I have been on a quest to find
a way to confirm my knowing and explain the reality of the Mind/Body Spirit
synergy. I have been reading, searching the web, and, of course, participating
in intense dinner party discussions with family and friends as I search for the
ultimate truth.
Mind: is defined
as the element or complex of elements in an individual that feels, perceives,
thinks, wills, and especially reasons; the conscious mental events and
capabilities in an organism; the organized conscious and unconscious adaptive
mental activity of an organism. Body: is the organized physical substance of an animal or plant either
living or dead; the material part or nature of a human being; something that
embodies or gives concrete reality. Spirit: an animating or vital principle held to give life
to physical organisms; a supernatural being or essence.
The Peoples of the East, the
Orient, China/Japan/India have always embraced a Mind/Body/Spirit belief. Over
the years, I’ve explored Energetics, which
study the human aura, chakras and the impact and use of known and unknown life
energy meridians in the body to promote health. There is great knowledge and
healing power in these modalities and my understanding is superficial. I truly
appreciate Western healers who are bringing this knowledge into their practice.
The Creator has given all peoples and cultures pieces of the Truth in the
hope we will learn to cooperate and live together.
These Energetic approaches are
highly related to concepts found in biologic dentistry, iridology (the study of
the eye’s iris to identify body dysfunction), and reflexology (manipulating
energy points on the hands and feet to encourage healing of body organs.) It
has been of great benefit to me to experience Reiki healing, acupuncture,
acupressure and reflexology.
Recently, I’ve investigated the theory underlying German
New Medicine (GNM), proposed by Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer, which understands the
body as a unified organism. In GNM the psyche (Spirit/Mind) is the integrator
of behavior (our perception, understanding and actions) with life
experience. In GNM all areas of
conflict are conflicted thought patterns, which are emotional shocks where the
person perceives Life as being threatened.
In GNM all areas of conflict, emotional shocks, create an
imprint of dis-ease in the brain (mind) and body. The brain is viewed as the main computer integrating all
behavioral functions and conflict areas as they interact with body organs.
Brain scans have identified shadowed areas on brain, which are linked to
disease which is manifesting in associated body organs. In other words the
emotional shocks we experience impact the brain and then manifest in the body.
Both theoretical approaches, Eastern energetic modalities
and the German New Medicine, have identified specific mind (brain)-body
connections. To understand more about the Spirit, Mind-Body connection, read
the writings of Louise Hay who has outlined a spiritual approach to the
Mind/Body/Spirit connection.
When Louise Hay was diagnosed with cancer, she
considered the alternatives to surgery and drugs, and instead developed an
intensive program of affirmations, visualization, nutritional cleansing, and
psychotherapy. Within six months, she was completely healed of cancer.
Her key message is: "If we are willing to do the mental work, almost
anything can be healed." The author has a great deal of experience and
firsthand information to share about healing, including how she cured herself
after being diagnosed with cancer. The timeless message of the book is that we
are each responsible for our own reality and "dis-ease." Hay believes
we make ourselves ill by having thoughts of self-hatred. She includes a
directory of ailments and emotional causes for each with a corresponding
affirmation to help overcome the illness. For example, the probable cause of
multiple sclerosis is "mental hardness, hard-heartedness, iron will, and
inflexibility." The healing "thought pattern" would be: "By
choosing loving, joyous thoughts, I created a loving joyous world. I am safe
and free." --P. Randall
Cohan
Torkom Saraydarian is
a spiritual teacher and writer. Saraydarian’s book Cosmic Shocks tells us that spiritual, energetic, cosmic energy originates in the heart of the
galaxy. This Cosmic energy travels through space and eventually impacts with
Life on Earth. When the Cosmic energy impacts us it triggers crises in our
lives in mind, body or spirit. These crises, or shocks, dis-ease are in other
words opportunities for personal growth and learning. Cosmic
Shocks creates an understanding that
helps us comprehend the interactive quality of Life (Nature) that we see in GNM
where disease states are initiated by emotional shocks.
Saraydarian’s book
and Dr. Hamer’s GNM have added depth to my understanding of emotional shocks as
they adversely impact emotional and physical health. The shocks seem to reach
the level consistent with the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD
has a defining characteristic in which a life event cause the person to
perceive Life as being threatened---one’s own life, or experiencing and
personalizing the death of another.
In the 1990’s I read several books by Torkom Saraydarian
(1917-1997). He was a scholar of comparative religions, a great teacher,
writer, lecturer, and composer of sacred music. His wisdom
teaching stresses ONENESS; that we are not 'separate', but ONE with ALL Life,
not just on earth, but throughout Cosmos, each unit a part of a Greater Life or
Being.
Larry Dossey, M.D, a long time advocate of integrative and
alternative healing approaches, is an expert on role of Mind/Body/Spirit
synergy for healing. In the early 1990’s I heard him speak at a conference.
Dossey is a traditionally trained physician from Texas. His approach is rooted
in science and the value of western medical practice. However, he has also
become a recognized advocate for the essential role of the Mind/Body/Spirit
synergy to effective healthcare. In the book Reinventing Medicine Dr. Dossey says, "I used to believe
that we must choose between science and reason on one hand, and spirituality on
the other, in how we lead our lives. Now I consider this a false choice. We can
recover the sense of sacredness, not just in science, but in perhaps every area
of life."
His words have had a great influence on my understanding
of the power of Mind/Body and Spirit working synergistically to maintain and to
achieve excellent health—to live healthy.
