Complementary’ the way we all should work and live together?
Yes Sandra, to work and live along side each other in harmony, respecting and appreciating what each other brings.
Thank you Eunice for showing how disapproval from other side of the discussion, the Doctors side and why some are resistant to change. It does feel like it comes down to how some people believe the position they have risen to gives them an air of confidence of being right because of the knowledge they have acquired. Complementary medicine and the science of medicine will always be complementary of each other
That’s true sjmatsonuk. Many doctors may find it difficult to accept the energetic side of illness and disease because it will threaten their authority and well established comfort that is built upon their vast yet limited knowledge of the human body.
I also see that if complementary medicine asks us to take responsibility in our choices towards health and vitality then to ask doctors to start to look at the way they are living is a big ask – if they are not practising what they advise (at the very least). So for the many that lump the Complementary in with the ‘Alternative’ (as a slightly ‘crack pot’ bundle of modalities) it becomes a convenient way to avoid having to bring more health-full changes into their own lives. Boy oh boy, if this is the case, as Eunice describes with the term ‘CAM’, how humanity misses out on having a reflection of true health from their GP, in so many cases.
Thank you Sylvia you have clearly shown from your experience and observations in life the difference between complementary and alternative therapies. This is a great example and one I have experienced too in all the years of treating myself ‘alternatively’ and with no conventional medicine, that no ailments fully stayed away and quite often in suppressing something even a cold they would come back much much worse. I have now experienced though that marrying Esoteric and conventional medicine is the only way as it is the way to truly heal on a deep level.
Thank you Eunice for sharing your journey with Medicine to Esoteric Medicine, encompassing it all. I was brought up with my father as a doctor living in a surgery practice as my home, and it was also on meeting Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine that I found the true way of living and knew the truth when I found it for health and well being and our own responsibility for how we live from our innermost love. A beautiful article to read and appreciate the wisdom you share.
Yes Gill, this is so true. Self care is the missing ingredient in the whole landscape of health care. Self care programs for nurses, medical and allied health professionals is a great place to start for many reasons such as preventing exhaustion, fatigue in health care providers. As how can true care be delivered if the health care provider themselves are worn out in a health care system which has increasing demands placed on it. Taking care of self is the beginning of being able to take care of others.
I agree there is an arrogance in clumping complementary and alternative medicine together, just as there is an arrogance within alternative medicine that dismisses western medicine. Universal Medicine is truly complementary to western medicine as it not only acknowledges the great benefits but also works in harmony with it, to expand and enrich those benefits. An example is giving yourself the true space after an operation to allow the body to fully heal and restore vitality, before returning to a busy lifestyle. Or when it is not possible to provide that space, developing the awareness and love in ones body, to know how to be at work and allow full recovery. I have found this capability, to heal while at work, to be quite extraordinary, even when busy. By holding focus on the quality of presence in work or activity and allowing the same quality of focus in rest periods around the work, it is amazing to witness getting the work done without getting stressed or drained.
This is beautiful Simon and fully encapsulates the awesome benefits of living a supportive and loving way for oneself, as presented by Universal Medicine, together with and alongside western medicine.
Eunice, I’d like to ‘compliment’ you on this this great blog. In my view Esoteric Medicine and Conventional Medicine each ‘complement’ the other and, as such, have much to offer humanity. Even greater than that, combined with the understanding of Universal Medicine, which, as you said: “includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.” life on earth would be very different indeed.
Nicely captured Barbara.
Eunice, thank you for the elaborations on your experiences and understandings of Medicine, is really supportive to read.
This blog is gold – thanks Eunice for showing readers so clearly how conventional and complementary medicine fits together. It would be fantastic if more of this type of information was provided in medical training. Also, if governments could encompass a greater understanding of the value of complementary medicine in reducing the rates of illness and disease, perhaps funding would be redirected towards helping people understand their health in a completely different light.
Thank you Eunice. You’re immense wisdom in this field is so needed to bring awareness to the value of complementary medicine and Universal Medicine. With the emergence of more and more complex health issues across the whole of the world (and with this, greater economic risk for the relevant governments), the important information you so clearly present here can only be dismissed by the stewards of conventional medicine for so long. I admire and applaud you for your dedication to your profession that is so strong that you are prepared to speak out and potentially be ridiculed by your peers. This is true service to humanity.
I never had a problem with conventional medicine, I am grateful for it and it makes me feel safe to know that there are doctors to fix me up and save my life if needed.
But when I consider how Universal Medicine has helped me heal on such a deep, wholesome and all-encompassing level, I feel that that is the true medicine and conventional medicine is the complementary part.
I, like you Regina, have never had a problem with conventional medicine but could always feel there was something missing. It has been amazing to feel the missing link is depth, and love and wisdom beyond the ages, that which Universal Medicine has introduced and constantly presents and shows within their healing modalities, courses and workshops.
Eunice thank you, for a very clear blog and coming from a medical doctor it has even more power for humanity. As many comments have stated we need the two, the medical and complementary, with the emphasis on personal responsibility with the choices we make. In the past due to my attitude of Doctors only being open to the scientific side of medicine, I have often moved away from traditional medicine, now I see that the two aspects are very necessary.
Esoteric Medicine is a gold standard for humanity, putting to bed entirely the divisiveness between alternative and conventional medicine and providing a foundation that encompasses the complete picture: us taking full responsibility for our health and well-being, alongside the support of esoteric and conventional practitioners. From this foundation our understanding of life can only expand.
Esoteric medicine is a gold standard indeed, the true form of medicine which is the only form of medicine that looks at the whole and does not leave anything out.
Yes, well spoken Mariette Reinke. Nothing can be left out with an esoteric approach, because the innermost aspect of a person, their relationship with self, with love, is all part of the dis-ease presentation.
Matilda very well said. The Gold Standard indeed and something that stops the “one up” and competition between modalities and instead presents what is truly needed for humanity.
So well said matildaclark.
I have found it is great when combining Esoteric Medicine with Western Medicine. Something I have found is that the more I claim what I know and feel in my body the more support I can give myself in everyday life, then when something comes up to be healed I have a clearer idea of what it is and can choose to go to see an Esoteric practitioner or a medical western doctor or both! And then rather then give my power away to them, I can now bring my awareness to the table and not just take what is said to me as fact or gospel. The practitioner/doctor can then support me and we can work together as opposed to me expected them to come up with a magical cure/fix without me changing anything!
Thank you Eunice, for presenting so clearly the difference between Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
Since coming across Universal Medicine which truly complements Conventional Medicine I have been able to take responsibility and heal my body, as I am not just relying on taking medication when I have felt ill, but honestly looking deeper within myself and letting go of old beliefs and ideals causing disharmony and eventually illness and disease in my body, Thank you.
The true way to heal a illness or disease is not to do conventional or complementary medicine, but it is to do both. As you said Francisco, we need complementary medicine to take us to a deeper understanding of the illness to truly heal it. And we also need to conventional Medicine to help rid us of the illness.
I have always oscillated between ‘conventional medicine’ and ‘complementary’ as I never felt ‘conventional’ had the full understanding of my body holistically.
My approach to a medical doctor or specialist was for mechanical aspects like broken bones, Pap tests, operations and pregnancy. I never felt I could connect to a doctor and have bigger picture my body was presenting addressed. Complementary for me then was all the ‘touchy feelie’ things, often the unseen that could only be described.
Now with the teachings and modalities of Universal Medicine and support of medical doctors I now have a clear picture of a true holistic approach to my health and well being …enabling true healing.
This is a powerful piece of writing which makes so much sense. Why would complementary medicine do anything other than complement conventional medicine?
Such a simple and important point Fiona. Why does conventional medicine feel threatened or opposed to something that is complementary to it?
Thank you for your words of clarity Eunice, they are sorely needed. ‘Complementary medicine – which is a form of medicine that works side by side with medicine, is in fact in no way alternative to it. It embraces conventional medicine and knows that the latter is well needed in the world today.’
What a great blog pointing out how, when a person dismisses their lived experience of their own body and relies solely on another for instruction, the healing ingredient can be sorely missed.
What does it say about a soceity who, in the most part, want to willingly hand over responsibility for their health to another to fix?
I know I still don’t take full responsibility for my health and try to blame it on having to push myself to get something done rather than look at what is truly important in my life and work in a way that honours both my body and doing what is there to be done in a way that doesn’t harm myself. Simple examples: not leaving things to the last minute, being realistic and not cramming too much in, not ever doing things in resentment!
This is true Karin. And with the awareness that we develop with the support of Universal Medicine, we can choose to have a radar switched on or off for the behaviours that may end up as an illness and require the attention of a doctor.
Such a great article that brings so much clarity to an often confused topic. I wouldn’t have known the difference before knowing Universal Medicine and it is of great importance to notice the very clear difference. When I have a health issue I first of all go and see a doctor or specialist, get the diagnosis, might consult another specialist and take their advice and possible medical prescription. Meanwhile I contact an Esoteric Practitioner and book a session to look at the root cause of the illness or disease that just showed on my body. Parallel to the medical treatment with the doctor I establish then my personal program with the Esoteric Practitioner to work on the underlying issues to guarantee that when my illness or disease is healed it won’t come back (being it in the same form or in a different manifestation). Thank you for sharing Eunice!!!
Before Universal Medicine I wouldn’t have known the difference either. I used to just want my symptoms to disappear so that I could get on with day to day life. They would always return after a while and I would keep returning to the doctor for more medication. Now I am so much more understanding that my choices affect the health of my body and that by seeking support from my GP and Universal Medicine Practitioners alike, I can receive true healing as I make more supportive and self-caring choices.
The power and beauty of responsibility presented on a plate. Thank you, rachelandras and rachelmurtagh1.
Your obvious wisdom and experience in this expressed succinctly and beautiful.
Thanks Eunice.
When I was training in Complementary Therapies I was made very aware that it was Complementary with an ‘e’ as you describe above, and that this is totally different to Complimentary with an ‘i’. It feels like a very important difference, as the role of Complementary Therapies is to complement conventional medicine, not give something away for free (as in complimentary with an ‘i’).
Thanks for clarifying this Rebecca. It is a really important point and an essential way to support health and wellbeing.
I love your ps. These tiny nuances, single letters, make such a huge difference. I have reread the two words and their meanings a couple of times now to really feel the difference between them. For me in this moment the significance and importance of true clarity leaps off the page. Words get messed up and thrown out there sometimes, but truly they all count and the responsibility we have to use them in their true sense is massive. Thank you.
Thank you Eunice, for it is super supportive, to get well known to the difference of alternative and complementary medicine, for to embrace Universal Medicine, to then allow the academic medicine to become the powerful union with Universal Medicine to the very best benefit of everyone on this planet. Medicine and Universal Medicine are complementary to each other – together it is the approach of understanding and practising life, the body and healing in the most possible depth.
We have a way to understand our bodies that includes understanding how we use our thoughts to override what we feel and how the energy of everything we do think or say affects our health and wellbeing.
Eunice it’s great that you actually took the time to inform yourself about what ‘complementary’ and ‘alternate’ really mean, so as to not ‘throw out the baby with the bathwater’. If more doctors did this and gained the understanding that you have, they would realize that complementary medicine is not the enemy. It is literally there to complement and support the efforts of allopathic medicine practitioners in caring for their patients in ways that they cannot, due to the overload of the medical system by the needs of humanity, the specialized training of modern medicine which does not cover all the bases, and the natural synergy of treating each person holistically.
Dianne and Eunice it is execellent that this article clearly explains how Universal Medicine is complementary to western medicine. As you say it is not trying to replace or do what western medicine is doing, as it is in support and apprecation of how much it can support us when we are sick. To be open with the fact that as it stands today medicine is the solution to all our illness and disease and when we introduce Universal Medicine we embark on going deeper and looking at the root cause and taking full responsibility for what it is that our bodies are presenting us. To look after our health to the best of our ability can only support a true shift in where we are at globally and the devastation that continues to play out.
I love the precision with which you clarify these two often confused approaches to health. I know I used to prefer to take my health in my own hands with alternative medicine, rather than trust a doctor. But having studied with Universal Medicine, I have so much more of an understanding of the holistic approach to health and healing, that I know the doctor or surgeon to be an important part in addressing illness and disease. With this wider understanding I can really appreciate the role of my GP and my own responsibility towards my health and well being.
Thank you Eunice. Reading your article reminded me of the arrogance of the alternative medicine consciousness that I used to be in. Because conventional medicine did not have all the answers, for a long time I turned my back on it seeking help only from alternative therapies for myself and my family. It was only when I studied with Universal Medicine and could feel the depth of healing on offer and how it worked with conventional medicine, did I understand what true complementary therapy was.
I agree Rosanna. As one who tended to go to alternative medicine in the past, I now appreciate my doctor and what she offers. Universal Medicine has helped me to see the value in both systems and as you say, the responsibility of my own role in my health and well being.
Very beautifully said rosannabianchini. I was hugely ‘anti medicine’ before I met the support and common sense approach of Universal Medicine and now embrace all that conventional medicine has to offer as part of addressing and taking responsibility for health matters for myself and my family.
And that is why the NHS is looking at self care programs, even if it is slowly, it is going to happen, there is no other way to stop the “tidal wave of preventable diseases” that the World Health Organization has predicted and has stated that prevention is the way forward. As you say Gil, looking after ourselves, being proactive in our own health, and everything that Esoteric Medicine teaches can make a huge impact in any national health service.
Thanks Eunice, Universal Medicine has always been clear that they are a complementary health outfit, not alternative. Esoteric Medicine is all encompassing and leaves no stone unturned when looking at life, health and wellbeing. It takes holism to a level I had not experienced previously. I can understand why it changed your staunch perspective on medicine being the only way.. while medicine is very important there really is so much more in terms of understanding the how and why to illness and disease.
I agree katerobsom30, the Medical Sciences are so very important and responsible for so much that we can be grateful for. And with the support of Universal Medicine complementary to it, the medicine that is currently being practised in society today can only grow stronger.
I agree Kate, Universal Medicine sets a new standard in health care and awareness and it has to be a real marker of its worth that a highly qualified and very intelligent surgeon (one of many highly trained medical professionals who have recognised its worth) should make such a shift in her awareness and values of both complementary and orthodox medicine. Universal Medicine has from the first moment I engaged with it, made it very clear what its role is in the world of health is, which is to stand alongside orthodox medicine and support people to regain their own jurisdiction over their health and well being. Placing the burden of responsibility for our health on doctors, nurses and consultants without questioning how we treat our bodies is highly irresponsible and is placing an un-bearable burden on our health systems. By choosing to address my diet, lifestyle and stress levels I am now discovering the true benefit of both approaches and have come to highly value orthodox medicine for the amazing work it does, as well as continually choosing to apply the wisdoms of Universal Medicine in my life to ensure I am doing all I can to grow in health and contribute to my society.
Very true rowenakstewart and very well said, “Universal Medicine has from the first moment I engaged with it, made it very clear what its role is in the world of health is, which is to stand alongside orthodox medicine and support people to regain their own jurisdiction over their health and well being.” This has been my experience also and the difference this makes in family life through the many ailments we encounter is profound and immensly supportive.
Truly, katerobson30. Having been down the alternative medicine route, when I came upon Universal Medicine and its approach to healing, I was really struck by just how all-encompassing it is. It is the only approach that I have come across that I can say is truly holistic.
That is exactly what I was realizing these days Kate, that Esoteric Medicine takes Holism to another level, a level I had never experienced before. It is not just looking at all dimensions of the human being…like lots of us have learnt in other complementary techniques or holistic philosophies. It is bringing in true responsibility, (which I may say is very uncommon in complementary health), and also including the dimension of the Soul, the Universe, our purpose here. Not only the bigger picture, but the ever expanding picture.
Esoteric Medicine absolutely asks us to look at every facet and you are true in saying it leaves no stone unturned. For me also it is the first complementary medicine that I have experienced to do this. It is absolutely a true and wholistic approach to healing ills and to true well being and vitality.
I simply love love love this blog Eunice as it blows any airy fairy ness out of the water- of these wonderful modalities as brought through by Serge Benhayon as being anything less than a complement to modern day medicine. The two are designed to work hand in hand for true healing, health, vitality and well being.
I totally agree Johanna that esoteric modalities are a fantastic complement to conventional medicine, as is conventional medicine a necessary complement for anyone who is also looking at the energetic dimensions of illness and disease.
With this clarity you can’t really get the two confused and until I was introduced to Universal Medicine I would stay away from mainstream medicine at all costs and be completely into alternative solutions. Since Universal Medicine this has now changed and I love working with mainstream medicine when I need the support and continually work with the complementary approach that Universal Medicine offers as well. And it feels like a real and true balance.
I completely agree Eunice “esoteric medicine, is definitely a complementary medicine. It should be part of training for conventional medicine practitioners, as the basic level of understanding provided by Universal Medicine about life choices, illness and health would greatly support them in their medical career. There is so much shared about illness and health through our life choices and very simple to understand.
Thank you Eunice for sharing your understanding of the difference between complementary and alternative medicine. I completely agree with what you have presented and this is why I have so much respect and appreciation for all that is presented by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. This is the only truly complementary therapy that I have found, the majority of others are alternative to conventional medicine. Working in healthcare, I see a huge difference between complementary and alternative as you have described.
Thank you Eunice for giving clarity on complementary medicine and how it works with mainstream medicine supporting people with their health. Having had many experiences of alternative medicine, it was refreshing and life changing to find Universal Medicine, a truly complementary medicine that covers everything to do with life, living, health, love, God and my responsibility with these, which has allowed me to make great changes to my health and many aspects of my life.
Eunice thank you for sharing the difference between complementary and alternative medicine. It clears it up for me as I too had them in the same basket. I have always been wary of alternative medicine, and I was at one stage wary of western medicine – but how can we rely only on doctors to help us if so much illness and disease in the world today is self inflicted?
Hearing about the union of western medicine and complementary medicine makes so much sense to my body, and calls for the responsibility to not just go to the doctor and demand answers, but rather use the session as a way to discuss how I am feeling, where I am at, and what is behind or has caused a symptom. That to me is true medicine.
With the end goal of many people being to improve the quality of life and our health, it surely makes complete sense to use whatever tools, techniques and forms of medicine that are complementary to each other in order to deliver a true and sustained healing to the body and individual? It would seem a simple question to answer and one that is all encompassing of that which supports and helps heal, as well as not accepting that which is damaging. The experience that myself and thousands of others have had with Universal Medicine is certainly one of support and healing, therefore it’s a simple choice to accept and make that a complementary part of healthcare along with medical science. We know that medical science is not coping and the answer is here in front of us to choose what to do with. Esoteric Medicine is certainly complementary and something that I am sure will become increasingly welcomed and adopted as a natural part of our healthcare.
Everything written in this blog / article is true and I can’t see how one could find a way to challenge the common sense you have delivered Eunice. I can see though, it may be difficult for some doctors or medical practitioners or alternative medicine practitioners to see beyond arrogance and ignorance that there is something that exists beyond the realm of medicine and science, as you did. I have never thought that we are meant to know everything, the medical profession knows this to some extent, because of the presence of different specialties – doctors know there is too much information to be across it all. And so isn’t the notion of Complementary Medicine or Treatments simply another specialty that can be used to support the healing of patients? Simple answer is Yes.
I have found, from a patient’s perspective, that complementary medicine and Universal Medicine in particular addresses “the spheres of a person’s life that conventional medicine neither has the time nor the training to address”. It has been a crucial and important factor and approach to my regaining health and wellbeing. Without this aspect of medicine I would not have come to understood the spiritual and emotional side of life that were impacting my health. So from my own experience I cannot see that we are in great health if we do not address these equally valid aspects of health and life.
As you say here there is a huge difference between complementary and alternative medicine. I have used both alternative and complementary medicines for over 30 years now but since discovering Universal Medicine and have been presented a greater understanding of medicine and how much conventional medicine has to offer I use both conventional and complementary medicine.
Great blog Eunice, very informative and super clear. It clarifies the different meanings of words which have been somewhat confusing.
I love this sentence which is incredibly important and key factor to health:
“A complementary medicine practitioner can help the patient to go deeper, in terms of evaluating their life choices and how those choices may have contributed to the illness or disease.”
Thanks Eunice for clarifying the difference between Complementary and Alternative medicine, I really hadn’t thought about the differences in them. I think it equally absurd to embrace either Alternative or Western Medicine without looking at the possibility that there is a bigger picture; enter Complementary. It is very arrogant to stay firmly in one camp when quite clearly neither has all the answers.
I have also been alternative in the past, and felt the fight between this and that, this medicine and that medicine, one or the other. The anti-doctor mentality or consciousness, the arrogance of “we know better”. It was even more painful because I was working in hospitals and was a conventional medicine health professional for a living, and an alternative medicine practitioner as a hobby and personal interest, so the fight was in my life. I gradually and through my own illness process realized that if it works, it has to be together, not against. I now totally get the concept of complementary, it is even philosophically healthier: one enhances the other, enhances the qualities of the other, and both work perfectly in combination. Complementary medicine and conventional medicine together become one, and it is true medicine, like it was in the beginning, when the fathers of medicine that always payed attention to the energetic, emotional and spiritual sides of the person, as well as the biological side.
This is a great reminder of what true medicine used to be “Complementary medicine and conventional medicine together become one, and it is true medicine, like it was in the beginning, when the fathers of medicine that always payed attention to the energetic, emotional and spiritual sides of the person, as well as the biological side.” Esoteric medicine complementary to conventional medicine offers us the opportunity to return to this.
Beautifully expressed and informative article. I had always just lumped complementary and alternative medicines together without any real understanding of their differences, so thank you Eunice for the clarification.
I had never considered the difference between Complementary and Alternative medicine until I read this blog the other day. Since then I’ve been looking at my life and seeing how everything I do, there is a complementary way I can live in all I do. I love the sense that something Complementary seamlessly integrates and supports everything about you. Thank you Eunice for highlighting the difference.
A very powerful point Joseph “there is a complementary way I can live in all I do”. It is not purely medicine that can be complementary, but we can complement and support ourselves in every choice we make. This is in fact our own complementary medicine in everyday life.
It makes absolute sense that illness be considered and treated in terms of, as you say every aspect of the individual and their life choices. The added measure of addressing the interrelated aspects of God, the planets, the Universe and beyond as affecting our health and therefore needing to be considered is a mind blowing concept that one day will come to be known as truth, much in the same way we now know the Earth is round and not flat. Science is already beginning to support what the Ageless Wisdom claimed from the beginning of time, and Universal Medicine presents today in this regard.
Yes Jeannette, that is a good parallel description by comparing the way we used to think the earth was not round to currently thinking there is no link between our health and daily choices coupled with interrelated aspects of God. It is mind blowing when we think about it and the truth of it is felt.
Serge Benhayon is like Christopher Columbus and Universal Medicine like the good ship Santa Maria, circumnavigating the deeply ingrained human illusion of separation, to prove that we are One with All.
I love your analogy Jeanette, and how many hardships and resistance Columbus had to face as he was challenging the accepted beliefs…like Serge and Universal Medicine face everyday.
Exactly, there has always historically been resistance to new ideas that challenge the accepted beliefs and ‘powers that be’ whose status are most frequently dependent on them.
The same has historically happened in resistance to old ideas, such as those who have chosen to live in accordance with the Ageless Wisdom of Oneness and Equality, such as the Cathars and Jesus Christ. Many were tortured and killed en masse for centuries, so that Constantine and the Church could establish their reign of supremacy and control over all others. The list is endless!
Until recently I would have had a hard time distinguishing between alternative and complementary medicine, but really there is a vast difference. Alternative medicine is something I sought to use in the past to avoid conventional pharmaceuticals, however I have learnt through experience the importance of being open to western medicine should the health circumstances require it. What I love about Esoteric medicine is that using it not as a reactive medicine but as a proactive lifestyle choice will always lessen the likelihood of needing so much medical support, but leave a knowing that it is there to support me should such times arise.
