Innate Intelligence - History

History

The concept of Innate Intelligence was expanded upon by B.J. Palmer (D.D. Palmer's son) in the numerous books he wrote. Note that he spelled it with capital letters and it was frequently abbreviated ""II". Originally, it was taught as the "law of life", comparable to the subconscious or the "non-conscious brain", or what causes homeostasis. "However, by not later than 1906 the father of chiropractic had converted these adjectives into nouns, more precisely, proper names":

"Nature, instinct, subconscious mind and intuition are terms often used to carry this idea of intelligence, but they do not express the sentiment fully." Vol. 1 The Science of Chiropractic its Principles and Philosophies by B.J. Palmer, D. C., Ph. C. 1920

"Education, so far as health problems and religious theories are concerned, works from outside in; from below upward. Universal Intelligence and Innate Intelligence work from above downward, within outward." B.J. Palmer Vol. 22 1949 pg. 56

"The fundamental cause of all dis-ease lies between the Innate Intelligence and the body; in the interference to the normal and natural quantity efferent flow between Innate Intelligence and the body; in the interference to the normal and natural quantity afferent flow from body to Innate Intelligence. This interference between can make either sick." B.J. Palmer Vol. 22 1949

"Various terms can be synonymously used, such as force, energy, power, electricity, mental impulse, nerve force, etc., depending upon whether we refer to the activating agent external to or the motivating agent internal to the human body." B.J. Palmer Vol. 22 1949

The following paragraph by B.J. Palmer describes his relationship to the concept of Innate Intelligence (all emphasis original):

IT WAS HERE IN THIS ONE ROOM, the Great Teacher and Master of ALL people of ALL times, was Innate. IT WAS HERE with these retired personalities, with their every-day personal products, I learned the basic truths of Chiropractic and how to become a Chiropractor.

Up till THIS period of MY life, I was INVOLVING MY thots, words, and acts much like so many have done and were doing. The “I” was egotistic as well as egoistic.

After THIS period of OUR life, WE began EVOLVING like few people do or have done. From then on, WE thot, spoke, and acted. From then on, “I” was humble in the presence of Innate within as WE lived together.

IT WAS THERE, plus time, IN THIS ONE ROOM, I found MYself. WE found OURselves—INNATE AND I—until EACH lost his or her singular and single identity and became a plural duality, to eventually walk down the byways and highways together the rest of OUR lives (1961, p. 163).

(Palmer’s use of capital lettering as well as his unusual spelling of “thot” were his ways of emphasizing concepts.)