The 3 mechanisms of action
3. Energy - the immaterial mechanism of action
Every plant has a system of vital energy that can interact with human beings. We know that giving positive attention to plants will benefit their growth. When processing a plant to make a remedy, the share of this energy that is required by the intact, living plant as substrate is lost, of course. Yet another share of the vital energy can be preserved, which contributes considerably to the overall effect of the remedy. The preservation of the vital energy depends on two prerequisites. Firstly, on the material’s purity and structure, and secondly on the awareness of the person handling the plant.
Purity and structure
Active ingredients still have an effect even if they are contaminated by decomposition products. Vital energy, by contrast, requires the highest possible level of material purity. Decomposition products and disruptions of the liquid structure that inevitably occur in industrial manufacturing processes make it difficult or impossible for these subtle fluids to combine permanently with the material substrate. The following analogy will help to explain this: a vase may have small cracks as a result of improper manufacturing. In this condition, it may still hold sand, but it can no longer serve as a receptacle for the finer medium of water – not for very long, anyway.
We need to distinguish between material changes caused by improper manufacturing processes and changes that occur naturally in the plant. The former should be avoided, while the latter should be encouraged to the right extent. Industrial manufacturing processes are generally characterized by technologies designed to speed up operations. Large quantities need to be processed within a short time and as cheaply as possible; this only works with machines that operate at high speeds. Yet in the process of this, a share of the constituents decomposes as a result of oxidation or heat impact, which disrupts the fluid’s structure.
At CERES we avoid this type of processing. Our work is based on careful manual work. However, this does not mean returning to the old days! All our work is performed based on state-of-the-art expertise. The high standard of professionalism in pharmaceutical practice at CERES is not aimed at increasing the production quantity or the concentration of active ingredients, but at maintaining a high level of purity. On the other hand, the material changes that occur naturally are encouraged by providing sufficient time for maturing. Refined natural products never reach their point of perfection immediately after production. A good wine will only turn into a first-class product after many years of maturing.
On average, CERES mother tinctures are left to mature for two and a half years under controlled conditions before they are ready to be used as a remedy. During this time the aroma can fully develop, for instance.
Awareness
Material purity is an important prerequisite for coalescing with the vital energy fluids, but not the only. The staff’s respect towards anything living is another key aspect affecting the inner quality of the mother tinctures. The staff needs to be aware of the plants’ energy-related aspects. The vital energy of the plants interacts with a person’s attitude.
Considering this, it is evident that carelessness or unkindness towards the plant will weaken its energy, implying that the fluids that can be transferred to the remedy are weakened as well. Therefore mindfulness during processing is the focus of all work at CERES. This also requires an aware way of dealing with time. Only a work rhythm free of tension will allow the desired mindfulness to emerge in the first place.
