Anyone can fall ill. Medical science reveals natural causes of disease such as genetic predisposition, toxic environments, and microbes. Like the rain and hail, sickness can fall on anyone. But what about factors that make us better? What causes healthy recovery, healing, and cure?
Universal power of healing
According to many spiritual thinkers, there is a life force within the mind and body. A universal healing power that can work through people.
Hence the old medical adage ‘vis medicatrix natura’, (the healing power of nature). According to this ancient idea, left to themselves, most disorders will run their course and the body will get well naturally. Hippocrates believed that an organism is not passive to injuries or disease but rebalances itself to counteract them.
Many people, who suffer from chronic persistent conditions, might hotly dispute this attitude. Nevertheless, it does seem to apply at least to many acute less serious ailments.
It has been long established that a healthy diet, sufficient sleep and physical exercise, bolster our defences against physical illness. The body sets up a process to repel the virus or bacterial invader and, after illness, recovery can set in. Medicine and other therapies can help this process.
Spiritual healing for disease
Orthodox doctors use pills and surgery to treat the body directly. All healers in complementary medicine encourage sufferers to make a conscious act of turning towards, what they see as, a natural healing energy in life, that can restore the body.
Healers may use ‘laying-on-of-hands’ or working just above the surface of the body to activate this natural healing force. The state of illness is not seen as a malady but an effort of the body to overcome a disturbed equilibrium.
Effectiveness of complementary medicine
Conventional science still regards the effectiveness of the work of healers as unproven. However, a good deal of sound research using controlled studies has now accumulated. Sometimes healers fail but this can also be true of any medical treatment.
For many observers who have looked more closely at the evidence, results support the reality of spiritual healing beyond reasonable doubt, e.g. causing improvements in enzyme levels, fungal growth, rate of wound healing.
Sceptics claim that often benefits are due to the so-called placebo effect.
“As every surgeon has witnessed, even a positive attitude about the outcome of a major operation can lead to better recovery, while negativity and pessimism on the patients part is often accompanied by complications such as lowered resistance to infection and more frequent complaints.” (Eugine Taylor, professor of psychology)
However, according to psychiatrist Dr Daniel Benor, who has reviewed the research findings, spiritual healing can occur when psychological factors, which may manifest as the placebo response, have been eliminated or allowed for in the analysis.
Hindering the natural healing process
According to spiritual philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg, there is a general influx of the power of healing into nature from its divine creative Source. I would suggest this is shown for example by the naturally occurring healing of grazed skin, and recovery from the common cold.
However, we can unwittingly hinder this flow of healing energy by creating disorder in our bodies by making wrong choices in life. We make ourselves more at risk of disease if we fail to wash, live in unsanitary conditions, have an entirely sedentary life, smoke, drink immoderate amounts of alcohol or eat food to excess. Likewise, emotional stress reduces the body’s ability to resist disease.
Unblocking healing of disease
The function of conventional medical treatment seems to be to remove anything that blocks the power of healing. One example is the surgeon’s skill in removing disorderly obstructions in the body. Another is the psychological therapist’s help to the patient to uncover and deal with the emotional turmoil that had caused ulcers or high blood pressure. Take away the psychological problem and the body will heal itself.
Disconnection with the essence of life
Another block to healing is to do with a sense of isolation from the essence of life. Instead, a walk in nature, losing oneself in music, gazing at works of art – have triggered positive emotions boosting our immune system.
Some healers use guided visualisation. Those patients who regularly practise it, show lowered heart rate and blood pressure. These changes can persist over the long term and have beneficial effects on health. Is this because the technique induces a higher state of consciousness and thus openness to healing?
Negative reactions to disease
One block to healing is the so-called ‘second arrow’ referred to in Buddhism. Getting upset, worried and feeling distraught often visit those with persistent pain. Craving for relief and distraction from the pain starts to fill their mind.
Recognised teachers of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) use this approach to meditation, not to eliminate pain but, to teach a new way of relating to pain. To reduce the considerable degree of stress with which most people usually respond to pain.
We feel calmer during meditation after we learn to neglect alarming thoughts and distracting worries. Practitioners report an increased ability to dis-identify with the disharmony one experiences both within and around oneself. This results from a sustained meditation practice.
Disconnection from a healing presence
From a religious perspective, healing is hindered if people of faith neglect to open their hearts to the presence of their idea of the Divine Being – perhaps an envisioned holy face of compassion.
I don’t believe God miraculously heals everyone’s diseases, no matter how genuine their faith or how sincere their prayers. What is provided for us may not be what we ask for. But, if we open ourselves to the Divine, in an attitude of humility and respect, then we experience a deep sense of feeling accepted. I cannot prove this, but I would say in this way we can receive a healing presence into our minds and bodies.
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” (John Muir, Scottish-American naturalist)
Copyright 2020 Stephen Russell-Lacy
Author of Heart, Head & Hands Swedenborg’s perspective on emotional problems
