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November 2009 
A Homeopathic Epiphany and Yet Another Take on Vaccines
John
My special guest on Voices from the North on Wednesday was John Summerville, an experienced and gifted naturopath, homeopath and osteopath-a man of many paths. Sorry, I couldn't resist that.
Here's the link to the interview: http://www.odeo.com/episodes/25228719-John-Summerville-A-Homeopathic-Epiphany
John spoke with passion and humour of his overseas experiences leading to his work as New Zealand's first paid Greenpeace staff member ("I think I earned the princely sum of $1 an hour!"). The story he tells of building an 18 foot diameter paper bomb to protest France's nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll is not to be missed. John, the bomb and then-opposition MP David Lange were front page news and caused a momentary stir in the everyday lives of New Zealanders of the day. Of course, this experience (and others) left Lange with little choice but to carry the ‘anti-nuclear' mantle when he took up office as New Zealand's prime minister. As current NZ leader John Key is apt to broadcast, there is distinct national pride associated with these acts and they are part of the New Zealand psyche of today.
A year of 80-90 hour work weeks with Greenpeace left John burned out. He realized he would have to heal himself before he could heal the world. A friend suggested he visit a homeopath. His first taste of homeopathy can only be described as an epiphany and changed the course of his life. ‘The next day it felt as if the whole of my previous life I'd been standing under a cloud and now I was standing in the sun. It was really profound.'
John describes the origins of homeopathy with German doctor Samuel Hahnemaun and he concludes our talk with his take on flu vaccines. During the 1918 flu pandemic there was a 28% mortality rate for people treated with conventional medicine. In startling contrast, less than 0.1 of 1% of people treated with homeopathy died. John urges people not to get caught in the emotionality of vaccines. He sees the swine flu as [just] another seasonal cold or flu, not something to be frightened of. Yes, sufferers may be a little more achy or feverish but then John reminds us of the importance of drinking plenty of fluids and resting. He has had clients who've had the ‘so-called swine flu' for six weeks and it has been gone within a week of being treated with homeopathy.
Here's a link to an earlier blog on the possible cause of all modern pandemics: http://short.to/smuh
Vaccinations can suppress the immune system and are not a ‘cure all.' I'm amazed at how much discussion there currently is concerning vaccines. John cited a study stating the vaccination compliance rate for US health care workers was only 40%. What does it suggest to you if the people working with vaccines don't want to be injected themselves?
And here's an interesting twist on that theme. I received an email yesterday with a link to a YouTube video speaking of mandatory vaccinations for health care workers.
Access: Public
If the medical community is lucky they might see me briefly every three or four years. I have NEVER taken a flu vaccine, and other than the unfortunate incidence of acquiring an air-borne virus while flying to Florida last November, I have a hard time recalling the last time I had a serious cold or the flu. Yeah, I have my share of aches and pains, common for someone my age probably, but I don't run to the doctor for drugs for any of it. Even when the end of my index finger was nearly severed last Xmas, enduring much pressuring from the hospital medical staff to do so, I STILL refused to take the Tentanus shot they insisted I needed, or I'd die a horrible death! Well, I'm still here, and probably way healthier for having refused the needle.
One exception I have learned that I must have anti-biotics for, though, is when I have anything done in my mouth, as that seems to be one way I acquire nasty infections that last for months, if I don't follow the protocol of “shocking” my system with drugs just before any oral surgery, and then a week long course thereafter. Apparently it has something to do with a heart murmur I supposedly have.
What I have found is that keeping positive, laughing occasionally, and working at keeping all the crap that is going on around us in perspective, has been a great help to my health. When I was depressed, angry, and fearful is the time I've had the most problem with infection and feeling out-of-sorts. So, my suggestion is, while keeping aware perhaps of some important stuff going on in the world, DO NOT bury yourself nightly in the constant barrage of negativity spewed from TV News. Watch Jon Stewart or another comedy show instead, and then go to bed early enough to get a good nights rest. Or meditate and then bed. We only become victims if we do what victims do.
~ ~ ~ ^v^ ~ ~ ~
Hi Gem,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful words. You are a living example of someone who listens to their body and acts accordingly. It's not about being for or against medicine. It's about knowing and doing what works best for you. What a great example. Be informed and be positive. Our thoughts and feelings impact hugely on our immune systems. The best vitamin is a smile.
Blessings,
John