Acupuncture and Theoretical Biology In my opinion, the best of the few known theories on acupuncture belongs to the team of theoretical biologists under the command of the professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Dr. Dmitri Chernavski. I was lucky to witness the theory's development. In the late 80's, I was working on database on neural networks for his team's project on "neurocomputing." What was it about? Formally, simplified models of neural structures in a form of electronic devices existed for a long time, starting a whole new class of computers with artificial intelligence - ones that can learn, recognise objects, and correct their own mistakes. Sounds like a paradox, but the opposite idea to explain the mechanisms of a live brain using the known electronic models proved to be useful. Thus the theory of the self-diagnosing function of the body was developed. Most of these self-diagnosis recognition processes take place in the spinal cord. In the grey matter of the spinal cord, the neurons are organised into conglomerates, the so-called "Rexed Laminae" (numbers 1 to 10 on the picture below.) Their functions are well known. The signals from the internal organs, as well as from the skin and muscles, initially go through the first lamina, separate from each other. Then the signal moves through the second lamina, third one, and so on, while increasingly interacting with each other and, after ten laminae, finally reaching the brain in the form of an integrated piece of information about the body's state of being. The computers that recognise objects have basically the same structure and signal integration. In cases, an omitted signal or one that is not strong enough will be compensated for by another one, thus fixing the mistake. According to Dr. Chernavski, skin stimulation at the point of acupuncture accomplishes the same goal - it increases the flow of signals from an organ adding to this flow signals from the corresponding point on the skin. But what does make the signals from acupoints target the same spinal cord centers as signals from an organ do? I like the theory of embriogenesis. It states that two sets of body tissues - the organ's and the corresponding skin point's - once originated from similar maternal cell groups (which has been completely and directly proven). Later, being separated in the course of organogenesis, they nevertheless kept their primordial memories (which is true in the sense of their common projections into the brain centers). These centers may not be "awake" enough to pay attention to a weak signal from an organ but they can be "awakened" by additional stimulation, from the corresponding skin point projecting into this particular center. It is as if you want to send a letter to someone down a stream with little or no water. You fold this letter into a paper boat and face the fact that there is not enough water to carry it. Add some water, and the paper boat will get there. The method of adding the water , the paper of which the boat is made , or the method of folding the boat -- all these have no effect on the content of the letter you're sending. The same way, the "illness letter" from a diseased organ to the brain can reach the diagnostic center in the brain only if it is carried within sufficient amount of signals in the "stream" of bodily information. Acupuncture or for that matter the Applicator can contribute significantly to this common "stream" and thus help in carrying the "illness letter." What happens when the disease is recognised, the theory of self-diagnosis does not explain stating only that the body has enough resources to battle the disease on its own. Conventional medicine rejects that statement, while holistic medicine thrives on it. I think conventional doctors make the mistake of disregarding invaluable information including that collected within the strict Western science paradigm. Lets' take a look at, say, skin stimulation at large. Why do you think children rub their bruises?