In recent years, many formerly traditional medical doctors have come to embrace spiritual healing as an important part of physical well-being. There is a new breed of holistic health care providers who view the spiritual and emotional health of a patient as having the ability to dramatically affect a person’s physical state. So much so, in fact, that the standard views of treating just the body seem outdated and even naïve.
Many health care professionals, including doctors, nurses and others, are welcoming the inclusion of a spiritual component into their patients’ wellness plans. And some are even practicing it themselves, gaining a deeper understanding of how the mind, the spirit and the body work in tandem to heal. Interestingly, some of these practitioners have turned to so-called “complementary” therapies when traditional medicine failed for themselves or their patients. By incorporating the healing arts into the medical arts, physicians can often find root spiritual or emotional causes for their patients’ distress, and can work with them to help them heal.
Many Christian denominations profess a firm belief in the healing power of the spirit to cure illness and injury. In fact, in the most literal translation of biblical texts, Jesus himself was a spiritual healer, laying-on hands to cause the blind to see, the lame to walk and even the dead to rise and awaken. Through prayer, meditation, anointing and other methods, many contemporary Christian preachers seem to elicit astonishing responses when asked to heal others. Of course, as with anything, there is some fraud in this field, as some recent media reports have exposed. Still, the faithful continue to believe that a gifted spiritual healer can channel the power needed to restore health.
In recent years, there have been a number of scientific studies aimed at determining if spiritual healing can indeed bring out physical health. In Dr. Daniel J.Benor’s book “Spiritual healing: Scientific Validation of a Healing Revolution,” the author claims to have begun his investigation as skeptical as many of us. The book takes a close look at a number of different methodologies for healing, including Reiki, healing touch, Bowen method, and others. The results of his research made a believer out of him, and the 100-plus studies cited in the book offer verifiable proof that many of these spiritual healing therapies do have a restorative and recuperative effect on health and well-being.
Many spiritual healers are quick to acknowledge that traditional medicine does have its place, and that spiritual healing should be used in tandem with more traditional medical therapies. But these same practitioners will likely tell you that physical cures alone are insufficient for lasting well-being.
It’s important to consider the mind, the spirit and the body as one comprehensive whole when attempting any healing therapy. Ignoring one in favor of the other will result in incomplete healing at best, and liken the chances for a worse outcome for the patient. If you are considering adding a spiritual component to your current medical treatment, be sure to discuss your plans with your doctor. While you may run into some resistance, most doctors are at least somewhat aware of many of these spiritual healing methods, and will generally support your desire to improve your emotional and spiritual well-being. But they will likely urge you to continue with your prescribed course of medical treatment as well. If you find that your doctor refuses to consider that spiritual healing might be a good addition to your overall treatment plan, it may be time to shop around for a health care provider with more modern sensibilities.
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