Peter Heusser

Prof. Peter Heusser, former Chair of Medical Theory, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine and former Director of the Institute for Integrative Medicine (IfIM) and Co-Director of the Research and Teaching Centre (FLZ) at Herdecke Community Hospital, will continue to put his knowledge and experience in the field of medical theory at the service of the Faculty of Health in the form of a senior professorship. The title Senior Professorship for Medical Anthropology was chosen to reflect the focus of his work in medical theory. Medical anthropological projects that were started at the Chair of Medical Theory will be continued in the senior professorship. The professorship can be continued thanks to funding from the Software AG Foundation Darmstadt.

The senior professorship is dedicated to the development of a modern, evidence-based medical concept of the human being, which recognises the human being with his or her physical, mental and spiritual activities. These activities are not reduced one-sidedly to material, molecular and neurobiological processes, but are recognised in their ontologically independent nature. An attempt is made to understand how they play a causal role in the genesis of health and illness.

From a medical-anthropological perspective, this is also intended to contribute to the research specialisation Integrative and Personalised/Personalised Healthcare (IPGV). For if patients are increasingly no longer to be perceived exclusively as biological mechanisms, but also in their living, mental, spiritual and social being, as well as understood and treated as whole persons within the framework of an integrative view, then science is obliged to dedicate itself to the specific nature of the various levels of human being. This includes both natural science and humanities perspectives. The main aim of the senior professorship is to develop contributions from anthroposophically orientated spiritual science to the development of a modern medical anthropology in the sense mentioned. The senior professorship pursues its objectives through research projects, in the context of which dissertation topics are also awarded, as well as through scientific colloquia and publications.

Publications by and with Prof Heusser can be found in his publication list.

Research specialisation: Contributions of anthroposophically oriented humanities to the development of an integrative and person-centred medical anthropology

Completed projects (as of August 2024)

1. Foundations of an integrative and person-centred medical anthropology. The thesis that the human being, within the framework of an integrative and person-centred view, cannot be explained merely by physical-chemical and biological mechanisms, but by a complex interaction of physical, vital, mental, spiritual, social and spiritual forces, requires an epistemological and factual justification, to which the senior professorship attempts to contribute. (Heusser 2022; Ebersbach and Schmidt 2019; Ebersbach et al. 2019; Heusser 2019; Heusser 2017; Heusser, Weinzirl, et al, 2017).
2. Contributions to a holistic theory of the senses. The traditional view of sensory physiology interprets the sensory process as a purely physical-physiological process cascade that ultimately generates sensory experiences in the brain as subjective experiences. In contrast, the senior professorship developed a new, integrative psycho-physiological view in line with modern approaches of "extended mind", "embodiment", information theory and Rudolf Steiner's theory of the senses, which understands the sensory process as animate and the sensory experience as a fact of an objectively accessible external world. (Heusser 2022a; 2022b; 2019; 2017; Weinzirl, Lutzker, Heusser 2017).
3. Sensory science and social perception. For person-centred medicine, the ability of empathic communication between doctors, nurses, therapists and patients is important, especially if patients want to be perceived not only as bodies but also as persons. The question of the objective accessibility of personal aspects of the human being is therefore of particular importance for sensory science. Here, the senior professorship investigated the philosophical and neurobiological foundations of the higher human sensory faculty first described by Rudolf Steiner in 1917, which enables specifically human social communication beyond sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch:
   a. the sense of word perception (Peveling et al. 2017)
   b. the sense of thought perception (Peveling 2019, PhD thesis)
   c. the sense of experiencing the ego of the other person (Kloß 2023, PhD thesis).
4. Life and causality. Traditionally, the quality of life of organisms is interpreted as the product of molecular biological mechanisms that are ultimately controlled by genes. However, this reductionist understanding of life is increasingly being called into question, as the regulation of the genome is proving to be causally dependent on extragenetic factors and all molecular biological processes are ultimately actively and thus causally determined by the holistically organised "system" of the organism. A causal function can therefore be ascribed to the system, whose action appears integrally as "life", which no longer originates from its parts, but instead develops an independent, emergent lawfulness and effectiveness in relation to them. The senior professorship developed contributions to a systemic understanding of the causality of life understood in this way, which can also form a bridge of understanding to complementary medical concepts of life and causality. (Heusser 2018; Ebersbach, Weinzirl, Heusser 2018).
5. The spleen as a rhythmic regulatory organ of the digestive tract. The spleen develops phylogenetically and ontogenetically in direct connection with the gastrointestinal tract and was also considered a digestive organ in ancient medicine. In modern medicine, however, the haematological and immunological functions of the spleen are in the foreground. In addition to these, Rudolf Steiner first postulated a rhythmic regulatory function of the spleen during food intake in 1911. This hypothesis was tested in the senior professorship on the basis of scientific evidence and an experimental study. (Scheffers 2021, PhD thesis; Weinzirl 2021, PhD thesis; Weinzirl, Garnitschnig, et al. 2020; Weinzirl, Scheffers, et al. 2020; Garnitschnig, Weinzirl, et al. 2020).
6. Anthroposophical concept of haematopoiesis. Rudolf Steiner made some early statements about haematopoiesis based on spiritual scientific findings that scientific research at the time could not yet have known about. However, as modern haematology has gained new insights, some of which are similar to Steiner's, Steiner's statements have been systematically related to modern findings in a doctoral project (Sabitzer 2021, PhD thesis).
7. Stress perception and epigenetic regulation. Mental stress contributes a great deal to the development and maintenance of a whole range of diseases relevant to health care. From an integrative medical perspective, the senior professorship deals with the simultaneous effect of stress on different levels of human being: emotional perception, cardiovascular system, biochemistry and epigenetic regulation. In an interdisciplinary collaboration with researchers from the Institute of Integrative Medicine and the Department of Functional Genomics of the Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at Witten/Herdecke University, the Senior Professorship of Medical Anthropology investigated the effect of stress on microRNA in saliva for the first time using the holistic approach described above. This was to be followed by an investigation into the stress-reducing effect of meditative complementary medicine methods on psychological, physiological, biochemical and epigenetic parameters, which were to be collected simultaneously, but this could not be realised due to capacity constraints. (Spellenberg 2021, PhD thesis; Spellenberg, Heusser, et al, 2020; Wiegand, Heusser, et al. 2018; Wiegand, Savelsberg, et al. 2017)

