4th Wave of Philosophy
BJ Palmer’s introduction of HIO and his fourteen years of research in the BJ Palmer Research Clinic had the greatest impact on his philosophy at this time. Other philosophers of chiropractic will be added in the future. Palmer’s holistic approach to the organism’s healing and his deep insights into the nervous system and its relation to the body as an energy system punctuate his philosophical writings during this wave.
BJ Palmer's - holistic worldview and subtle energies writings
Many of B.J. Palmer’s writings at this time period were on the energetic nature of Innate Intelligence and the Mental Impulse. He published two important books in this regard, The Known Man (1936) and Chiropractic Clinical Controlled Research (1951). In the later book is a reproduction of his 1932 lecture, Crowding the Hour, where he expands the 33 Principles to 75 Principles (which included specifics about technique, chiropractic, HIO, etc…). His evolution of the ideas of Mental Impulse, subluxation, and the energetic nature of human beings are the highlights of this wave.
- For a deep look at how Palmer’s worldview evolved, please take the courses and read:
B.J. Palmer: An Integral Biography. - The Association for the History of Chiropractic has given permission for us to reproduce Simon Senzon’s History of the Mental Impulse.
- The article, Chiropractic and Energy Medicine: A Shared History explores Palmer’s writings from this period along with an analysis of several of his references from this time period: