The long history of acupuncture; the story of a surprising excerpt.

A particular excerpt from the history of acupuncture, a medicine without nation or religion, signed by the 5,300-year-old Iceman.

One might believe that the history of acupuncture unfolds only in Asia. This is quite the opposite according to certain paleontological evidence. Other forms of life on Earth have the ability to communicate over hundreds of kilometers without emitting a single sound, as in the case of mycelium in fungi. Here, an artifact preserved in ice tells us much; an acupuncture without nation or religion, or at least very far from its supposed origins and associated customs, applying the work of the collective psyche, which comes to life on the human scale this time.

This article reminded me how, in a synchronous manner, two different people at two different locations can have the same idea at the same moment. Further in the same article cited above, one can read: (translated here literally)

The 5,300-year-old Iceman, discovered in the autumn of 1991, at the border of Austria and Italy, had in his belongings three different species of polypores, which suggests that he considered these elements essential for crossing the Alps." Just as his prophylactic treatment with an acupuncturist, as we will see here.

This man preserved by ideal conditions revealed upon autopsy 'stigmata' demonstrating that he had benefited from acupuncture treatments in areas currently stimulated in cardiovascular diseases. (In the past, acupuncture needles were larger, both in diameter and length, and manufactured, depending on the era, from bone and various minerals.) These prehistoric instruments probably caused a certain degree of pain and collateral damage to the epidermis. Today, modern acupuncture has been able to adapt its tools and methodologies to the delicate specimen that homo sapiens sapiens has become. The needles are today as fine as a hair and resemble beautiful jewels. They are packaged, sterile, and single-use. It is a high-performance medical instrument.

The fact that an Austro-Italian human being used acupuncture 5,300 years ago to address his health problems raises two important points:

1. The Iceman cared about his health. Indeed, this 5,300-year-old Iceman and the acupuncture he would have received demonstrates that he sought to heal himself.

2. Acupuncture belongs to no particular nation. This is why no Chinese characters appear on the promotional material of Olivier Roy, Acupuncturist at Clinique Shanti, Montreal. I personally believe that acupuncture and its therapeutic modalities are sacred knowledge that belongs to humanity. We all know how to apply pressure to our pain to obtain relief. This is done even unconsciously: rubbing the forehead during headaches, bending in half to cover the intestines during digestive troubles, pressing the point above the chest during angina attacks, scratching sometimes until bleeding during dermatological problems, pressing on the kidneys during lower back pain...

The most powerful acupuncture points (穴位 xuéwèi) are located on the forearm, hand, leg, and foot. The extremities are the parts of our anatomy most often affected by injuries in the context of a lifestyle close to the earth. Over time, these injuries were catalogued and classified for their therapeutic actions on chronic and acute ailments of the injured. Subtle techniques have been developed to date in the beneficial application of these slight "injuries". Precise and strategic in their locations, it has been demonstrated empirically that they promote the natural healing of the organism. It is truly a matter of taking advantage of the innate resources of human physiology.

Now called acupuncture, it is said that this practice originates from China/Asia. Now you know its true origin; from human pain, from human experience, and from coincidence. This is why a Chinese person is not necessarily born an acupuncture therapist. Through pain, experience, and coincidence, you could achieve it as well. But fortunately, much ground has already been covered for us.

Indeed, the ancient shamans of different Amerindian cultures were promoted to the rank of accomplished masters in a field of pathology when they themselves had traversed the pain of an illness and resolved it, either in the sacred reality of dreams or in waking life. They had to have gone through it, in a sense, and emerged alive and useful for those who would have to make the same pathological journey.

Your experience with a certified acupuncturist is an extraordinary synthesis of the benefits derived from all of humanity's experience with illness. Practically painless in these modern techniques, this mycelium of wisdom is available to you, here and now, regardless of your health problem. Take advantage of it today, and share the benefits of acupuncture without nation or religion with your loved ones.

Olivier Roy, Acupuncturist, practices acupuncture in Montreal, at Clinique Shanti, located at 5282 3e Avenue, Montreal H1Y 2W5