Journal articles on the topic 'Anthroposophy in literature'

The paper seeks to critically present the eccentric philosopher Rudolf Steiner and to point out his influence on famous contemporaries such as Albert Schweitzer, Christian Morgenstern, Hermann Hesse and Franz Kafka. Unlike the ruling positivist approach and scientific rationalism, which he believed could only reach the apparent form of things, this Austrian thinker created his own system, based on a synthesis of Western philosophy of idealism, Christianity and Hindu teachings with Gnosticism, which he called anthroposophy. Above all, he wanted to point out the possibility of overcoming the limits of empirical knowledge and encourage contemporaries to use their latent potentials on the path of spiritual cognition. With this teaching, he managed to attract many supporters, at least for a while, especially those in search of a deeper understanding of reality and prone to self-analysis.

The article identifies typological parallels between Andrei Bely and G. Meyrink based on their similar worldviews: Bely, the ideologist of Russian Symbolism, was an adept of Rudolph Steiner’s anthroposophy; Gustav Meyrink, an outstanding representative of the Prague School, had an intense interest in occultism and mysticism. Both factors - the aesthetic representation of unconsciousness in fiction and the appellation to mystic and occult experience - bring together Bely’s novel Moscow (1926-1932) and Meyrink’s The Golem (1915). The interest to the oeuvre of both writers emerges in the period of breaking the old paradigm, the epoch of methodological impasse, and the search for new heuristic opportunities of text interpretation. The article reveals the common features of oneyropoetics in both novels and the typological proximity of the “characters of the way” (Ivan Korobkin and Athanasius Pernat) in the aspect of life creation (Bely) and in overcoming the “golemic” aspect and creating “Higher Self’ (Meyrink), raising the problem of the ambivalent finals. Architectonically, both novels are a two-layer text for a “mass” reader on the one hand and a special “initiated” reader on the other. The demonic urban spaces of Moscow and Prague take on the shape of a utopian city, undergoing transformed through the character’s mysterial suffering and becoming the final of their way (initiation) to “Higher Self.” The ideological centre of the novels is the concept of personality; namely, awareness and overcoming the “rapture” (“golemic nature”) by the character in Austrian (Prague) novel and responsibility for a scientific discovery and desire to “warm the Universe” by the character of the Russian novel, which results in his search for a spiritual integrity. Dreams as a bright epitomy of linguistic experiment serve for the plot formation in Moscow and accompany the character, the scientist, throughout his entire spiritual way. The Golem has a frame composition where dreaming and identification of the narrator with Pernat, who passed a mysterial way, become his spiritual experience and initiation. The present study is intended to show the opportunities of “comparative poetics”, which allows to correlate the oeuvre of both writers who fit stadially in the Expressionist Aesthetic and in more epochal sense - in the poetics of art modality (Samson Broytman). The author declares no conflicts of interests.

The article dwells on the amalgam of meanings and interpretations that have arisen in connection to Andrei Bely’s major work of the 1920s The History of the Becoming of the Self-Conscious Soul. This paper is dedicated to the first complete edition of this literature and philosophical piece that took place in 2020, two decades after the book was first — and partially — published in 1999. The very process of publishing and the temporal gaps that marked the stages in the life of this work is important for better understanding of the trends in interpreting the motifs and concepts of Bely. This study anticipates the inconsistencies of various attempts to understand the conceptual mechanism of Bely and thus has the scope of clarifying such concerning takes and contrasting them to the ways of addressing conceptual issues that Bely uses in his entire oeuvre. With the 1999 publication fueling interest to the self-conscious soul, it represented, however, just a first approximation — and this one, quite incoherent in interpretations, should be amplified towards a fuller elaboration. The analyzed corpus of secondary literature reveals that in a few articles devoted to main ideas of The History of the Becoming of the Self-Conscious Soul there are numerous inaccuracies of perception and reinterpretation even in the basic concepts. For better understanding of Bely, it is fruitful to consider his ideas not from outside worldview positions. Quite the opposite, do it with the view to internal consonance, to anthroposophical foundations. Otherwise, misunderstanding of such concepts as culture, individual, I, personality, self-consciousness is inevitable. The article notes a number of features of their modern perception. First, these concepts are taken not in the dynamic, variable, gradational way, but in a rational and static way, with one or more meaning torn out of the variation series. Further, Bely, contrary to his own judgments about the Steinerian foundations of his work, is considered to have various influences and parallels, based on external similarities. Finally, Bely’s anthroposophical ideas themselves are reinterpreted and radical differences in comparison with anthroposophy are found. The article also reveals fruitful judgments about the essence of The Нistory and examines first of all the articles of Karen A. Swassjan who examines Bely’s history of culture as a personal history of the formation of consciousness — as material for a biography.

