What a wondrous world in which we live! From D. D. and B.J. Palmer’s first constructs of the Philosophy of Chiropractic came the term “Innate Intelligence” and with it much of the bitterness that has divided the profession.
The first level of division involves the claiming of the term “Innate” and was part of the ongoing battle between father and son in the Palmer family. History clearly shows that D.D. Palmer, the father, won this battle having published a definition of “Innate” in his book titled “The Science of Chiropractic” in 1906 (page 109).
Clearing up who created the term does not help the larger challenge within the profession over the use of the term “Innate”.
D.D. Palmer stated; “Innate is that vital principle, the heretofore unknown intelligence which, associated with matter, controls the manifestations and properties of organized bodies, thereby distinguishing organized from inorganic matter.” He goes on to say, “Innate retains its education acquired in past ages.”
B.J. had a slightly different view. He saw “Innate” as “God in Man” and referred to it as “WE”. The problem arose with the term as used by B.J. Palmer. He developed his entire philosophy of Chiropractic around the concepts of Innate, the fellow within, as God’s director of life.
As the science of its day could not offer any support for the Chiropractic concepts, B.J. continued to develop its philosophical foundations. He poured himself into whatever science was available and applied it to chiropractic research. His research was relentless and his development of the electroencephaloneuromentimpograph demonstrated how far ahead of the science of his day he was.
Today we have the ability not only to understand the “education of the past” concepts of “Innate”, found in DNA, but also to recognize the inborn ability of the body to organize itself into a healthy state. We continually see and hear the term “Innate” being used in medical and neuroscience. How soon we forget! A short 50 years ago Chiropractors were being condemned by other health professionals and some of their own profession for even suggesting there was such a thing.
Times have indeed changed! The March edition of Scientific American headline article is titled “The Brain’s Dark Energy”. It is about the fact that science has had the wrong idea about resting brain function for years. Hans Berger, the inventor of the electroencephalogram (EEG) which records electrical activity of the brain stated, “we have to assume that the central nervous system is always, and not only during wakefulness, in a state of considerable activity.” His work was ignored – now we find that he was correct. Sounds familiar!
During resting and/or physically inactive times, this “dark energy” in the brain increases. We note that Sensory Motor Rhythm (SRM) activity increases and until now there was no explanation for this. These activities are the times that the innate intelligence of the brain reorganizes itself. A house cleaning, so to speak! We even know the primary areas and patterns of the brain in charge of this activity which is called the default mode network (DMN). The importance of any interference to the default mode network’s ability to reorganize brain function is stated clearly in the article. “Such patterns may not only serve as biological markers for diagnosis but may also provide deeper insights into causes of the disease and treatment strategies.”
Welcome to “Innate” and thank you D.D. and B.J. Sounds as if you were both right after all.