Thank you Eunice for clarifying the difference between complementary and alternate medicines/therapies. A great article.
I so agree with you Eunice that complementary modalities can enable a patient to go deeper into the causation of their illness. They have the time in sessions to thus truly heal from the root up, rather than just treating symptomatically.
Well said sueq2012. From my own experience it is only when the root cause is looked at that I can have the understanding to truly heal what is going on.
Healthcare professionals are burning out to keep up with the multi-symptomatic patients that walk through their doors every day. All it takes is some honesty and common sense to take responsibility for our well-being. This is where complementary medicine can support. Both kinds of medicine working together can be the pillars to truly support humanity’s health.
“Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies – or so the thinking goes.” This has been such a disempowering notion for humanity. Who better to know our bodies than ourselves? But the advent of conventional medicine changed all this – we had others telling us they knew more about our bodies than we do and so we were then able to hand responsibility over to our doctors for our overall health. I’m not suggesting we can know exactly what is happening medically within, (hence the complementary part!) however we do have have innate knowledge of whether our body is in harmony or not and what it needs for support.
Simple and so brilliantly clear Eunice – the distinction between complementary and alternative seems so obvious now but to be honest, I had been lumping them together and using them interchangeably. I love how it just takes us to focus on the meaning of something for it to become clear. Often a lifetime of misuse of a word happens when we question why it is that we are using it. Complementary is absolutely my experience of Universal Medicine. In the past I would have considered myself a proponent of alternative medicine (doctors were a last resort) whereas now, thanks to Serge Benahayon and UniMed, I am most definitely an advocate of complementary medicine.
If our intention is to truly care for people and support their well-being, what is presented in this article is immensely valuable. For far too long erroneous definition of the words Complementary Medicine and Alternative Medicine has resulted in the slamming of many modalities and practices that can truly complement conventional medicine and together support the patient through the challenging periods of ill health. And when we allow this who loses out? The ones that need the support. The patient and Humanity. Thank you Eunice for this article.
Well said Golnaz. Is our intention to “truly care for people and support their well-being”? If this was the case surely conventional medicine would be open to embracing complementary medicine as a way of helping the patient to help themselves, as well as providing the medical treatment patients need.
Medicine is but one part of Esoteric Medicine. However, somewhere along the line the meaning of Esoteric Medicine was bastardised.
When our devoted forefathers of modern medicine sought new ways to heal people and developed marvellous break throughs in science (some still in use today), their inspiration was derived from Esoteric Medicine – the medicine from which all others originate.
Sadly, because many have forgotten its meaning, ‘Esoteric Medicine’ is bandied around as something new or alternative or complementary when in fact it is the oldest medicine in the world.
Yes, I agree Dean, medicine has specialized so much and has put the focus so much on the mechanics of the body, and with great discoveries and advances, that it has on the other hand forgotten its origins, the holistic approach, the fact that we are not only flesh and bones, the energetic factor. Esoteric Medicine brings medicine back to its true purpose, including all the dimensions medicine has left uncovered and overriden.
“Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies – or so the thinking goes.”
A few years ago when having a lumbar puncture, it was unnerving for the doctor who was supervising a less experienced doctor in performing the lumbar puncture, because I was able to advise them that the needle was not in my spinal fluid the first time they tried and then that it was, on their second shot at it. The experienced doctor did not know whether or not to believe me until she could see there was no spinal fluid in the needle until they tried again – she commented how unusual it was that a patient knew so clearly what was going on and I could see she was a little ‘rattled’. Their training had led them to believe that patients had little knowledge or feeling of their own bodies, no doubt reinforced by many patients who do subjugate or dismiss any knowing they have of their body and who do not have the confidence to ‘stand up’ for themselves when it’s needed.
Dr Maxine Szramka’s awesome article expands and enlightens on the training that doctors receive … “Doctor burnout begins younger than we think”
https://www.myhealthcareer.com.au/medicine/doctor-burnout-begins-younger-than-we-think-dr-maxine-szramka
You don´t have to study medicine to know your body, in the same way that you don´t have to study philosophy to have a philosophical approach to life or you can cook wonderfully without being a chef. Great example you gave in your own experience Marian, of knowing your body to that detail and challenging the learned knowledge. I once had to talk to a doctor who was performing a procedure and the patient was crying in pain, and he kept saying:”this does not hurt”. It is not lack of sensitivity, it is choosing knowledge over the obvious experience of the body.
Knowledge over the true experience of the body can be very damaging- we just need to look at the current level of health in society for the proof of this. If all people took the responsibility for learning how to listen to their body, our health as a whole would look and be completely different.
Thank you for sharing this Marian about your own sensitivity and clarity at this lumbar puncture procedure. It is understandable this ‘rattled’ the medical team as generally their belief is that they alone have all the answers – this can bring an arrogance and ‘blind spot’ that there is another way to appreciated and understand the body. Since attending presentations with Serge Benhayon I have become so much more aware of my body and the tiny nuances of changes in feeling that were totally unavailable to me before.
Great explanation of the difference between complementary and alternative medicine. It is very clear that complementary medicine, is about supporting the patient and all that is needed for them to truly heal, while alternative medicine seems to be saying we have the answers and nothing else is needed or of real value – sounds familiar! Esoteric Medicine, a complementary medicine, and western medicine are a powerful combination and a great example of what can happen when what is truly needed for someone to heal is brought to the fore.
It is very interesting how we tend to go along with the idea that only medical professionals know the body. How much easier would it be on conventional medicine if people claimed how much they actually knew about what was going on in their bodies and why. Taking responsibility for our choices enables us to practice medicine that is universal, a medicine that is complementary to our whole being.
Absolutely Elizabeth, we don’t have to be a chef to know how to cook food, or have a masters to know how to walk. Why do we ‘play dumb’ when it comes to knowing our bodies? Or, are we taught to think that we cannot know and understand our bodies? We have been living in our body from the moment we were conceived and we know it better than anyone. We hold the entire history, experience and understanding of ourselves. Imagine presenting the whole library of understanding of your body to any medical professional, as opposed to the one line version they may receive otherwise.
That’s a good way to look at our bodies, Kylie, as a library. It is indeed a dynamic living library with a really, really good information look-up system, if only one learns how to use it!
Very well said Kylie. I love the way you have expressed this.
Yes Elizabeth I support your comments 100%. Any truly Universal Medicine must include us taking responsibility for our lives, our choices and every thing that has ever happened to us. This single approach alone is extremely powerful medicine and one that ANYONE can access – no Medicare card required.
What this blog highlights for me, is how much health is about how we live on a day to day basis, and not about functional well being until we get sick and go to the doctor to be fixed so we can return to functionality again. This blog reminds us that genuine well-being can come from taking responsibility for how we live and a part of this process can be to embrace medical science.
Since reading this article the first time I have pondered and played with the huge chasm between the words complementary and alternative and how they have been thrown casually into the same bucket. I wonder if our choice to do this has allowed us to diminish the power of the marriage between conventional and complementary medicine. Well thank goodness for Eunice J Minford!
Me too matildaclark. It makes me wonder about how loosely we sling language around without deeply considering the true meaning of the words we use, how we can so easily write our different interpretations and use of words off to ‘semantics’. But as Eunice so clearly displays in this blog, each word, and its particular spelling has a specific meaning and should not be confused with another if we are ever to get to the bottom of the many distressing issues faced by humanity e.g: our rapidly declining health.
Thank you Eunice Minford, this is such an important clarification on complementary and alternative medicine. If those who see complementary and alternative therapies as being one of the same, just took the time to look at Universal Medicine, it could only be seen as being a complementary service to conventional medicine. There are many layers, interactions, social, environmental and biological determinants to illness and disease, and so, addressing a person with this holistic approach most definitely offers deeper understanding and healing to an illness.
Awesome Blog Eunice, I hadn’t paid that much attention to the words before but I have been given insight to do so by reading this. Reading and seeing the way you have analysed what complementary and alternative medicine is inspiring, your noticing the wording and researching that to determine what you agree with and what you do not.
Amazing blog Eunice, one I am going to have to share on social media too! I also love the definition of ‘complementary’ vs ‘complimentary’…
Me too Pernillahorne… I thought that was a sweet ending… thanks Eunice for making it all so clear with your words.
I didn’t know the difference between ‘complementary’ and ‘complimentary’ – just a little letter but a huge difference. Me, as a patient can 100% sign that Universal Medicine is so much so complementary, as it always goes hand in hand with conventional medicine and enables me to take responsibility for my health again, as it addresses the emotional root causes which led to illness in the first place.
I too had lumped complementary medicine and alternative medicine in the same basket, even though I knew that some forms of each excluded any medical treatment and some were in support of it, so it was great to read this and have that distinction made, thanks Eunice. Many things stood out for me as I read your article, one of which was how narrow the medial world is without the support of complementary medicine. Narrow in that it only looks at the practical goings on of the body, and the mind. The whole being is not considered and individuals are rarely empowered to feel what could be going on for them beneath the obvious signs and symptoms that are presenting. That’s where Universal Medicine comes in, and has changed my life exponentially. Having always had an awareness of energy and that something else was at play, Universal Medicine confirmed this for me and empowered me by teaching me how to connect to my body and listen to the signs it was giving me. I’ve then been able to adjust the way I do things,what I eat, how I live, when I sleep, how I work, (amongst many other things!) and really truly listen to myself to bring about a level of wellness and vitality in my body that I never thought possible.
Well said Brooke, I too had lumped it all in the same category with little regard of the real difference between the two approaches. I had almost completely turned my back on the medical field due to its narrow outlook, but meeting Universal Medicine has transformed that for me too. These days not only do I take immense care of my body in all the ways you have described, I will visit the doctor if my body is needing support and fully appreciate the care, skill and knowledge they offer me. Like you, the marriage of the two, Universal Medicine and Western Medicine has transformed my health and vitality beyond all recognition and expectation.
Thank you for clearly describing the difference between alternative and complementary medicine Eunice. I had never really thought about it and have interchangeably called myself both an alternative and a complementary medicine practitioner, however, as it seems, alternative medicine is not what I practice. Complementary feels to be the truly holistic practice.
Dig this comment Lisa – I am a lapsed Registered Nurse but recognise now the reason why I would get frustrated with just the western Medical System – It appeared to focus on the physical, (Body), Mental (Mind) and some etheric stuff (Spirit) it did not look at….”all aspects of the human person – body, mind, heart, spirit and soul. (as Eunice says) It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.” I still have heaps to learn but totally appreciate the complementary (and holistic) nature of Universal Medicine.
Eunice that was so beautifully described and coming from a medical perspective you have such a clear way of describing the importance of both. It feels like I can see the bigger picture with all the pieces of the puzzle – each one having a deliberate purpose in supporting healing.
This is a great confirmation of the way Universal Medicine has always presented itself to those who have attended its courses. Modern Medicine certainly has its place and we owe much to the advances of western medicine’s understanding of the body. However, modern life continues to be plagued by a myriad of illnesses and diseases, many of which are actually on the increase, despite the evolution of modern medicine. We should therefore as a society be open to the fact that there is much more to health and well being than that which is covered under the umbrella of western medicine. Universal Medicine asks us to consider deeply how the way we live contributes to many of our woes, and further more asks us to consider life as not just that which is limited to what we can see and touch. This is confronting for many, but for those who have seriously aligned to the teachings of Universal Medicine, it has offered profound changes to all aspects of their lives in a truly remarkable way that should in truth be studied in order to be understood, rather than just passed off as just another pseudo-scientific approach to life. For many it has been life changing in more ways than one,.
So Universal Medicine is the marriage between conventional and complementary medicine and the relationship that brings back true responsibility to us all, for our individual and collective wellbeing and health. This feels super inspiring, practical and purposeful.
Really well said Adam. A society that on one-hand recognizes there is a problem but continues to use the same operating procedures that the issues arise from, is fast getting out of control.
Your expression ” being open” to there being so much more is a simple yet essential truth that could be added to expand the support the current traditional health system needs.
This is such an important subject that is presented here. The huge life enhancing benefits of combining the medical profession with that of Universal Medicine is proven by all those already choosing to do this.
I love the “side by side” term Eunice – it reflects it all! Going side by side and help each other, give a hand here and there. Evolving in equality and the appreciation of what each other brings.
Western Medicine has it rough sometimes because whenever it fails to fix a body it get’s a bad rap. As humanity becomes more responsible for their own bodies health and wellbeing and begins to utilise the benefits of complementary medicine, like Esoteric Medicine, alongside Western Medicine, it is then that we will start to see a more holistic healthcare system come into being.
Eunice, if I ever need surgery I want you to do it!
I could not imagine a better surgeon than someone who is practicing a universal form of medicine that encompasses the person, God, the universe and everything. I would enrol in that medical school any day and I would gladly be a patient of someone who lives that form of medicine.
I second that Elizabeth , it takes surgery to a whole new level of awareness to work with the Soul and body in true evolution.
It is super inspiring to know that you are out there, Eunice, in the thick of the medical world, talking about Esoteric Medicine and a bigger, evolutionary picture that will serve us all. Thank you.
Such a revelation for me – I had not ever considered the difference between ‘complimentary’ and ‘complementary’, and now I understand why it felt shallow when people referred to ‘complimentary/alternative medicine’ and why ‘complementary’ felt supportive and a complement to traditional medicine when being referred to in that vein. Thank you Eunice.
The great thing about Universal Medicine is that it encourages us to develop a deeper understanding of our own bodies so that we can support ourselves more fully, which may mean we end up taking less medication or require less recuperation support after essential medical treatment – which will take some of the pressure off the current medical and health services in our countries.
Yes Carmel, it makes so much sense for our health support to start with ourselves. We can’t out source the responsibility forever because way too much pressure is put on the medical and health services. Health professionals do amazing work and if we support them by doing what we can in taking responsibility for what’s happening with our own health and working alongside medical staff as required, we will free up resources so continued critical care can continue.
I’ve got a hunch the long term projections of how the UK’s NHS is going to sustain itself is a problem that has already been identified but isn’t yet publicized. The clear call to be responsible for ones mental and physical health hasn’t been made perhaps because no-one wants be be labelled hypocritical and deep down everyone does know how deep the call runs. Being responsible isn’t confined to one area of ones life. In general very few are willing to make a commitment to drop all they know is irresponsible in their life.
But the beauty of responsibility runs through out every aspect of ones life is that when one is more responsible in one area of ones life this develops responsibility in all others.
A profound observation Carmel. A strong case could be made on how complementary medicine could save health services millions of pounds. And yet this would be seen as threatening pharmaceutical giants whose business model depends on people continuing to make reckless life style choices leading to spiralling ill-health statistics.
Yes kehinde2012, there is no push from the pharmaceutical companies to support us to care more for our bodies, as Carmel has described, so that less drugs are needed. Imagine the part these companies could play in health education and restoring true well being!
Yes what a difference that would make. I acknowledge some drugs are essential for certain health conditions. What’s worrying is the dependency culture we now have where the first port of call is look outside of self and seek a fix, often medication rather than to look or be helped to look within to understand why the body aches or is exhausted. And what if the partnership between conventional medicine and drug companies was extended to include complementary medicine, all working together to improve and promote true health education and as you say restoring true well being.
The first step as you indicate here Kehinde is our own self awareness and commitment to our selves not to look outside for answers but to trust our selves first. The true medicine is within us and all else is supportive and often necessary. It is not however where the truth of our wellbeing lies.
Absolutely Carmel – Universal Medicine encourages us to take our health and wellbeing into our own hands, and having this responsibility gives us a huge amount of appreciation of our body and also makes us aware of the power of our choices and the affects of our behaviour, diet, rhythm etc. etc.
So very true Carmel and Susie. Yes, it does make sense the more we are looking after ourselves the less we may need the physical treatment but we definitely could not go without it! It will still be very needed but it’s so important that we play our part to support it by the way we live our life and the way we care for our bodies.
Absolutely Susie, it is vital that we take responsibility for our own health, our choices affect everything, and our bodies reflect these.
Absolutely and in line with that on the news tonight it was talking about how more and more elderly in the UK are finding themselves homeless (which highlights the huge problem we currently have with our health service). How they are being discharged from hospital with no where to go, no food and no follow up care. Yes health definitely starts with ourselves and being responsible for the choices we make regarding our health and body .. bringing self-love into the equation; but it also very much needs to be about community and brotherhood as well.
Awesome observation. Living in accordance to your bodies needs works in calaboration with Western medicine – not against it.
Wow Eunice- not only have you burst the bubble of the arrogance of mainstream medical science, clarified the difference between complementary and alternative medicine but you have firmly put Esoteric Medicine and the true universality of medicine – the way we live in relation to each other and the planet – on the medical stage for all to see and make of it what they will. Keep going – this is the turning point in history.
Absolutely – a very needed turning point.
To consider the whole of our Health and to honour the Ageless Wisdom of Esoteric Medicine and all that it offers mainstream Medicine and us all. It is interesting to see us return to something from eons past in order to revolutionalise our current Medical understanding.
Funny that – having to look backwards to move forwards – goes to show everything is cyclical – however I get the feeling Esoteric Medicine is here to stay this time around 🙂
Yes a very needed turning point having the two working or complementing each other. One without the other doesn’t complete the full picture of true health.
Definitely Deborah.. This is a huge turning point, as a lot of people still consider there to only be ONE option – alternative, OR conventional – and complementary medicine has been this slightly hidden support that many haven’t discovered. What Eunice is saying is huge, and for there to be a Universal type of medicine that supports your mainstream GPs, hospitals etc., that addresses things far beyond surface level illness is pretty incredible.
Agreed! what a great summary of the amazing points Eunice has mentioned here. This really is a turning point… I look forward to reading more from you Eunice, you will have such an impact!
It is true Susie, this is huge and a very important point for everyone in the entire world to consider. As illness and disease are a great indicator of how we are living our lives and so to truly change our lives if this is our intention we can do so by combining both conventional and complementary medicine and then working on our behaviours thereafter, something that I am really learning to appreciate.
And indeed burst the bubble of arrogance around alternative medicine as well, I’d say! Go Eunice!
‘A complementary medicine practitioner can help the patient to go deeper, in terms of evaluating their life choices and how those choices may have contributed to the illness or disease.’
Eunice your blogs bring such a richness and understanding to all medicine. Thank you for this wise and informative article. I now understand how complementary medicine addresses the core issues of illness and disease whilst conventional medicine addresses and tends to the physical solution. Both interrelated and both a part of the whole. COMPLEMENTARY 🙂
Well said Kathryn… It’s like they go hand in hand and you really can’t decide on just one otherwise you don’t complete the health puzzle.
Complementary medicine without conventional medicine is a bad idea. Conventional medicine has tools, knowledge and procedures that are not available elsewhere. However, conventional medicine is not perfect – medical practitioners as a group tend not to be very familiar with caring for themselves (they are very familiar with caring for others) and because of the huge demand may not have much time for each individual.
Universal Medicine is complementary to medicine and its practitioners are proficient at caring for themselves which makes it much easier to care for patients and they tend to have more time for each patient. The combination of the two can be very powerful.
Ariel, I loved the term you have used ‘Health Puzzle’. It is true that our health has been accepted as something that happens to us – good genetics, we catch bugs easy or have a weak constitution. The truth is that there is far more going on than what people realise. When one starts to ponder more deeply, it can appear that it is a ‘Health Puzzle’. The question ‘Why me?’ comes up. What Eunice has written opens the gates to a much deeper understanding and brings the opportunity for each of us to be accountable and to take responsibility for the way we live in our lives. It is a life changing blog for anyone that reads it.
It is true Eunice has definitely covered much here in terms of how complementary medicine and conventional medicine can and does work very well together. What I also see here is that this has been the way of doing thing since the ancient times and so this is not a new concept but more rather that conventional medicine has come a long way so putting them both together gives us an opportunity to see things work in harmony more.
Yes Kathryn, both a part of the whole, and both equally needed for true health.
Absolutely. As what Christopher has mentioned below is also very true, in that the vast majority of conventional medicine practitioners (from what I know) do not look after or care for themselves as well as they could (possibly using coffee and sugar to get them through the day and alcohol at the end of the day for relief); whereas Universal Medicine practitioners are first and foremost about having in place a supportive and loving routine in their day (and night), which in turn helps them to support others. Conventional medicine is very much needed and I think what doctors and nurses do is amazing, but we have so much more to truly learn about our health, how we live and the choices we make that affect our health, and this is something that Universal Medicine is very much leading the way in.
I agree with you Kathryn and the other commentators. To see the complete picture of health requires both conventional and complementary healthcare.
I completely agree with your statement “esoteric medicine, whilst seemingly fitting in to the category of complementary medicine, is in fact much grander and broader.” I feel this is such a profound truth that it would serve conventional medicine practitioners well to have as part of their training at least the basic level of understanding provided by Universal Medicine about life choices, illness and health.
Yes totally agree Golnaz, it would serve conventional medical practitioners, and their patients, immensely to have training from Universal Medicine about life choices, illness and health. I’m sure it would help to take some of the burden off doctors that they feel they have to fix everything for their patients and empower and inspire patients to take more responsibility for their health and wellbeing.
I feel this would be profound Fiona and is a direction that would really serve this world and everyone in it. Given that we are are at our knees with the sky rocketing rates in illness and disease, it is nothing short of expected that we will need this type of union in order to have any hope in recovering from the enormity of our illness and disease in our health systems.
I agree Fiona, then doctors and nurses would have a deeper understanding of self-care and self-love and why it is so important not only in helping themselves but being able to support their patients from a much stronger place.
It would be an amazing experience Golnaz, how different would it be visiting a Doctor that was also a practitioner of Esoteric Medicine? The marriage between the two is a perfect match.
Completely agree Golnaz and a powerful quote to pick. Esoteric Medicine offers practitioners of every field of medicine a completely new perspective on health, disease and how we can make such a huge difference to our well being through our daily choices. It is an education that should be incorporated into all our medical trainings, it would revolutionise our health system as well as empower the individual to support their own health, while working with conventional medicine to ensure that both patient and professional are doing their utmost to promote and uphold true health.
Yes this is a key statement in this blog as you point out Golnaz, it is not only the perfect match for mainstream medicine, it is also gives such a richer deeper profound perspective that can only aid the people who understand it and use it wisely to work with illness and disease and beyond.
I agree Golnaz, Fiona and Aminatumi, Just be reading the blog from Eunice who is a living example of a western medicine trained doctor and Universal Medicine trained practitioner and how she looks at medicine and disease says it all.
I agree Golnaz. I work in healthcare and have met many other healthcare professionals at Universal Medicine presentations and the support and understanding these presentations have given me has had a huge impact on my clinical practice in the way I understand and interact with patients and staff.
Thank you Eunice for breaking down the confusion that these words can cause.
I know a few people whose lives were shorter due to the ‘alternative’ approach.
Conventional medicine on it’s own is not the answer but with the holistic approach that Esoteric Medicine and Universal Medicine offer – bingo!
After reading this article I feel as though all of the pieces of a big confusing jig saw puzzle have just been put together, and now I can relax and be steady. With the jig saw put together, I can’t see how it could ever have been any other way; there is a place and a role for all that is true, including Western, Esoteric and Universal Medicine. Thank you Eunice for this clarity.
A truly clear and precise article Eunice on some mis-conceived understandings. One that is greatly appreciated, even the ‘e’ and the ‘i’. Universal Medicine from my experience has been everything that you share, I have been recommended by a Universal Medicine practitioner to go and get a lump in my breast checked which was detected whilst having an Esoteric Breast Massage. Which in the past would have been something that I would have ignored and wasn’t what seemed to be, an issue that it was not worth checking. Now from many years of inspiration with Universal Medicine I can appreciate that I am worth looking after, to take responsibility for my health and the way that I live, which will in turn nurture the whole. If there are moments through my life where I need to have medical treatment, this will be embraced whilst the all-encompassing way of Universal Medicine Living will support the root cause in addressing the issue that caused the ill-ness and dis-ease.
