Expanding Consciousness

Margaret Newman: Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness

Margaret Newman’s theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness proposes that humans are unitary beings that are continuously in contact with their environment. The theory sees the person as one whole instead of being composed of multiple parts. Humans are personally responsible for evolving their own patterns in their lives. These patterns evolve from decisions that a person makes as well as their interactions with others. Newman explains that health and illness are the same and that illness or pathologic condition manifests from a pattern that is already present in the person. Resolving this illness or pathologic condition will not change the pattern that is present (McEwen

200). Consciousness is the knowledge that an individual has, but also includes the patterns of the individual in relation to their interaction with the environment and others. Expanding consciousness comes from pattern recognition. With recognizing patterns an individual will gain insight and knowledge. In Newman’s theory expanding consciousness is health (McEwen & Wills, 2014, p. 200). Time and space refers to temporal patterns or habits of an individual that are specific to them. Pattern recognition is recognizing patterns of an individual and then using that knowledge to expand consciousness. Pattern is a scheme, design, or framework that develops from an individual’s interaction with the environment and also with others. Integration via movement is how consciousness is expressed. Movement is constant change or motion of which an individual is involved. Newman’s work was influenced by Ilya Prigogine’s theory of dissipative structures (Pharris, 2011, p. 194). Prigogine’s theory states that a rhythm moves in a predictable fashion until a chance element or critical event disrupts that predictable rhythm bringing about a giant fluctuation (Picard & Jones, 2005, p. 68-69). This propels into a disorganized, unpredictable rhythm that eventually emerges into a higher level of organization and returns to a predictable rhythm (Picard & Jones, 2005, p.