The Energetic Component of Homeopathy
The remedies used in homeopathy have qualities that are energetic and dynamic. A homeopathic remedy might be made from the same plant that is also used to make an herbal tonic. One example is the remedy Ipecac. Syrup of Ipecac can be found in the drug store and is an herbal distillation from the plant ipecacuanha. If you eat the plant or take the syrup you will experience severe nausea and vomiting. The syrup is used to induce vomiting and emptying of the stomach when someone has swallowed a potentially toxic substance for instance if a child eats a bottle of aspirin.

When Ipecac is made into a homeopathic remedy through an exacting and specific process it is transformed into a very different substance that acts in a different way. The homeopathic remedy is like an energetic hologram of the original herb. It can be likened to a silicon chip containing information rather than being a nutritive extract like an herb. When the remedy is given the body take in the information and uses it to make a change. The information in the remedy ipecac helps the body cope with nausea and vomiting and so is often used as an acute or short acting remedy for the treatment of morning sickness.

The Energetic Nature of Our Beings
Throughout history there have been writings about the energetic qualities associated with living things. This can be found in spiritual writing from many cultures but also is a topic of scientific exploration in many fields including physics, medicine, and psychology. This description of the energetic nature of our beings comes from the book Body, Self, and Soul by Jack Lee Rosenberg and Marjorie Rand, both clinical psychologists who explore the mind, emotion, body interface:

“Now, if you think of a person as being, in essence, a constellation of energy, how would you envision a healthy person? We picture him or her as a free-flowing energy. The unhealthy person has blocks in the system and the flow of energy is impeded.”

“The essential Self of each of us is both energy itself and the awareness and appreciation of energy. If something happens early in life, the sense of Self develops poorly, and is buried under defensive blocks……For example; the baby whose needs aren’t taken care of and who seals off her feelings is forming blocks to her energy flow. The blocks are represented by growing muscular tension. In blocking off feelings, she stifles the flow of energy and the core of her being–her sense of Self–lies hidden within.”

The remedy constellation is the precise patterning of blocks that both protect and obscure the inner self. Each remedy has a different pattern of energy blockage. The symptoms that describe the patterns of blockage are those that are integral to a set of symptoms that are blocking or limiting the freedom and expression of the organism. In ulcerative colitis the diarrhea and cramping limit the function of the person and are one of the things taken into consideration when finding a homeopathic remedy. But in every individual who has been given that diagnosis there are other components or blocks that for a constellation leading to a correct remedy match.

Healing
By seeking to deeply understand the etiology and underlying source of disease, the homeopath becomes an energetic conduit between the patient’s conscious understanding of themselves and their unconscious knowledge of what is really wrong. An energetic opening is created and the healing process is initiated. The remedy further fuels this healing process by adding information to the system-the precise information needed to catalyze a reordering and slow but steady dismantling of the energetic blocks. When this occurs the actual symptoms will diminish and better function and creativity of expression will return.