“It raises the bar further and brings understandings to the whole of medicine that in my opinion are well needed and currently unsurpassed by any other form of medicine.” Eunice you are a beacon within our medical system, as the scale & evidence of living medicine begins to surface, through the thousands that have been treated by Esoteric therapies.The current system will begin to acknowledge the game changing support & potential that is offered by Universal Medicine.
Superb article Eunice about true complementary medicine, thank you! You have really exposed the immense arrogance that does exist in conventional medicine that I know I certainly steered well clear of, the arrogance that unless someone is medically or scientifically trained they cannot know what is going on in their bodies. It definitely played a big factor in my seeking alternative medicine because at least I felt met by the understanding that I did know what was going on in my body. It is a dangerous route to take because even when I was seriously ill with a kidney infection I still refused to seek medical help.
Meeting and studying with Universal Medicine has instigated an enormous change in my attitudes and understanding of alternative medicine, complementary medicine and the true role of conventional medicine and these days I will readily consult a doctor on any health issue that does not respond quickly to some TLC. I love the wisdom of your words in describing Esoteric Medicine that “It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.”
When we truly understand the role one individual plays in the entire Universe, we can begin to truly address the ills of our world. Everything I do, say, think, express matters and it is the responsibility of all us to co-create a world based on honesty, truth and real love of self and all others equally so. Until I met Universal Medicine I had never truly owned or been prepared to claim the massive responsibility this is. Thank you for bringing clarity to aevery emotive topic and for truly representing the true position of Universal Medicine in our lives.
I was deeply touched reading this article. The honesty supported me to understand that which I have always felt when in the company of what I regarded as ‘intelligent” people. I was brought up to think it was all about gaining knowledge but I struggled with this, the fact I had to memorize! I would make myself small in the company of an intelligent person and therefore less. I realize how harming this has been, equally to the arrogant person who thinks knowledge is owned by them. Thank you Eunice for sharing with such honesty.
Thank you Eunice for a simple and easy to understand explanation of the differences between Alternative and Complementary medicine. For many years I have, like many other people, grouped them together. I also appreciate the explanation of the 2 words complementary and complimentary. I would not have taken the time to explore this myself.
Eunice what you explain about complementary medicine makes so much sense.
To consider the entire sphere of a person’s well-being is essential. Nothing works in isolation, from the microcosm of cells to our entire body, science proves this.
This is reflected in nature and the universe. So it’s a natural step to understanding that everything in life we do affects our well being on some level. I’m very grateful there are Complementary Practitioners that understand this and have the experience to share the wisdom. I’m very grateful with Medical Science for the vast extent of diagnostics and treatments it offers. Let the two sit as the equals they are, so together they can support what it is humanity requires to return to complete well-being.
It’s such a shame that Alternative and Complementary medicine have been grouped together under one umbrella and are assumed to be anti conventional medicine. Why does it have to be either or? It is healthy to take a holistic and rounded approach and interest in our own bodies, and this does not have to mean abstaining from medical treatment. To be open to treatment but also open to looking at what created our condition in the first place is a responsible way of taking care of our health.
Thank you Eunice for the understanding between Complementary and Alternative Medicine
I have also found the benefits of combining Universal Medicine with Conventional Medicine and have experienced an amazing transformation.
In the five years I have been practicing both, my lung disease (COPD) has not deteriorated at all, but I have managed to live life to the full in a way I would previously have thought impossible with a lung function figure of only 33%.
I love the simplicity that you bring here Eunice in outlining the difference between complementary medicine and alternative therapies. The Esoteric Therapies as presented by Universal Medicine certainly fall into the category of complementary to and work beautifully alongside Western Medicine, offering a person the opportunity to address not just the ill itself, but the root cause of the ill in the first place.
This is so exquisitely beautiful Eunice, what a wonderful description and what you have written feels absolutely true, “an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.” – Wow!
The wisdom and clarity brought about by Universal Medicine is a breath of fresh air and very empowering for our health and understanding, our well being and listening to our bodies and all it is telling us. It brings us to our true responsibility we all have for ourselves and our body, our expression on earth to be and shine the love we all are. It is the missing part of Medicine out there and thank you Eunice for all the clarity you bring to Medicine both Conventional and Universal where the true healing lies for us all. It also brings about the clarity of alternative medicine myth and the responsibility for ourselves and our body to listen to and not give our power away.
Thank you Eunice for your detailed and precise explanation of the terms complimentary — complementary and alternative medicine, for so much can be twisted in the words we write and the terms we use.
I like to pay you a compliment! This blog offers people a very clear understanding of the difference between complementary and alternative medicine, something I have only understood in the last few years.
It is great Eunice how you have brought up the meaning of complementary – to complement, add to, balance or harmonise with something else (my own words). With ten years experience as a registered nurse I have discovered that in studying and practising Universal Medicine, it answers many questions left open in conventional medicine about self care and preventative medicine, as well as the power to heal when ill. All established drug or other conventional medical treatments can be implemented and supported through Universal Medicine healing.
Esoteric Medicine brings clarity and awareness to what energy we are running on, the choice is then to accept the energy I am, love, or to allow something else other than me to run the show. To choose to be love and need the support of Conventional Medicine equals one almighty complete healing. Conventional Medicine + True Complementary Medicine = healing + awareness
Yes Paul everything is about the energy we choose, the energy of the love of God or the the energy of the separation from God.
The discussion of types of medicine has characteristically brought up some pretty heated debates, as each branch of medicine has arrogantly tried to justify itself as the whole story, to the exclusion of others. Modern allopathic medicine is no exception. The denigration of other ways of treating illness has limited modern medicine, and alternative medicine’s refusal to accept modern medicine has limited the benefits they can bring also. Complementary medicine stood in the middle, offering support, but being rejected by modern medicine made that difficult. No branch of medicine currently existing in temporal society is complete, and is depriving us of holism if they exclude the offerings of the others. I’ve said and written for a long time that we must pool together the best of all that we have: from science, modern medicine, alternative medicine, complementary medicine, human wisdom down the ages (folk knowledge), and the experience of people with their own bodies (experiential or anecdotal medicine). At last along comes Universal Medicine, a complementary medicine in being a support to modern medicine. And yet it is bigger, in the sense of looking at the whole picture of a human being, blending Ageless Wisdom with modern medicine, science, human wisdom and experience. Now all that is required is for modern medicine to open up and appreciate what is being offered by Universal Medicine, as Eunice is doing and showing with this excellent blog.
Absolutely Dianne, the best medicine is simply… the best medicine. And if we take into account the way we live as also medicine for the body – the food we eat and the way we move and exercise, even how we think – we can exclude nothing.
Universal Medicine is complementary to conventional medicine, and how blessed are we to have this amazing support that has literally changed the quality of many hundreds of lives.
I have been reading a book about Alchemy, and the ancient approach to medicine that alchemists took – even then it was called Universal Medicine, a holistic approach that took in the alchemists body and life as a whole – fascinating how its been around for so long, and yet has some how got lost in translation over the years.
The organization Universal Medicine has been well named because as you say Eunice there is a universal form of medicine “that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood”. I love conventional medicine and work in that area but it is made so much richer when it is seen as a part of a much greater whole that is Universal Medicine. The organization, Universal Medicine is bringing this wholeness with its Universal Medicine therapies and it works beautifully alongside conventional medicine.
I love your comment Elizabeth, beautifully said.
What an empowering statement – “everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them”. We often refer to specialists such as doctors, nurses and dentists, to tell us about what is going on in our bodies and wait for a diagnosis before we will change our way of living – when we are the ones who live in our bodies 24/7, and therefore know it best! We might not know all the terminology, organ placement, or our percentage of plaque on our teeth, but that doesn’t stop us from making decisions that make us feel good. Thank you Eunice
I agree Jessica. All too often we give our power away and place far too much trust in the medical profession and other professions instead of taking responsibility for ourselves. While listening to our doctors, consultants, nurses, opticians etc is essential, it is imperative that we feel into what is right for us as well. This I am learning but most of all not to doubt myself when a feeling arises that I know is true to me.
Thank you for sharing your expertise and personal experiences Eunice. Alternative medicine seems to be no alternative to what naturally complements each other perfectly: conventional and complementary medicine.
This article makes the difference between the two crystal clear, and highlights how different the choice is. Complementary medicine is embracing all the support possible giving the patient an opportunity to heal, while the Alternative medicine approach is rejecting part of what is on offer… and so narrows our opportunities for true health. At some level we will continue to carry whatever is in us that is rejecting the everything that is on offer, and so quite clearly the approach cannot heal in full.
My 9yr old son recently had a heavy fall onto a hard surface and struck his back – he winded himself and found it difficult to breathe for the first few minutes. Having got him up and standing, he gently sat down on a chair – I asked him questions about how he was feeling and after 10 minutes asked him to stand up and try some very slow movements – he was unable to bend down and had a shooting pain up his back.
What I understood in this moment was how his whole body had deliberately seized up, cleverly preventing him from sustaining further injury. It was like his body had locked down in order to download which part was injured, where to send the appropriate hormones etc., this was the remarkable intelligence of the body in action. Although I knew his body was producing its own medicine, I wanted to speak with a doctor to confirm there was no deeper damage to his back. Amazingly we were able to see our local GP within 10 minutes – he checked my son over and asked him a few questions about his fall, his pain and where it was. Not only did he confirm that all was well but also how amazing our bodies are at healing themselves.
I tell this story because I know that I would not have been so calm and intuitive about what was happening to my son had I not built the understanding & relationship that I now have with my own body, through the teachings of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. How enriching for all of us (my children and I) to walk from this experience with a deeper level of appreciation for the amazingness of our bodies.
Thank you for sharing your appreciation of the amazingness of our bodies and I can certainly relate to feeling much calmer and intuitive about what is happening to both my body and those around me since doing the Universal Medicine courses and building a more caring and responsible relationship with my own body.
Pretty cool isn’t it Lucinda – our bodies have responses and natural impulses to everything that protect us from injury (or further harm).. When you think of how many cells have to work together to make that happen it’s unbelievable!!
Thank you Eunice for the clarity between complementary and alternative medicine and what each one supports or not. I did not understand the difference fully, so this has been a big eye opener!
It’s interesting when I think about how I just stopped many alternative medicines over the years. When I was using alternative medicine I was very anti-conventional medicine and would be very vocal about it… even though previously to this I always went to the support of conventional medicine.
It makes me wonder now how much of an energy is around alternative medicine, to influence not only myself but also many others who have expressed feeling the same way? Of course I made a choice but I can remember there being a real stigma around conventional medicine, and Doctors not knowing what they were talking about.
Since seeing Universal Medicine practitioners my view and feeling of conventional medicine has dramatically changed and I have not only gone back to respecting conventional medicine again but even more so seeing how it supports my body at the same time as esoteric treatments.
It is interesting how many people assume alternative and complementary medicine are the same – never questioning what the true meaning is. Thank you Eunice for so clearly and powerfully stating the difference with the two. I especially loved this line – “Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.” – Beautifully expressed and such a great reminder for us all.
Much clarity is given here between complementary and alternative medicine where they are often thrown in the same basket yet there is a very significant difference between their meanings. The emphasis with Complementary medicine is it works along side mainstream medicine bringing a holistic approach which works on the whole person as Eunice has so simply stated.
I had chronic asthma all my life and worked closely with the medical profession and Universal Medicine practitioners where I worked on my personal choices, lifestyle and inner wellbeing which was an enormous healing where I no longer take medication or have symptoms of asthma.
If it was not for mainstream medicine I would be dead and if it was not for Universal Medicine I would be still making irresponsible choices that were exacerbating and contributing to the asthma condition I had.
Most of all my life has changed and I am living a life of wellbeing and joy without being incapacitated in anyway by the asthma. This is the power of holistic treatment.
What you share Karoline is a great example of complementary and conventional medicine working together to heal a lifelong and chronic condition. One dealt with the presenting condition (asthma), the other helped you uncover and understand the root causes of the iilness. Both approaches are essential if healing is to be sustained.
This is a perfect example Karoline of how beautifully Esoteric Medicine complements conventional medicine. It’s also showing that the more responsibility we take in how we choose to live then the less likely we are to require intervention from conventional medicine. Is any more evidence required?
I agree with you, Gill, Eunice’s article is really great, she has the temporal medical knowledge with her training, but brings the holistic approach that is so needed for it all to make sense. I have always been attracted to the overall approach, did a little medical sociology at University, and came to appreciate the melding of the two levels of knowledge to increase the understanding of the medical issue. And Eunice brings the esoteric understanding (which we knew nothing of at Uni) which helps one get to the root cause of the issue at hand. A really great combination in Eunice’s knowledge.
Yes, many good doctors are aware of the limits of conventional medicine and consider the possibility that there is something else that can support them, the same way they have support staff that make them more productive.
Eunice this is a powerful blog from someone of your standing and experience within the specialised medical fields. You have clearly outlined the important difference between alternate therapies, complementary therapies and most importantly with relevance to Universal Medicine therapies… what it means to be complementary TO medicine. I have a great deal of experience within the integrative medical arenas, working for 15 years with complementary medicine before understanding and learning what Universal Medicine offers. I can attest to the extraordinary benefit the modalities and approach taught through this organisation have provided on the quality and efficacy of health care patients now receive. The ability to enhance the effectiveness of conventional medicine in an unprecedented way is part of what makes UM therapies complementary to, rather than an alternative, or in addition to what medicine offers. This distinction is most important as I have seen it provide the key to supporting hundreds, if not thousands through profound changes in their health and wellbeing.
Yes Jenny, I can testify how I have had ‘…profound changes in their health and wellbeing..’ I had chronic asthma, all my life…I eventually worked with mainstream medicine alongside with Universal Medicine modalities and this holistic approach has been an enormous healing where I no longer have symptoms of asthma and medication free, which was unthinkable only a few years previous.
An insightful look at the differences in ‘alternative’ and ‘complementary’ health modalities. I have been studying Sacred Esoteric Healing and it supports my work and life, as you say it “It raises the bar further and brings understandings to the whole of medicine that in my opinion are well needed and currently unsurpassed by any other form of medicine.” It considers the whole and in so doing offers the opportunity of building a greater depth of awareness and responsibility.
Esoteric Medicine is complementary to conventional medicine in that it supports conventional medical treatment, while presenting that how we live life can be a form of medicine as well. Living life, our everyday choices, is the most important part of remaining healthy and well. Any conventionally trained medical doctor worth their salt with tell you this. Esoteric Medicine is simply the preventative medicine many GPs urge their patients to practise day in and out. It is also the way we can support ourselves, to support healing when required, when we are ill. Seeing someone for an esoteric healing session when ill, is great support, simply because it helps us get back in touch with our bodies and in doing so, promotes healing. Seeing someone for an esoteric Healing session when well, is moving towards a more expanded understanding and experience of wellbeing. This includes a quality of life beyond function and achievement, which naturally can be shared with and inspire others with the understanding there is more to life.
Holistic is what I think of when I feel into Esoteric Medicine. A Medicine that encompasses the whole. A practice that puts the knowledge that is already known back to the client. Eunice you said it well, “The fact that everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them”. It feels the missing link to western Medicine and why they so beautifully complement each other.
I agree Kim, holistic is a good word to describe Esoteric Medicine, as it encompasses the whole
The united work of complementary and conventional medicine is an utmost powerful combination. One can fix the symptoms and save lives in case of emergencies, the other will address the root courses of every illness to allow them to fully heal.
Great blog Eunice. It is so important to not discount anything that can complement the amazing service conventional medicine is. Because there is so much more to a human being than its symptoms when ill, and there is so much more to discover about being human and all the things accompanied.
Absolutely Benkt, very well said! When we are ill/injured, there is so much more going on under the surface, and we should never discount signs or symptoms as us just ‘not feeling well’. And that’s what Universal Medicine does so brilliantly – addresses the under layers of HOW we got the illness or injury, and WHAT behaviours need to be looked at in order to change the pattern.
Yes Susie. Conventional medicine deals so well with our symptoms and ailments, but it does not address the root cause of illness in the first place. This is true, Universal Medicine does this so brilliantly. Knowing that my daily choices and how I am in each and every moment impacts the functioning of my body is the most empowering understanding I can have. By changing my patterns of behaviour I can change the health and wellbeing of my body. When I need medical support it’s completely amazing to have the doctor just up the road, but now I can take responsibility to feel what caused problems in the first place. Universal Medicine and Conventional Medicine are perfect complementary brothers.
Loved your little p.s hahaha and thank you for sharing the difference between complEmentary and alternative…the name shows the link. I hadn’t really thought about it but now have a greater understanding about the two. It was really interesting to hear a point of view from a surgeons perspective about other people and knowing their bodies- I found that part interesting as probably many people are in this belief that doctors only know what’s good for you. It’s important to get medical treatment and it is important to know what your body needs as well. The latter comes from knowing ourselves.
The most wonderful thing a person can do is take complete responsibility for their health. Our GP is our greatest ally in this – they run the checks we need to keep our bodies finely tuned. They have an extraordinary base of specialists to refer us to when we have more serious needs that they alone cannot manage.
And then there are the other practitioners who work with them who provide with dietary, exercise and psychological support to name but a few of the services that complement medicine. They enrich and broaden our medical experience, adding more dimensions that truly complement what the doctor offers.
The vast majority of medical doctors want the best outcomes for their patients. To draw battle lines, and stake an opposing claim as an alternative denies this fact, and the care that so many of them bring to their practice.
It is also unduly confusing and damaging to put those who work with medicine in the same camp as the practitioners who work without regard for conventional doctors. It creates community wide confusion and tries to make war were there is none. Blogs like this are essential to correct this great error.
Modern medicine performs miracles everyday. However with the way the health care system has been stretched to breaking point, there has to be room for complementary medicine. Although conventional medicine is great, there are a few holes that need to be addressed which aren’t addressed. Complementary medicine organisation such as Universal Medicine fill this void.
I agree with you in how the health care system worldwide is being stretched to breaking point.
Love this Luke… not only does complementary medicine offer more support to the patient, but as you say here… it supports our creaking healthcare system, and that also needs all the support it can get.
Totally agree, I have a feeling once we( us a society), take more responsibility for our individual roles of taking care of our own health the burden on the health care system will, at least, half.
I can see that happening. I’m currently studying nursing at university and this is also common talk with the health care academics. It seems like we are waiting for the collapse to change.
Interesting that you say ‘it seems like we are waiting for the collapse to change’ Luke, as that is what we do with our own bodies. We wait until there is an illness or an unbearable sign of discomfort before we will look at changing our behaviours. What is happening in the health system is reflected in how we treat ourselves.
Agreed Lisa, the interconnectedness of life, our responsibility is grand.
Thank you Eunice for a much needed explanation on the difference between complementary and alternative medicine. To me the clue is in the the actual words and for me in the past, when choosing the alternative way, it is because I have said ‘No’ to being open to anything else, which in this case was supporting the health of my body with visits to the doctor. When I said ‘yes’ to conventional medicine and stay open to the possibility of anything else and choose to use other therapies alongside this, I am using complementary medicine, which Esoteric medicine absolutely is. In fact conventional and esoteric medicine give us the whole package in relation to our healing and I have now experienced that one cannot go without the other. Embracing Esoteric Medicine is the missing piece and brings answers, not just a ‘quick fix’ when it comes to true healing in life.
This is an awesome blog Eunice. One that I will definitely be re reading. I found your last paragraph very interesting. I had never thought of these two words like that.
‘Unless people are medically trained, they do not know how to interpret their own bodies – or so the thinking goes’ I have been very well aware that this is the thinking of many medical doctors for a long time. I have spoken to my Obstetrician when having my babies and have shared with him that I can feel my ovaries and know exactly when I ovulate. He found that to be rubbish and replied with ‘Ovaries have no feeling’.
I love your comment Heidi. As a man, I cannot speculate on whether ovaries have feelings or not, but I do know that every cell in our bodies connects with all the other cells. Disregarding feelings in our bodies is tantamount to switching off the connections.
Thanks Eunice for clearing up the smaller details. Just reading this blog supports me to be more of who I am. Through inaccurate or limited understanding I have realised I can energetically support untruths and not live in the truth as it truly is. This has been eye opening and encourages all of us to feel more deeply into the choices we make especially our ‘wholistic’ health.
Yes CH1956 i hear you. Supporting untruths by having inaccurate or a limited understanding of something. Ouch. I have done that before.
Eunice thank you for the clarity and wisdom.
Thank you for this insightful article, you have defined Alternative and Complementary Medicine in a way I have always known to be true. Strong message, strong writing Eunice. I love main stream medicine but Universal Medicine along side that is like a super medicine, and you don’t have to go to the chemist to pick up the pills as the medicine comes from the way you live. Universal Medicine supports the medical industry as it actually em-powers clients to prevent illness before it occurs by taking more care with their diets, exercise and well being, rather than waiting for the body to present a problem and then making changes. Universal Medicine encourages everybody to treat the body with the ultimate care and respect, regardless of their age or medical conditions. It also is so pro medicine that Practitioners will often insist that you see a Doctor along side any treatment they offer if the condition calls for extra medical attention.
Yes, Sarah, spot on. And in my experience, taking responsibility for my choices (as inspired by Universal Medicine) is a practise that complements and supports conventional medicine beautifully. As I am so much more open, willing and receptive to play my part in my health on all levels, it allows the medical practitioner to work with me and bring their part much more easily.
Thank-you Dr Eunice Minford – This is one of the best and most practical blogs that I have read. It is important that it is publicly stated and understood that what Universal Medicine and Esoteric Medicine offers is complementary medicine, the fact that it is “complementary to and supportive of conventional medicine” and that an esoteric practitioner “works hand in hand with conventional medicine and would never advise a client or patient to not see their doctor for a medical condition and is supportive of medical treatments”. As opposed to alternative medicine where conventional medicine is abandoned altogether – there is a distinct and very important difference.
Agreed Terrianneconnors, there is a very distinctive difference between complementary medicine and alternative medicine. Really even saying the two is so obvious but I never put it together until now. It makes so much sense to how I’ve felt with conventional medicine while using either alternative medicine or complementary. I changed as soon as I started using alternative medicine, especially homeopathic and was staunchly anti-conventional medicine.
I feel such a freedom now with feeling my body and what it needs with the support of both Universal Medicine and Conventional Medicine
I relate here to what you say Aimee around feeling the difference in Alternative and Complementary medicine. I too noticed the change in myself and how I thought in regards to conventional medicine in that it was ‘all bad’ once I used alternative medicines, especially homeopathic remedies and kinesiology. It is true there is a feeling of freedom when esoteric medicine is embraced as I now have an understanding that how I live my life is medicine too and how the esoteric medicine modalities bring an understanding to my choices as well as conventional medicine being part of supporting my physical body when illness or disease arise.
That’s a beautiful description of not only the difference between complementary and alternative and complimentary medicine (haha, compliments can be medicine at times!), this article also gives a beautiful explanation of the difference between Esoteric Medicine and Universal Medicine.
This is a great article Eunice, I especially like your summary remark that Esoteric medicine fits the category of complementary medicine. It is in fact much grander and broader. Indeed it may set the foundations for a holistic medicine revolution.
Well said Bernard and so true. Setting the foundations for a holistic revolution. Esoteric Medicine is leading the way.
What a great blog, Eunice. I loved reading your sharing about complementary medicine. It is refreshing coming from the perspective of a trained surgeon about how supportive Universal Medicine can be with Conventional Medicine.
I agree with you Rachel, This feels so refreshing to read, coming from someone who is fully qualified and works within a profession that is steeped in ‘ignorance, arrogance and supremacy’ as Eunice shares from her personal experience.
It’s super to have these facts and differences so clearly and succinctly laid out, exposing the dogma that is deeply entrenched within the medical profession.
