Vital Force - the immaterial agency that animates the material body.

The Vital Force is an internal force which exists in a person and takes care of all the processes of life. Its operation is in the direction of preserving life; it functions automatically and with absolute supremacy. In health it takes hold of all vital operations of the person in a unique way, keeping all the processes of life and the material being in harmony and order. It is due to its order of function that it retains the blood in the vessels, the iron in the spleen, the electricity in the nerves and the air in the lungs. In the diseased person the vital operation works in the direction of cure, but without successful results, because its function is mistuned.

When things are kept in order they are kept separated, everything in its place; but when things are confused the result will be disorder which disturbs the harmonic flow of life. This disturbance is the first phenomenon of disease. As a result of this we may see eruptions on the skin or a nose bleed. This is disorder. Disorder is the expression of disease. Death is the extreme point of this disorder. Order is the expression of health. The vital force is responsible for expressing the state of health of a person through signs and symptoms.

Adapted from 24 Chapters in Homeopathy by Joseph Reves

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"The Vital force dominates, rules and co-ordinates the human body." (James Tyler Kent – Aphorism No. 343)

What is it that distinguishes man from machine? For a machine to work properly, it needs to have all its parts in good working order. But it only operates when it is connected to some kind of external energy source; otherwise it is static, immobile, inert. However, organisms that live and grow ­– people, animals, plants – are not just machines. They need their parts to be in order, but there is something else within them, an integral part of them, that keeps them functioning without ceasing all through their lives. Once a person dies, no amount of vitamins, blood transfusions or electric shocks can bring them back to life.

What is more, a living organism can maintain and repair itself, something neither a dead one nor a machine can do. If I cut my finger, it heals; if I cut a sausage or an electrical cable, it does not. So what distinguishes the living from the dead? Perhaps it is movement; yet a frog’s leg will twitch from an electric shock even when the frog is dead. Perhaps it is growth or digestion or excretion; yet all these processes continue for a short time after death. What has gone is the energy that keeps the organism in order, functioning and reacting. Dr. Samuel Hahnemann called this energy the Vital Force.

Order and Balance

This life force is an invisible energy; we cannot see it directly, but we can observe its effects all the time. When I run upstairs, my blood needs more oxygen so my heart rate increases. When a dog gets too hot it starts to pant in order to reduce its body temperature. These effects are brought about by the Vital Force. They are clearly visible, yet we cannot see what caused them. In this respect, it is very like other energies that we know to exist, such as gravity, magnetism and electricity, that shape the world we live in. We cannot actually see gravity, but we can observe its effects all around us, like the rain falling to the earth. Within every human being, indeed within every living thing, there exists this invisible energy, maintaining life. It exists, yet not on the material plane. It is an immaterial agent, essential to life. Without it, we die, and our bodies gradually lose their form and decay.

"In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force (autocracy), the dynamis that animates the material body (organism), rules with unbounded sway, and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation, as regards both sensations and functions, so that our indwelling reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument for the higher purposes of our existence." (Samuel Hahnemann – Organon of Medicine, § 9)

The Vital Force operates throughout our whole being, keeping everything in order and in balance. Its effects are apparent, not only in our physical bodies, but also in our thoughts and emotions. For example, a child who usually jumps around a lot may have a fear of heights, so that he walks very carefully when near the edge of a cliff. This is an expression of his Vital Force, keeping him from harm.

From the very first moment of physical life, the fertilized egg at the moment of conception, the Vital Force shapes and guides the development of the foetus. Long before the brain and the nervous system have developed, this primitive, fundamental force is at work, regulating the new life. Although the brain and the nervous system seem to be responsible for running many of the functions of the body, they are actually the servants of the Vital Force, for the Vital Force governs their construction and operation.

The process of feedback is an expression of the Vital Force in operation. Day and night, without a break, it works for the preservation and continuity of life. Like a benevolent guardian, it protects us; it is constant, yet dynamic, always reacting and adapting to any situation or circumstance in which we choose to put ourselves.

When I get dust in my eyes, they water vigorously to expel it. When I swallow something and it goes down the wrong way, I immediately begin to cough. These responses all seem intelligent, and consistently serve to keep us alive and as well as possible. They are not random responses. When I have dust in my eyes, it is my eyes that start to water, not my feet that begin to perspire. The reaction is appropriate. It is impossible to over-rule it: try sprinting for a bus without your breathing getting faster.

"The Vital Force [...] cannot be destroyed or weakened. It can be disordered, but it is all there." (James Tyler Kent – Aphorisms No. 35)

In all slight injuries and in most acute diseases, the governing Vital Force can restore order in the body in a relatively short time. But it does not cure all sickness. It is not designed to cure everything. If it were, we would never be sick; our bodies would be immortal and we would be invincible. In sickness, it is the human being himself who falls ill, and then the action of his Vital Force is restricted. It becomes disordered and this disorder is shown in altered sensations and functions, as it attempts to restore balance to the whole organism. These are the symptoms, mental and physical, that we suffer, and about which we often complain.

By the expression of our Vital Force, it is possible for us to see where we have gone wrong. For example, I buy some cheap T-shirts at the market, but when I wash them they fade and shrink. Instead of paying a fair price for one good quality T-shirt that will last, I end up paying for discomfort and disappointment. What are these expressions of my Vital Force telling me? What was my motive in buying "three for the price of one" that I should now have no good T-shirts at all? Is it because of this motive that I am now suffering?

The connections between our choices and the symptoms produced as a result by our Vital Force are not always so obvious, which is why we need to consult a homɶopath. For instance, it is usual after the death of a family member or friend to grieve. However, this should pass after a certain time if the Vital Force is healthy. When the Vital Force is deranged, it cannot overcome the state of grief, which will be expressed either in the person not being able to grieve, the tears will not come, etc., or in still grieving twenty years later. The homɶopath has to understand why this individual cannot recover, and then he will understand what is really sick and find the appropriate remedy. The symptoms are the only true indication of which remedy we need; they are the essential language of Nature.

The Vital Force maintains harmony in health, produces symptoms in sickness, and departs at death. Its benign and merciful power is fundamental to life, connecting all living things. All Creation is held together by its authority.