In Recovering the Soul, as Dr. Dossey discusses the wisdom of ancient
texts, quantum physics, mysticism, scientific research, religion and Western
medicine developing a picture of our interconnectedness with the universe, and
each other. Dossey believes in effective medical intervention, as well as, the
need for an effective partnership between patient and healer. He sees us as
entering an era of the "non-local mind" where consciousness can
accomplish healing outside the confines of one's brain and body. We can
influence distant events, people and circumstances through corporate prayer.
Dossey empowers us and I view this spiritual empowerment as a key element in
living healthy.
Dr. Ryke Geerd
Hamer is considered the father of The German New Medicine. He describes GNM as
a natural science, based on five empirically discovered laws that can be applied,
in a strong scientific sense, to each
and every case of disease of man or mammal. Dr. Hammer believes
“These [disease processes, which are
initiated by emotional shocks] are purely biological, and have
nothing to do with philosophy or religion. If you understand these things [his understanding of the natural healing process
inherent to the body] and their relationships, and if you
instinctively or consciously apply them (as animals do) you have a 95% chance
of survival. It's as simple as that!” (I recommend
you read the source material in the link below, as my discussion is very
limited.)
Unlike Dossey, Dr. Hamer does not see a role for
personal philosophy or religion in the process of healing. To Hamer healing is
a purely biological process. Dr. Hammer’s excellent description of the
biological healing process de-mystified this process for me and removed many of
my misunderstandings and fears. However, I believe when Hamer dismisses the
role of Spirit in the process he undercuts, or limits, the healing power of the
process. It is Spirit that is the energy of aliveness in nature, animals and
people. The emotional shock, that initiates a disease processes, could
be found in the Mind/Body or Spirit and therefore needs to be addressed in all
areas to achieve the desired out come of long term health and vitality. I
speculate that dis-ease relapse has within it an element of unfinished
business, emotional shocks, or crises left unattended.
Dr. Hamer is
critical of standard western, allopathic medicine (symptomatic medicine). “In
our former symptomatic medicine - known as school medicine [allopathic
medicine]- we considered such things as inflammation symptoms, fever, and
bacteria as belonging together. Then we assumed that bacteria were the cause of
these symptoms, although 98% of all other people who had the same bacteria in
their bodies didn't present any symptoms such as inflammation and fever. If the
patients presented cold symptoms - that is, cold hands and feet, loss of
appetite and sleeplessness as in angina pectoris, stomach ulcers, cancer, motor
paralysis or neurodermatitis, we ascribed them to genetic causes, stress,
bacteria or the autoimmune system. In other words, no one knew anything for
sure…. In fact, however, there are only about 500 sound biological [cause/dis-eases]. All begin with…a
biological shock experience that catches us unawares in a biological conflict
(for example, starvation conflict, refugee conflict, water conflict etc.) In
the first phase - - we have cold
hands, cold periphery, sleeplessness, and loss of weight as long as the
conflict is active. After the conflict has been resolved, which is what happens
in most cases in nature, the conflict resolution phase or healing phase… sets
in until the consequences of the conflict-active phase have been remedied or
until the organism is healthy again and has returned to its normal rhythm. This
two-phase character of the sound biological [that
which causes dis-ease] during the resolution of a conflict can be
observed equally and simultaneously at all three levels (psyche [sense of self/attitudes/values], brain,
and organ).
Both Dossey and Hamer (and me as well) agree that the patient must have a valued, empowered
role in medical decision-making. Dr. Hamer makes this statement
about GNM: Since it is the patient who is "in charge of the
process", you can't just apply a therapy without taking the "person
in charge" into consideration. The "patient in charge" must
understand the sequence of events in his own process, otherwise he isn't in
charge any more. We try to provide good, competent specialist and humane
support and advice so that together we can find the optimal solution to his
biological conflict.
When the empowered individual locates and addresses the
roots of dis-ease in all areas of their life, Mind, Body and Spirit, you will find what you seek. After a health
crisis and surgery, I asked my Guidance, What should I do? Should I do
chemotherapy and radiation treatments, or should I do nothing? My Inner
Guidance responded to my individual situation. Whatever You chose
to do--- you will end up in the same place. What is it that you really want?
My Guidance did not create fear in me. The allopathic
physicians I was seeing were all about creating a state of fear in me to get me
to submit to their treatments. It was not an easy choice to go against the tide
of Western medicine—their “standard of care.” It needs to be mentioned that the
standard of care is often defined by one’s level of insurance coverage. My
allopathic physicians viewed themselves as having a team approach and I was
shocked to find out I was not a member of the team.
My inner self knew I needed to take self-responsibility
for my own health—the truth is--- only the Body can heal itself. I created a health plan that included a variety of
spiritual techniques, psychological therapy, the services of an alternative
physician, acupuncture, exercise, diet and lifestyle changes.
The end result of my search is that there is a
Mind/Body/Spirit synergy that works to promote Life. Because I accept this premise it worked for me.
What I am talking about is faith. If you do not accept this premise it won’t
work for you. You can have faith in a medical model or particular treatment,
faith in Nature and a natural life, faith in Self, faith in God. All healing is
faith healing.
Dossey, Larry. Recovering the Soul: A Scientific and Spiritual Search. Bantam
(1989)
Dossey, Larry. Space, Time & Medicine. Shambhala (1982).
http://www.tsgfoundation.org/