Yes – the honesty and pure common sense that breaks through the confines of this mode of thinking is indeed a breath of fresh air. The fact that Eunice works within the medical profession as a surgeon lends a huge weight to other possibilities. it also opens the door for everyone in the medical world to have a look beyond their education and out of the box, to come out of the mind and into the body and to understand it not just from its mechanical function, but also from simply connecting to it.
I had the experience of a family member with leukemia. He was non-medically trained, however, one day when I was visiting him in hospital the haematologist came in, doing his rounds, and I was astounded at how much my brother-in-law knew to the cellular detail of his condition. The detail, the intelligent and thoughtful of questions he asked raised the eyebrows of the treating specialist that certainly kept him on his toes. This showed me that medical information is not exclusive for medically trained people, the information is available these days to research, and just how important it is to understand and learn about conditions that occur to our own body to be empowered and take responsibility of our own health and well being. This experience definitely broke my idea up that this was information just for the treating specialist.
Great comment and what I can feel is how empowering it is to have a really clear understanding of what is exactly going on in the body when there is an illness. What Universal Medicine beautifully do is complement conventional medicine by opening the door a little bit wider to give a clearer view of the bigger picture and what is happening energetically, because as we know everything is energy and that includes illness and dis-ease.
For me Universal Medicine has opened my eyes wider then I thought was possible and being reminded that everything is energy and everything is because of energy has been a huge re-learning on how and why my body feels the way it does. I have come to really enjoy this learning and know precisely why my body is responding in what ever way it does (an ongoing learning that I continue to appreciate).
It’s interesting how many of us give our power away to medical professionals and how set in stone we believe their opinions to be. As a population we collude in the consciousness that says only the medically trained know about the body, what ails it and what can cure it. In doing this however we do give ourselves permission not to be responsible for our own conditions or health, believing that it is only through another that we get to sort out the symptoms of our illnesses. As you mention Jo it is very empowering to be in touch with what exactly is happening to our bodies and to understand all the treatments available, along with the complementary side of things that helps to look at the root cause of the condition in the first place.
I agree Michelle, being able to have understanding and have insight into the root cause of an illness is immensely empowering as well as adding to our understanding of the world we live in, our place within it and the energies and forces at play. Something you would not get with conventional medicine but a very worthwhile adjunct to it.
I wonder how much this giving our power away is quite deliberate. If we choose to be irresponsible with our body, a good way to do that is to say that “I know nothing about the body or health” instead of “I choose to know nothing about the body or health so I can abuse my body without feeling stupid”. Once we do the first step it is almost logical to say that somebody else knows better. Any treatment that helps us getting out of our self-created ignorance is a great complementary treatment as it allows us to seek medical advice much more competently and responsibly.
I like what you say here Christoph. It makes total sense that give our power away through choice so as not admit full responsibility for how we got sick in the first place. That part of us that doesn’t want to do this is very sneaky because we allow it to override that deeper inner knowing so that we can claim being a victim to our bodies and get recognition for it without having to looking at our choices.
It’s a gentle journey Michelle of changing perceptions, by first changing ourselves. As we become more informed about our bodies and take responsibility for our health, we can influence the way medical professionals relate to patients, simply in the way we enter consulting rooms and relate to them. As everything is energy, I learned a valuable lesson this week: how I entered two meetings and related to two technicians affected the outcome. Had I researched options before hand, and not given my power away (telling myself I’m not a technical), I would not have been given wrong or incomplete information or ended up with a product I didn’t want.
Kehinde, thank you for your very loving response. Within it there is a complete lack of judgment for others who are on, or who are not yet on a journey of changing their perceptions. I can feel in my own writing a certain hardness or judgement so it was lovely to read your comment. As with all things it begins with the quality we emanate first- again thank you for the beautiful reminder.
A great experience for you to witness, johannebrown17, your family member had obviously taken the time to try to really understand and research his condition. It is open to us all to learn all we can about a medical condition that may appear to us. Wonderful that he could then actively take part in the efforts to heal himself. As you say, now we can empower ourself and take responsibility for our own health and well being. And with a knowledge of the esoteric, energy etc., how much more understanding we can bring to this situation.
Awesome sharing, it is a powerful process for us when we are willing to participate in our healing process without giving all our power away to someone else. It’s almost like dismissing our body as ours and allowing it to be in someone else’s hands…when we can play a part in our healing in whatever form such as researching and learning about our illness/disease and how to support ourselves and or engaging with complementary medicine to support us as ‘the person’ in this process is an enormous healing in itself as we bring our value as a human being to the equation.
It is so important for us to empower ourselves by understanding our own bodies. This is a great example of this Johanne. It does keep medical professionals on their toes, and so it should. I remember challenging a gynaecological nurse about what was best for me based on what I could feel for myself in my body. She was obviously not used to people knowing their bodies so well or questioning her, so I felt she tried to put me down as a result, as she attempted to maintain her sense of power. Doctor and patient can work together towards healing the condition. Surely this is empowering for everyone and does not leave anyone as less.
An interesting example you give Rebecca. This nurse obviously felt threatened as she had not the experience of working “with” a patient but rather came from the conditioning that the “professional” knows best and that the patient is a passive recipient of knowledge and medicine to be poured in – a bit like the education system really – the pupil is devoid of all knowledge, the teacher has to imbue the student with it, as she/he is empty/devoid of any knowing! If these weren’t very serious matters, the fact that we collude with this falsity makes the whole thing rather farcical, but as it is, it is a rather dangerous way to operate, as it causes so much self doubt, lack of empowerment and ultimately lack of responsibility.
There is a lot of information available for us to get greater understanding of illness and disease, by asking the medical professions and self research. What is also beautiful once you get the understanding from conventional medicine, you can then take it deeper with Universal Medicine from an energetic point of view, this takes it deeper to another level. It is very simply and very logically how energy gets blocked in the body, within organs to cause illness and diseases, from choices we have made and having the understanding and making changes in the way we live can support the healing process.
Too true Johanne. We also have a responisbility to act as advocates for people who cannot act for themselves. Someone I know lives in a dementia care home. One day I was informed he had been prescribed three months treatment of anti-biotics for a re-curring complaint. I questioned this and offered an alternative. What if instead of anti-biotics we gave the person pro-biotics to generate healthy bacteria in the gut. The GP listened, withdrew rewrote the prescription ( one week) and agreed that the resident be given pro-biotics. Though not offered on the National Health, it was my preferred choice. For six months now the previously recurring condition, has not returned.
In my experience attitudes amongst treating specialists are changing. Some doctors and practitioners have consulted me about a condition. A couple have asked if I’ve researched the subject already and how much I know. Another asked me if I could relate a condition to anything that had happened in my life and I could! An opthalmologist I saw last week, gave me in depth explanations and welcomed my questions. This is the basis of true partnership and open communication between practitioner and patient.
I like what you are sharing here. Information and knowledge should never be reserved for the few, for the professionals, for the experts. Yes, they are the ones that have studied it and know it in detail but then to share with all to have. This applies to everything we learn, it should not be kept for only a few but always for the all.
Absolutely Esther, ‘Information and knowledge should never be reserved for the few, for the professionals, for the experts’, I often hear with people that I work with that it is the doctor that knows and there seems to be little sharing of information or requesting of information from the patient, if more was shared it would allow an equal-ness between the patient and the doctors/specialists and more working together rather than prescribing.
And with this information we can ask the appropriate questions to help make truly informed decisions.
So true Joannebrown17 we all have the opportunity to be truly responsible and know our own bodies these days if we so choose.
It was great to gain an understanding between Complementary and Alternative Medicine thank you Eunice. I have found the benefits of combining Universal Medicine with Conventional Medicine have transformed my health and Vitality in a way that wasn’t possible before.
Yes Scott, I also have found that…I worked both with conventional medicine and Universal Medicine and it has changed my life profoundly….
Hello Vicky Cooke, I smiled when you said “I used to be all for alternative medicine and not conventional.” because at one point I was all for conventional and then I changed and went the other way to be all about alternative. For me it was dependant on the people I was surrounded by and their opinions and views. To be honest I never really made a decision on what I saw and what I really wanted, I more made a decision based on everything that was going on around me with everyone else. It’s lovely for me to read what Eunice Minford has said here and to be able to have conventional medicine available with the complementary medicine to support, from Universal Medicine.
Apart from a brilliant article that clearly unpacks and disentangles the C from CAMS, I was so glad you also covered the difference between complimentary and complementary! So many get this mixed up and it is worth getting right, because it is not good for business if your business card basically says you give away your services for free!
Eunice thanks for clearing up the difference between alternative and complementary medicine. I also used to think the words were interchangeable. The complementary medicine I have sought has been the perfect partner to the conventional medicine I respect very deeply. Together they have provided me with a holistic sense of well-being that I have never been able to feel when only one is used.
I am about to be complimentary about your article on complementary medicine 🙂
You have delivered a distinction that is critical to the future of health care. There are those modalities, like those taught by Universal Medicine, that are truly complementary to orthodox medicine. Not because one is better than the other, but because they complement each other, which means both together deliver a better outcome for the individual.
Eunice I love how you clearly state the difference between complementary and alternative medicine. It is obvious that we need complementary medicine as well as conventional medicine for a person to truly heal.
People usually go into the caring professions because they do care about their fellow men and women. Doctors have little time to spend with patients these days and often just have to try and fix a problem. Getting to the root cause of a problem however will dig it out once and for all. This is where Universal Medicine and Esoteric Medicine and Healing, complementary healing modalities, come to the fore. There is more time to spend getting to the core issues and healing them for good. The marriage of both provide the answer.
I have experienced a lot of arrogance from the medical profession similar to the way you have described Eunice, huge amounts of training and expertise, and for all that missed diagnosing some very basic conditions.. I have also experienced some of the most amazing doctors who have not chosen to align with that kind of culture, who truly respect their clients as equals, who listen and are open to the possibility that the patient’s experience of their body may have some relevance, and some doctors and scientists who are even open to the greater picture of wellbeing, of the body, mind, spirit, and Soul and their place in the Cosmos. These are the ones who will bring a greater quality and understanding back to Medicine that all doctors will benefit from.
I have never had much faith in alternative therapies. I always felt they lacked a realness that reflected life as a whole. As I learnt more about Universal Medicine’s philosophy, I felt safe with it because there was a way of understanding my ills according to the choices that I had made. i.e. it gave me the opportunity to take responsibility, which in itself is a great medicine.
This is brilliant Eunice – I love how you have defined these words so clearly. I can see how the world and the medical community may group these together, but as you say if medicine incorporates complementary medicine, such as Esoteric Medicine, then the person gets a WHOLE treatment, instead of simply the physical aspect.
Eunice, this is so gorgeous to read, what a wonderful description of Universal Medicine, ‘It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.’ Wow, thank you for putting this into words, what you have written shows how Universal Medicine is for all.
‘A complementary medicine practitioner can help the patient to go deeper, in terms of evaluating their life choices and how those choices may have contributed to the illness or disease.’ I knew some of this before coming to Universal Medicine, but not the full depth of what was going on. Learning about the two energies we can choose to align with and how they affect all our thoughts and choices has given me a greater understanding of what is going on in my body. For me the combination of Western Medicine and Complementary therapies working together is a crucial development that needs to happen if our global health issues are to be resolved.
How amazing the offering we receive when we get an illness or disease, to heal ourselves, the whole of us and how we have been living. To look at any illness or disease as a graceful offering is so opposite the usual reaction we have of it being a nuisance, something we are victims of.
When we are faced with an illness or disease we get offered the opportunity to understand and heal ourselves on a deeper level. It is great that we get the support of mainstream medicine to cure our illness or disease, but if we don’t heal what is underneath, the root or energetic cause, no true healing can occur and we will be faced with our bodies showing us just that at a later point in time. So yes let’s welcome esoteric medicine to support the amazing treatments that conventional medicine has to offer. Thank you Eunice for giving your perspective as a doctor and sharing how you have come to see the value of complementary medicine.
Great explanation of the difference between complementary and alternative medicine So many people put them all in the same basket.
I have found conventional medicine to be great in diagnosis of illness, surgical operations, and medication prescription to address the symptoms of disease, but the missing link has been Universal Medicine, for a holistic approach.
Universal Medicine gives us an understanding about how we got the illness, and what is needed to learn from the lessons provided to us by life and our own body.
A very inspiring article Eunice and one that would be great for all students and practitioners of medicine to read.
I have been on the receiving end of the arrogance, ignorance and supremacy you describe and also seen the consequences this can have for patients as well – some will emotionally fall apart whilst others will become defiant – neither is supportive for healing.
It’s a mistake to put complementary and alternative medicine in the same bag… as if they are the same when the actions of each are completely polar opposite. Thank you for so clearly explaining the difference, where complementary medicine 100% supports conventional medicine, as it is important to recognize that there are many layers and interactions between social, environmental and biological determinants of health that contribute to the development of illness and disease. With this understanding, supporting a person back to good health and well being does require a holistic approach – more than just a tablet. To categorically rule out conventional medicine and go ‘alternative’ in my opinion is like trying to walk with one leg. Complementary and conventional medicine working together enables us to walk back to true health.
Eunice you are to be complimented on what you have brought to light , we are all here in every thing we offer to complement and compliment each other – why would medicine be any different?
It makes so much sense when facing any issue, to look at sorting out the predicament we are in, as well as considering how we got to that situation in the first place, in that way we can deepen our understanding and responsibility, we can learn from our life and increase our wisdom. It makes perfect sense to use conventional medicine to address the symptoms of our ill health, and at the same time to use Universal Medicine to deepen our understanding about how we got there and learn from the lessons provided to us by life and our own body. They are both needed and complement one another beautifully.
Just as the body can’t be ignored and left out of the equation, neither can the way you have lived up to that moment be left out – both are needed to get the full answer – Western Medicine and Complementary Medicine provide the full package for true healing.
P.S I love the lesson on the use of words
Well said Rachel, what you are describing to me is what is means to take responsibility for our own health and is one of the key aspects Universal Medicine teaches and inspires in those who study or attend. Doing our part in knowing our own bodies, understanding that choices have consequences and hence our responsibility to live in a way that allows for the potential of healing to occur, is doing our part, as I see it. We are then doing ‘our part’ in providing a body that has the best chance of healing from what medicine has to offer.
This is a very clearly definition of the difference between alternative and complementary medicine. I too as a medically and scientifically trained person used to think that anything other than evidence based treatments were nothing but woo woo and harmful to the patient. I am a staunch supporter of conventional medicine yet also accept that people do know their own body and should be supported to make decisions based on what they feel is right for them, not from fear or from being anti-medicine and as such I too am deeply concerned by the numbers of people turning their backs and seeking only an alternative route.
Finding modalities that work hand in hand and truly complement medicine is the way forward and that way forward is here now with esoteric medicine, that offers an all encompassing approach to wellbeing.
Eunice, thank you for explaining this difference between Complementary and Alternative Medicine so clearly – this understanding is hugely missing and all of humanity is missing out if we cannot get total clarity on this. For myself I know my life would be so different, and extremely difficult, if I had not found and started to use Esoteric Medicine about 10 years ago. It isn’t just the amazing Esoteric Medicine Therapies and its fully trained Esoteric Practitioners that helped me immeasurably, but also the clear understanding of how my every choice affects my mental and physical health. This has given the responsibility right back to me. No therapist or medical doctor can ‘fix’ my health issues for me. But they can both clearly support me to deal with whatever health issue comes up.
It’s really refreshing to hear this from such an experienced Medical Professional.
I have a great example of this that really helped me realise that I can trust my own body and what I know from living in it instead of relying on what I am told is good for me or not.
If I do a Google search or research the topic ” Is Alcohol good for me or Bad for me” I will find hundreds of articles, discussions and scientific based outcomes that ” prove” BOTH sides of that argument. (And let’s face it – it is an argument)
I once spent 1 year without drinking alcohol after, like most Australian males of my age, it was a regular and standard part of my life.
After 1 year – when I drank alcohol again for a while, the effects on my body, my emotions and my attitude towards life and all those around me were undeniable. I felt different and it did not feel good.
So I stopped drinking again and have felt a hundred times better for it ever since.
I have done the same thing with both Gluten and Dairy foods where I have gone without them for a year and deliberately observed how I feel physically and emotionally and then gone back to eating them and observed the difference.
I am my own Science experiment.
No one can ever tell me what is right or wrong for my body and me.
This is great Simon. More of us should listen to how our bodies react and feel to certain things we put in it. There is no greater wisdom than when your body tells you what does not feel right, however it’s a shame that we are often not encouraged by the medical profession to trust our feelings.
I have carried out similar experiments with eating. I was a vegetarian for years and I actually felt my body was needing meat, so I am now eating it again and feel great. It’s not one size fits all, its definitely about tuning into what you need.
I love your approach to life Simon, it’s fascinating that you approached what foods to eat and not eat like a Science experiment. What you have said just makes so much sense to me, and like you say, once you have your own hard proof – who can possibly tell you that you are wrong? After all – you were the Scientist!
Thank you Eunice for spelling this out so clearly. You’ve really hit the nail on the head! It’s been an interesting exploration for me too, to get myself out of the position that I need to be ‘right’ all the time or have the ‘knowledge’. There is immense truth to the knowledge and wisdom conventional medicine and its training can provide ~ but we know it’s not the whole answer, so spending time in arrogance and ignorance of what is all around us is futile.
Well said Amelia, conventional medicine has so much to offer and has the potential to offer so much more if those within the profession got over their self-imposed superiority and self-importance (no judgement intended!). Thankfully we have professionals such as Eunice Minford who are bringing a breath of fresh air and a dose of truth to a much needed profession.
I agree Amelia, it is possible to really appreciate all that conventional medicine has to offer and at the same time know that it’s not the whole answer.
I love this article Eunice. It is everything my experience has shown me also. Universal Medicine is complementary to medicine and has supported my wellbeing in ways that are far beyond what I could have ever imagined. It makes perfect sense to me that when I look at health, medicine and healing, I take all aspects into consideration.
I love this blog. The descriptions of complementary and alternative are enlightening and I very much appreciate now knowing the distinct difference between the two. And boy is there a difference! Thank you, Eunice. I also must agree that what Universal Medicine offers is absolutely complementary to medicine.
Considering 8 out of the top 10 causes of death in Australia are lifestyle related, and the fact that our current medical system is in a borderline crisis to keep up with the demand for hospital beds and care at all levels – it makes sense to have complementary medicine widely available for people who are looking for support in changing their lifestyle to prevent unnecessary illness and disease.
When you put it like that – it couldn’t make more sense to have a complementary form of medicine that supports people to change the way they are living that is leading to illness and disease. That is something I love about Universal Medicine, it supports you to make changes now and not wait until you have cancer, or diabetes, or some other form of illness.
It makes sense that everyone knows their body and all of the knowledge can’t be left to the medical professionals. What medicine offers us is so amazing. Complementary medicine such as Esoteric medicine is a sensible way to introduce the two together. After all the two have their roots in the same ancient way. Having one without the other doesn’t make sense. I was once wary of alternative practices as well as conventional medicine in some aspects. But I have come to embrace the two.
harryjwhite I too embrace both conventional and complementary medicine. In fact since having healing sessions with Universal Medicine practitioners I have developed a more loving relationship with my body and this had led to me being more conscientious with my health checks. I never miss them now, and have a great relationship with my doctor.
Wow thank you Eunice for firstly being so honest about the medical/scientific consciousness, but then also the difference between complementary (and complimentary) and alternative medicine – It makes so much sense now. I support Universal Medicine which is complementary to medicine. And like you have said, they have raised the bar on all levels of health – care, and has always been complementary, a very needed complementary support indeed. It has supported me with all illnesses and diseases I have experienced to achieve a more holistic approach, understanding myself more and getting to the root ill is very empowering, and supportive of me making different choices for it not to repeat, and to begin to live Universally once more.
When I read this I realised that I used to only look for cures when I was sick – just make this stop was often my response so that I could get on with it and keep doing what I was doing. Now since I have introduced complementary modalities into my life, I am not just looking for a cure but also for healing – a moment to stop and really address what led to the issue in the first place and heal this as well as the condition.
I agree wholeheartedly with what you have expressed here, Kristy. Very powerfully written. Thank you.
What you have outlined here Eunice is the way forward for all medicine. To a form of medicine that is universal. One day we will go to a GP and she/he will ask us about our connection to our truth, our expression of love, the livingness of our stillness, the joy in our bodies and the harmony in our relationships.
I am looking forward to the day we get to go to our doctor(s) and have an open and frank discussion about energy, especially in relation to how we live and what physical or mental symptoms we may be experiencing. In the meantime I will continue to have these discussions with my esoteric practitioners and allow my doctor(s) to support me with medicine when necessary.
When I read that Jinya it just feels so familiar, such a natural way to talk to our doctor, sharing the whole of us to heal whatever is being so gracefully offered by our body.
That is a truly wonderful scenario you present Jinya, feels so right..my heart just opens to that. Thank you.
A gorgeous article Eunice and as a physiotherapist working in a hospital I wholeheartedly agree with all you have written. The complementary therapy offered through Esoteric Medicine not only supports conventional medicine, it takes healing to a much deeper level, something I can testify through experience in my own body as well as those of many others I know.
What has disturbed me in recent years is the move amongst many mainstream medical groups, some of them powerful lobby groups, to denigrate anything they consider remotely ‘CAM’. I agree that it is unwise if not dangerous to eschew medical treatment entirely (as those who advocate an alternate approach do) but not with the premise that treatments complementary-to-medicine should be dismissed out of hand. The position extremist medicos adopt is in this regard simply the polar opposite of that taken by the advocates of alternative medicine, with the end result that mankind as a whole loses – we are potentially robbed of the richness and truth a wholistic consideration of the human frame brings.
What has been observed here about the arrogance of the university-trained mind is spot on. I don’t have medical training but I have high-level university business and research training and concur with the danger Eunice notes – that ‘…the ‘need to know’ can be never-ending, the desire to know more than another, to be superior, more intelligent, and to have the power that comes from being in possession of such knowledge that others do not have or know – all exists to cover up the deeply buried emptiness, insecurity and lack of true knowing.’ Such arrogance, coupled with the righteousness of the evidence-based approach that permeates much if not all of academia robs us of the fact that what we know about ourselves and our bodies is invaluable and very much needs to be part of any healing or treatment conversation.
What sprung to mind while reading your comment, Victoria, is the saying ‘Knowledge is Power’. Wow, how this phrase keeps us trapped in the cycle of attaining knowledge to feel powerful. When all along we have the knowledge within, we don’t need to seek it endlessly outside of us, we just need to connect to it. Now that is truly powerful!
Thank you sharing your blog Eunice. I studied Naturopathy at University and they made a clear distinction between complementary and alternative medicine. This is because they put themselves in the complementary box and so wanted to be seen and respected by doctors, essentially by the scientific community.
The lines between what is complementary and what is alternative can become quite blurred in the middle especially when you look at some of the people who call themselves complementary health care practitioners yet would never link up with or take note of a doctor’s advice.
It is far clearer to see the alternative therapies and many of them are obviously anti-mainstream medicine and anti pretty much any form of man made medicine.
For me it has always been about working together for the best interest of the patient. Doctors have their place and are great at what they do, I personally went into complementary medicine because I wanted to better understand the gaps which doctors could not help me with.
One of the things I find which limits doctors most is the short amount of time they have to see patients and this is where linking up with a complementary health care practitioner is great, because generally they have more time and longer appointments, so long as they are working together for the best interests of the client and each understanding where they can best help.
As Eunice notes, the levels of healing Universal Medicine offers – personal, planetary, universal – is astounding. Universal Medicine needs to be understood not just as Universal Medicine the organisation, but as universal medicine the tonic for mankind.
