The Aromatic Triad or.... HOW Essential Oils Work!

In his book, Natural Home Health Care Using Essential Oils, Daniel Penoel, MD refers to the “Aromatic Triad” of matter, energy and information embodied in the oils. As powerful healing allies, the oils can provide help at many different levels, known and unknown, throughout the body’s total healing system. Essential oils are adaptogens. This means they have the ability to provide therapy in unanticipated or unexpected ways; they seem to understand – and the body understands – instinctively where their influence is needed and how it is best used.
Dr. Penoel considers eight realms in which the healing effects of essential oils can have an influence. I’ve listed them here with brief descriptions for reference:

• The Congenital Realm – refers to issues of heredity or as a result of complications during pregnancy. What Penoel refers to as “aromatic treatment” focuses here on alleviating the consequences of damaged DNA replication or from events occurring during conception or fetus development.
  
• The Organic Realm – refers to the organic systems of the body including the liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen, cardiovascular system, digestive system, etc. Aromatic molecules provide properties that promote improved functioning of the organs.
  
• The Bioelectronic Realm – refers to the biochemical and the electromagnetic systems of the body. Essential oils have an uncanny capacity to balance the pH, increase the electrical resistance, and reduce the oxidation within body fluids. Added to this biochemical action is their electromagnetic action - which can create an inhospitable environment for pathogens.
  
• The Microbial Realm - This refers to the flora and fauna co-existing within our bodies including pathogens as well as the friendly allies. Within the digestive tract alone, we harbor more bacteria than there are cells in our body. Certain essential oils have the ability to eliminate the unwanted inhabitants while preserving those that are helpful.
  
• The Immunity Realm - refers to the immune functions of the body. Effects of essential oils treatment are known to stimulate, regulate, or modulate immune system response.
  
• The Structural Realm – refers to bone, joint, and muscle systems of the body, especially the spine. Aromatherapy can play a support role to corrective, energy, or structure techniques that is extremely valuable.
  
• The Glandular Realm - refers to the system of glands in the body which produce a vast and interrelated group of hormones to regulate most body functions and many psychological mechanisms. Like essential oil molecules, these hormones are highly complex and have a tremendous influence on the growth, healing, health, and regulation of body systems. Either by direct action or by more subtle biochemical processes (molecules which are precursors to hormone structures), essential oils can be used here also to stimulate, moderate, or regulate glandular performance.
  
• The Neuro-Psychic Realm - refers to the functions related directly to and controlled by the brain - or “human central computer.” This includes pain response, controlling the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, production of endorphins, the functions of the subconscious and the memory, and the libido, among others. The effects of essential oils can stimulate, moderate, or regulate these functions with this realm providing one of the highest response levels to aromatic molecules.

What we observe and experience as the healing effects of essential oils are a result of the aromatic triad (matter, energy and information) interacting within these eight realms.