3rd Edition of Preventive Medicine World Conference 2027

Abstract

We live in a world of global health challenges, both in the sphere of climate disruptions and their consequences for the quality of life on the planet and for the population as a whole. Developing preventive strategies therefore faces many areas of life, and particularly medicine as a whole—not only its individual specialties. These strategies should encompass the whole human being, their development, health, and problems within a broader system of interdependencies—from childhood to late adulthood. This requires a shift in thinking: from a reductionist view of individual systems or organs, and thus of fragments of the human organism and even of the world considered separately, towards seeing the relationships between them and building networks of connections: synthesis, rather than integration alone.

Synthesis is not merely the collection of fragmented parts, but the revealing of their “added value”—that is, what exists beyond and between them. This happens by opening ourselves to a broader picture and appreciating the contribution of the other side: both that of the individual medical specialty and that of the patient and their personal experience. When we open ourselves to a broader picture and appreciate the contribution of the other side, we can also build partnership rather than subordination or dependency.

My presentation is based on over 50 years of professional experience, grounded in two fundamental areas:

1. scientific work in medicine, in immunology and clinical diagnostics, and
2. 30 years of practice in psychosynthesis, working both with myself and with my clients, exploring the causes underlying health problems and often going back to childhood.

Because of the limited time available for the presentation, I will present only an outline of a systemic view of the whole, while asking a fundamental question: How can we motivate a person, at every age, throughout life, to maintain their health for as long as possible?

In order to guide a person towards health, it is necessary to perceive their wholeness and the connections between its different dimensions, and therefore not only their physicality (organs and systems), but all their levels of development—mental, emotional, and spiritual, as well as physical. These dimensions unfold throughout life and find expression in its different spheres. Their separation, which has existed for centuries, has generated many problems, not only for individuals but also for the world.

The theses and models of “education for the future” that I have developed over the years are not merely a theoretical structure. Rather, they emerged from a journey back to the roots: from traumatic experiences in early childhood and the treatment of physical symptoms to recognizing the gaps not only in a symptom-oriented medical approach but also in education and upbringing. When these gaps remain unaddressed, they create dissonance not only within the individual but also in the world.

Most important, however, is what has guided me throughout the years: a message from Dr. Roberto Assagioli, the founder of Psychosynthesis, which states: “When something comes at the right time, it is education; when it comes too late, it is therapy.” In my life, I began with therapy, and it led me towards “Education for Life and for Living” and “Medicine for the Years.” The second guiding principle was the fundamental maxim of Hippocratic medicine: “First, do no harm”—applied not only to medicine but also to upbringing and education at all levels.

I have described the broader context in two of my principal books: The University of Integrated Education and Education of the Human Being of the New Era for the Health of Self and the Earth.