Exactly, Victoria, Universal Medicine is not just the name of the business it is what it delivers – U n i v e r s a l . M e d i c i n e !
Like Eunice, I never took the time to understand the difference between complementary and alternate medicine and I suspect much of the world is in the same boat. As a young woman I developed a profound mistrust of conventional medicine (it neither truly resolved my health problems nor encompassed all dimensions of my being) and ditched it in favour of alternatives (none of which did either). Happily now, I take a complementary approach, and see both mainstream medicos and Universal Medicine-trained practitioners / practitioners such as naturopaths who have also trained in Universal Medicine’s Sacred Esoteric Healing arts. Actually, my decision to return to and trust conventional medicine is the direct result of attending Universal Medicine presentations, where doing so is encouraged. And thank goodness I did, for I actually need both.
I used to think complementary medicine and alternate medicine were the same thing too, now it’s very clear that alternative medicine intends to do it’s own thing, whereas complementary medicine intends to work alongside conventional medicine. Having tried a number of alternative medicines before, that completely rejected all doctors, medicines and treatments, it never felt right to me, and funnily enough it never worked.
I love Universal Medicine’s approach to medicine and health, it considers our whole wellbeing and knows it is a vitally important part, but we also equally need doctors, medical professionals, medicine and treatments.
A great, common sense, all-encompassing explanation of the differences between complementary, alternate and universal/esoteric medicine. Compliments to Dr Minford for this clear and calm account!
Haha, well said Victoria, I second that! This blog is super important; hugely important. How amazing how we as a society use words so carelessly sometimes and lump things together that are actually very different.
Eunice – thank you for sharing such a needed view on the difference between alternative and complementary medicine. I can just feel how important it is that society know the difference, because it is huge for the future of medicine. If 80% of illness and disease are lifestyle related, it is not OK to simply put our problems in the hands of doctors hoping they will give us a solution. It is so much more than that, and to me, complementary means we take responsibility for how we are living either side of the doctor’s visit. Perhaps if we did so, and spoke up about things like the food industry lacing most foods with sugars, then we would start to see a real change.
This is a great article Eunice, it should be published in medical journals. You yourself now have come to the realization of the true meaning and the benefits of complementary medicine and mainstream medicine in how they truly support their synergy. Would it be ironic if your understanding of the importance of the collaboration of the two could spread like a virus amongst the professionals that still insist that the arrogance of science is all?
Great point sjmatsonuk! Yes, science is another big kettle of fish that needs to be truly examined. Who pays for each science ‘experiment’ and ‘research’? Could the type of sponsor have anything to do with the final outcome and how the results are interpreted? I clearly think that the answer to this is YES. So how much truth do our general scientific research papers actually contain?? Could they be biased and limited to what the objective is, and what is ‘needed’ to be found?
Great point Esther, how many years were we told how good smoking cigarettes was for us… the world’s drug manufacturers have always had an investment in the out come of drug trials. The bottom line on the financial report is what could have been the only thing that needed to be found.
Perhaps one day there will be a medical journal that is willing to open the door to complementary practices. When that day comes Eunice will be ready!
I love the virus analogy sjmatson. We do need people and professionals like Eunice to be speaking up about this matter and describing how these two medicines can work so brilliantly together. It is the future of medicine, and it’s time people were made aware of this awesome combo.
Compliments to the writer on an outstanding article on the differences between complementary medicine and alternative medicine. Like you, I am in full support of complementary health care and it is clear that it is the only way forward, to work in partnership.
I find the notion of alternative medicine in the sense that you describe it above, to completely go it alone without any support of mainstream medicine to be a very tough way to deal with illness and disease, rather than making the best use of everything on offer when it is needed.
Thank you for outlining so clearly the true potential for medicine. The starting point for treatment and support has to be an all-encompassing one because we’re fooling ourselves if we think we’re just the sum of our parts. We are way more than that and our illnesses and diseases reflect way more than a part merely being out of kilter with the rest. The sooner we come to accept this basic truth, the better off our bodies, minds and hearts will all be.
By putting emphasis on learned knowledge we often dismiss what our body is telling us. So medicine has become a bit too focused on scientific evidence and if there is any arrogance in a medical practitioner there may be a tendency to disregard the fact that the patient often does have a sense of what is going on with them.
True complementary medicine guides clients to listen to their own body and take responsibility for the choices they have made and if they are willing to look at this then the root cause of the disease or illness can be addressed. This is complementary to medicine in that the medical procedures deal with the symptoms and the complementary therapy addresses the root cause so the symptoms will not reoccur.
While I was involved with alternative medicine I had great resistance to medicine but now I see the importance of working hand in hand with the medical profession and the great support they give to people, especially to those who are in pain or who have a terminal disease. We would be in a sorry state without them.
Eunice, when a patient would like to choose complementary medicine and the doctor degrades this choice, or acts in a way that is superior to the patients knowing and feelings, there can be a loss of dignity for the patient. I feel it’s important for doctors to remain ever humble and learn from their patients as well as sharing what they know and feel as well. This creates more of a feeling of working together and also holds the patient in a place of equal respect. What you have shared is vitally important and I hope many medical professionals will read and consider your words.
I agree with you Melinda. I have been on the receiving end of the arrogance of a medical professional and if I had been a different person it could have hurt a lot. I was definitely dismissed and there was absolutely no room for equality here. Whilst I am very open to everything the medical profession have to say and to its treatments I do also know my own body. To be given the credit for that is important.
It is so important that we as clients are given the opportunity to share and express what we know is true for our body and it is so supportive when a medical practitioner or conplementary practitioner honour this.
Yes to be met in this way is truly confirming and empowering.
I so hear what you say Melinda, it is huge for Eunice to openly name her old school approach to the fact that only medical doctors could have any understanding or knowledge about health and our human bodies. The truth is, we all are experts, as we all have a body. The question is only, do we want to know? Or do we prefer to leave it up to the ‘specialists’ to tell us about our bodies, and to fix the ‘problem’? It’s time for doctors to share their knowledge and to work with Esoteric Medicine, just like Eunice is doing. There is so much to gain. I might have to write a blog about this too, as it brings up so much for me to share.
A beautiful and much-needed clarification, Eunice. It’s a great marker to realize that modern science admits to only being able to observe and measure 5% of the universe! The rest is a mystery and yet, as you say, there is the arrogance in science and medicine that only those trained in these fields know anything about the body! It’s actually pretty hilarious when you look at it this way….
It’s not at all a denigration of science and medicine to admit that we as yet have much to learn, and that complementary medicine, which looks holistically at life and includes the wisdom of people with their own bodies, could have some valuable things to contribute to human well being. What I love about Universal Medicine in particular, is the literally universal scope of understanding and inclusiveness – that each person and their health and sickness is an integral and sensible part of what’s going on in the entire universe. It ends separation and the apparent random senselessness of what happens in our lives. It provides a foundation of understanding from which to view one’s own conditions, and, as you say, to address all the other components of illness that are not handled by modern science and medicine. This is very supportive and takes a lot of the stress and fear out of illness and mainstream medical treatment. At last, the marriage we have been waiting for: modern medicine and complementary medicine at their best.
Thanks Eunice for so clearly and simply explaining the difference between alternative medicine and complementary medicine. I had bundled them together but totally feel the distinct difference. Through Universal Medicine and Serge Benhayon I have come to understand how the way I live and the choices I make have a direct impact my health and wellbeing. I see doctors when I need to, but I understand so much more about what got me to become ill and the new choices I can make.
Yes, there is a huge difference between complementary and alternative treatments. Alternative treatments are stating that they are at least as good as conventional medical treatments, otherwise why use them instead of conventional medicine. This is a very high bar and I wonder why they even try as it will be almost impossible to fulfil.
In my experience Universal Medicine provides the missing complement to a whole package of healing when combined with conventional medicine. The two combined support our wellbeing on every level.
Absolutely Fiona, what Universal Medicine offers combined with conventional medicine allows us to ‘support our wellbeing on every level’. A marriage made in heaven.
I absolutely agree Fiona, Universal Medicine is the missing link to creating an understanding of the whole, not just one part of an illness. It is making something that is 4 Dimensional to the 2 Dimensional that is currently championed as the all knowing, but it is just a flat version of the truth!
Absolutely agree Fiona – when you combine Universal Medicine with conventional medicine you really are blessed with the whole package of healing. As you say this helps support our wellbeing on every level, and is about living true and healthy in the future too, not just in the short term out of reaction to getting an illness or injury.
That’s a great point Susie – about healing and making changes in our lives to support us to live true and healthy in the future too and not just go for a short term fix.
So true Susie, Medicine that works for life.
In 12 years I have on several occasions needed medical support, sometimes in the operating theatre. On all of these occasions the support of the Esoteric Therapies has been immense, both with understanding the root cause of my illness, and with modalities such as Chakra Puncture to support my recovery.
I too Heather, have also been priveleged to have access to Esoteric Therapies as support for the continued healing of my body after hospital stays where the traditional medical/surgical procedures had initially taken place. I appreciate immensely the skill and dedication of the doctors and surgeons, but I know from my own experience the healing of my body in each instance would not have been complete without the complementary therapies of Esoteric Medicine – a true and needed marriage of pre and post care – my main support therapies being Esoteric Chakra PUncture and Esoteric Connective Tissue Therapy. If I had been aware of the choice during my first forty years I know for sure my body would have used the wisdom of looking at the root cause, thus not having taken so long to have brought me to a level of functionality once more at that time.
That’s the key, Elizabeth, the Esoteric Therapies help us to identify what caused the dis-ease or symptoms in the first place, so that we can have the treatment and know that it won’t return. I met a lady who had her thyroid operated on, but went straight back to her stressful lifestyle, Needless to say, her symptoms came back. Do we only learn when our body shouts STOP loud enough? Can we prevent many of our illnesses by taking greater care of our bodies?
I fully agree Fiona, which brings up why I was never able to fully take to other types of healing modalities in the past such as Reiki as it did not cover everything, I also got quite sick while practising Reiki and so I knew something could not be right. Universal Medicine on the other hand leaves me feeling as though I have just had a healing session after doing a treatment, which gives me a great confirmation of the integrity it holds. And so bringing the two together – conventional and complementary (i.e. Universal Medicine) – has taken my awareness of health and our bodies to an extraordinary new level of understanding and way of living.
I completely agree Fiona. With the support of Universal medicine, I have healed behaviours, issues and medical ailments that I never thought could be healed. Universal Medicine went that bit further and supported me to feel the root cause while feeling the glory of me from within, therefore allowing me to let go of that which was never truly part of me.
Thank you Eunice for this clear explanation between alternative and complementary medicine. I also agree on the importance to not shut out the clients awareness of their body, so for me everything (the client, esoteric medicine and mainstream medicine) is important to look at. We need to look at everything as a whole to understand what exactly is going on.
Thank you for such important clarification Eunice. To hear such clarification and wisdom from a western medical practitioner is also valuable in receiving the whole picture. I feel totally blessed to support my health, well-being and entire way of living with both western doctors and universal medicine. Universal Medicine is a one-stop shop where I am connected to understanding and knowing all of me and my existence and connection to this world and further.
Thank you so much Eunice. You have confirmed for me the difference between Alternative and Complementary medicine, which all makes perfect sense, I just hadn’t given it any thought prior to reading this. And as well as that, I’ve had a spelling lesson on a word I, only the other day, was contemplating the spelling of! I had, until now been unclear that the word had 2 different spellings for their respective meanings. What else have you got to share with us?
And is there for all to see, professionals, family people etc. – to broaden the awareness of many.
Thank you Eunice that is an important distinction. From reading the blogs on this site Universal Medicine has helped many people overcome their fears and avoidance of Western Medicine. A lot of people feel guilty about being ill and go through the treatments with a grudging resentment that is not conducive to the healing process. To truly embrace the healing process and make the most of the treatments, discuss engagingly with your GP on how best to support yourself throughout the procedure. These are the things that Universal Medicine is promoting.
So great to have this clarification and discussion Eunice and to feel how Universal Medicine is a true complement to Medicine, one that needs to be embraced to understand the true meaning of health and wellbeing.
And thank you for clearing up the difference between complementary and complimentary – much appreciated!
What fantastic clarity you have given on this Eunice. This blog would be a good reference point for medical practitioners, skeptics and the general public. No one part is greater than any other when things are complementary. Both are needed and in this case both forms of medicine in combination offer the body an incredible opportunity for healing that would not be possible if the forms of medicine were offered in isolation.
“Complementary medicine – … is a form of medicine that works side by side with medicine and is in fact in no way alternative to it. It embraces conventional medicine and knows that the latter is well needed in the world today. So a true complementary medicine practitioner works hand in hand with conventional medicine and would never advise a client or patient to not see their doctor for a medical condition . . “. Eunice, this has been my experience as I have used complementary medicine together with conventional medicine over more that 11 years and the results have been life-changing. If only all doctors took the time to find out the truth about complementary medicine and esoteric medicine in particular, the rates of illness and disease would be much lower! As you say, esoteric medicine “raises the bar further and brings understandings to the whole of medicine . . . and [is] currently unsurpassed by any other form of medicine”.
Thank you Eunice for this totally brilliant honest article showing clearly the link between Conventional Medicine and Universal Medicine which is totally all encompassing and allows true healing at the deepest level to occur.The two go hand in hand and allows for the responsibility of our own lifestyle and choices to empower us in our own healing journey. This is the missing link we have all been searching for and where alternative medicine came in to try and fill the gap but took true healing away from us and tried to take conventional medicine away from us also. It is great to hear all you are saying as a trained medical doctor and shows the way forward for health and true medicine for the future for all humanity.
Eunice a great article. I know from experience that Conventional medicine, Complementary medicine and Esoteric medincine can all work together for the good of all.
I had an amazing conversation with my child’s pediatrician today speaking about this issue. He was absolutely pro complementary medicine but had also lumped alternative and complementary together. When were chatting about the relationship between regulation and research and his beautifully honest comment to me was that most times they are throwing a dart and picking a starting point and how much evidence was still missing for allopathic treatments.
Thank you Eunice, I did not realize there was a difference between Complementary and Alternative Medicine. You have made it very clear. An awesome blog.
I find it interesting how you talk about gaining a position of authority through knowledge. And as you point out, there is an authority that comes from one’s body through one’s lived experience. It is the authority of the mind v.s. authority that is lived by the body. I feel that when we have a synthesis of the two, we can express true authority in any subject without arrogance or force.
May I compliment you Eunice, an exemplary article, which examines the complexity of complementary medicine. The reconnecting of esoteric medicine and conventional medicine, along with the wisdom of Universal Medicine as presented by Serge Benhayon should be appreciated by all medical professionals.
Today I had a conversation with my doctor about how I love working with both Conventional medicine and Esoteric medicine when dealing with any health issue that comes up. Conventional medicine and Esoteric medicine complement each other beautifully. Working with this approach to my health and well-being allows me to understand the root cause of the illness alongside dealing with any symptoms that are there.
Thank you Eunice. You have laid this out very simply so there can be no misinterpretation. It is very clear to me that the support I receive from any of the Universal Medicine therapies is complEmentary to medicine. It is medicine which encourages great responsibility and encourages me to look for support from specialists without discounting myself alongside those specialists.
The fact that we in our society often strive to be more knowledgable than others and as such superior than others is not only in the field of doctors and medical professions, but also in other professions, where there is a lot of competition and jealousy. Often we do not realize how unloving this behavior and striving ‘to be the best’ is as we start the training to this behavior already in kindergarten, or at least in school. As such we loose our true loving connection to ourselves, our family members and everybody else and we loose the ability to truly feel what needs to be done or to be expressed.
Thank you for highlighting distinction between alternative and complementary medicine. The depth of esoteric medicine is enormous and in combination with conventional medicine provides spherical view of human life.
I too had always kind of just clumped complementary and alternative together, but as soon as I started reading your blog I realised how foolish it is to consider them they same – when obviously, just from the names, they are not. I have to agree with you and say that for me, complementary medicine makes sense, for as you say, the health service often does not have the time, funding or training to do more than the amazing work they are already doing to treat the physical symptoms, and yet there is so much more to us than the physical symptom – there is the way of life and the choices that lead to that, and Universal Medicine, as you have said, takes everything into account, working seamlessly alongside conventional medicine, even assisting it by supporting people not to continue living in the same way, and so not reproducing the same ills.
Thank you for making the difference between complementary and alternative so clear, Eunice, and also putting the record straight about complementary and complimentary; also explaining how Universal Medicine is bigger and more encompassing than all other forms of medicine and embraces them all in relation to the whole universe, and so gives us the opportunity to feel where we are with our choices in life that affect our health and well-being, that we are connected to everything, and that everything has to be taken into consideration.
In the past I have encountered many doctors that were the way you once were Eunice, and the thing that I found most difficult is the stance that a patient would not know their own body. Then, and even much more now after building my presence and awareness, I can feel my body, I can feel it from the inside out and this offers me much information. This is such an important part of medicine that cannot be overlooked. Just imagine doctor and patient working together on the awareness of our body, health and choices we make in life! This is what Universal Medicine has offered me, a true wholelistic awareness and understanding of my body, health, life and the universe.
I agree Doug, it is great to read in Eunice’s article the difference between complementary and alternative medicine and in such a clear, simple way. I had always assumed they were the same thing and that they were both generally anti-medicine, but I can now feel that this is not the case with complementary medicine.
Eunice this is such an amazing pointing out what the true meanings of complementary and alternative are. I love how you structered and build up the article as it clearly shows the true meaning and creates a deep understanding on what is what and shows the whole picture of medicine. Everybody should read this article and consider this, pondering on it as it is deep wisdom expressed here. And I also loved the ps :-). It’s so great when the complementary and medicine come together and to see it in this picture of marrying each other – really a divine way to express what you here explained on a day to day basis. Thank You for sharing this with us, a great article to always come back and refer to. For myself it is a confirmation as I was kind of resistant to medicine – then got to alternative – got introduced to the esoteric and now could be open to live what you express here and give myself what is needed in conventional medicine if my body needs it and complement it by the esoteric medicine.
It is great to have the difference between complementary and alternative medicine explained by you Eunice Minford. I do now have a deeper understanding of why there is such a reluctance from western medicine to alternative medicine since the latter is disregarding western medicine completely. I can now feel the evil of this since it withholds people from the loving quality of medical care that western medicine is delivering to our societies. The complementary medicine Esoteric `Medicine delivered by Universal Medicine is providing the missing link to western medicine because we are not only a body but also spiritual and we do have emotions and as you say Eunice, these are not the domains that are well know by western medicine. Therefore the marriage of western medicine and complementary medicine will be a blessing for the whole of humanity.
As I re-read your post Eunice I appreciated more the service you have offered humanity. The practice of lumping together alternative and complementary medicine, deliberate or not, confuses and damages the public’s perception of complementary medicine. Clear expositions of complementary medicine and what it truly means are urgently needed as media, pharmaceuticals and governments attempt to undermine, discredit and banish it from existent. Thank you Eunice, as a surgeon yourself, for openly endorsing complementary medicine in the way that you have. There is a natural partnership between complementary and conventional medicine and this should be reflected in the training of all doctors. And of course, in true medicine there is no separation.
I love this blog for many reasons Eunice. The first one is how you have captured the consciousness and arrogance around how a certain type of education closes us down to looking at the bigger picture and how we can arrogantly dismiss what is before us because it doesn’t fit into that paradigm. I also love it because of the distinction you make between alternative and complementary medicine and the little aside on the words “complementary and complimentary”. Thank you for the elucidation!
I find it arrogant, as you have said that some doctors still believe that someone with a piece of paper is the only one that can tell me more about my body. Esoteric Medicine is allowing people to make choices that in the end can reduce some of the self-inflicted causes that have required us in the past to seek medical attention. Great blog Eunice, for a definitive definition of CAM from someone that at one time believed the arrogant hype of their own profession.
Eunice, this is awesome, you make the distinction super clear. I personally am not advocate of alternative medicine either for the same reasons you outline — that it dismisses conventional medicine. To me that feels irresponsible and dangerous but complementary medicine and my experience with esoteric medicine is completely different. I have been encouraged many times by esoteric practitioners I have seen to seek out support from complementary medicine. The two work together amazingly and I feel empowered knowing I have the support from both to care for my body and my whole being.
Thanks Eunice for such an honest article! As I read it, I felt I could have substituted my own story except that I was on the other side i.e. I previously rejected pretty much anything that had to do with conventional / western medicine and totally favoured alternative/natural medicine (I must say in looking back that this was to such an extent at times, to the detriment of my own health and that of my family). But the arrogance and ignorance around this was no different than what you have described here. I love the way you have described complementay medicine (with an ‘e’!) and this is exactly what I found Universal Medicine offers, to the extent that my previous held ideals around medicine in all forms has come about face. I am now embracing the opportunity to support myself with esoteric medicine, an integral complementary medicine which works alongside, but not to the exclusion or rejection of, conventional medicine.
Another thing I found about the consciousness of the medical profession was a deep seated fear about not knowing the answer to something, not being able to diagnose, fix or bring a solution to a problem. In that there is such a huge barrier to true communication. The medical professional wants/needs to deliver something and the patient learns to disempower themselves in the receipt of such ‘out of reach wisdom’.
This is a gorgeous, accessible, inspiring piece of writing with a beautiful P.S. Thank you, Eunice.
I think there’s often a huge pressure on medical professionals to deliver an answer and make everything better without responsibility on the part of the patient being taken to openly and honestly see if they need to make some changes in their life. This is where true esoteric medicine can be a key support, helping people to look at how they have been living and assist with lovingly making changes. Which then allows conventional medicine to take care of the parts that it does so well.
In my own experience, Universal Medicine shook me into realising the part I had to play with my own health. Up to that point I was quite happy to go to a doctor and have him or her deal with whatever was wrong. Also when I wanted to get to the bottom of how I was feeling and why, there was no real space for this and no real clues within conventional medicine. Everything fell into place when I started considering the wisdom of Serge Benhayon. So now when I go to the doctors they get a person who is working with them to improve my health and I feel that that must be very nice for them.
Eunice when I read your description of the form of thinking that seeks to out do another with their knowledge I was struck by the contrast between this way of thinking and the way that Serge Benhayon thinks. His knowledge is vast beyond measure and yet he never uses it to big himself up. On the contrary he continually tells everybody that they too have equal access to everything that he knows.
Eunice thank you for another clear and informative article. I got to feel the real meaning of the word ‘complementary’ and therefore got to feel how perfectly it’s used when coupled with the word ‘medicine’.
Eunice this is a brilliant explanation of the very distinct difference between complementary and alternative medicine. Very often the two get thrown into the same basket without any true understanding of how remarkably different they are. One (alternative) is anti traditional medicine and the other (complementary) is not. A lot has been said about Universal Medicine being anti traditional medicine, it is not. It has consistently spoken about the two; traditional and complementary medicine being very needed and integral to the healing process. A return to true holistic medicine, thank you Eunice and Universal Medicine for leading the way.
Thank you Eunice for this clarification of complementary and alternative medicine and really looking at the difference and what it means. It always amazes me how two words that are so different in meaning can become used by so many people and then suddenly are taken to mean the same thing. Fantastic to clearly define one from the other.
‘The ‘need to know’ can be never-ending, the desire to know more than another, to be superior, more intelligent, and to have the power that comes from being in possession of such knowledge that others do not have or know – all exists to cover up the deeply buried emptiness, insecurity and lack of true knowing.’ I love what you’ve written here Eunice and this blog, it’s so grand. I’ve been witness to this sort of intelligence throughout my life and I’ve also tried to use it against others to better myself in some way. Knowing what I know now, it amazing to read what it actually covers up, for when we are full of love, secure and knowing of what this life is really about there is only an equalness in that shared love and any bettering of another is nowhere to be seen. There is a amazing grace, space and an inquiry that esoteric medicine so beautifully brings.
