It is hard to tell by reading Maria Lis-Balchin’s ...

2010-05-27T16:32:13.265-07:00

It is hard to tell by reading Maria Lis-Balchin’s critique where the aromatherapists’ source material came from. She assumes it came from herbal medical knowledge. Perhaps it came from personal experience or historical usage or even a research source she is unaware of. After all, she is just another author who may or may not have her facts straight or may just have an axe to grind. Or perhaps she is right and there is no scientific research data that can support these claims. But what I find most disagreeable about Lis-Balchin’s posturing is that she speaks as though it is impossible to know anything about anything unless a clinical research study has taken place. Herbal and natural medicine knowledge have been around for thousands of years. Somehow we managed to learn a few things without scientific research or double blind studies.

Her black and white way of thinking may be fine if you live in a petri dish. Holistic principles are not always measurable within the framework of the single variable lab experiment. And a lack of scientific research does not necessarily refute the effectiveness of a remedy. To say that the aromatherapy uses cited for cypress oil are based entirely on herbal usage negates the history, experience, dedication and hands-on wisdom of those who work in the trenches with real people. Ayurvedic, Indigenous, Western herbal and Traditional Chinese Medicines did not come into existence because “science” was there first to verify the efficaciousness of their methods. Astute observation (arguably a science as well as an art) is part of the methodologies of these ancient traditions, as well as the collective knowledge and history of usage that came before. Scientific research data should not be the only measure of the effectiveness of an essential oil. If aromatherapy is to remain a holistic field of practice there needs to be allowance for multiple ways of knowing including observation, experience, historical usage, intuition backed by wisdom, and yes...science.

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It is hard to tell by reading Maria Lis-Balchin’s ...