Background Regulatory assessment of anthroposophic medicinal products (AMPs) can be challenging due to their specific features. Objective The aim of this paper is therefore to provide adequate scientific information on AMPs for regulatory purposes. Methods A literature review was executed with database searches in PubMed, Cinahl, Merkurstab, Anthromedics, and https://iaap-pharma.org/ . Search terms were: anthroposophic medicinal products, anthroposophic medicines, anthroposophic pharmacy. There was no language restriction; searches were executed from onset until June 11, 2020. In addition, experts were invited to suggest relevant literature. Results Eighty-seven of 660 identified publications were included. The system of anthroposophic medicine (AM) with its conceptual background and various aspects of AMPs was described: definition, pharmaceutical properties, an example of AMP development, use in clinical practice, similarities with and differences to conventional medicinal products, societal aspects, scientific and regulatory assessment. Conclusion AMPs are part of the integrative whole medical system of AM. AMPs are manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practice and national drug regulations and have an excellent safety status; the limited available evidence suggests clinical benefits. Current drug regulation of AMPs in the EU and most European countries does not take the special properties of AMPs into account. Future research should focus on appropriate methodologies for the evaluation of effects of AMPs as part of the AM whole medical system, the scientific quality of its non-atomistic holistic ontological position, and the integration of AM and conventional medicine in clinical practice. Future policies should focus on appropriate ways of addressing regulatory challenges to AMPs.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to develop a prototype of an anthroposophic complex intervention (CI) for oncological patients in primary care. Methods: Standardized methods for the development of CIs were used. Qualitative data were collected among professionals (n = 44) working in 3 Dutch anthroposophic primary care centers. The following topics were discussed in interviews and panel discussions (n = 12): treatment phases, treatment dimensions, treatment goals, and content of the indicated treatments and therapies. In a multidisciplinary focus group (n = 23) completeness and comprehensibility of the CI, and integration in daily practice were addressed. Subsequently, the developed CI was tested on face validity (n = 21) and compared with conventional guidelines. Results: Professionals reached consensus about 4 oncological treatment phases, 4 anthroposophic treatment dimensions, and twelve general treatment goals. The following anthroposophic therapies were found to be suited for oncological patients in primary care: medication (eg, mistletoe preparations); nursing (eg, external embrocation); physiotherapy (eg, rhythmic massage); eurythmy therapy; dietetics; art therapy; and counseling. The content of each therapy must be tailored to the individual. Comparison with existing guidelines demonstrated added value and the ability to fit with conventional care. Discussion: Strengths of the developed CI prototype are its focus on primary care, its practical applicability, the use of validated research methods, and the check on face validity in 2 other Dutch anthroposophic primary care centers. Limitations are that no systematic literature review was done and patient experiences were not collected. Conclusions: An applicable prototype of an anthroposophic CI for oncological patients in primary care was developed. To complete the development of this CI, a systematic review of the literature is needed, feasibility should be tested, patient experiences need to be collected, and implementation should be initiated and monitored. Finally, development of a patient decision aid (PtDA) and a decision-making tool (DMT) are recommended.

Introduction Anthroposophic medicine is a form of integrative medicine that originated in Europe but is not well known in the US. It is comprehensive and heterogenous in scope and remains provocative and controversial in many academic circles. Assessment of the nature and potential contribution of anthroposophic medicine to whole person care and global health seems appropriate. Methods Because of the heterogenous and multifaceted character of anthroposophic medicine, a narrative review format was chosen. A Health Technology Assessment of anthroposophic medicine in 2006 was reviewed and used as a starting point. A Medline search from 2006 to July 2020 was performed using various search terms and restricted to English. Books, articles, reviews and websites were assessed for clinical relevance and interest to the general reader. Abstracts of German language articles were reviewed when available. Reference lists of articles and the author’s personal references were also consulted. Results The literature on anthroposophic medicine is vast, providing new ways of thinking, a holistic view of the world, and many integrating concepts useful in medicine. In the last ∼20 years there has been a growing research base and implementation of many anthroposophical concepts in the integrated care of patients. Books and articles relevant to describing the foundations, scientific status, safety, effectiveness and criticisms of anthroposophic medicine are discussed. Discussion An objective and comprehensive analysis of anthroposophic medicine finds it provocative, stimulating and potentially fruitful as an integrative system for whole person care, including under-recognized life processes and psychospiritual aspects of human beings. It has a legitimate, new type of scientific status as well as documented safety and effectiveness in some areas of its multimodal approach. Criticisms and controversies of anthroposophic medicine are often a result of lack of familiarity with its methods and approach and/or come from historically fixed ideas of what constitutes legitimate science.

