So it may have been during a dream, because I really dont have any visitors, but I was asked to further explain what I mean by "integral" on this website.
Integral theory has been pioneered by Ken Wilber, who received a bachelors double majoring in biology and chemistry. He is undoubtedly one of the foremost philosophers of our time, and, with his heavy background in the hard sciences, we can be sure that his thoughts remain highly empirical in nature.
I have posted here above, a diagram of the four quadrants which he poses. These are the four realms of which we as doctors must keep within our sight while diagnosing our patients and designing our treatments.
If I am permitted to generalize, which, I will grant myself, traditional western doctors focus largely on the upper right hand quadrant. In this quadrant we see from the middle outwards, the progression from atoms, to molecules, all the way up through cells, organisms and the evolving mammalian brain. I believe my fellow future doctors can be comfortable when looking at this portion of the chart.
It is the other three quadrants which many of us are uncomfortable in, and accordingly, they often go unrecognized, unexplored, and generally ignored. It is my goal over the next couple of weeks to spend a little bit of time talking about each of these quadrants, and how I feel they can be simply integrated into the practice of western medicine.
No comments:
Post a Comment