We seek out medical practitioners because we want to know. There is a problem and we want it gone. Sometimes the process of discovery is not difficult, and health concerns are quickly resolved.
But then there are those issues that linger for years, decades even. They defy the insurance reimbursed scans and lab tests. They might be “managed” by a drug. But who wants to be on a medication for the rest of their life? These confounding issues are harder to get a handle on.
Beginning with a mind open enough to encompass a wider range possibility can lead to overlooked or surprising solutions. Listen in as we explore the vital role of “not knowing” and how it can lead to a deeper sense of understanding.
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Show Highlights:
4:35 Knowing and not knowing
5:48 A discussion of qi.
9:55 A state of meeting that transcends individuality.
11:26 Primacy of feeling
13:20 The necessary merger of thinking and feeling.
14:51 Cultivating comfort with not knowing.
19:40 What ultimately is our goal with patient care?
23:50 A surprising study on treatment outcomes.
34:07 Diagnosis as hypothesis.
42:08 Addressing failure.
48:05 Intention.
51:19 Cozying up to uncertainty.
Paul Karsten
Paul started his Zen training in 1973 and his Chinese medicine studies in 1980. These two practices have continued to sit at the heart of his inquiry regarding life and well being. As one of the founders of the Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine, he envisioned this institution as being an ongoing exploration of ways to clarify our understanding and intention.
Presently, in addition to serving as Dean at SIOM and as one of the Institute’s faculty, he is constructing a hermitage on a secluded island in the Philippines.
Website: www.siom.edu
