Positive Health Online

If the rubrics for your constitution include: ‘fear of undertaking a new enterprise’ then Dr Dinesh Chauhan’s book is best avoided unless, of course, ‘curious’ is also part of your make-up, in which case, read on.

Chauhan’s  The Scientifically Intuitive Case Witnessing Process  is a method of consultation and prescribing outside the box. It is a very brave book based on Sankaran’s Sensation Method. Case studies in the book throw up amazing remedies such as Dama-Dama (deer), Python Gegia and Granite, the likes of which are hardly seen in normal repetorization. And if they did emerge, most practitioners would discount them and choose safer, common options.

At the outset, Chauhan is keen to emphasize that a new system of practice is not about flouting old rules, but incorporating and developing them. He refers to Einstein and Newton to illustrate that scientific theories evolved not by making old ones defunct, but by coexisting with them.

He argues that the method of reaching the simillimum has its roots in the traditional classical methods used since Hahnemann.  Hahnemann’s individualization at a holistic level is a concept that has been followed by all great homeopaths such  Kent, Vithoulkas and Sankaran.  This concept has not been replaced over the years, but is the link between Hahnemannian homeopathy and contemporary classical homeopathy.

Having thus explained his position, Chauhan goes on to give a step-by-step guide to his method of consultation and analysis which does not involve repetorization. He uses numerous analogies and repetitions to drive the message  point home, sometimes making it clunky in places.

Chauhan says that case witnessing is a scientifically intuitive process which takes the case from a conscious incompetence to a subconscious competence. He uses the example of learning to drive, where at first it is a factual practical effort at a conscious level. It then progresses into effortless driving with coordination and skills functioning at a subconscious level.

Chauhan explains that the body and mind speak a single language which is expressed through sensations and vibrations. He calls this “the vital sensation” which is the essence of the human core; individualistic expression comes from this level.

The vital sensation is a package of feelings, fears, perceptions and reactions that emanate from the core at any given time. The intensity of experience the patient refers to is the miasm. The altered vibration pattern in a diseased individual resonates with the vibration pattern of one of the substances (remedies) in the universe. The substance is the source and the vibration of the remedy is the simillimum.

The difficulty for the homeopath regarding this system is that the source could belong to any family of remedies, nosodes, imponderables or even unknown kingdoms. As one does not arrive at the remedy through repetorisation, a knowledge and understanding of families  -  minerals, plants, elements  -  and their concepts is required.  Fans of Sankaran and Shulten who are more familiar with family concepts will find much to inform and educate in this system.

Here, case taking is undertaken in a wholly new and unique manner.  As the title states, it is a process of case witnessing  rather than case taking.  During the normal case taking process, our perception of the patient is based on our knowledge of remedies and belief systems. Here, one is expected to suspend all judgement, logical and rational thinking.

Chauhan happily promises that his method, being scientific, is reproducible even by beginners.

The process begins by letting the patient speak, to say whatever she wants to say about anything at all. All homeopaths hope to capture the essence, the inner struggle of the patient and here it is achieved by initially just listening.  In the first part of the process, the “passive case witnessing process”, the practitioner waits for the patient to connect with the altered pattern within. The patient talks about herself while the practitioner detaches his analytical, logical mind from the case.

The practitioner listens to all of the unconnected messages from the patient, watching all verbal and non verbal expressions.  Chauhan claims that initially all of the expressions may not make sense but their meaning will be revealed later.

The second aim of the process is to identify the focus of the patient  -  themes or gestures that come up repeatedly.  The third aim in the first part of the process is to identify the patient’s level of experience, such as local, general, delusion, or sensation.

Chauhan suggests questions to get the patient to open up at this stage, such as Tell me more about you; go close to yourself and see what comes up; anything else you always wanted to say but couldn’t. These questions not only shake the patient but also lead them to the realm of the subconscious. This stage takes the practitioner to the patient’s world of expressions and experience, paving the way for the next stage.

The second stage is the Active Case Witnessing  Process. Here the homeopath asks more specific questions and does not permit the patient to stray. However, the homeopath at this stage needs to be very sure what the focus of the case is. If he loses it, the chances are that he would end up barking at the wrong tree.

The aim here is to confirm the focus through questions that get the patient to reconfirm  their vital sensation. The patient might repeat hand gestures, for instance, and talk about the same themes when covering different aspects of her life.

This stage is helped along with questions such as: What do you feel in all the situations that you are in? How does it feel to have this problem? What do you experience within yourself in all these situations? The homeopath explores areas of delusions, dreams, phobias and confirms the thread that runs through all of them

Once the chief focus of the case is confirmed and established, the homeopath attempts to confirm the level of experience of the patient, getting her to transit from the local and general to the vital.

The final stage is The Active-Active Case Witnessing Process. This is where the remedy reveals itself.

The practitioner’s role is again an active one, keeping a tight rein on the consultation,  not permitting the patient to drift into non-specific conscious areas. The patient narrates her focus in detail and in the process she also becomes aware of her own altered pattern.

Through all stages, some  patients may deny, project their problems onto someone else or intellectualize them. Chauhan suggests questions around such scenarios, such as: How would he experience this situation? What does this experience feel like? Or what might the person experience when in that situation?

The first aim is to bring in the entire phenomenon into one whole pattern, complete with all the gestures and expressions pointing to the source / simillimum. The second aim is to understand the kingdom and subkingdom. The practitioner now needs to match the vibration of the patient with that of the source. An understanding of themes of the different kingdoms is essential. For instance, themes of competition, jealousy or attack point to the vibrations of the animal kingdom; sensitivity and reactivity are plant based; maintenance of structure is mineral and so on.

Further knowledge of sub classifications and the periodic table  is also assumed.   Such information is familiar to the followers of the Sankaran school. The Sensation of Homeopathy and Sankaran’s Schema by Sankaran cover the kingdoms. Sholten has also elaborated on the themes and concepts underpinning minerals and elements.

In the final process, it is also crucial for the homeopath to know the active miasm and the reaction of the patient or the manner in which they respond. The homeopath needs to know when the case is complete and the remedy has shown itself. Chauhan, like Sankaran, suggests potencies based on the level of experience.  A level of sensation warrants a 10M but there is no mention of high potencies conflicting with pathology and sensitivity.

Chauhan gives an example of a woman who feels choked and constricted, with a theme of going down a spiral. A snake remedy is identified and a further study of the  sinking into a bottomless pit sensation is studied.

• Kent: Dreams, falling: abyss, into,
• points to the remedy Elaps, which vibrates with the  innermost sensation of the patient.

The book ends with case studies from Chauhan and other followers. Bellis is the only mundane remedy that comes up in one of the examples. Most practitioners desire to prescribe unusual and exciting remedies but cannot quite get there without experience, knowledge, skills and daring. Modern lifestyle and complex pathologies demand newer remedies and newer ways of getting to them. And certainly, this book opens ones eyes to this great need.

Oomphoo, noted as a co author, is a cartoon character who questions and reinforces the philosophy in the book. He helps break up the text and provides a much needed pause when attempting to assimilate something outside one’s normal frame of reference. The brown print on beige paper is refreshing.

Even students, beginners and those who would not dare to deviate from Repetorization,  will benefit from this book. The art of listening, observing, of entering into the patient’s world, suspending belief and asking relevant questions help to stretch the homeopath in directions they didn’t think capable. Certainly a path worth attempting to take.

Further Information

Available from www.casewitnessing.com/resources/books/555-the-scientifically-intuitive-case-witnessing-process-a-journey-of-three-steps.html

and Amazon

www.amazon.co.uk/Scientifically-Intuitive-Case-Witnessing-Process/dp/8184657714