EDITORIAL – My Octopus Teacher – December 2021

It’s been a daunting year for everyone. The homeopathy community has worked to share knowledge freely and that’s been a gift that keeps on giving. Being informed and knowing how to act is empowering. On the whole, we don’t have the same sense of helplessness that exists in the general population. We at Hpathy.com will continue to serve that end to the best of our abilities.  We will find our way through these dark times.

From all of us at Hpathy.com, we wish you and yours a happy, healthy, informed and empowered holiday and New Year.

My Octopus Teacher

I recently watched My Octopus Teacher, a documentary about filmmaker Craig Foster and his lovely friendship with an octopus. While snorkeling in the ocean, he came upon the octopus which so fascinated him, he dove down to be with it every day for more than a year. Over time, they developed a way to communicate and a kind of intimacy. He learned to admire her life struggle and her intelligence. The experience was visceral, and instilled in him an empathy for all living things. The film won a best documentary and an Oscar award.  (Video Trailer for My Octopus Teacher:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0LTDhqe5A   )

The day after watching that documentary, I found an article on a CNN news website which stated:

“Experts at the London School of Economics looked at 300 scientific studies to evaluate evidence of sentience, and they concluded that cephalopods (such as octopuses, squid and cuttlefish) and decapods (such as crabs, lobsters and crayfish) should be treated as sentient beings. The report said lobsters and crabs shouldn’t be boiled alive…..”

In other words, they discovered that octopuses, crabs and lobsters are capable of suffering, and shouldn’t be tortured. While I was relieved at the decision to spare these creatures an excruciating death, I was dismayed at the way the decision was arrived at.

Did it really take 300 academic studies (and how many years!) to realize that one shouldn’t cook anything alive? Why couldn’t the researchers accept the evidence of their own senses, which must cringe at the sight of animals suffering. I’m astonished that the experts were, until this moment, still in disagreement about whether these creatures were sentient.

Why do people let experts decide such basic questions? In modern societies, with higher education, there is often an over emphasis on intellectual learning. That can lead to a kind of detachment, and a loss of empathy.  Many people are so out of touch with, or don’t trust their own feelings, that they totally rely on authorities or generally accepted beliefs.

We’re coming into a new year at a time when we’re subjected to misinformation from corporations, governments, academia, and the media. We need to be vigilant, listen to our feelings and trust our own perceptions.  Above all, maintain empathy and love for our fellow travelers on this journey.

In This Issue:

EDITORIAL

––    My Octopus Teacher  –   Alan V. Schmukler

–– Letters to the Editor – Feedback from November 2021 – Hpathy.com

 

HOMEOPATH IN THE HOT-SEAT

–– Dr.  Gabriel Blass is interviewed by Alan V. Schmukler – Dr Gabriel Blass has a wonderful sense of how everything is connected. He’s highly skilled in various approaches to homeopathy. He uses and teaches medical astrology and muscle testing to complement classical homeopathy as well as teaching homeopathy to other healthcare professionals.

 

FEATURED

–– Online Homeopathy Course by George Vithoulkas

–– 50% Discount on Homeopathy Foundation Course

–– Lectures on Organon of Medicine VOLUME 3 now available!!

 

ARTICLES

–– The Wisdom of the Body – Madeleine Innocent

––  Spiders in Homeopathy – Shrikant Talari

–– Carboneum Sulphuratum  – P. I. Tarkas and Ajit Kulkarni

–– Q Potencies & C Potencies – Hans Weitbrecht

–– The Soul of Remedies –– Graphites –  Rajan Sankaran

––  Homeopathy in Nepal  –  Rajesh Pradhanang

––  ADD Isn’t Just a Kid Problem: How Homeopathy and Coherent  Breathing Can Help  –   Kenneth Silvestri

–– Tidbits 86:  –  Robin Murphy, Misha Norland!   –  Elaine Lewis

–– Tips & Secrets – December 2021 – Alan V. Schmukler

 

FEATURED

–– Free Homeopathy Books Online

–– Best Homeopathy Course for Beginners

–– The Best Book to Study Organon!

 

CANADIAN COLLEGE OF HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE (CCHM)

–– Student Presentation – First Cases

–– Viral Pneumonia a Man of 38 – Fatima Kazi

–– Alzeheimers in a Woman of 94 – Kyona Danso

––  Migraines and Disappointed Love – Miran Farah

–– Asthma in a Woman of 41 – Panagiotis Ntrelias

–– Menopausal Symptoms in a Woman of 55 – Kellie Mox

–– Insomnia in a Woman of 62- Shelina Shamji

–– Acne in a Woman of 27 – Abeer Iqbal Ahmed

–– Bleeding per Rectum – Woman of 75- Rati Vaipeyi

––  Anxiety and Insomnia in a Woman of 65 – Tania Gaidamaka

 

CLINICAL CASES

–– Homoeopathy in Elevated D-Dimer – Post Covid –  Jhalak Khatri Nagrani

––  Invasive Mole of Uterus – Ghulam Yaseen

–– Homeopathic Treatment of Female Infertility, Hypothyroidism, Endometriosis, Fibroids and Cysts – Sanchita Dharne

–– Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in a Woman of 29 -Chanda Shah

––  Bipolar Schizoaffective Disorder -in a Boy of 18 – Kavita Chandak

––  Homeopathic Treatment of Acne and Trunk – Rajeev Saxeena / Indra Gaurav Saxena

–– Trichotillomania –  Shamin Sherwani

––  Herpes Zoster in a Woman of 54 – Dhannya Murali Tharan

–– Asthma and Acne – Sayali Butala

––  Difficult Concentration in a Boy of 7 – Vibha Mevada

–– Autism and Atopic Dermatitis – Megumi Tanaka

RESEARCH

–– Electromagnetic fields act via activation of voltage-gated calcium channels to produce beneficial or adverse effects – Martin L. Pall

 

BOOK REVIEWS

–– A Homeopaths Guide to Covid -19 – by Dr. Amarsinha Nikam – reviewed by Rahul Jadhav.

–– The System of Homeopathy by Dr. Rajan Sankaran – Reviewed by Vatsala Sperling

 

VETERINARY

–– Ask The Holistic Vet – December 2021 – Deva Khalsa

 

AGRO-HOMEOPATHY

–– The Plant Doctor – December 2021 – Radko Tichavsky

 

CARTOONS

–– Allopathy 101 – Alan V. Schmukler

 

HOMEOPATHY CROSSWORD

–– Homeopathy Crossword December 2021 –  Alan V. Schmukler

 

SOLVE THE CASE QUIZ

–– QUIZ:   The Worst Cough Ever  –  Elaine Lewis

–– Revisiting: It’s No Day at the Beach for Toni! – Elaine Lewis