Kingdoms and Subkingdoms In the great majority of cases, the individual will need a medicine belonging to the mineral,

plant, or animal kingdom. There are other groups of medicines, such as those made from nosodes (the products of disease),rarely imponderables (such as Sun, Magnetic poles, Electricity), or particular drugs made into homeopathic medicines (also very infrequently). Through understanding the homeopathic map of these kingdoms, it is often possible to find, in an exciting yet straigh tforward and confirmable manner, the simillimum. Once the kingdom and subkingdom reveal themselves, then the homeopath needs to find the specific member of the kingdom or subkingdom needed by the patient. This is where the concept of miasm becomes relevant, which we will discuss later in the article. This article is a very brief summary of the sensation method, which we have been studying and practicing since 1993. It has revolutionized our practice, as well as those of homeopaths worldwide. We routinely prescribe medicines we never would have even heard of, much less considered using for our patients, prior to studying with Dr. Sankaran. The results have been, in many cases, spectacular and mindboggling. And the process of case taking has taken on a life of its own. Each case is fresh and one of a kind. The Mineral Kingdom There are particular themes that arise with patients needing medicines from the mineral kingdom. Think structurestructure of ones home, ones life, ones concerns. This structure may ta ke the form of relationships, both with others and with oneself, identity, and performance. Concerns center around the structure of ones life, which may express itself in issues of health, work, responsibility, safety, security, finances, competence, attack and defense. There is a sense of order, organization, and detail. The individual may use numbers, dates, and other data in recounting symptoms. We choose which mineral a person needs based on the periodic table, which is the same periodic table used in chemistry. Dr. Sankarans schema systematizes the rows and columns of the homeopathic periodic table in order to select the correct medicine for the individual. The primary rows start at the top with Row 1 (helium and hydrogen), which represents the state of conception, of coming into existence. Row 2 (lithium, beryllium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, and neon) relate to issues of life as a fetus and of labor/birth. Row 3 (sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silica, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, and argon) are concerned with childhood, nourishment, identity, trust, and relationships. Row 4 (potassium, calcium, scandium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, gallium, germanium, arsenic, selenium, bromine, and krypton focus on security. Row 5 (rubidium, strontium, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum, technetium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, silver, cadmium, indium, tin, antimony, tellurium, iodine, and xenon) center around issues of creativity and performance. Row 6 (cesium, barium, lanthanum, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, osmium, iridium platinum, gold, mercury, thallium, lead, bismuth, polonium, astatine, and radon) have themes of responsibility, leadership, and power. There are two more obscure rows below, the lanthanides, which are lesser known and tend to deal with issues of autonomy and creativity, and the actinides, referred to by some as the Uranium series. The homeopathic periodic table is also categorized according to columns, the elements to the left being more at the initial stages of development, and to the right of having passed through the stages of life and being more in the phase of having reached the zenith of life and being in a period of phasing downwards. You can begin to see the specificity of selecting a homeopathic medicine according to the sensation method. Not only are the elements considered as possible medicines, but also mineral salts and

derivatives. Carbon, for example, includes any substance in nature based on carbon, and the same with all of the other elements. The specificity is astounding. The Plant Kingdom The themes of those needing homeopathic medicines made from plants include sensitivity and reactivity. The focus is on the particular sensation and its opposite. These individuals tend to be emotional rather than intellectual, and their concerns much more based on feelings than structured thoughts. Dr. Sankaran studied the homeopathic materia medica intensively to understand the particular sensation corresponding to the thirty-two most common plant families. These include: Anacardiaceae (theme of caught stiff, stuck, immobility); Apocynaceae (prostrated, paralyzed, contracted, lifeless); Araceae (burning, stinging, slapped;, Berberidaceae (sudden, intense changeabilty); Cactaceae (contraction and expansion); carnivorous plants (trapped, suffocating); Coniferae (fragile, brittle, disconnected); Cruciferae (obstructed flow, blocked, stuck); Dioscoraceae (twisting, coiled, stretched, pulled); Ericaceae (moving from one place to another, wandering); Euphorbiaceae (tight, stretched, tied, bound); Fungi (invaded, burrowing, boring); Geraniales (endurance, prolonged strength and exertion); Hamamelidae (light and heavy, floating, flying); Labiate (excitement, passion); Leguminosae scattered, fragmented); Liliflorae (forced out, squeezed); Loganiaceae (shocked, shattered); Magnolianae (bewildered, lost, confused); Malvales (attached and detached, separated); Papaveraceae (pain and painlessness, violence, agony and ecstasy); Piperaceae (boredom, amusement, pleasure); Primulaceae (paralyzed, lame); Ranunculaceae (excitement, irritability, exquisitely sensitive to many sensations, numb) ; Rosaceae (pinching, pressing, suffocation); Rubiaceae (overstimulation of mind; many ideas, joy); Rutaceae (squeezed, constricted, twisted, broken); Scrophularieaceae (bonds, connection and disconnection, indifference); Solanaceae (violence, sudden, explosive, terror, murder); Theales (injuries to nerves, punctures, penetrating wounds); Umbelliferae (sudden blows, riots, wounds); and Violales.(cutting, stabbing, stitching, pinching). Other plant families are also being studied to elucidate their homeopathic sensations. As an aside, individuals needing plant medicines often love plants, nature, and gardening. But that alone does not qualify someone for a plant medicine! Regardless of the particular plant family and sensation, these patients are highly sensitive and emotional and their symptoms exhibit a number of modalities. This means that their symptoms are made better or worse by a number of external factors, which emphasizes again their sensitivity on many levels. The Animal Kingdom Patients needing animal medicines are animated, engaging, lively, and intense. Predominant issues are survival, dominance and aggression versus submission and weakness, predator and prey, conflict, competitiveness, sexuality, attractiveness, vigilance, and the division between ones higher and lower natures (a kind of split). Speech is typically vivid and excited; they are great storytellers. Their natures are amorous, aggressive, playful, mischievous, jealous, restless, and quick to react. Other characteristics are also clear, depending on the subkingdoms, which follow. Mammals: The more specific themes are connection with family, nourishment, belonging to the herd or pack, safety within the group, dominance/submission, self versus the group, clean and dirty, fight for supremacy within the group. The themes of the particular mammals become even more specific, such as cats (domestic or wild), dogs (domestic versus wolves), monkeys, rodents, etc.

Insects: Themes are business, restlessness, hurriedness, destructiveness, lewdness, suddenness, intensity of activity, shamelessness, and focus on very basic needs for survival. Spiders: Busyness, hyperactivity, restlessness, quickness of movements, mischievousness, deceit, intrigue, dance, music, rhythm, colors. Reptiles: Cunning, scheming, manipulative, jealous, hidden, sexuality, talkative, poisonous, behind the back, cold-blooded, deceit, disguise, sneaky, slithering. Birds: Responsibility and freedom, bound and free, flying, restrained, caged, floating, soaring, expansion, high places, abused, keen vision, swoop, speed, predator/prey. Mollusks: Withdrawal, protection, pulling in, retreat into ones shell, vulnerability, claustrophobia, coming together, suffocated. Again, the specific sensation vary according to whether it is a bivalve, gastropod, or cephalopod. Specificity According to Sensation The purpose of this column is to introduce our readers to the parameters of the sensation method, in some detail, so that you can appreciate the remarkable specificity by which we and the other homeopaths using this method prescribe for our patients. We hope that, when we present cases in the future, our rationale and explanations will make more sense and be more understandable.