This is such an important discussion to have Eunice, for there is vast differences between complementary and alternative medicine approaches. Complementary medicine supports people where they are at and encourages self-responsibility in how we are living everyday and asks us to look at the choices we are making. This supports conventional medicine without question, while they support and treat people with illness and disease. Alternative medicine simply looks for an alternative to the treatment options offered by conventional medicine. Whilst it may be something that some people in the community are wanting, it provides no true service to those that are seeking it and separates something that should be working in a harmony together for the benefit of patients.
This is an absolutely stellar article clearly expressing the purpose of ‘Complementary Medicine’ and taking it even further to encompass the fullness and scope of ‘Universal Medicine’. This excites me as it has always been my purpose from the beginnings of my career in studying Complementary Healing modalities and I have never felt comfortable calling them ‘Alternative Therapies’.
The separation and judgement that exists is entirely unnecessary and standing in the way of true healthcare. The way of the future is to work TOGETHER, Medicine and Complementary therapies aligned, in communication and in support of each other for the best patient and client outcomes.
Thanks Eunice, I had only vaguely understood the difference between alternative and complementary, and completely missed the difference between complimentary and complementary. It just shows how important words and their meanings are. And I love your sharing of how it all works together, to me it makes sense that conventional and supporting medicines would work together to supply the whole picture.
Thank you Eunice for your brilliance again in shining a light where is it much needed. The union of western medicine and esoteric medicine is of immense value to humanity’s well-being as a whole. As with this the whole being is responsible, honoured and supported in the process of healing. It is interesting to observe how the separation of these equally powerful modalities working together also reflects the state of well-being and health that we are in as society. Thank you again Eunice for reflecting what is possible with who you are and the amazing work that you do.
ps – thank you for the clarification…!
Working in nursing I see how amazing conventional medicine can be, but it can not provide all things to all people. The truth is we can’t, we simply at this point in time, don’t have the time or resources to do this. In fact, there is no system of medicine that can do this. However as you have so beautifully shared Eunice complementary medicine supports and works with conventional medicine and does so in a way that supports the person to address the underlying issues that are causing their ill health, so that the person then brings a new level of understanding and responsibility to the way they live and how this influences their wellbeing. I have just realised that nursing is complementary to medicine. In nursing we support and work with conventional medicine, we work closely with doctors and make suggestions to the way we care for patients. We work with our patients in a way that is unique, providing intimate and detailed care taking into consideration everything about that person that is influencing their health and walking with the person step by step.
It is quite a crazy concept to expect one thing to be able to do everything. Why do we expect conventional medicine to be able to heal all ills? Working as a team (when working together harmoniously) gets much better results.
Awesome differentiating between complementary and alternative medicine- I prefer any medicine that is open to a multidisciplinary approach. I love your expanded definition of Universal Medicine: “It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.” That is definitely one to include in the next edition of the medical dictionary – whether that dictionary be complementary, alternative or western or chinese or archaic or any……include Universal Medicine.
Esoteric medicine is a crucial component to true healing as it is complementary to and brings to western medicine the understanding that ALL of our illness and disease is as a result of our choices and if we don’t take responsibility for ourselves western medicine and our health care systems are going to become severely overburdened and unsustainable in the future as is already occurring. I feel we are taking western medicine for granted and using it as the go to, to fix us instead of recognising that it is merely supporting us when we have become wayward. If we stop the self-abuse to our bodies from consuming caffeine, alcohol and foods that don’t agree and stop running our bodies as though they’re a machine that we put into the workshop when they’re broken (western medicine) and start to truly care for and nurture ourselves then perhaps we wouldn’t be experiencing the escalating levels of disease and illness and the difficulties in relationships that we currently are.
Complementary and alternative medicine are so often lumped together as one and the same so it’s great to have the clarity that you’ve presented here Eunice, thank you. And within that I’ve found that not all complementary therapies are the same either.
Yes Fiona, and in doing so, the grace and healing that is offered by complementary medicine working alongside the wonders of conventional medicine is lost. Medicine is reduced to function and this is not what it is. Medicine is all-encompassing of the entire being. Which is why when complementary and conventional medicine work together we can have true medicine. Both are needed, both are equally valuable.
Thank you Eunice Minford, your stand-out blog clearly states the differences between alternative and complementary therapies. From experience, Universal Medicine modalities most definitely complements and supports conventional medicine treatment.
Thank you for the great and clear distinction between alternative and complementary. I have most certainly found Esoteric Medicine and Universal Medicine’s approach to health to be very complementary to mainstream medicine. I have found mainstream medicine addresses the physical body very well, but Esoteric Medicine allows me to look at the root cause of my ill or disharmony and to arrest the patterns and behaviours. This makes absolute sense for me as it addresses the body, mind and soul…which for me is true healing.
Amazing Marika. I too love how Universal Medicine fits with mainstream medicine… The latter addresses the direct physical problem/issue, and the former helps unravel and understand the deeper levels and meanings of how we got to the issue, so we can change the way we live that eradicates having that illness/injury/disease in the future again.
I agree Marika, and as you say, ‘Esoteric Medicine allows me to look at the root cause of my ill or disharmony and to arrest the patterns and behaviours.’ This is essential, or we will have the same illness manifesting again, either in the same or a different form.
Thanks for a great article Eunice, explaining the differences between complementary medicine and alternative medicine. Universal Medicine is indeed a fantastic accompaniment to orthodox western medicine, being truly holistic. I used to be a fan of alternative medicine and was a part time practitioner of such for nearly 20 years, shunning western medicine- having been disillusioned when I worked as a nurse and seeing there was never any attempt to reach the root of a problem. Having discovered Universal Medicine I now embrace both and find they do indeed complement each other. The arrogance that lies in thinking our way is the best and can do it all, exists in both camps – alternative and conventional medicine.
This is such a great point Sue. So many have turned away from western medicine due to their disillusion and hurt at the limits of western medicine. Thanks to the work of Universal Medicine and its teachings that a holistic approach is needed, combining western medicine with the esoteric modalities which are completely complementary to medicine many people have healed these hurts and returned to western medicine with outstanding results check out http://www.universalmedicine.net/before–after.html to see for yourselves.
When you have an illness you see your GP. Sometimes it is necessary to further support the healing process form a specialist or physiotherapist, nutritionist, psychologist. Complementary Medicine is no different and Esoteric Medicine is a very important part of the holistic healing process Universal Medicine is leading the way here.
I totally agree, Universal Medicine is truly leading the way in where we need to go with our Health System. I am a living proof of this statement, so there is no stronger evidence than my body. I know this very clearly as I have and am feeling it clearly in how my body is now to how it was before I started using Universal Medicine and its Esoteric Modalities and Practitioners.
I love how this article explains alternative and complementary medicine and then where Universal Medicine sits as a business that complements mainstream medicine. You can clearly see how beneficial it can be for the patient when/if mainstream and complementary health care work together. If the well-being of a person is the purpose of any health care treatment then why would we not all be working together? Mainstream medicine does not own all the answers and the over burdened health care systems around the world are proving this fact.
Good point Sally, the wellbeing of the person should be the purpose of any health care work without any hidden agendas, and if this was so why wouldn’t all health care workers from different disciplines regardless if they be ‘mainstream’ or complementary be working together?
I agree Sally it makes sense that conventional medicine would be working with complementary medicine if the health and well being was at the heart of someone who was sick. As Eunice describes the medical model can be caught in an arrogance and a belief that it is IT. Which I have always found confusing as so often within 10 or 20 years they completely contradict themselves on what advice they were giving people regarding health, for example 20 years ago the medical profession told women to bottle feed not breast feed, now your can almost get hung for bottle feeding so important is breast feeding according to the WHO — I can’t take seriously someone who U turns and is so adamant that they are right. I prefer to look for truth and what makes sense to me, I feel we give so much power away to those who have letters after their names rather than trusting in our own bodies and the often very clear messages something is working or not working.
When people are at the centre of any type of medicine, as you say Sally, working together would be a no brainer. It would be as natural as it is to keep a baby warm and safe, we would just do whatever it takes and whatever is needed to truly support.
This is a good point Sally. With the burden of the health system as it is it feels even more important that people are open to the two working together, especially after the hundreds that currently live and benefit from the support of Universal Medicine. There are literally hundreds of people who are walking, breathing, living medical miracles who have used the two medicines side by side, plus they are living with vitality, joy and purpose.
That is so true – if mainstream medicine and complementary medicine work together, the benefits can be clearly seen, and as you say: ‘if the well-being of a person is the purpose of any health care treatment then why would we not all be working together?’ Exactly!
Thank you Eunice for clarifying the difference between ‘alternative medicine and ‘complementary medicine’ – like you said I had always thought they were one and the same without working it out. Universal Medicine does complement conventional medicine, and what is more it just make sense of why we become ill in the first place. I felt that the way we lived must have an impact on why we became ill and that stress did not support our body. However, Universal Medicine is beautiful in the way that it offers us a way to live where we can begin to at last take responsibility for our own health.
You have hit the nail on the head here Susan when you say ‘Universal Medicine is beautiful in the way that it offers us a way to live where we can begin to at last take responsibility for our own health.’ This is it. It is an offering, a presentation for us, something that supports is to take the reins (as we say) for our own health and well being in our lives. It works in a holistic way hand in hand complementary with conventional medicine.
Yes, Johanna and it is beautiful to feel the empowerment as a result of accepting responsibility in the way that we live. Life begins to flow as we recognise that there are always consequences in the way we live life.
Thank you Eunice for this great piece. This quote stood out for me, “included in this type of thinking is the desire to own knowledge”. For much of conventional medicine this desire to own the knowledge of how our bodies work has meant that when someone cannot be cured by the doctor’s knowledge, then they also get the blame for not being able to fix things. This practice completely robs the patient of not only their responsibility in how they live their life which may have led to their illness, but for many it also robs them of the possibility of taking responsibility for their illness, for they are told that they do not know anything about themselves and their doctor is the repository of all cures to all illnesses.
For some time I have been quite arrogant and in resistance towards conventional medicine, thinking that alternative therapies were ‘the thing’. Through Universal Medicine though I have re-learned to deeply appreciate what conventional medicine brings and how much we need it. Yet, it is not the only way, as I have experienced for myself that a combination of conventional medicine and complementary medicine (Universal Medicine) brings true healing. We need to cure yet we also need to heal. Then, and only then, we have true well being and health.
I was watching a movie about Alzheimer’s disease and what struck me so much was how without the esoteric understanding – as you describe Eunice the grander much deeper bigger picture of life – we are left with such a 1D version of something that is multidimensional. The movie was flat, one dimensional really giving such a limited understanding of what the disease was about. I actually am not positive on the energetic reason for Alzheimers but in some ways it is irrelevant all I know is that there is an underlying root cause for the disease that will be worth exploring if you were to get it, well it would be more prudent and complementary to know what the root cause is now in my 40s and live in a way that does not mean I will end up with a body having to clear that illness from my body. It is a gruesome illness that is for sure, heart breaking for all involved, that is where bringing the Universal Medicine understanding and ageless wisdom to health and life to me is crucial and makes so much sense of what would otherwise leave you feeling lost and at sea without a rudder.
There are very few models of medicine that actually take a symptom and link it to a root cause. Much is symptom treatment, which is very necessary without the original seed of the problem being uncovered. Universal Medicine uncovers the origin which is in the energy of a way of living, equally as important as symptomatic treatment, what a great complement to each other.
Understanding the root cause of our illness is fundamental to returning to full health, and as you say Matthew this is energetic from living a certain way. By addressing the energetic component and the symptom we can return to health.
Yes great point matthew brown, thank you. “Universal Medicine uncovers the origin which is in the energy of a way of living, equally as important as symptomatic treatment, what a great complement to each other.” We can at times throw around the words ‘prevention and cure’ but sometimes it can seem like actually an escape from symptoms rather than truly either of those. That’s why what you are saying matthew hits the note for me as everything is taken into account.
One of the dangers of ‘Alternative Medicine’ is that it can lead to worse health because people are eschewing the support they truly need. I love visiting my GP because, having studied medicine, he knows about a lot of things to do with the body and is always willing to admit when he doesn’t know and arranges for me to see a specialist or tells me a website where I can look things up. I will always go to him for a diagnosis and we discuss my lifestyle and what I can do to help improve my health. I always consider carefully if I want to take prescribed medicine or not, and will always do so if it feels appropriate e.g. I am on warfarin to prevent the risk of a stroke. It is great that Universal Medicine is Pro-Western Medicine, because it helped me to let go of the dangerous anti-medicine ideal that I was allowing to rule my life.
It is imperative in the current political climate that we not confuse alternative medicine with medicine that is complementary to conventional medicine. And it is great to hear a doctor express this so clearly. Thank you Eunice.
Thank you Eunice for clarifying complementary and alternative medicine. It brings more clarity in using these terms and understanding the fact that complementary medicine is amazing but that it has its limits. To bring more understanding of the fact how important responsibility is concerning health and wellbeing is done by Universal Medicine which is a great addition to complementary medicine.
Today I heard it presented that Universal Medicine is not complementary medicine, but rather complementary TO medicine. What is meant here is that Universal Medicine does not pretend to work as an alternative or part of the medical process as we know it. Rather, it stands alone in its own regard, and yet it does not interfere at all with the role of traditional medicine. When it comes to symptomatic medicine, or treating known medical conditions, Universal Medicine accepts the critical role traditional medicine has to play, and realises the incredibly important role it has to play in the health and well being of society.
But where Universal Medicine comes in is in its role of redefining what true health is. For most of us, we tend to think of health as the absence of illness and disease. But what Universal Medicine asks us to consider by the living example of those who practice it is that there is a much deeper level of vitality and way of living that is possible, but that we have not perhaps yet experienced, and thus what we consider to be normal, is, for all intents and purposes, actually by comparison a disease in itself – especially when compared to the true vitality we are capable of living as human beings.
Universal Medicine works to look at the deeper underlying causes of illness and disease by encouraging the client to consider how the way they have lived has contributed to the way they are, and to explore the deeper underling causes of their conditions. This is why it has been so successful in assisting so many people to turn their lives around with such a huge success rate. In essence it encourages people to take responsibility for their own health, something which surely can only be seen to be a positive thing in what has become litigations and blame ridden society.
Yes Adam I agree and as was stated in the article complementary medicine is ipso facto complementary TO medicine – otherwise it is alternative! And your last point is also important as we are in the era of people always needing to blame someone or something for what is ultimately their own choices!
I was just contemplating on what you were sharing Adam on the role Universal Medicine has had in redefining true health, more than being the absence of disease. I heard a couple of statistics recently that 95% of the worlds population has an illness or disease and in Australia 1 in 2 is likely to get cancer. My experience in nursing corroborates this. Our patient’s are much more complex, with more conditions and complications needing ongoing management. I have patient’s say to me all the time. “Whatever you do, don’t get old”, because this level of poor health is accepted as normal as we age. There is such a level of helplessness here, the end result being a strain on a system that is struggling everyday with people constantly returning for more of the same support. What is provided through Universal Medicine, as you say, is the encouraging people to take responsibility for their own health and the result of this is a dramatically reduced pressure on our struggling system and for the person a level of vibrancy in living that we may not have felt for a very long time. Living in this way is a true complement to medicine.
I love this blog Eunice – it calls us to take self-responsibility for our Healthcare and Wellbeing on all levels whilst offering the unfathomable Health benefits to us all of Complementing Conventional Medicine with Esoteric Healing Modalities. Why stand alone and be limited in scope and view when the whole can stand with you?
I Loved to learn and study the Human Body with its miraculous ways yet always there was something missing in Conventional Medicine’s approach for me – i felt like Conventional Medicine was providing us with solutions and about learning a mechanism, ticking a box and healing an ailment in isolation to the person with the ailment – i used to hear myself say frequently ‘It has no Soul’. Since becoming a student of Universal Medicine and experiencing first hand the enormous Health benefits of Complementary Therapy Esoteric Healing I have come to learn and appreciate my whole body, my whole life and to see that the whole of me is either well or it is not. I cannot simply isolate a part of me and make it well while the rest of me that is to work together with and support that part is unwell.
Thank you for this article Eunice which makes clear the difference between complementary and alternative – which have been put in the same “basket” in the past. What you have shared about the potential of Universal Medicine in working with conventional medicine feels very true. I have had amazing results with my own health and vitality, and know of many others with similar results – nothing short of miraculous really. So, if we are living evidence of this potential, it is exactly as you have described Eunice, HUGE!
What a breath of fresh air to see a Medical Doctor who as you say “has taken the time” to investigate modalities that are “complementary to medicine”. Esoteric Medicine has in my life been influential in establishing health and wellbeing in conjunction with conventional medicine. Without it I would be in dire straights, so in my opinion too, these complementary to medicine modalities are essential and highly valued.
I agree Heather. Although I worked in nursing, I was practicing in resistance to conventional medicine and used my knowledge of herbal medicine as an alternative application of health care. When I began to attend Universal Medicine, I began to feel the impact of my choices and realised that I could make new choices in my own health that very much included conventional medicine as part of my own care, but most importantly how my own level of responsibility has stepped up in how I care for myself too (which complements absolutely any conventional medicine that I may need). With many people in our community struggling to make healthy lifestyle choices, this shows me very clearly how needed this approach is and what a complement to conventional medicine it is.
Thanks so much Eunice for so plainly setting the record straight. I would love to see the day where more and more doctors and surgeons take this far more rounded and open view of our overall health. Universal Medicine’s teaching that we are all individually responsible for our own health in how we live, can only help take all the pressure off the wonderful but often failing health systems.
Hello kevmchardy I agree and appreciate that we have at least Eunice Minford setting things straight and leading the way. I found, as many have this blog to be very informative and ground breaking for the way I thought about medicine. The way Eunice brings it all together into a very understandable package was not only easy to read but very clear in what was being said. This line kevmchardy is worth repeating as well, “Universal Medicine’s teaching that we are all individually responsible for our own health in how we live, can only help take all the pressure off the wonderful but often failing health systems.”
Conventional medicine is fantastic but these days most people know that it has its limitations. There is more to a person than just the body and its function and this is where Universal Medicine comes in and says our body actually tells us the truth so why don’t we listen to it and if we are not listening to it then there has to be a reason because we are not stupid people. Universal Medicine complements medicine therefore by knowing that it is all about the body. However it takes it further and knows that the mind, spirit and soul also have a huge part to place in a person’s life.
This is very clear cut over the difference between complementary and alternative medicine which many may not be fully aware. It is my own experience that Esoteric Medicine combined with conventional medicine, offers the patient so many more choices to truly heal and to deal with all their unresolved emotions and hurts from the past which lay suppressed in the body until they cannot be suppressed any longer so they explode ‘out’ in the form of illness and disease, which is why it is so important that the ‘whole’ gets looked at when we become sick, which the combination of both, conventional and complementary offer. Excellent article Eunice.
Thank you for the clarification of the terms ‘complementary ‘ and ‘alternative’ medicine which makes a strong point for the validity of esoteric and universal medicine which are so very supportive of conventional medicine and deeply respectful of human life.
Just playing with words, it seems to me that complementary medicine compliments the body…ie gives credit that our bodies do have a knowing and are worth including in the picture
I love this kathiefreedom! Thank you for sharing your playfulness with words – which shows another truth to the word.
Eunice I really love what you have shared here. It’s really important to understand the difference between complementary and alternative medicine as they cannot not be lumped together as they are so often are. I have found Universal Medicine therapies to be completely about being complementary to medicine never in place of it. I have also found it totally exceeds in what it offers compared to the many other complementary therapies I have tried.
It is simply life changing!
Your blog makes my heart sing Eunice. Your voice has authority and understands the balance of conventional and complementary medicine that I also innately feel to be not only true but also sensible. Esoteric Medicine is a complementary medicine that has supported me to respect the wonders of conventional medicine and take responsibility for my choices and the impact my choices have on both my physical health and psychological well-being.
I agree with the distinction between ‘complementary’ medicine that supports the client in their use of conventional medicine, and ‘alternative’ medicine that opposes it altogether. And whole-heartedly agree that Universal Medicine goes even beyond the definition of ‘complementary’ medicine. “It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.”
This is an invaluable part of the picture that supports our healing and empowers us in life.
Coming from the field of alternative medicine as I am working as a naturopath , it took me a long time to recognize all the ideals and believes that comes with the so called mild medicine. Because I was using soft pills, homeopathy and not strong chemistry I thought I was on the right way.
With the teachings of Universal Medicine I learned what was missing- me surrendering to the body and allowing to feel, what causes the illness in the first place- this is in fact complementary.
This gives me a true foundation to go on with whatever is needed to support my body and to pave the way for healing.
It is so refreshing to read an article written like this by a Dr. That is not to make a sweeping judgement or statement that all doctors are not open to complementary medicine, as I have found that not to be the case. But the general consensus amongst medical professionals from what I have heard and read is that complementary medicine and alternative medicine is to be dismissed, as some sort of hogwash. And I would agree with your feeling on alternative medicine, this is not supportive. We need doctors and health care professionals as they do have the expertise and knowledge in specific areas which can truly support our bodies, but to couple this alongside something which complements it, such as the modalities and presentations offered by Universal Medicine makes so much sense. It offers a whole being, round approach to health and well being, where by we also become responsible for our lives, health, choices and our bodies.
Well stated Gyl – Doctors and health care professionals are SO important and can’t be dismissed as they are with so many alternative therapies. But we also can’t expect Doctors and medical professionals to “fix us” when we are not willing to take responsibility for how we are living our lives. Since working with Universal Medicine I have found that I no longer put pressure on my Doctor to fix me, but appreciate their wisdom and support in working through the areas in my body that require attention.
There is a huge perception re our health that we hand over our body for someone else to fix and we continue living as we have been. Whereas a complementary organisation such as Universal Medicine absolutely gets us to take responsibility for the choices we make in our lives. We are responsible for our bodies and the choices we make in relation to it every day.
I agree Gyl it is very refreshing to hear doctors speak like this, especially because it is so obvious to see that Western Medicine does not have all of the answers. Working together for the well-being of people makes absolute sense to me.
Thank you Eunice for describing so very clearly the difference between complementary and alternative medicine as I had never really thought too much about the difference, just considered them as one and the same. With the “lived experiences” of my own body, and the presentations of Universal Medicine, I have slowly come to know the power of healing that comes with the combination of Esoteric and conventional medicine, and that is added to in full by my choice to take responsibility for my own life, and not just expect my doctor or other medical professionals to fix me – now it’s a team effort. This approach to any illness or injury has turned around the way I now care for myself, and the results are truly amazing.
Universal Medicine has so much to offer in terms of the understanding of the body in the context of the whole human being, our health and wellbeing and where we fit in the universe as part of the bigger picture. It is not anti conventional medicine at all and it is a great disservice to the wisdom and support it offers that it is being put in the same basket with alternative medicine and some of the more wacky form of therapies that certainly do more harm than good. Universal Medicine teaches the individual to be responsible for their body and health and working arm in arm with conventional medicine this can be nothing but a good thing. People are seldom educated to be responsible for their health but rather look to the doctor, the surgeon or the medicine to fix what has gone wrong, Universal Medicine goes a long way to addressing this imbalance.
I have had some major health issues over the last 10 years and every time I have worked with both Universal Medicine practitioners and conventional medicine. This has supported my body to heal and not just recover. It has also meant that I have had things to address in relation to lifestyle choices and behaviours rather than simply take medication and getting on with how I was previously living.
Eunice when reflecting on my understanding of Complementary and Alternative medicine I also considered them one and the same. There was no clear explanation that I had come across as to what the difference is yet the very words, as you’ve shared, explain it beautifully. What I’ve now come to understand is that alternative medicine separates you from everything else that can actually support you and even separates yourself from the everyday medicine you can choose to life by through your choices. Whereas complementary medicine is something that is not exclusive but all inclusive – very much what Universal Medicine and Esoteric Medicine is about.
