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Traditionally, faith
has always played a powerful role in the process of healing,
with most saints and spiritual leaders gaining much of their mysticism
from the miraculous healing acts they performed. But, through the
years, the functions got divided - doctors handled the healing of the
body and the priests dealt with the soul. Today, the dividing line is
again blurring and almost all doctors believe there is an important
relationship between the spirit and the flesh.
According to
Daniel J. Benor, MD, psychiatrist and researcher in alternative
healing, there are three levels of prayer. Of these, the first is a
demand, "Heal, dammit, heal." The second level is that of coming to an
understanding with the illness itself, and the third level is that of a
surrender to the divine will. This in itself is a stress reducer, he
points out.
Apart from
prayer, meditation (which is more inward-directed in contrast to
prayer, which is directed to an external force) also seems to have a
positive effect on health. Meditation techniques which emphasise the
repetition of certain sounds or mantras have been helpful in the
treatment of irregular heart rhythms. Prolonged use of transcendental
meditation has also been known
to reverse some aspects of the ageing process.
has always played a powerful role in the process of healing,
with most saints and spiritual leaders gaining much of their mysticism
from the miraculous healing acts they performed. But, through the
years, the functions got divided - doctors handled the healing of the
body and the priests dealt with the soul. Today, the dividing line is
again blurring and almost all doctors believe there is an important
relationship between the spirit and the flesh.
According to
Daniel J. Benor, MD, psychiatrist and researcher in alternative
healing, there are three levels of prayer. Of these, the first is a
demand, "Heal, dammit, heal." The second level is that of coming to an
understanding with the illness itself, and the third level is that of a
surrender to the divine will. This in itself is a stress reducer, he
points out.
Apart from
prayer, meditation (which is more inward-directed in contrast to
prayer, which is directed to an external force) also seems to have a
positive effect on health. Meditation techniques which emphasise the
repetition of certain sounds or mantras have been helpful in the
treatment of irregular heart rhythms. Prolonged use of transcendental
meditation has also been known
to reverse some aspects of the ageing process.
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