148
Subtle Agroecologies
Another way of understanding high dilutions is to consider the concept of vitality or life force,
which can have several compositions. Zanco (2016) has shown that biophotonic techniques (the
study of light photons) are suitable for detecting subtle effects in the use of high dynamised dilutions
by identifying different bioelectric signals among different treatments. Also, Kokornaczyka et al.
(2014) using the crystallisation method with droplet evaporation could detect structural differences
amongst high dynamic dilutions.
As well as the above, homeopathy has had its theoretical–methodological framework legitimised
by scientifc peers in several internationally recognised journals working in biological, agrarian and/
or agrarian and/or related sciences (Betti et al., 2009; Bonfm and Casali, 2012). Several compendia in
the form of homeopathic prescriptions have been made available for the treatment of plants and animals and include the practical effects of their application (Bonato, 2007; Kaviraj, 2012; Maute, 2011).
In the following section, we will discuss homeopathy as an integrative therapy, proposed and
developed by the group of Homeopathic Studies and Agroecology anchored at the Laboratory
of Homeopathy and Plant Health of EPAGRI-Lages, 2 in collaboration with Santa Catarina State
University and the University of Planalto Catarinense, in southern Brazil.
APPLYING THE CONCEPT OF INTEGRATIVE HOMEOPATHY
Practices such as homeopathy are embedded in a world view that considers humans as part of ecosystems. Therefore, there is a case for their application to improve not only the health of agricultural
ecosystems, but also that of farmers and other humans within the system (Boff, 2009; Casali et al.,
2009). Similarly, the interconnectedness of the components within an agricultural system leads us
to presuppose that what makes the soil, water, plants or animals sick does the same for humans
(Khatounian, 2001).
According to Boff (2009), the most effective way of ensuring the long-term health of the agroecosystem is to redesign it to maximise homeostasis or dynamic equilibrium through its own
self-organising life force. This gives rise to resilience (Soule and Piper, 1992). Effective homeopathic
preparations need to act on this force in order to treat the agroecosystem, as a whole or in its parts.
Systems theory explains how living organisms are dependent for their life processes on the
constant exchange of energy, matter and information with their external environment, at all levels
from the quantum to the macro-dimensional (Bertalanffy, 1967). The wave function in the sense
of quantum theory was already used by Silva et al. (2005) to understand the mode of action by
which homeopathic preparation does resonate in biological systems. A recent paper by Manzalini
and Galeazzi (2019) attempts to explain homeopathy through quantum electrodynamics. In it, the
authors show how each component has its own macro-wave function with its specifc oscillatory
pattern that resonates with other specifc oscillatory patterns. In order to minimise uncertainty,
this process tends towards increasing resonance with other systems around it at multiple levels,
which explains how ‘organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, up to a whole organism, are
characterized by their own specifc wave functions, whose phases are perfectly orchestrated in a
multi-level coherence oneness’ (Manzalini and Galeazzi, 2019: 4). This may explain how it is possible to use homeopathic remedies not only for humans but also for animals, plants and even the
environment. It could be a single apple tree or the whole orchard, a single sheep or the entire herd,
the farm or the farmer him/herself (see Figure 13.1). If the apple needs healing, then the orchard
needs healing too; if the farmer is ill, then we can assume that the farm is ill too. Treatment may be
based on an analogy of symptoms of interest or on the observation of exacerbated effects predominant in the diseased or healthy state of the plant/animal compared to the symptoms as described in
the Materia Medica for humans (Casali et al., 2009; de Rezende, 2009).
The effectiveness of homeopathic therapy in agriculture is dependent on its local contextualisation
which rests on the practitioner’s experience of perceiving the whole sick organism, the relationships
2 EPAGRI is the Institute of Agricultural Research and Rural Extension of Publica Service of Santa Catarina State, Brazil.
Subtle Agroecologies
Another way of understanding high dilutions is to consider the concept of vitality or life force,
which can have several compositions. Zanco (2016) has shown that biophotonic techniques (the
study of light photons) are suitable for detecting subtle effects in the use of high dynamised dilutions
by identifying different bioelectric signals among different treatments. Also, Kokornaczyka et al.
(2014) using the crystallisation method with droplet evaporation could detect structural differences
amongst high dynamic dilutions.
As well as the above, homeopathy has had its theoretical–methodological framework legitimised
by scientifc peers in several internationally recognised journals working in biological, agrarian and/
or agrarian and/or related sciences (Betti et al., 2009; Bonfm and Casali, 2012). Several compendia in
the form of homeopathic prescriptions have been made available for the treatment of plants and animals and include the practical effects of their application (Bonato, 2007; Kaviraj, 2012; Maute, 2011).
In the following section, we will discuss homeopathy as an integrative therapy, proposed and
developed by the group of Homeopathic Studies and Agroecology anchored at the Laboratory
of Homeopathy and Plant Health of EPAGRI-Lages, 2 in collaboration with Santa Catarina State
University and the University of Planalto Catarinense, in southern Brazil.
APPLYING THE CONCEPT OF INTEGRATIVE HOMEOPATHY
Practices such as homeopathy are embedded in a world view that considers humans as part of ecosystems. Therefore, there is a case for their application to improve not only the health of agricultural
ecosystems, but also that of farmers and other humans within the system (Boff, 2009; Casali et al.,
2009). Similarly, the interconnectedness of the components within an agricultural system leads us
to presuppose that what makes the soil, water, plants or animals sick does the same for humans
(Khatounian, 2001).
According to Boff (2009), the most effective way of ensuring the long-term health of the agroecosystem is to redesign it to maximise homeostasis or dynamic equilibrium through its own
self-organising life force. This gives rise to resilience (Soule and Piper, 1992). Effective homeopathic
preparations need to act on this force in order to treat the agroecosystem, as a whole or in its parts.
Systems theory explains how living organisms are dependent for their life processes on the
constant exchange of energy, matter and information with their external environment, at all levels
from the quantum to the macro-dimensional (Bertalanffy, 1967). The wave function in the sense
of quantum theory was already used by Silva et al. (2005) to understand the mode of action by
which homeopathic preparation does resonate in biological systems. A recent paper by Manzalini
and Galeazzi (2019) attempts to explain homeopathy through quantum electrodynamics. In it, the
authors show how each component has its own macro-wave function with its specifc oscillatory
pattern that resonates with other specifc oscillatory patterns. In order to minimise uncertainty,
this process tends towards increasing resonance with other systems around it at multiple levels,
which explains how ‘organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, up to a whole organism, are
characterized by their own specifc wave functions, whose phases are perfectly orchestrated in a
multi-level coherence oneness’ (Manzalini and Galeazzi, 2019: 4). This may explain how it is possible to use homeopathic remedies not only for humans but also for animals, plants and even the
environment. It could be a single apple tree or the whole orchard, a single sheep or the entire herd,
the farm or the farmer him/herself (see Figure 13.1). If the apple needs healing, then the orchard
needs healing too; if the farmer is ill, then we can assume that the farm is ill too. Treatment may be
based on an analogy of symptoms of interest or on the observation of exacerbated effects predominant in the diseased or healthy state of the plant/animal compared to the symptoms as described in
the Materia Medica for humans (Casali et al., 2009; de Rezende, 2009).
The effectiveness of homeopathic therapy in agriculture is dependent on its local contextualisation
which rests on the practitioner’s experience of perceiving the whole sick organism, the relationships
2 EPAGRI is the Institute of Agricultural Research and Rural Extension of Publica Service of Santa Catarina State, Brazil.