Current ongoing projects (as of August 2024)

1. Emotions and rhythmic system. The scientific discussion of the mind-body problem has traditionally focussed primarily on the relationship between the mind and the brain. All soul functions, i.e. thinking, feeling and willing, have been assigned to the brain, and the rest of the body has been interpreted as a supplier of signals to the brain and as an organisation for the execution of instructions from the brain. However, facts such as the connection between emotions and hormones and vegetative processes in the body, as well as today's experimental substantiation of the so-called "embodiment" theory, show that the soul and spirit must also be connected to the rest of the organism in addition to the brain.
   As early as 1917, Rudolf Steiner presented the concept of a physiological threefold structure of the human organism, in which only perception and thinking are assigned to the nervous-sensory system and thus to the brain, while feeling is assigned to the rhythmic functions of respiration and circulation and volition to the metabolic functions of the metabolic-limb system. In the senior professorship, this concept will initially be tested on the basis of empirical factual material on the question of the connection between emotions and the rhythmic system. (Halasz 2018, PhD thesis; Krüerke et al. 2017)
2. Commentaries on Rudolf Steiner's medical writings and lectures. This edition project is a collaboration between the Senior Professorship of Medical Anthropology at Witten/Herdecke University, the Ita Wegman Institute for Anthroposophical Basic Research in Arlesheim, Switzerland, the Rudolf Steiner Estate Administration and the Medical Section at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. Beginning with the lecture cycle "Spiritual Science and Medicine" (GA 312), Rudolf Steiner's medical writings will be newly edited in the Rudolf Steiner Complete Edition, provided with supplementary material and supplemented by commentary volumes on the historical and scientific context of Steiner's anthroposophical-medical concepts. The aim is to place these concepts in the medical-anthropological context of today's medicine. (Heusser, Kalisch, et al. 2023; Heusser, Ebersbach, Scheffers, Weinzirl 2022; Heusser, Lehmann et al. 2021; Heusser, Weinzirl, Scheffers, Ebersbach 2020)

• Dr Rene Ebersbach, academic staff member
• Dr Johannes Weinzirl, academic staff member
• Dr Tom Scheffers, academic staff (contract for work)
• Michael Kalisch, academic staff (contract for work and labour)

Origin

• Since 1984 married to Ursula Heusser-Schäfer, eurythmist and eurythmy therapist
• Foreign exchange student in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA
• School, grammar school and Matura in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland
• Born 29 August 1950 in Brienz, Bernese Oberland, grew up as the 3rd of 6 children in a working-class family in the cantons of Bern and Solothurn, Switzerland

Academic education and professional activity

• Since 1 January 2017 Senior Professor of Medical Anthropology at Witten/Herdecke University
• Since 2015 Initiator and co-founder of the research training group for Waldorf education at Alanus University in Alfter, member of the steering group and the faculty
• 2009 - 2016 Witten/Herdecke University: postdoctoral qualification and holder of the Chair of Medical Theory, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine and Head of the Centre for Integrative Medicine, Head of the Institute for Integrative Medicine (IfIM), initiator and co-director of the Herdecke Research and Teaching Centre (FLZ)
• 2003 - 2006 University of Bern, postgraduate studies for Master of Medical Education, MME (UniBe)
• 1995 - 2008 University of Bern, Faculty of Health: Head of the Lectureship for Anthroposophic Medicine at the Collegial Institute for Complementary Medicine (KIKOM), establishment of a research department for Anthroposophic Medicine,
• 1998 - 2005 Swiss Federal Social Insurance Office and Swiss Federal Office of Public Health: expert in the evaluation of complementary medicine and member of the national steering committee of the national programme Evaluation of Complementary Medicine (PEK)
• 1993 - 1998 Swiss National Science Foundation for Scientific Research: Co-chairman of a national research project on quality of life under anthroposophic complementary treatment in advanced cancer (NRP 34).
• 1983 University of Basel, doctoral studies for Dr med.
• 1977 - 1982 Further training in general practice (internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics) and anthroposophic medicine (Ita Wegman Clinic and Lukas Clinic Arlesheim, Switzerland), specialist in general medicine FMH. Certificate of competence in anthroposophic medicine VAOAS/FMH
• 1969 - 1976 University of Bern, medical studies, federal medical diploma