Objective. To conduct a scoping review to characterize how fever is viewed in anthroposophic medicine (AM) and discuss the scientific validity of these views.Methods. Systematic searches were run in Medline, Embase, CAMbase, and Google Scholar. Material from anthroposophic medical textbooks and articles was also used. Data was extracted and interpreted.Results. Most of the anthroposophic literature on this subject is in the German language. Anthroposophic physicians hold a beneficial view on fever, rarely suppress fever with antipyretics, and often use complementary means of alleviating discomfort. In AM, fever is considered to have the following potential benefits: promoting more complete recovery; preventinginfection recurrences and atopic diseases; providing a unique opportunity for caregivers to provide loving care; facilitating individual development and resilience; protecting against cancer and boosting the anticancer effects of mistletoe products.These views are discussed with regard to the available scientific data.Conclusion. AM postulates that fever can be of short-term and long-term benefit in several ways; many of these opinions have become evidence-based (though still often not practiced) while others still need empirical studies to be validated, refuted, or modified.

As Medicinas Tradicionais Complementares e Integrativas (MTCI) são definidas como um arcabouço de abordagens em saúde, que contemplam o ser em sua integralidade e transpõem as barreiras entre a mente, o corpo e o espírito. No campo da saúde, analisa-se a manutenção de um modelo biomédico hegemônico, que é caracterizado pela centralização na biologia humana, na medicalização social, na fragmentação do cuidado e na assimetria das relações curador-paciente. O conservadorismo na formação dos profissionais de ginecologia obstétrica, o atrelamento da mulher à função reprodutiva, a regulação da sexualidade e a patologização dos corpos femininos são implicações destas normas biomédicas e, em meio à mercantilização e a impessoalidade dos serviços médicos, a mulher se viu despida de todo conhecimento sobre sua própria saúde. A Medicina Antroposófica rompe o paradigma da terceirização da saúde, ao propor o diálogo que integra as racionalidades médicas e, sobretudo, empoderando a mulher à participação ativa e ao protagonismo do processo de co-criação da sua própria saúde. Diante deste contexto, desenvolveu-se a questão de pesquisa: o que diz a literatura sobre a Medicina Antroposófica no processo de empoderamento e autonomização da saúde da mulher? Pretendeu-se analisar a produção científica referente aos principais benefícios da Medicina Antroposófica e as suas contribuições acerca da integralidade da saúde da mulher. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, descritivo e exploratório com ênfase em revisão integrativa da literatura. A coleta de dados, realizada por meio de uma consulta às bases de dados eletrônica da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS) e MTCI Américas no mês de julho de 2020, evidenciou um total de 35 artigos e após aplicar os critérios de inclusão e exclusão, obteve-se uma amostra de 25 artigos. Foi realizada a leitura dos resumos, totalizando uma amostra de 21 artigos, que foram lidos na íntegra, com utilização do sistema de nível de evidências. Os resultados das publicações foram abordados a partir do agrupamento em cinco categorias definidas a priori: câncer de mama, doenças crônicas e psicossomáticas, saúde da mulher, obstetrícia e sistemas de saúde. As evidências científicas sobre o processo de empoderamento e autonomização da saúde da mulher destacam que a Medicina Antroposófica se revela como uma ferramenta ativa de mudança no paradigma da doença à potencialização da saúde e caracteriza-se, portanto, como uma prática que contribui para o fortalecimento da autonomia e determinação da mulher nos seu processo de saúde-doença nas diferentes fases do ciclo vital. Traditional Complementary and Integrative Medicines (TCMIs) are defined as a framework of approaches to health, which contemplate the whole being and overcome the barriers between mind, body, and spirit. In the health field, the maintenance of a hegemonic biomedical model is analyzed, which is characterized by the centralization in human biology, in social medicalization, in the fragmentation of care, and in the asymmetry of the healer-patient relationship. The conservatism in the training of obstetric gynecology professionals, the attachment of women to the reproductive function, the regulation of sexuality, and the pathologization of female bodies are implications of these biomedical norms and, in the midst of the commercialization and impersonality of medical services, women were stripped of all knowledge about their own health. Anthroposophic Medicine breaks the paradigm of health outsourcing by proposing a dialogue that integrates medical rationalities and, above all, by empowering women to active participation and protagonism in the process of co-creation of their own health. In this context, the research question was developed: what does the literature say about Anthroposophic Medicine in the process of empowerment and autonomy of women's health? The objective was to analyze the scientific production referring to the main benefits of Anthroposophic Medicine and its contributions to the integrality of women's health. This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study with emphasis on an integrative literature review. Data collection, carried out by means of a query to the electronic databases of the Virtual Health Library (VHL) and MTCI Americas in the month of July 2020, revealed a total of 35 articles, and after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a sample of 25 articles was obtained. The abstracts were read, totaling a sample of 21 articles, which were read in full, using the evidence level system. The results of the publications were approached from the grouping into five categories defined a priori: breast cancer, chronic and psychosomatic diseases, women's health, obstetrics, and health systems. The scientific evidence on the process of empowerment and autonomy of women's health highlights that Anthroposophic Medicine reveals itself as an active tool for change in the paradigm of the disease to the potentialization of health and is characterized, therefore, as a practice that contributes to strengthening the autonomy and determination of women in their health-disease process in the different stages of the life cycle.

