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Chiropractor, Know Thyself
By Simon A. Senzon
The New Vitalism
Vitalism was transformed through the life of B.J. Palmer. For B.J., vitalism was a combination of the body’s inherent ability to heal itself and also the ability of the intellect, what he referred to as the educated intelligence, to be guided by this inner knowing. He considered innate intelligence a super-consciousness that one could gain access to—simply by paying attention (and more so when properly adjusted). At an even higher level of understanding this was the ability to listen to the universal intelligence that permeates the cosmos, to be one with everything while being a distinct and effective individual.
While vitalism has always had such mystical roots, that is, a striving for oneness with a divine essence in all things, in B.J. Palmer it took a new turn. The self was paramount, the identity of the ego was important and its development was an “involution and an evolution,” a way to access the innate within and then connect with the universal without. This distinction is essential as the many forms of vitalism from the past are rooted in pre-modern views of the self, where the source of the intelligence was wholly on the outside. For Palmer it also came from the inside. And this was new for vitalism. In Palmer’s approach the self can be expressed as the flowering of your essence in life and as clarity of vision. This can easily result in effectiveness in business and life. Each individual is a whole, a parcel of the universal and yet distinct. This view of the self was novel for the history of vitalism and for the history of human consciousness. It was an advance on the rational thinking of Palmer’s time. It became a way to couple rationality with intuition, thought with feeling, and also mind with spirit and matter.
Palmer wrote, “Many times, some of our educated people in our Palmer Enterprises tell us not to do this this way, but do it that way, meaning of course we should follow their educated methods of presentation. At such times, we must decide whether to follow suggestions offered by our Innate by preference, rejecting their educated presentations. When they remain with us long enough, they will learn the Law of Innate’s Presentatons. When they do, they will understand why we feel it necessary to reject their educated opinions.” (v.39, 135)
It is obvious from the quote above, that Palmer had more faith in his ability to listen to this inner wisdom than in the logical and reasoned opinions of those who were trained in business. It also seems that many of his long-term employees came to agree as they eventually saw that Palmer’s insights, no matter how peculiar, often led to great fruits.
I would argue that in his later life, Palmer was functioning at a very high level of development. And it was his developed abilities that enabled him to have such profound wisdom in life, health, business and many things. (This is not to say that Palmer was perfect, as we know that he had many challenges especially in regards to interpersonal relationships, just that he had some very high functioning capacities.) And this was due to his transformation of vitalism from a theory that was an attempt to bridge the gaps in science to explain life, to a practice that honored the innate capacity of life to self-heal and self-organize and to transcend to ever higher levels, not only physiologically, but psychologically and spiritually as well.
Research into Mature Adult Development
This type of development that relies not only on strict logical thinking but also on ever increasing levels of self-awareness, culminating in a type of union with the essence of the universe, has been documented with great success. The research shows that many adults continue to develop late into life through ever increasing levels of functioning. Beyond strict rational worldviews, individuals develop system-perspectives, holistic-perspectives, and even more comprehensive worldviews that include deep spiritual insight. For the chiropractor, this type of research is very exciting, especially with examples of individuals, such as B.J., who were able to apply the philosophy of chiropractic to their lives, by living innately, to develop their self.
Starting with Maslow’s research into the hierarchy of needs, several researchers have found similar kinds of development. Wilber has recently simplified these many kinds into basic questions that illustrate each researcher’s focus. While Maslow’s hierarchy focused on “What do I need?” you might think of other research in terms of a hierarchy as well, a hierarchy of values, “What do I find significant?” (Graves), a hierarchy of self, “Who am I?” (Loevinger), of morals, “What should I do?” (Kolberg), and even, of spirituality, “What is of ultimate concern?” (Fowler). Each of these researchers found that we develop along a similar trajectory through wider and deeper perspectives and worldviews. As a child we think mostly about “me,” as a young adult mostly about “my people, my faith, my tribe, my country,” as a more mature adult with wider concerns, “about all people and faiths.” And there is even research to show that adults develop to even wider concerns and with greater depth such as B.J.’s ability to view his perspective as the universal looking through his eyes.