Clinical practice

• 2009 - 2013 Herdecke Community Hospital, teaching rounds, tumour board, consultant for anthroposophic medicine
• 1995 - 2008 Inselspital Bern (University Hospital), consultant and oncological tumour outpatient clinic, anthroposophic medicine
• 2008 Ita Wegman Clinic, Arlesheim, oncological tumour outpatient clinic, anthroposophic medicine
• 1982 - 2007 Lukas Klinik Arlesheim, Switzerland, oncological tumour outpatient clinic, anthroposophic medicine, 2005-2007 clinic director
• 1978 - 1982 Physician in charge of an anthroposophically orientated curative education home in eastern Switzerland

Research specialisations

• Since 1 January 2017 Witten/Herdecke University: holder of the senior professorship for medical anthropology. Research projects on the psychophysiology of sensory processes (especially social perception), organology (functional relationship of the spleen to the digestive tract), mind-body interaction (emotion and rhythmology, epigenetic effect of stress), contributions of anthroposophic medicine to medical anthropology
• 2009 - 2016 Witten/Herdecke University: Holder of the Chair of Medical Theory, Integrative and Anthroposophic Medicine at Witten/Herdecke University. Inception of projects on basic research, translational and clinical research, health care research, educational research. Contributions to medical anthropology and medical theory. Founding and development of the Research and Teaching Centre (FLZ) at the Herdecke Community Hospital, together with the Community Hospital and the Integrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Medicine (IBAM).
• 1996 - 2005 Swiss Federal Offices for Social Insurance and for Health: Expert activity for the development of criteria for assessing the benefits of complementary medicine methods, member of the national steering committee of the nationwide programme Evaluation of Complementary Medicine PEK1995-2005
• 1995 - 2008 University of Bern: Head of the Lectureship for Anthroposophic Medicine. Establishment of a research department for anthroposophic medicine. Research specialisations: Medical anthropology and medical theory, educational research anthroposophic medicine and complementary medicine, clinical research on the effects of anthroposophic preparations and therapies: immunological and antitumour effects of mistletoe preparations, pro-coagulant effects of homeopathically potentised antimony, eurythmy therapy for ADHD, physiological effects of anthroposophic speech therapy, basic research on the effects of homeopathically potentised substances in physical and biological systems.
• 1993 - 2006 Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research, Institute for Medical Oncology at the University of Bern and Lukas Klinik Arlesheim: Co-chairman of a multi-part study on quality of life in patients with advanced cancer under the influence of anthroposophic tumour therapy (NRP 34)
• 1990 - 2005 Medical Section at the Goetheanum, University of Spiritual Science, Dornach, Switzerland: Establishment of scientific working groups on cardiological and neurological topics. Networking for research in anthroposophic medicine. Establishment of the International Research Council of the Medical Section. Initiation of centralised literature documentation for anthroposophic medicine at the University of Witten
• 1991 - 1996 Lukas Clinic Arlesheim and Clinic for Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Paediatrics Kiev: Immunological clinical effect of Viscum album in immunocompromised Chernobyl-damaged children with chronic redivergent infections

• 2009 - 2016 Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University. Tutor in problem-orientated teaching. Courses in the Studium fundamentale on epistemological, biological, sensory-physiological and medical-anthropological basic questions. Teaching on anthroposophical aspects of anthropology and organology in the Integrated Curriculum for Anthroposophic Medicine. Numerous invitations to give scientific lectures at various universities and scientific associations in Germany and abroad.
• 1995 - 2008 Medical Faculty of the University of Bern. Problem-orientated teaching, lectures, seminars and elective practicals in anthroposophic medicine, for students of medicine, pharmacy and nursing.
• 1984 - 1990 Troxler Institute Basel: Co-founder and organiser of a scientifically oriented philosophical-anthroposophical Studium Fundamentale.
• Since 1983 Anthroposophical medical seminars in Arlesheim and Filderstadt (Eugen Kolisko Academy): Scientific foundations of anthroposophic medicine
• 1983 - 2005 Medical Section at the Goetheanum: anthroposophical medical study courses for medical students
• 1982 - 1990 Cantonal nursing schools in Zurich and Sarnen, Switzerland. Introductory courses in anthroposophic medicine