Abstract. Scientific data are sparse on hospital design in child and adolescent psychiatry. The present article aims to give an overview of various concepts of hospital design and to develop concepts how architecture can consider the special needs of children and adolescents in their recovery from psychiatric diseases. Literature research is provided from PubMed and collected from architectural and anthroposophic bibliography. Access to daylight and nature, reduced level of noise and an atmosphere of privacy are general principles to support convalescence in patients. Especially in psychiatry, spatial structures and colour can strengthen appropriate social interrelations on both the patient and staff level. Authors suggest that children and adolescents benefit from architectural concepts which consider the issues: Welcome, Path, Territory, Area of Freedom, Outdoor Space, Access to Light, Motion in the Structure and Orientation of Space.

Background: In Western healthcare policies, promotion of self-management of patients is an important topic. Currently, there is also a worldwide interest in the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and conventional medicine into integrative medicine. This article explores the contribution of anthroposophic medicine (AM) to the promotion of self-management of patients. Material and Methods: The scientific literature on concepts of, evidence on and experiences of patients with AM was explored. Results: The AM approach contributes to: (1) a patient-centered, collaborative promotion of patient self-management by means of application of basic values (equivalence, servitude, and presence of mind) and specific methods; (2) a better coping with health-related issues by providing a spiritual worldview that serves as a coping strategy; by treating patients in such a way that they (further) develop self-regulating functioning, both on the physiological and the psychosocial level, thus enabling the self-management of disease-related symptoms; and by treating with (non-verbal) therapies that improve emotion-focused coping skills; and (3) a better self-monitoring of: one's own activity during treatment and in dealing with treatment- and health-related issues, and the physiological and/or psychological responses to these (self-reflection) activities. Conclusion: AM provides specific contributions to promoting self-management of patients.

Background. Whole medicine and health systems like traditional and complementary medicine systems (T&CM) are part of healthcare around the world. One key feature of T&CM is its focus on patient-centered and multimodal care and the integration of intercultural perspectives in a wide range of settings. It may contribute to good health and well being for people as part of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The authentic, rigorous, and fair evaluation of such a medical system, with its inherent complexity and individualization, imposes methodological challenges. Hence, we propose a broad research strategy to test and characterize its possible contribution to health. Methods. To develop a research strategy for a specific T&CM system, Anthroposophic Medicine (AM), applying multimodal integrative healthcare based on a four-level concept of man, we used a three-phase consensus process with experts and key stakeholders, consisting of (1) premeeting methodological literature and AM research review and interviews to supplement or revise items of the research strategy and tailor them to AM research, (2) face-to-face consensus meetings further developing and tailoring the strategy, and (3) postmeeting feedback and review, followed by finalization. Results. Currently, AM covers many fields of medical specialties in varied levels of healthcare settings, such as outpatient and inpatient; primary, secondary, and tertiary care; and health education and pedagogy. It is by definition integrated with conventional medicine in the public healthcare system. It applies specific medicines, nursing techniques, arts therapies, eurythmy therapy, rhythmical massage, counseling, and psychotherapy, and it is provided by medical doctors, nurses, therapists, midwives, and nutritionists. A research strategy authentic to this level of complexity should comprise items with a focus on (I) efficacy and effectiveness, divided into (a) evaluation of the multimodal and multidisciplinary medical system as a whole, or of complex multimodal therapy concept, (b) a reasonable amount of methodologically rigorous, confirmatory randomized controlled trials on exemplary pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies and indications, (c) a wide range of interventions and patient-centered care strategies with less extensive formats like well-conducted small trails, observational studies, and high-quality case reports and series, or subgroup analyses from whole-system studies, or health service research; (II) safety; (III) economics; (IV) evidence synthesis; (V) methodologic issues; (VI) biomedical, physiological, pharmacological, pharmaceutical, psychological, anthropological, and nosological issues as well as innovation and development; (VI) patient perspective and involvement, public needs, and ethics; (VII) educational matters and professionalism; and (IX) disease prevention, health promotion, and public health. Conclusion. The research strategy extends to and complements the prevailing hierarchical system by introducing a broad “evidence house” approach to evaluation, something many health technology assessment boards today support. It may provide transparent and comprehensive insight into potential benefits or risks of AM. It can serve as a framework for an evidence-informed approach to AM for a variety of stakeholders and collaborating networks with the aim of improving global health.

