March
2003
Chiropractic philosophy and
the new science: An emerging unity
by Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D.
As
a former medical school professor who currently lectures before
chiropractors and chiropractic students, I must admit I am very perplexed
about the academic foundation of chiropractic education. Major
chiropractic colleges create an academic impediment that unknowingly
destabilizes their students and hobbles their graduates' effectiveness.
I
am referring to the problem of incorporating a basic medical science
curriculum in the foundation of chiropractic education. My concern is not
with chiropractic-relevant descriptive courses, such as gross anatomy,
neuroanatomy, physiology and neurophysiology. The problems are
specifically generated in the presentation of cell biology and
biochemistry.
Unlike
the other basic science courses, cell biology and biochemistry are more
than just descriptive in nature. These courses define the
"mechanisms" of life upon which modern medicine is built. The medical
model, the allopathic healer's Holy Grail, is derived from these
biochemical mechanisms.
The
truth of the model is so fundamental to modern science's philosophy, it
has acquired the status of The Central Dogma. This dogma defines
the flow of "information" in biological systems. The information
that shapes biological expression is presumed to express itself in a
linear, unidirectional path. The chain of command originates with DNA
(genes), the information is then translated into RNA, and finally
expressed as proteins (i.e., the body).
The
Central Dogma recognizes that genes are source and life's
character "unfolds" from information codified in our genome.
This assumption provides for genetic determinism, the belief that
the traits and quality of our life are predetermined by the genes we
acquired at conception.
Genes,
are localized within the body's cells. The cells are in the periphery of
the central nervous system. According to the medical model, information
flows from the genes as source. Information representing the
character of the gene's activity is sent to the central nervous system via
peripheral sensory nerves and then up the spinal cord to the brain, where
it is integrated into awareness. Information in the allopathic model flows
from genes>outside>inside>down>above, which can be abbreviated
as Genes > O > I > D > A.
Though
allopathic science is ingrained in the chiropractic curriculum, a
completely contrasting truth is offered in Chiropractic Philosophy, which
defines the foundational beliefs of chiropractic. According to the
philosophy, Innate Intelligence represents the source of life. The Innate,
a form of environmentally-derived vital energy, is perceived as
"awareness" by the brain. In the body, Innate information flows
as follows: Innate>Above>Down>Inside>Out.
I
think you see where I am going with this: Chiropractic students are
simultaneously taught two diametrically opposed philosophies on the nature
of life: Allopathic
Philosophy Genes > O > I > D > A Chiropractic
Philosophy Innate > A > D > I > O Each philosophy provides
an intellectual foundation as to why that particular healing practice
"works."
Chiropractic
education apparently includes basic science courses so students can be as
knowledgeable in "science" as their allopathic peers. This is
deemed necessary, since science is the recognized source of truth
in Western Civilization. If its "scientific" -- it must be true.
By teaching the gene-based medical model as truth to its students,
chiropractic educators are brazenly negating the validity of their own
philosophy and healing art.
One
cannot bow down to two different gods, nor can one ascribe to
diametrically opposed philosophies at the same time. Most chiropractic
students are unaware of this glaring philosophical conflict, yet the
discrepancy between the opposing models they are taught is programmed into
their subconscious mind (Educated).
Operating
out of the purview of conscious awareness, the academic conflict
programmed in the subconscious undermines the confidence of chiropractic
students and practitioners. Built into the awareness of each chiropractor
is the gnawing doubt that chiropractic is "not scientific." How
can this academic paradox be resolved? Don't worry, it already has.
The
medical model of a gene-controlled biology requires that the human genome
contain over 100,000 genes.
The
Human Genome Project results identified only 34,000 human genes. Two
thirds of the genes needed to support allopathic philosophy do not
even exist. In light of these results, Nobel Prize winning geneticist
David Baltimore concedes that genes do not provide for human complexity.
In regard to what "controls" human biology,
Baltimore
concludes, "What does give us our complexity -- remains a challenge
for the future." (Nature 2001, 409:816)
Flawed
assumptions lead to the allopathic medical model being thrown out the
window. A new scientific awareness had already begun to manifest while the
genome project was capturing all the media's attention. Interestingly,
leading edge cell research now reveals that cells are controlled by the
conditions of the environment. When the new model is applied to
multicellular organisms, such as humans, information would flow from
environment>brain>spinal cord>tissue, which may be penned as: Environment
(Innate) > A > D > I > O. Surprise -- the new allopathic
model is the "old" chiropractic model.
There
is clearly an upheaval of conventional thought brewing in the allopathic
ranks. The interesting nature of these new considerations is that they are
bringing conventional biomedicine into closer alliance with D. D. Palmer's
original Chiropractic Philosophy.
The
problem lies in the fact that, in an effort to present themselves in a
more "scientific" light, the profession has been gradually
moving toward allopathic science for the last ninety years. Interestingly,
allopaths have now begun to realize Palmer's truths. If things continue as
they are, allopaths may soon be more "chiropractic" than
chiropractors!
Articles
and references on the "new" science can be downloaded from:
www.brucelipton.com.
(Bruce
H. Lipton received his Ph.D. at the
University
of
Virginia
in
Charlottesville
(1971). He served as an Associate Professor of Anatomy at the
University
of
Wisconsin
's
School
of
Medicine
.
Lipton's research on mechanisms controlling cell behavior employed cloned
human muscle cells. In addition, he lectured in Cell Biology, Histology
and Embryology. He resigned his tenured position to pursue independent
research integrating quantum physics with cell biology, and returned to
academia as a Research Fellow at
Stanford
University
's
School
of
Medicine
to test his hypotheses (1987-1992). His ideas concerning environmental
control were substantiated in two major scientific publications.)