Eunice – great to hear that as a medical practitioner, you could let go of ideals and beliefs around complementary medicine, and now see the value in this. If we look at the state of our health, it paints a bleak picture. And seeing as 80% of illness and disease is lifestyle related, to me that says loud and clear that there is a need for people to understand their own bodies, listen to them, and ultimately support conventional medicine. If we don’t do this and leave our bodies in the hands of medics, the trouble is, as you say, doctors don’t have the time or the understanding to know each individual’s bodies.
Thank you Eunice for this clear blog. I understand from reading this that your description of how you were before you encountered Universal Medicine is a viewpoint that is widely shared within the medical community but not by all. Medicine is a very important discipline, so supportive of the human body, and frankly where would we be without it? If we don’t already know this we will know it when we are faced by a health crisis or a serious accident, thus I do understand the arrogance that can be present within medical practitioners. But medicine does not know the whole story and here it is so great to have surgeons like yourself that have the humility to realise that there is another dimension to the human being, rather than just the physical, and so are open to embracing the type of complementary health support offered by Universal Medicine rather than writing it off as just another quack therapy.
A beautiful sharing with us all Eunice and one which certainly helps to brings a clarity and light to the great triangle of conventional medicine, holistic medicine and Esoteric medicine.(the ‘alternative’ medicine was not for me) Having been down all routes to have the combination of conventional medicine working side by side with Esoteric medicine has proved to be the most successful. It always comes back to the individuals themselves and if they choose to live in a way that is self nurturing/self loving paving the way for a ‘healthier body’ then if an illness or disease pays a visit conventional medicine will have a great foundation to work with.
Thank you Eunice for making the distinction so clear about what is alternative to and what is complementary to medical science. What I find interesting to consider is how fundamentally all three approaches come with a desire to help people live healthy lives, but the alternative approach tends be exclusive of anything else, whereas the complementary and the medical approach are quite inclusive of each other. Wouldn’t this have an impact on the quality of care that a person receives? For example, would the alternative approach leave a person feeling isolated, and would the other two leave a person feeling held, supported and included in the wider community?
Gosh, yes and of course. I remember how when seeking alternative medical care I felt segregated from other people and actually started to build an arrogance around that difference with a sneering attitude to those that were using conventional medicine. An approach I now see and feel as deeply divisive and ugly.
Wow Eunice you have really nailed the simple facts that Universal Medicine encompasses everything both Conventional and Unconventional Medicine. I have lived very much the opposite way to you and never went to the doctors always thinking that they can not help me or that they will just not understand. However with the support of Universal Medicine I now see my doctor so much more regularly and consequently I have become healthier and fitter at the age of 34 years then in my 20’s. I now see the absolute importance of how the two work together and how we do need to consider very much how we are with our bodies and take that to the doctors so that they can support us in the correct diagnosis.
Thank you Eunice for expressing very clearly the difference between complementary and alternative medicine and how this plays out when we come to treating our bodies with an illness and disease. It has been through meeting Serge Benhayon and the teachings of Universal medicine that I have understood and experienced the difference. I used to very much align to alternative medicine as I was saying a big ‘no’ to conventional medicine and would not visit the doctor and if I did regarded what I was told as just information and would not take anything prescribed. However since being diagnosed with cancer I could see that it was necessary to visit the doctor and then with the support of Universal Medicine fully embraced all that conventional medicine had to offer as well as using esoteric medicine and looking further into the life style choices I was making and how I was living. It was the combination of the two types of medicine that meant I had a positive and life changing experience with a serious disease. It is because of this I completely understand that Esoteric Medicine is complementary and absolutely necessary part of our healing alongside the amazing work that conventional medicine offers. Conventional and esoteric medicine play an equal part in my life and is therefore why I agree 100% with what is written here. “Therefore esoteric medicine, whilst seemingly fitting in to the category of complementary medicine, is in fact much grander and broader. As a way into understanding Universal Medicine its potential is huge. It raises the bar further and brings understandings to the whole of medicine that in my opinion are well needed and currently unsurpassed by any other form of medicine.”
I find it quite worrying that “unless people have been through the rigors of a bona fide medical and scientific training, then they basically have no right to make any claims as to the workings of the body”. We found this when our children were young that we and they, through the way that they reacted, knew what was happening to their bodies long before the doctor would acknowledge that there was something wrong – we were dismissed because we were not medical people. But fast forward 30 years and what is so beautiful is that this feels that we can now be empowered to use complementary medicine and listen to our bodies and there’s a very real chance that the doctor will pay attention and accept what we say and that the two medicines can work in harmony together.
Thank you Eunice for the amazing clarity with which you have written about the crucial differences between complementary and alternative medicine and the role that Universal Medicine has in the complementary field as a leader in approaching health and wellbeing in a spherical way where everything is considered and the use of Western Medicine to address physical symptoms is fully supported. Encouraging everyone to be more aware of their bodies and taking responsibility for looking after them is surely the way forward for our health care systems which are currently so overburdened with soaring rates of illness and disease?
Thankyou Eunice for highlighting the very important distinction between complementary medicine (the ‘helping hand’ approach), alternative medicine (the ‘turning your back’ approach’) and Universal Medicine (the ‘whole Universe giving you a helping hand’ approach). It is inspiring to hear an established and well-respected doctor and surgeon speak up about the deeper and seemingly more subtle factors at play in our health. It’s not easy to crawl out from the heavy cloud of reductionist thinking and claim what is simple, clear and true. I love how you have expressed the following statement, it goes way beyond just being about medical training as this form of thinking is an evil that plays out in our daily lives in more ways then we would care to notice:
“The ‘need to know’ can be never-ending, the desire to know more than another, to be superior, more intelligent, and to have the power that comes from being in possession of such knowledge that others do not have or know – all exists to cover up the deeply buried emptiness, insecurity and lack of true knowing.”
Liane, I love how your simple definitions of the different medicines feel very tender. I love ‘Universal Medicine (the ‘whole Universe giving you a helping hand.’ It’s an image I can hold dear.
It’s true Karin. We are held in more love than we could ever imagine. Universal Medicine is exactly that – the medicine that allows us to feel the enormity of the love we each are and are from. A love that every particle in our Universe is seeded from and thus grows within if we tend to it so. It is there in equal measure for us all.
I like how you have put this Liane – ‘the helping hand’ versus the ‘turn your back’ approach. Great point also that reductionist thinking, the attempt to compartmentalise of life, combined with a head firmly buried in the sand, is everywhere in our lives not just in medicine.
True medicine is taking responsibility for our own health and lives. One major weakness of conventional medicine is the relationship between most practitioners and patients. It often works this way. The GP is seen as the expert ‘the one that knows and has the answers’. The patient, the ‘one that does not or or want to know’, enters the consulting room in a state of dependency, expecting to be fixed, takes little or no responsibility for their own state of health, and waits to be handed a prescription or referred to another expert. And so it goes on. Complementary medicine, as practised by Universal Medicine practitioners, the patient client relationship is one of equals. Each client, an active participant in their own healing, wants to know more about their bodies, become the expert and take responsibility for their own lives and health. In this way the client becomes a lifelong student of medicine.
So true kehinde2012, for a large majority of people just want the prescription and to return to how they were living before, so no change in their life style whatsoever. However, in the second example you gave when the patient takes interest and has a willingess to look at the root cause of their illness, they become far more open and aware of the messages from thier body and what best supports them at that time to recover and heal, thus they become the expert, and as you say, they then become a lifelong student of medicine.
Absolutely, this is the essence of becoming an expert ‘when the patient takes interest and has a willingness to look at the root cause of their illness, they become far more open and aware of the messages from their body and what best supports them at that time to recover and heal’ With true and ‘living medicine’ patients enter consulting rooms with deep awareness of their bodies and can relate to any practitioner as equals.
I used to think that complementary and alternative medicine were exchangeable phrases used under the same banner so to speak, but I see that they are actually entirely different in their approaches. I can see that Universal Medicine fits in very well with the complementary approach working alongside medicine rather than against it. Thanks for clarifying.
And many groups appear to deliberately promote this misperception – to label Alternative Medicine and Complementary Medicine under the one banner as quackery and with suspicion. Eunice has very clearly distinguished between the two and it is apparent that one works with Conventional Medicine – namely Complementary Therapy whereas Alternative Medicine as a substitute. One wonders the motivation of many Drs, Groups and Causes that seek to promote the misperception that they are the same thing and what precisely they aim to achieve.
Yes Deborah – there are those who would like to see anything that is not conventional medicine banned out of sight. I understand that view as I use to have that form of thinking – but I do not agree with it now of course as explained in the blog. I know for a fact that there is a true role for esoteric and universal medicine and more than enough room for it alongside conventional medicine – indeed the way things are going, conventional medicine should be welcoming esoteric /universal medicine with open arms! It is the true complement that is well needed.
How deeply inspiring to read your words this morning Eunice. It is wonderful that many within conventional medicine hold true medicine, health and wellness before antiquated views or knowledge and can see that the ancient wisdom of Esoteric Medicine is greatly needed to progress, support and bring greater understanding to the amazing knowledge and skill that we already see in conventional medicine and is not something to fear, dismiss or prevent.
Yes Deborah, I agree, it feels very misleading to use the two terms as one when there is a clear and distinct difference. When used in this way it is like the alternative approach is riding on the back of the complementary and interchanged when suited. It’s like saying we will avoid doctors and use our own way but if worse comes to worse we will have to use them through complementary or conventional means. I found Homeopathy to be much like this.
Like you Susan I also wasn’t clear in the distinction between complementary and alternative medicine. Eunice’s article has made this super clear.
I was the same Eunice as a medically trained professional that I used to lump complementary medicine and alternative medicine in the same box and did not really understand (or want to understand?) the difference. But there is a very big difference as you describe between true complementary health practices which acknowledge they do not have all the skills and technology and knowledge required to tackle illness and disease and they understand that they need to work with others as a team, and something that is portraying itself arrogantly as the only answer or the only alternative. As I write this I realise that actually there is no difference between the attitudes behind conventional medicine and alternative medicine as they both arrogantly think they are the only ones with the answer and can make it on their own without help or support!
‘Alternative’ and ‘Complementary’ medicine do appear to have been lumped together, as before reading this blog if asked I would not have given a clear answer as to what defines them. But the difference is literally ‘on the tin’ as you have so clearly explained here Eunice. Complementary works with others, Alternative works in contrast to others. Thank you.
‘It is an aspect of Universal Medicine – which is an even grander form of medicine that encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.’ This is the essence that is Universal Medicine. Whole health equals whole life, nothing left uncovered. Thank you Eunice for sharing your unfolding journey, true meaning of complementary medicine, and the depth of what Universal Medicine offers humanity.
Yes Kehinde – I love the all encompassing medicine that is Universal Medicine – it is the tops! And it makes so much sense when we live in a one interconnected Universe!
Thank you Eunice for bringing this so precisely to the point and sharing your professional experience.
I have experienced exactly the same whilst working in a hospital for a number of years. Conventional medicine is much needed these days, but due to the factors of time and training often simply is not able to dig for the root cause in the daily lives of its patients that has caused the illness in the first place. So only if conventional medicine and complementary medicine work hand in hand complete healing can and will be achieved. And the extent of what is possible when both go hand in hand is just incredibly beautiful.
Dear Eunice,
On reading your article I was mesmerised by the strength and simplicity of how you have written this article and explained the difference between Complementary and Alternative Therapies. The ability for you to meet every person who reads this is felt and greatly admired by me. Like Bernadette says above I too will be saving what you have shared here as I feel that it will be a great support for me and for others.
Universal Medicine is an amazing all-encompassing form of medicine and combined with conventional medicine is very powerful as I have experienced personally. Universal Medicine puts me as a patient into the equation and that is crucial as I handle my body every day and if I learn to listen to it I can in fact know it and its functions in much greater detail than anyone else could know and more importantly treat it accordingly. No doctor can do that for me, however when I get sick, I have all this knowledge from observing my body and can contribute this for the doctor to consider when examining me.
Great point Judith – medicine does not value how much people can benefit from listening to and being aware of their own bodies! Crazy really when we think about it!
This brings up what an amazing opportunity that is possible when someone who takes responsibility and who is aware of their body visits the doctor. The patient and the doctor can use their combined knowledge in a complementary way. But often that responsibility is not taken and it is dumped on the doctor or the doctor has an arrogance in their own knowledge.
Awesome article, Eunice. I wasn’t aware of the difference between complementary and alternative medicine, thank you for clarifying.
I love your line:
‘everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them’.
I spoke with a relative today to whom the doctors have just said: ‘everything is fine, your urinary infection is gone, your urine is clear.’ And yet she said: ‘I can feel it is not gone and I am the expert on my body.’ And she is the expert of her own body and knows what is going on inside. So great she claimed that.
This is a great point Monika. Even though the outer symptoms may seem to have disappeared if we are honest we know if something is not right. As you say, we are the experts of our own bodies. If we don’t accept this we are constantly lessening who we are, which is only going to keep our body in illness or disease anyway.
Great comment Monika regarding your relative and that she trusted it as well – it really confirms what Eunice was writing. And I realised that there are 3 key elements that are so important to true health and wellbeing. 1 – your own understanding and experiences of your body, 2 – conventional medicine and its training and rigour and 3- esoteric medicine which takes in the whole picture of how we live and how those choices effect our bodies. It is a great combination and a much needed one.
Thank you Eunice for a surgical definition of complementary medicine and alternative medicine. Conventional medicine is essential to all of us when we have a problem with our body and we are seeking a cure. However, when we go to the doctor it is our own body and the way we live that we take with us and this is where esoteric medicine comes in as we are asked to look underneath the issue as to the cause and to honestly take responsibility for the way we have been living and to make different choices as a way to heal ourselves. Universal Medicine takes the healing wider as we bring a loving energy of harmony to ourselves so to do we bring healing and harmony to everyone and everything around us, it is truly Universal Medicine.
Eunice, I love, love, love what you present here. Thank you. The down right honesty and humbleness is paramount in your writing, it deeply touches me. It’s true that the arrogance and supremacist attitude is felt in some physicians and it is very off-putting to experience that as a patient and drives them to seek the ‘alternative’ as it did for me. And it was Esoteric Medicine that made sense of what true medicine was, and reinstated my trust in conventional medicine, and helped me recognise my responsibility in my wellbeing.
Very true Fumiyo. The arrogance of doctors put me off the medical world for a long while. I had very little trust in doctors as I was yet to meet one who would actually take a real look at me to see what was going on instead of just giving some quick textbook answer. I then would arm myself with knowledge and often diagnose myself before I went to the doctor so that I was able to present some options in case the doctor barely looked at me. I would have questions to ask about what was going on for me. I now have more trust in the medical world and I choose to complement my body and healing with esoteric medicine.
Thank you Eunice you bring such clarity and wisdom to honouring the differences between complementary and alternative medicine’s. ” Everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them.” This line was so super powerful and brings the choice solely back to us and our loving choices. With the help of the wisdom from our very own bodies we can heal with the support of western medicine and complementary medicine working hand in hand. That’s a beautiful way to live vitally.
Thanks Kelly. Yes we have a lot to learn from our bodies!!! It is humbling to realise how wise they are and yet how much I have ignored it and abused it over the years!
I have held a lot of judgement on alternative medicine and those that choose it solely over conventional medicine, I am since learning more about what it means to allow others to have and make their own choices and it’s been a big reflection for me as to why I was judgemental, which I feel is because I have always known there is a way to be with our health and a relationship to have with ourselves, our bodies and our practitioners that is holistic and lovingly based and so I felt hurt that others were missing out on this or just didn’t get it. It’s much more freeing to allow others to be whilst appreciating more the personal choices I can make for me.
Thank you Eunice, what I loved the most about your article was the clear and simple differentiation you have explained between alternative and complementary medicine. I myself work in health care, practising as a nurse and so see daily the immeasurable support that surgical and medical interventions have on peoples lives; I also have my own personal experience, the immense support that Universal Medicine brings to my life and my body as a whole package to address the whole of whatever is going on for me.
As you say Eunice the title Complementary Medicine is self explicatory it Complements Conventional Medicine. Complementary medicine takes into account that the way we live physically and emotionally has an effect on our bodies. Also what needs to be taken into consideration is every individual’s need to take responsibility for their own health. What Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine offer as you say is far grander and broader than even complementary medicine, as it is a truly holistic form of medicine that takes into account ALL aspects of the human being and works well with and supports conventional medicine.
It is great what you have shared here Eunice and how your understanding of complementary medicine has changed. What you say about Universal Medicine is so true it ‘is in fact much grander and broader’ and takes everything into consideration especially the way that is lived, how we live and that HOW we live affects not only our health but everything around us. I used to be the opposite, I used to be all for alternative medicine and not conventional. Even when I needed an operation I would look at and try every other avenue to avoid this. Since knowing Universal Medicine this has now changed because I now have a far grander and broader understanding of life and health.
Thank you Eunice, that is very clear – I was once in the no-no-medicine field until I ended up in hospital with an ischemic leg – an arterial clot, which could have meant I lost my leg. After that I was very happy to follow doctor’s advice, and it was a year after that a friend introduced me to Universal Medicine and that helped me to understand more about my body and my responsibility for self-care. I am now under the care of a consultant who arranges regular blood tests, keeps me informed about what any implications are – I’m still keeping medication to a minimum, and he is allowing me my choice, but advising as best he can. I have radically changed my way of living and there are still changes I need to make, but it feels great to be working on my own health whilst supported by the medical profession.
I like the distinction you make here Eunice, between complementary and alternative. Interestingly, I have also seen (and been) a complementary and alternative medicine practitioner that was as much about ‘owning’ the knowledge as a traditionally trained practitioner.
Eunice what I thoroughly enjoyed about this post, is the way you so clearly explain with such authority and sense the differences, and pitfalls of the two and so often inter-changeable words, with their meanings. You take us by the hand and walk us through to see and feel truth by your expression of it, and particularly building the macro description of Universal Medicine in its grace to serve the world we live in, and all its people.
Eunice – this is pure gold. It is so refreshing to see a someone that works in the medical profession willing to acknowledge the arrogance of the assertion that we do not understand our own bodies.
Thank you Eunice for a beautifully honest sharing of how your understanding of medicine has changed. I was in the doctors the other day and they had a video of what people consider medicine to be. Many were saying it was a lotion or a drug that will help them feel better. I love here how through discussing the meaning of ‘complementary’ you illustrate that actually all of my life has potential to be great medicine. It just depends on me.
Awesome clarification and understanding of the different types of medicine and what they truly are, thank you Eunice. Conventional medicine is what the medical field supports us in taking further and deeper care of the physical body, which we truly have to appreciate. When conventional medicine works side by side with complementary and Esoteric medicine, this makes much more sense as we are more than just a physical body. Yet, the knowing of this truth has led me to turn away from conventional medicine in favor of alternative medicine for many years–and in doing so, I have arrogantly chosen to ignore physicality! In the end nothing truly works if it is not approached as a Whole. This is something we know innately within us. Universal Medicine is actually us when lived in full.
Hi Eunice. In the past I always confused the two – Alternative and Complementary and it wasn’t until someone pointed out the difference in the two words that I finally understood. Ignorance in this respect can do a great deal of harm. Now when I consider my own health options, I live complementary medicine as a foundation to conventional medicine and now with the exposure to your blog have come to realise that – Universal Medicine is becoming my way. The understanding that we are all connected, that what I live and love in my life , I live and love in all others, that we are all Sons of God returning home. Thank you so much for encapsulating this understanding and greater connection in your blog.
Like you ch1956, I’ ve often confused the two. Great to be given this clarification. I’ve used complementary therapies for many years, few of the practitioners I saw related to the client and treated the whole person in the way of Universal Medicine practitioners.
Great to have a clear understanding of the difference between complementary and alternative medicine and to have the much grander, broader understanding of Esoteric/Universal medicine … as you so eloquently put it.. ‘nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood.”
It was also great to feel how Esoteric/Universal Medicine is complementary TO medicine as this indeed is treating a person wholistically. Then nothing is left out in assisting a person to truly heal their illness and dis-ease as the root cause and the physical manifestation are both treated.
Thank you for explaining the distinction Eunice. I used to not know the difference between alternative and complementary medicine, I wrote them off as the same mumbo jumbo, as many people do. I have lived irresponsibly and wanted my doctor to fix me up so that I can keep abusing my body. When I did see the doctor it was usually a two-minute consultation where the doctor was mainly writing and a script would be produced. I felt I deserved a greater level of care, but wanted someone else to provide the care rather than care for myself. Through Universal Medicine I have come to understand that my physical ills have an emotional or psychological origin. This is where a holistic approach that involves Esoteric Medicine and conventional medicine together to facilitate lasting healing. It is complementary because it reinforces the importance of conventional medicine and makes the most of what it has to offer.
I can absolutely relate to what you have expressed about wanting the doctor to “fix you up” Bernie. I can see that Universal Medicine supported me to accept responsibility for my choices and my health. Understandably this is something that the local GP would have trouble doing in the standard allotted 10 minute appointment, but even more revealing is the fact that many GPs have not accepted full responsibility for their own health and the impact of their lifestyle choices. Universal Medicine provides much needed support to everyone (GPs included).
I was very ill when I first discovered Universal Medicine. I suffered from debilitating headaches that would put me in bed for a week, constant colds and flu, acne, exhaustion – the list goes on. Conventional medicine had supported me to a degree, with medication to manage my symptoms, however, it was not until I discovered Universal Medicine that my health began to turn around dramatically. I am now far healthier than I have ever been in my life and my GPs often comment on how healthy I am when I go in for a check up.
You are inspiring Eunice, both in your commitment to your healing work as a doctor and your commitment to humanity to inform, fully aware that your views will challenge some and cause comment as well as move many to reconsider their own ways of seeing.
I agree Debra, Eunice as a medical professional and simply a fellow and equal human being is deeply inspiring here. She inspires me to embrace and communicate more openly about my own understanding of medicine and the complementary healing that I witness within myself, friends and family through the support of Universal Medicine.
Thank you Debra S and cheriseholt I agree also. Eunice Minford also inspires me to ‘not give ground’ on how much I do know about medicine when it comes to myself. I have witnessed personally many things in my life and peoples lives around me that can be directly linked to the equal partnership of conventional medicine and and the complementary esoteric medicine. There are that many it is almost common place in the Universal Medicine community and as you say cheriseholt, all “through the support of Universal Medicine”.
This is such a great article, Eunice. The truth about conventional medicine, alternative medicine and complementary medicine is clearly and simply laid out, for all to understand, and the place of medicine in Universal Medicine simply stated, with such clarity and grace. You have done us all a great service in dispelling the deliberate confusion that has been created in this area, to separate people from each other, and from themselves and the wisdom of their bodies, and allowing us to see and feel the truth. I love that you expanded our definition of medicine to include Universal Medicine, which embraces everyone and everything in the Universe, including God.
Hi Eunice, I had no idea that the true meaning of alternative medicine was in fact meaning a denial of any western medicine whilst complementary therapies like the Esoteric Medicine modalities are a true partner to Western Medicine so thank you for making this super clear in your blog.
It’s crazy that we could mix up the words “complementary” and “alternative” but your explanation is needed Eunice to highlight this common misconception that they are one and the same thing. Equally so there is a misconception that the word spirit and soul mean the same thing. Many Medical Centres now brings in “alternative therapies” to their clinic and advertise them as holistic, but they are still missing a key component and that is there is a difference between spirit and soul. Understanding the difference is the bridge that alternative medicine needs to cross in order to provide complementary medicine … Plato knew this and has left his wisdom for us to rediscover … It is time to come back to what was once known and lived and that is you cannot treat the body without also treating the body, mind, heart, spirit AND soul.
