Homeopathy defines health very broadly: a healthy individual is in a balanced state on the spiritual/mental, emotional and physical levels. The individual is in a steady state condition, able to act freely and creatively, constantly adjusting to his environment by resisting any permanent and significant force acting upon them by the external environment.
According to the homeopathic definition of health, the physical, emotional and mental/spiritual levels must function adequately. All three levels should function in harmony and the individual’s vitality should flow freely. While on the physical level we can monitor the optimal functioning of the body systems by measuring the level of enzymes, hormones, ions etc., on the mental, spiritual and emotional levels this is not possible. However, based on observing a healthy individual, it appears that such person has a high energy level, acts with integrity, feels content and able to fulfil their purpose in life; i.e. the person is in a state of mental, spiritual and emotional health.
Whether a person will be affected by a certain external factor, depends on their susceptibility. In the homeopathic model of health and disease, people are differentiated by their sensitivity to external influences such as cold, wind, food, stress etc. These factors are able to trigger imbalanced states in susceptible individuals. When the imbalance manifests in disease symptoms these will point towards the appropriate homeopathic remedy of the person, which - via its action on the human body - is able to rebalance it by resonating on the same frequency as the disturbance.
Symptoms can appear on the physical, mental or emotional level. If the stimulus is small and the individual’s vital force is strong, the vital force throws off the disturbance. However, if the stimulus is strong, the vital force is weak, or the previous stimulus was suppressed by allopathic medications, the disturbance goes deeper and will affect a more significant organ or become chronic.
An alternative way of considering the healthy state is viewing it as system of opposing symptoms in balance. Even a healthy individual has the potential to express symptoms, which are on the two extremes of a spectrum. When in balance, the extreme symptoms don’t appear, however, when ’stuck’ in a diseased state and pushed over the tipping point, either excessively positive or negative states manifest. For example, Nux vomica when balanced has a strong work ethic. However, in a diseased state he works too excessively and can be viewed as ‘workaholic’ who gets easily irritated, especially when contradicted. Sepia is characterised by sluggishness and low energy, who also likes dancing and violent exercise, which improves her symptoms. However, when she reaches a tipping point and burns out, she becomes unbalanced and less able to cope. There then follows an inability to hold it together and her life can easily become chaotic.
The ability of homeopathy to restore health lies in the fact that a single remedy - if chosen appropriately - can impact on the physical, mental and emotional level bringing the desired state of harmony in the individual.