The history of spiritual healing traces its roots back to ancient times. Evidence of healing exists in nearly every culture at some point, and healers have often been given positions of respect and even authority in various cultures. The team “healing” itself traditionally refers to healing of the mind, body and spirit, rather than the modern interpretation of physical healing.

Ancient cultures generally recognized little difference between the body and the spirit, so healing necessarily involved more than just a physical approach. Ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Greece and the Far East all recorded variations of a spiritual healing practice, and many of their ancient symbols are still used today.

Native Americans also had a strong belief in the power of spiritual healing, and shamans held a sacred position in the life of the Native American tribe. Judaism as well placed a heavy emphasis on the power of a supreme being to offer healing benefits.

As people became more educated and the influence of science spread, the focus on healing gradually shifted toward the physical, as this was the part of the human being that could be seen and more readily understood. The medical practitioners used their new-found knowledge and understanding of the body to develop a more pragmatic and “earthly” approach to taking care of the sick and understanding human systems.

Another blow to the spiritual aspect of healing came when spiritual healing was deemed to be the sole right of the Christian church. Non-religious practitioners were routinely prosecuted and even executed, and non-physical healing become more of a religious rite than a practical, everyday occurrence. In the Middle Ages, healing became largely the realm of the physician, and not the spiritualists. As a result, modern medicine came to develop as strictly a function of the body. Absent any focus on the mind or the spirit, much of the intuitive healing knowledge of our ancestors was relegated to the realm of “alternative” or “fringe” methodologies, and respectable physicians gave it little credence.

The tide began to turn in the late 1800s, when Mary Baker Eddy founded the Christian Scientists, a sect that believed that all illness was a product of the mind and could therefore be healed without physical intervention. In the early part of the 20th century, a Japanese spiritualist named Mikao Usui defined the Reiki healing method, which sought to channel the vast spiritual energy that exists and can be harnessed for healing. His method is still popular today, and continues to gain support. Since the mid-20th century, a growing resurgence of the importance of spiritual healing has caused many in the health care industry to rethink their traditional view.

Harry Edwards, a modern pioneer in the field of spiritual healing, helped to organize the practice by creating the National Federation of Spiritual Healers (NFSH). The organization helped bring legitimacy and wider acceptance to the various methods being practiced. Since then, the field continues to grow, with more and more people becoming aware of the power of various spiritual components in their healing regime. With the advent of the Internet, even more information is available, and people are exploring alternative therapies as never before. Studies and anecdotal information underscores the advantage of adding a spiritual component to traditional healthcare, and many enlightened physicians support their patients as they explore this complementary therapy option. Training is available for any number of specialized methods, and some healers even offer their services via email or online support groups. The field continues to flourish, and many people are finding healing relief in the traditions of our oldest customs and societies.