Eunice I absolutely agree and thoroughly appreciate a medical practitioner being so forthright. I spent years seeking alternative medicine advice and avoiding the medical. I had to avoid mentioning this fact or I’d raise the ire of the medical profession. The result was a lot of confusion and lack of coherence, because no one agreed. Since attending Universal Medicine practitioners I have utilised the complementary and medical approaches seamlessly to ensure my treatment covers all aspects of the condition – the why the condition has appeared in the first place, and what needs to be addressed in my living/thinking and the treatment of the symptoms of the condition. As such I am learning how to work with my own body’s intelligence and the considerable offerings of medical science.
Thank you for clarifying the difference between alternative and complementary medicine Eunice. Esoteric medicine is an amazing and essential adjunct to conventional western medicine as it brings to us the understanding that we have our own part to play in our healing in the way in which we choose to live and the necessity to look at the underlying energetic causes of dis-ease in the body (something which alternative medicine fails to do). When we are prepared to take responsibility for ourselves the outcome from any medical intervention can be vastly improved or the need for it prevented altogether.
Thank you Eunice for so clearly stating the huge difference between complementary and alternative medicine, it makes sense and explains why I became disillusioned with alternative medicine,…. after 10 years the pain in my back and stomach seemed to be getting worse not better, and I would notice how my friends were looking healthier than me and yet I was doing all this ‘work’ to try to make me feel healthy. Esoteric Medicine along with medical support when needed has been the only thing that has made a true difference to the pain in my body, I very rarely get back or stomach pains now and when I do I can back track it to something I have done to cause the pain and make the necessary changes before it escalates into a more permanent pain.
Eunice you have put it all together – the importance of conventional, complementary medicines and esoteric medicine. Medicine means something that is beneficial or good for us and the combining of these three modalities means we can bring everything that our bodies need together under the one umbrella of Universal Medicine – something beneficial for us from the whole of the universe.
It is very inspiring to hear a Doctor’s perspective here. In my the experience some Medical Professionals can be rather dismissive of complementary medicine and assume it is quackery or indeed ‘alternative’. Esoteric Medicine is clearly a complementary treatment and offers a great support to medical treatment. Thank you Eunice.
Thank you Eunice for this awesome blog – I found it very informative and gave me clarity as to where most folk do not have the clear understanding and the true definition of each of the words ‘complementary’ and ‘alternative’ – now it makes more sense to me that Universal Medicine Therapies and Modalities are ‘complementary’ to traditional medicine and not alternative to the understanding of healing the body by the medical profession.
What a great article Eunice. You’ve so clearly explained what is meant by complementary medicine and alternative medicine – these definitions are great for people who hear these terms and think they mean the same, when they are very different, with complementary medicine working hand-in-hand with mainstream medicine, whereas alternative medicine says ‘no’ to mainstream medicine. For me, it makes sense, so I use complementary medicine (esoteric medicine in fact) as well as seeing Doctors and being open to taking medication or having a procedure if it’s needed. It’s a perfect marriage of true medicine and healing for me.
Absolutely agree with you Eunice, Esoteric Medicine is complementary to Medical treatment where the whole of the person is considered, body, mind, spirit and soul. This offers the possibility of a true healing and deeper understanding of the nature of illness and disease where the illness can be addressed, as in surgery and also any behaviour, lifestyle choices that may be adding to an illness. Both are needed as the way we live and the choices we make have a direct relationship, and our bodies receive them all. I have experienced having Esoteric Therapy sessions as a support while undergoing medical treatment and found it extremely supportive on a physical level as well as mentally and emotionally supportive.
The mental and emotional support afforded by the Esoteric Healing therapies encompassed within Esoteric Medicine deserve to be studied, published and their rightful place in medicine endorsed. I stand with you Victoria and can say Esoteric Medicine has supported me physically, mentally and emotionally to heal from medical ailments – and it has at least already been shown by research that the mental and psychological well-being of a patient contributes to the outcome of conventional medical interventions. Perhaps in this we have a starting place for further research.
Absolutely Deanne, further research here would confirm what those who have experienced this ‘marriage’ know to be true. I have also witnessed, even regardless of any particular outcome, as in ‘being cured’, the support that is available from complementary treatment along with medical can greatly increase the quality of one’s life, whether that be short or long.
When I had my first child, I became disillusioned by traditional medicine and their inability to address more than the presenting symptoms. This took me on a path of exploring alternative medicine, along with an arrogance of not needing doctors and thinking that I actually knew more than them because they were stymied by only reading medical and scientific studies and weren’t able to see the whole picture. Since becoming a student of Universal Medicine I have re-embraced traditional medicine along with complementary Esoteric Medicine. This way, my family and I, receive the best medical care through our doctors but truly address the whole by also consulting Esoteric Practitioners. We get to heal physically, as well as the underlying reasons for our illness and disease, by taking responsibility for our choices. Thank you for such a great article on the difference between alternative and complementary medicine – they are definitely not the same!.
A fabulous summary and great clarification between the two therapies Eunice. Thank you, I also loved the beautiful subtle humour and your lovely honest sharing about how you used to think and feel while under the medical consciousness as you put it.
You are totally correct and as a student of Universal Medicine for 9 years I can vouch that Esoteric Medicine is not only complementary, as it has always supported conventional medical medicine, but it is truly far far grander than that- it does encompass every aspect of the whole as a form of true healing. Hence the title ‘Universal Medicine’.
I, and many through the use of using medical conventional medicine alongside esoteric medicine, have turned my life and health around. It is definitely something to look into for those who may still be choosing to stay only with alternative medicine or with conventional medicine.
Deep thanks to Serge Benhayon who presents, lived and breathes moment to moment true living and esoteric medicine, universally so.
I hadn’t really grasped before the difference between alternative and complementary medicine, it is great to read your clear take on this Eunice. I would also be a strong advocate of complementary medicine, particularly the practice of esoteric medicine but have first hand experience of the importance of western medicine to our health and wellbeing.
I too didn’t understand the difference between truly complementary medicine and alternative medicine prior to my experience of Universal Medicine / Esoteric Medicine. As the quote from Serge Benhayon at the top of the page so clearly states: “The marriage of Western Medicine and Esoteric Medicine is the greatest union that will serve humanity”. Esoteric Medicine works hand in hand with Western Medicine, and is fully respectful and deeply appreciative of the medical profession and the great and much needed part they provide. However, Western Medicine can only provide one part of the answer. Esoteric Medicine says yes you provide that part wonderfully, but there is also an energetic aspect to illness and disease and a responsibility from the individual as to how they live their life and we have an answer to this part. The two working together is a marriage made in heaven.
Dear Nicola,
“But there is also an energetic aspect to illness and disease and a responsibility from the individual as to how they live their life and we have an answer to this part.” This is so very true, Esoteric Healing is the answer. Before becoming a student of Universal Medicine, I thought that I was being responsible for my health. I was eating according to the food pyramid, not smoking or over doing alcohol. Yet I still had health problems. It has taken the support of Universal Medicine Practitioners in helping me to reconnect to my body and to feel from my body what is ok for it and what is not to show me that the general information that is available is not generically okay for all bodies. This is simple stuff, but what is missing in many aspects of self care that people search for when they are feeling un well. The barrage of information out there is truly mind boggling, this has enhanced for me the importance of the Universal Medicine Blog sites and the Unimed Living and Esoteric Women’s Health Websites. Now the understanding that we have come to for ourselves (that we are worth caring for) is out there in the world available for any one who is searching to choose it.
It is great to have alternative and complementary medicine explained as they are very different but yet are commonly put under the same defining umbrella. I feel this has a lot to do with the reaction conventional medicine has to therapies outside their way of practising. Any one who works with a form of medicine in the exclusion of others is running a high risk of being quite arrogant and self-rightous, both the practitioner and client miss out in this case, hence this way of practising medicine could not work. This article really opens up the space for understanding the difference between alternative and complementary medicine and the very important difference between the two.
Eunice, those people that choose to only go down the ‘alternative’ root of curing their ills and issues sometimes end up suffering so much and it really affects themselves, their families and really the whole community. The beautiful understanding of how important complementary medicine is in conjunction with western medicine is crucial in the health and healing of us as whole wonderful being. Western medicine is incredible in what it offers people to support the physical body and complementary medicine in my experience supports the wellbeing of the soul. It’s harming to only do one and not incorporate both into a way of living. Both are significant and equally important in my books.
Eunice, I love and can feel the power in what you have written here. What esoteric medicine can add to “modern” medicine is such a complete picture. Recently I was with my dad as he was dying and felt how powerful the combination of the practical support offered by conventional medicine and my understanding and sharing with my family of the passing over process. A complete process.
Wow Anne, that is beautiful what you have shared. I can feel what you mean about a complete process ~ that all areas of support have been dedicated and taken care of.
The amount of love conventional medicine offers us today is under valued and appreciated, especially for pain relief and in the process of passing over. I have experienced something similar to you Anne recently with my father’s passing over, the support and understanding of Esoteric Medicine not only helped to hold a space of stillness and beauty in the passing over process but I feel it also contributed to my father requiring quite a relatively low dosage of pain medication.
Amazingly written Eunice. It is so great to clarify the difference between complementary and alternative medicine, and totally awesome to clarify what esoteric medicine is and then bring an understanding to the fact that true medicine is universal including absolutely every aspect of life.
Hello Eunice Minford thank you for redefining “alternative medicine and complementary medicine” and now you have done that, why does it seem so obvious but yet it wasn’t before? It is great to read an article and learn something or more so clear something up. This is exactly what has happened for me simply with the definitions of these two types of medicine so thank you. If we all don’t take a stand in this, it would seem at some point in the future it would be illegal for you to say anything about your body whatsoever. I love this line and it is true, “that unless people have been through the rigors of a bona fide medical and scientific training, then they basically have no right to make any claims as to the workings of the body – even their own.” Who better to know about the “workings of the body” than the person who is in it? Thank you again Eunice.
I love this line Ray: ‘Who better to know about the “workings of the body” than the person who is in it?’
When we do not claim the wisdom we each hold deep within we are forever left scrambling for someone to fix us – in truth this is a complete refusal of taking responsibility for our own health and the choices that got us to this point. Part of listening to our inner wisdom is knowing when we need help and exactly who to go and see to achieve this. We are not meant to do it all alone but neither are we meant to have someone else do it all for us. As always, a delicate balance leads to a thriving ecosystem.
Ah Liane Mandalis, the word “balance” comes in to reveal the responsibility we have for ourselves and then everyone. How often do we go to the Doctor or turn to medicine for an answer without bringing into balance our part? Not that you are meant to ‘know it all’ but when it comes to your own body, well you would have to be considered an expert wouldn’t you? So from there you would need to be a part of any treatment or healing that took place and I don’t just mean turning up to the appointment. As you say Liane this part is equally important, “When we do not claim the wisdom we each hold deep within we are forever left scrambling for someone to fix us – in truth this is a complete refusal of taking responsibility for our own health and the choices that got us to this point.”
I enjoyed reading this article Eunice and have in the past rejected conventional medicine and set my sights on alternative medicine to cure my ills, but soon found out that it wasn’t working either. After attending presentations by Serge Benhayon I now have a new appreciation for both the esoteric healing and conventional medicine, which work together beautifully.
I get the sense that in general and if given the chance, many medical institutions of the world would welcome and even embrace Universal Medicine, because with it a person is given the opportunity to take responsibility for their own health and well being, thus alleviating some of the stress and pressure put upon the already strained medical systems.
The general medical world’s disdain or contempt for the practice of complementary medicine has always seemed like a huge arrogance to me. This, combined with the fact that often mainstream medical practitioners displayed less than optimum health and vitality themselves, did nothing for my faith in medicine.
Through Universal Medicine and esoteric medicine – with its truly complementary approach – I have come to better understand and appreciate the fact that in order to treat the part we must indeed treat the whole, and the important role that general medicine plays in this.
In the past in my arrogance I had been an advocate for the path of alternative medicine in word but not in deed. For like many others who I knew, when the alternative approach did not cure the problem we would resort to the medical profession. What hypocrisy! With my involvement in esoteric medicine as presented by Serge Benhayon I have come to appreciate true complementary medicine as you have so clearly outlined in this article.
I know this one Jonathan too, by word not deed, and it is certainly a perspective worth exposing and nailing as you have here – yes – hypocrisy and arrogance especially when after resorting to conventional medicine to fix the problem rather than find a new found appreciation for the place of conventional medicine, a staunch preference for alternative medicine continues to be touted while turning to conventional medicine as needed.
What an awesome article Eunice and I absolutely agree with you: “Universal Medicine encompasses not just the whole of the person, but the whole of life as we know it esoterically and energetically – and that includes God, the whole of humanity, the whole planet, the whole Universe – nothing and no-one is left out when the fullness of Universal Medicine is understood”. Nothing to add….
I love this part too Mariette, it gives me tingles of beauty to feel the all-encompassing possibilities of a way of living that is universal and equal in the true meaning of the words.
This is such a unique article Eunice. I don’t think I have read the distinction between Alternative and complementary therapies explained so well and so clearly. The expression CAM is used so often and by the practitioners themselves which is quite surprising when their emphasis is so different.
The description of Universal Medicine was a standout. To have all life, down to our relationship with God restored to its rightful place as medicine is just so beautiful to read, particularly from a highly accomplished doctor. Universal Medicine holds each person as a equal in a greater whole. People are not the isolated units that they have become in conventional medicine or in CAMs.
What is also beautiful to read (at last) is the place of God in medicine, unconcealed, and fully stated. It is very fashionable to leave out God, to claim that seeing how God is not ‘evidence-based’ he cannot be considered a part of medicine. I am not quite sure what tool they are using to measure God’s presence, but we can see with our own eyes and feel with our own hearts that secularity has not contributed very much to human health.
There is so much to us that is not addressed by medicine or CAMs alone, and this is where Universal Medicine comes in…but each one is needed for the whole person to be served.
I think perhaps it is the ‘fool’s’ tool Rachel. Fool because implying that God has a role in medicine labels one as such, and fool because to leave omnipresence out of medicine is ultimately foolish…
Thank you deeply for the clarification of these two terms Eunice. Like you it has been my understanding that they were similar if not the same but they are in fact starkly different.
It would actually be revolutionary for society if more people looked into and truly understood the difference between the two.
Eunice, I love with a capital L, the humbleness that you write with as someone working as a doctor. Often we can remain stubbornly fixed in the way that we see life, but by you choosing to stay open to exploring complementary and alternative medicine and understanding more about them, your views have now changed. It is beautiful to read how much you now embrace complementary medicine in the form of Esoteric Medicine.
This is a great blog Eunice, you have simply stated the obvious – when up to now it has been so easy to bundle these two together as if they are the same. Thank you for pointing out the obvious. With everything I know, and have experienced of Universal Medicine and their position of being pro conventional medicine, their modalities are very much complementary.
And very real, practical and easy to incorporate into everyday living should one want to live a life that is living and healing of old patterns and ailments everyday.
Wow, what a powerful article you deliver here Eunice Minford explaining very clearly the differences between complementary and alternative medicine. Since attending presentations by Serge Benhayon, Universal Medicine, I have more awareness of my own personal science laboratory (my body), how it is feeling and when something does not feel quite ‘right’. Prior to these presentations I would have avoided visiting the doctor as much as possible – no longer is this the case – now I am first in line for my annual check up or when support is needed! From personal experience I know the coming together of medicine and complementary esoteric healing is profound and grander and broader than their stand-alone status. Serge Benhayon fully endorses connection with the medical profession alongside the esoteric.
Why would we not want to fully embrace medical & esoteric together for true healing of “body, mind, heart, spirit and soul”.
Amazing to read Eunice. Your understanding of medicine and the difference between alternative and complementary medicine I enjoyed reading very much. That said I am studying dentistry at the moment and am very interested in the workings of the whole body. I find the classes on the body very interesting but I always felt like something was missing. What I was missing I have found in Esoteric Medicine, the consideration of the whole being physically but also energetically. Every part of the body reflects something about the way we are living. So healing an illness is not just about repairing the body but also about healing the energetic root cause which is mostly found in the way we are living.
Thank you Eunice for this clarification. I have been quite ignorant of the fact that alternative and complementary medicine are not one and the same, although, as you describe, the words say it already. Great call to be more astute with the words I use.
Thank you for your honest sharing Eunice. I totally relate to your experience and was once a prisoner to the consciousness of supremacy and arrogance and wielding knowledge as power over another. I remember studying Anatomy and other medical and scientific subjects at University and feeling that I had made it – that I was on par with Doctors who I perceived as elitist with regard the Human Body. Strangely all of my peers and close relatives who studied medicine and went on to become Drs, Surgeons and other Medical professionals did not a healthy body have. In fact, they often were up the latest, eating the fast and easy high fat, high sugar diet lacking nutrition or balance and practising (if at all) poor self-care regimes. It never occurred to me ‘The fact that everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them’ – like many, I grew up being told the Dr knew everything. Strangely, never before receiving Complementary Therapy with Universal Medicine had I ever been asked to consider the whole picture and whole aspect of my health – my choices and the reasons behind them. Up until my first Complementary Healing session with Universal Medicine, I was living a band-aid approach to life (I don’t recommend this- it doesn’t work) and seeking solutions but never addressing the cause of why I was unwell and not living a truly vital life.
It was not until Esoteric Healing that I began to consider and later to develop a relationship with my own body – to listen to me and to honour what I know and am needing…which is strange when I consider I ‘knew’ all about the body medically but had not taken the time to listen to or to learn one thing about my own.
Thank you Eunice and Deborah, I too grew up with the belief that the doctor knows all and had handed my health over to them to take care of. This meant that I was not taking one bit of responsibility for why my body was un healthy. Even in this though there was an arrogance as I was arrogantly believing that no matter what happened to my body, the doctor would fix it. As I have aged and observed the illnesses of my own body and that of others around me I have seen that “the doctor will fix it” is not a valid truth, as many times there can be help for the symptoms, but definitely not a fix for the illness. Since becoming a Student of Universal Medicine I have made many changes and continue to make changes as to how I hold, support and care for my body and have experienced a much improvement in my vitality and health. Esoteric healing and Universal Medicine is definitely complementary to that which is offered to us by doctors. The missing link as you will, that link being to value self enough to care for self.
I love this Eunice – ‘everyone has a body and therefore has the lived experiences of their own bodies and the things that affect them’… This is a huge statement, and you’re absolutely correct. Everyone (including children) has an experience of what it’s like to live in a body, so dismissing what they have to say because they aren’t medical professionals just doesn’t make sense. There is still so much to learn and discover about the body; I wonder what would happen if doctors and nurses consulted everyday carpenters or school children… Something awesome could be found.
Hello Susie Williams and I agree. A ‘one size fits all’ approach to medicine and the body is crazy. Individuals, no matter who they are or what the profession or training they have are an expert on their own body to some degree. Universal Medicine is leading the way in care in this area. The person or the body isn’t just an object, it is an important part of the whole process, never is either disregarded but instead supported to see for themselves what is going on. People shouldn’t be on ‘autopilot’ when it comes to healthcare but more engaged. Any medicine that does encourage or support this isn’t true medicine, it’s just a form of medicine.
Thank you Raymond Karam and I agree with you too. It’s quite unusual for a young person like myself to attend and participate in events with hundreds of other adults, but when it comes to Universal Medicine this is totally normal. Children/teenagers are respected, adults are respected and elderly people are all respected equally. Group work is effortless, and the amount each individual can bring is incredible, through their lived experiences and expression.
Hello Susie Williams and yes we should appreciate the ‘normal’ when it comes to Universal Medicine. As you say, “Children/teenagers are respected, adults are respected and elderly people are all respected equally.” This line alone is huge, a whole community of differing ages, genders and origins coming together and truly respecting, trusting and working with each. How healing is that part alone for so many people, I know it has been and is for me. Thank you Susie.
Often when I talk to people about their health and experiences with medical professionals they do say things like, ‘something just didn’t feel right’, or ‘I knew something was going on’. When we let ourselves be, we are all experts on our own bodies, and there are many stories when patients are not taken seriously but they had a ‘knowing’ that things weren’t right, so I do feel it’s important that responsibility for our health is not left entirely to our GP, that it is a joint effort…
It’s great to read a Dr writing like this and it’s so clear that esoteric medicine is not an alternative medicine and is instead a way of living, that can work hand in hand with conventional medicine and all parts of life!
I agree Danielle Pirera, how refreshing to see an experienced Doctor willing to stand by the truth in the face of what is going on. This blog very clearly lays out the differences in medicines, and for me from that clarity I can see that conventional medicine with esoteric medicine complementing it is the way to go. Thank you both.
Many doctors support complementary therapies but are most likely afraid to speak up the way Dr Minford has in this blog. Full credit to her for leading the way and hopefully inspiring other doctors concerned about their reputations to also speak up about what they really feel about this topic.
Hello Danielle Pirera I agree but there are many speaking up in their own way. Eunice Minford is another building block on this ‘speaking up’. I won’t say she alone is leading the way but is a part of the lead, yes. I see many Doctors doing great things as they see it and it all supports. Eunice Minford has given us all something further to build on, thank you both.
I agree Danielle. It is refreshing to read about a doctor who has informed herself and supports esoteric medicine, complementary medicine. Universal Medicine is exactly that. A way of living that not only works hand in hand with conventional medicine but fully supports the whole of the body and being to live a true life of harmony, joy and vitality while healing ailments and old patterns.
Esoteric medicine brings a whole new meaning to life and healing. No longer is it about fixing our issues so we can get on with living our life how ever we want to. It’s about taking responsibility for how the way we live affects our body. I feel this can be a bit scary for many people, as it’s sometimes easier to not have to face up to the fact that we are the result of every single one of our choices.
Yes Danielle, that’s my experience of esoteric medicine – it’s a way of life, so how I live each day impacts on how I feel – for example, if I eat sugar, I feel terrible, or if I stay up late watching TV, I’ll wake up feeling tired – these simple examples are a part of esoteric medicine for me…when I live in a way that supports me to feel vibrant and full of energy, then that is good medicine in my book!
Yes Sandra, simple common sense, definitely + good medicine. Dr Minford has presented such a comprehensive and much needed essay on the wisdom of both esoteric and conventional medicine being applied to all of life. As a nurse I also endorse fully what she is saying here.
It’s good medicine in my book too, Sandra. And what a joy it would be for doctors to treat you as you fully embrace responsibility for your own health.
Yes Catherine, and doctors could focus on treating people who genuinely need treatment and not have their time taken up with people who have illnesses that we know are preventable.
Absolutely Danielle, it is really great for a Dr to write such an article, esoteric medicine and conventional medicine together are the way forth.
It could not be said any simpler Danielle, ‘that esoteric medicine is a way of living’. Simple and profound
Living medicine is actually so ancient that people have been doing it for life times, but yet it is so very simple. It’s just that with the ever changing ways and pace of life this way of living has been forgotten by most. Coming back to Esoteric Medicine is far from new and eventually every Doctor will begin to see that it’s a way of living to support modern medicine!
Great article, Eunice, explaining the enormous difference between alternative medicine and complementary medicine. In the past I too did not realise that there was any difference, and thought they were interchangeable labels. Since I have been involved with Universal Medicine I have come to realise just what complementary medicine is, it just makes sense, it is to work side by side with conventional medicine, to complement what the doctors are trained in and understand. There is no way that conventional doctors can cover all that affects a person’s health, as you say, Eunice, “body, mind, heart, spirit and soul”. As you say, esoteric medicine as presented by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine, is even “so much grander and broader”. It is absolutely amazing in its scope and I have so benefitted from its teachings.
Wow Eunice the clarity with which you have described alternative and complementary medicine will go far in supporting many people to understand the difference and to gain a deeper awareness in supporting their true health and wellbeing. You then introduce what true medicine is – Universal Medicine. This is ground breaking, the way you have described it here, and I for one will be storing this piece in a safe place to pass on when required. Thank you, I love that you are practicing Universal Medicine!