While the physics of biology* proves that we're energetic immortal and interconnected, but temporarily biological and separate;* western medical science ignores and discredits spiritual factors of disease and healing. While the field of interpersonal neurobiology reflects concrete evidence that our nervous system is influenced by those around us; and, the negative physiological impacts of social pollutants like inequality, patriarchy and racism are well researched and documented; western medical science continues to under-value the role of social wellbeing plays in our overall health. While the field of psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrinology arose because mental health is inextricably interwoven with digestive, cardiac, pulmonary, immune and autonomic nervous systems health;* western medical science continues to bifurcate mental and physical health when managing disease and conceptualizing care. While the health benefits of regular access to the natural world are also well researched, and the negative impact of unhealthy ecosystems are beyond dispute; the western medical system continues to minimize or ignore environmental influences on disease and wellbeing.
So why doesn't the medical system change in response to this overwhelming evidence? As Edward Deming wisely observed: "Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets." This is particularly chilling when you look at the power that big pharma, which favors the continued management of disease over cures, as more consumption means more revenue. With access to "educate" and incentivize doctors to use their medications, these motivations permeate the practice of medicine in direct ways. Because our innate capacity to heal ourselves is bad for business; no matter how concrete the mathematical and biological evidence, the pharmaceutical and medical industries must continue to educate themselves (and the public) to a disempowered state. Said another way: Maximizing the nocebo effect for self healing is as important as outperforming the placebo effect when you're pushing a drug through the FDA.
Despite having the most expensive health care system, the United States ranks last overall compared with six other industrialized countries—Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom—on measures of quality, efficiency, access to care, equity, and life expectancy.* It's no surprise that 52% of Americans are dissatisfied with our healthcare system.* To keep such an unpopular and ineffective system going, you can't rely on nocebo indoctrination forever. That's where denying universal access to healthcare becomes critical, as does the privatization of healthcare insurance. This ensures the denial of care that isn't validated by the medical and pharmaceutical industries, who's profits depend on you outsourcing your own healing. Finally, make it nearly impossible for folks to take the time away from work to properly treat their illnesses and recover and you've effectively forced the lion's share of our citizens to manage chronic diseases that could have been cured, often at great expense to their wellbeing and longevity.
While often unconscious, the remainder of our economy is architected to benefit from human suffering, too. As people heal, they change the way they vote, eat, consume and navigate their lives. As people reclaim their power, they become less profitable and harder to exploit. In addition to the pharmaceutical and medical fields, almost every industry in our current economy suffers when you heal and grow. As a result, from choosing the car we drive, the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the applications we download and the social media platforms we join are dependent on the temporary relief (or escape) that their products and services offer from the suffering driving your behavior. Even as these parasitic systems threaten to destroy their hosts, they persist because they either don't see or can't feel that they are actively complicit in creating the individual, social and ecological crises of our day. Those who do see and can feel are often so despondent and worn out that they've given up hope that we are capable of great systems change if we heal and wake up, together.
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