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Iridology - how does it work?
I have heard incredible reports about iridology but find it hard to believe anyone can tell anything about someone’s health and internal organs just by looking at the iris of their eyes. What do you make of this technique?
Like you, I was deeply sceptical the first time a practitioner looked me in the eye - until that is, they diagnosed an underlying condition it has taken the doctors six years to identify. I think as with all therapies, the effectiveness of this technique, which is actually a tool for diagnosis, depends on the skill and experience of the practitioner.
The theory is that is it in the eyes that the nervous system comes to the surface. The iridologist believes the nerve filaments of the iris are linked to every organ in the body. There is no anatomical evidence for this but skilled practitioners believe they can also see not only your current state of health but also past conditions and future tendencies.
Hippocrates, who is the father of modern medicine, wrote about the significance of the markings of the eyes - and an iridologist will make a diagnosis that is also based on the purity and the brightness of the colouring of the iris. In very general terms, white marks are said to indicate inflammation and over-stimulation of a particular organ and may be a sign of ongoing healing while darker marks are a sign of reduced function and under-stimulation.
*For a register of iridologists worldwide, send a large SAE to The Guild of Naturopathic Iridologists, 94, Grosvenor Road, London SW1V 3LF. For an information pack on training, send £2 in stamps. Expect to pay from £30 for a consultation outside London to £120 with a top practitioner.