358 History Series: Remember, Acupuncture is Fantastic • Julian Scott

While many are keen on looking to “science up” acupuncture and squeeze it into the thinking and theories of conventional medicine, others are quite content with the weirdness of it. And enjoy playing around in the territory that’s off the radar of Western science. 

Julian Scott is one of those pioneering acupuncturists whose background in theoretical physics primed him for the strangeness of the world of acupuncture.

In this conversation we explore how healing and science don’t always go together. His surprising introduction to treating children, and the weirdness that is inherent to both physics and healing.

Listen into this discussion on root causes, developmental stages, the influence of vaccines, along with the role of mind-to-mind connection and emanation in healing.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

• Acupuncture is whacky, but it’s tame in comparison to theoretical physics
• Van Buren taught the ability to heal
• Teacher in China, her kindness was an inspiration
• Vaccinations, lurking influences and modern foods
• The problems engendered by academic privilege
• What Jullian learned from John Shen
• What happens in childhood has an influence that remains for the rest of your life
• Attention to timing and transitions, and what the important transitions are
• The link between frozen shoulder and menopause
• The significance of transitions that come at 60 and 80
• The patterns children express are quite different from those of adults
• What Jullian learned from studying in China
• Vaccinations and lingering pathogens
• How practicing Chinese medicine has changed Jullian
• Acupuncture is weird
• The importance of discovering what kind of practitioner you are
• Advice for new practitioners

Set aside time for yourself, to nourish your soul​​

Julian Scott, L.Ac, Ph.D

I went to Cambridge university and obtained a PhD, and it was a natural progression that my first career was as a research physicist. I was then fortunate enough to come across Chinese medicine, and learnt the rudiments from Dr. van Buren at ICOM, graduating in 1976. After visits to China in 1982, 1983 and 1984, I set up a low-cost children’s clinic in Brighton, which gradually grew into the Dolphin House clinic, which is still a centre for children’s health.

Various events, and a warm welcome from Dan Bensky, led to me Seattle, where I opened a children’s clinic with my wife Teresa Barlow, and taught at NIAOM and SIOM, as well as giving courses in paediatrics in many other colleges.

Returning to UK, I practiced in Bath, where furthered my interest in treating eye conditions. I am now in semi-retirection, splitting my time between the UK and Greece.

Links and Resources

Julian’s publications include Acupuncture in the Treatment of Children, written in conjunction with Teresa Barlow, and Acupuncture for the Eyes, which he is now editing for a second edition.

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