Posted by bluedog on November 7, 2002, at 9:32:13
In reply to Where's Weil? » bluedog, posted by BeardedLady on November 7, 2002, at 7:53:52
> I must be dumb. I went to all the posted links and to all the links on the sites. Where was any information about Weil? All I saw was his name used in bibliographies and an article about his popularity explained, which linked to something that was about something entirely different.
>
> Could someone post an exact link, so I know what is meant by how alternative Weil is? I can't seem to get there.
>
> Maybe you can paste some of it here?
>
> beardy
Here is some pasted information as requested"The Natural Mind (1972) is mainly a criticism of American drug policy and an exposition of Weil's views on the interaction of psychedelic drugs with the mind. It also expounds his general philosophy of mind-body relations upon which much of his later writings on health and healing is based. The seventh chapter, entitled "A Trip to Stonesville," should be required reading for all who would understand the origins of Weil's belief in the healing power of the mind. It is a startling document -- a sharply drawn manifesto of New Age biology, a direct challenge to the scientific basis of conventional medicine, and a revealing window on Weil's style of thought. And, since a theory of mind-body relations is central to most current formulations of alternative medicine, this chapter must be considered one of the movement's most important philosophical statements. It merits a detailed examination.
According to Weil, many of his basic insights about the causes of disease and the nature of healing come from what he calls "stoned thinking," that is, thoughts experienced while under the influence of psychedelic agents or during other states of "altered consciousness" induced by trances, ritual magic, hypnosis, meditation, and the like. He cites some of the characteristics of "stoned thinking" that give it advantages over "straight" thinking; these include a greater reliance on "intuition" and an "acceptance of the ambivalent nature of things," by which he means a tolerance for "the coexistence of opposites that appear to be mutually antagonistic." In Weil's view, intellect, logic, and inductive reasoning from observed fact are the limited instruments of "straight" thinking, and should be subservient to guidance by the intuitive insights that are gained during states of altered consciousness and "stoned" thinking."
I consider these views pretty alternative. For the full article where this quote came from heres the link
http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/weil.html
Dr Weils arguments can however be quite seductive and even though I am a cynic from way back I sometimes find myself wanting to agree with some of his views...however my views can also be said to be tainted due to my frustration with mainstream medicine.regards
poster:bluedog
thread:31963
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20021106/msgs/32020.html