This is very important. By knowing this about yourself, that you have these different potentials within you, and that each hierarchy can develop semi-autonomously gives you tremendous insight into your own development. You can self-assess and determine which piece of you can develop further.
Knowing Your Self in Action
One very effective way of applying the research into our many different levels of development is Action Inquiry. This method is explained in the book of the same title by Bill Torbert and associates. The book’s subtitle is “The Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership.” Torbert offers many exercises that you can do to master different forms of self-inquiry in regards to relationship, business organization and life. The book is based on years of research and practice with thousands of individuals.
At the heart of the book is the concept of Action Inquiry. The authors acknowledge that all action is also inquiry and all inquiry is a form of action. Isn’t this what innate intelligence does every day, acts with a sense of knowing? And this is also what it takes to develop deeper levels of self-understanding. B.J. recommended that you carry a pad and pencil everywhere so that you can capture the “thot flashes.” For him this was an effective method of paying attention to the inner world amidst the maelstrom of daily activity. Torbert and his associates make similar suggestions only they do so in light of the current research, which adds great reproducibility to their method.
In the beginning of the book they offer three ways to practice this inquiry, to notice your self and your behavior, to be impeccable in communication (and they have a clear format on how to use language effectively) and then to act organizationally with vision and foresight. This short article hardly does justice to their comprehensive theory and practice, but you can get a sense of how important it would be to act each day paying attention to your actions and intentions, to how you speak, and to what your vision is for your organization or family. Transformative indeed!
The rest of the book examines the hierarchy of self based on some of the researchers mentioned above. Torbert and associates describe each level of this hierarchy of self as an action-logic or the way that you act in the world and the logic that you use to view the world by. They define this as, “an overall strategy that so thoroughly informs our experience that we cannot see it.” (2004, 66) According to the book, there are seven levels of action-logic, the Opportunist, the Diplomat, the Expert, the Achiever, the Individualist, the Strategist and the Alchemist. (B.J. was an Alchemist!) They suggest that by determining what level you and those around you are at, you can increase your ability to act effectively in the world as you will know yourself and those around you more completely.
Other Ways of Knowing Yourself
There are several other great books that utilize these different hierarchies as a way to propel oneself into deeper, richer and more complete being in the world. Three of them are; Robert Kegan’s, “In Over Our Heads: The Mental Demands of Modern Life,” Ken Wilber’s, “An Integral Vision,” and Fred Kofman’s “Conscious Business.” The latter two describe how we can achieve such extraordinary insight into reality and self that a flow and oneness with a universal ground becomes your source. Beyond just knowing about these different levels and practicing some form of inquiry to bring more clarity and presence to the world, some form of meditation or centering prayer has been shown to accelerate development through the hierarchy. Just think about B.J.’s self inquiry, how am I a parcel of the universal?
Another important avenue for self-discovery is to understand one’s personality. This is different from understanding what level you might view the world from, as it cuts across all levels and deals with your type of view. Again, there is a great deal of research into this topic and it too can have a profound effect on how you are in the world. Various typologies of personality exist where you can assess your personal style. Three of these are The Enneagram, Meyers-Briggs, and Kiersey, all of which are available in different formats on the Internet. You can take these tests and have new insight into how your personality shows up in the world within minutes. This is important as it gives you more input into you. Imagine how much more you can express that wonderful gift of your soul, if you had greater insight into how you are you.
Living Inside-Out
By using these many tools for personal transformation you are taking this new vitalism into your self. Just as B.J. transformed vitalism by his life, you can too. Torbert and associates write, “Action Inquiry works primarily from the inside-out.” (2004, 5) Today we have enough data to support the fact that someone like B.J. was actually functioning on the higher levels of these hierarchies. With tools like these, we can consciously do so as well. We can even develop more areas by including an understanding of our personality and any hierarchies that we might be neglecting. The more that you can really know your self, coupled with a philosophical awareness that you and the universal ground are one self, then you are one step closer to a fuller you, which brings you one step closer to a freer you. With that type of freedom and fullness, your very presence will help to transform the world.
©2006 Today's Chiropractic