Water is the most common compound of hydrogen and oxygen in the nature. It is a universal solvent of many substances, and therefore chemically pure water does not exist in the nature. The water contained in the body is qualitatively different from ordinary water as it is structured water. Such crystalline structures of water are the matrix of life. Their presence gives possibility of the occurrence of important biophysical processes and biochemical reactions. Insufficient intake of water into the body or its excessive loss leads to dehydration, which is accompanied by thickening of the blood and impairing hemodynamics. Excessive intake of water into the body causes water intoxication. Purpose – to conduct a bibliosemantic analysis of the sources of the literature on the medical and biological functions of water. Research methods – bibliosemantic, analytical, logical methods and generalizion method. Water is the structural basis of cells necessary to maintain their optimal volume. It determines the spatial structure and function of biomolecules. Insufficient intake of water into the body or its excessive loss leads to an impaired hemodynamics. Excessive intake of water into the body causes water intoxication. All disoders of water-salt balance in the body can be divided into two groups: dehydration and hyperhydration. In each group, there are disorders with a decrease, increase, and no change in osmotic pressure (hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic disorders, respectively). Water is used in medical and pharmaceutical practice as an excipient, and for the manufacture of allopathic, homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines. The State Pharmacopoeia of Ukraine includes several articles on the use of water depending on the purpose and regulates water quality: 1) highly purified water, water for injections «in bulk» water and sterilised water for injections; 2) purified water: water «in bulk» and water in containers. Cosmetics are presented on the Ukrainian market, the main biologically active compound of which is water, in particular, natural, thermal and micellar. They are widely used in cosmetology. The biomedical function of water in the body is to preserve cell volume, provide turgor to the cells and save the body from temperature fluctuations. Disruption of water-salt balance leads to dehydration or hyperhydration. There are changes with a decrease, increase, and no change in osmotic pressure (hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic disorders, respectively). They cause disruption of the life of the whole organism. In pharmaceutical practice, water is widely used for the manufacture of allopathic, homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines. It can be obtained in various ways, but its quality is regulated by the relevant government regulations. In cosmetic practice, water is used not only as a basic solvent, but in the form of natural, micellar and thermal water, where it is a biologically active compound.

Abstract Objective The goal of this systematic review was to evaluate practice-based, real-world research of individualized complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies for pain as provided in CIH outpatient clinics. Methods A systematic review was conducted on articles in PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase published through December 2020. The study was listed in the PROSPERO database (CRD42020159193). Major categories of variables extracted included study details and demographics, interventions, and outcomes. Results The literature search yielded 3,316 records, with 264 assessed for full-text review. Of those, 23 studies (including ∼8,464 patients) were specific to pain conditions as a main outcome. Studies included chiropractic, acupuncture, multimodal individualized intervention/programs, physiotherapy, and anthroposophic medicine therapy. Retention rates ranged from 53% to 91%, with studies offering monetary incentives showing the highest retention. The 0–10 numerical rating scale was the most common pain questionnaire (n = 10; 43% of studies), with an average percent improvement across all studies and time points of 32% (range: 18–60%). Conclusions Findings from this systematic review of practice-based, real-word research indicate that CIH therapies exert positive effects on various pain outcomes. Although all studies reported beneficial impacts on one or more pain outcomes, the heterogeneous nature of the studies limits our overall understanding of CIH as provided in clinical settings. Accordingly, we present numerous recommendations to improve publication reporting and guide future research. Our call to action is that future practice-based CIH research is needed, but it should be more expansive and conducted in association with a CIH scientific society with academic and health care members.