Energetic vs. Material Dosing

Energetic dosing, also known as spirit dosing or etheric dosing, uses tiny amounts of plant medicine, sometimes without a trace of the plant’s chemical constituents, to achieve an effect on the subtle energy patterns of the body, mind and spirit. Their effect is largely vibrational and their indications include the spiritual effects of the plant’s medicine.  Essences and homeopathic medicine are examples of energetic preparations. You can achieve a similar vibrational effect by using drop doses of tinctures. The perspective behind the smaller dosing methods recognizes a vital life force and innate intelligence in the body as well as the plant and believes that it’s the interaction between the vital force that ultimately produces a unique effect.

Material dosing refers to the use plant preparations that contain a plant’s phytochemical profile. Tinctures, syrups and decoctions are examples of material dosing. This approach is based on an understanding of how the plant’s chemical constituents interact with the physiological mechanisms of the body to produce an effect.

So, the smaller the dose, the more it acts on the energetic pathways. The large the dose, the more it acts on the physiological mechanisms of the body. These two approaches are not mutually exclusive and both offer valuable wisdom.