More than "thoughts & prayers"
Prayer can take different forms. As treatment, it can be an effective, systematic, and practical method of healing, meeting human needs through spiritual means.
Does love affect health?
(courtesy of Flickr user nyoin)
Two groups of children receiving different levels of hygiene and nutrition and different levels of loving care. The ones being loved fared much better.
Anne Harrington is a Harvard College Professor and Professor for the History of Science, specializing in the history of psychiatry, neuroscience, and the other mind and behavioral sciences. In her book, “The Cure Within – A History of Mind-Body Medicine”, she shares a 1945 study (on page 191) by psychoanalytic psychiatrist Rene Spitz in which one group of babies was cared for with good hygiene and excellent physical care but received little if any individual love or attention. This group became physically and emotionally stunted. Most could not walk or talk even at the age of four. “Within two years 37 percent … had died from infection.”
In contrast, a second group of babies was cared for in a prison nursery that was “far dirtier” but received loving affection from their mothers each day. “Not a single one of the second group of children succumbed to infection during the five-year period of Spitz’s study.”
Caregiver placebo effect
Placebos by Akacio S. ( /photographyk )
The placebo effect is usually considered to be the curative effective resulting from patients equipping a sugar pill with their belief in its ability to help. But it turns out that the placebo effect can result from the thought of the caregiver as well.
“Belief in or expectation of a good outcome can have formidable restorative power, whether the positive expectations are on the part of the patient, the doctor or caregiver, or both…” says Herbert Benson, M.D. writing (with Marg Stark) about what he calls “remembered wellness” in his book “Timeless Healing – The Power and Biology of Belief”.
Spiritual evidence-based healing
Andew Weil, M.D. courtesy of greenlagirl
Andrew Weil, M.D., in “Why Our Health Matters” (page 43) writes, “Many doctors have told me about cases of spontaneous healing that they have witnessed in patients, some correlated with mental or emotional changes“.
So, how can we account for experiences like that? Or how can we explain healing accomplished in Christian Science through spiritual means alone?
Medicine’s reverse marriage?
It’s like a reverse marriage – sort of.
An Op-Ed piece entitled, “Medicine’s Great Divide – The View from the Alternative Side” published this month in the Virtual Mentor, the American Medical Association’s Journal of Ethics, describes the relationship between conventional medicine and alternative medicine like a bad marriage in reverse, starting with divorce, going through mediation, and working towards “a shy courtship”.
Thoughts on Memorial Day
The USS Arizona Memorial by wallyg
It really was very moving.
A number of years ago my wife and I had the opportunity to visit the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. It sits atop one of the ships (the USS Arizona) sunk on December 7, 1941. It was a sobering reminder of the scale of sacrifice that occurred that day.
The observance was quiet, respectful and heart-felt. This experience increased my respect and appreciation for all who have selflessly served to protect this nation and preserve our freedoms.
White as a ghost
Ghost from Elizabeth Thomsen
I was about 11 years old. I froze in my tracks and listened.
My folks were having a new house built just around the corner from where we lived and that night I was the one who went over to make sure it was all locked up for the night. While inside checking windows and doors I heard footsteps. The interior walls weren’t done yet and those footsteps echoed loudly throughout the darkened house.
As I listened – more footsteps! I got out of there and ran home as fast as I could.
Diagnostic thresholds, thinking and health
A recent (May 6) Op-Ed article in the Los Angeles Times entitled, “Diagnosis as disease” brings out some very interesting points about medical diagnosis and thinking of people as diseased. It tells us that “low diagnostic thresholds lead people who feel well to be labeled as unwell.” “Not surprisingly, some subsequently feel less well.” “In short, low diagnostic thresholds introduce more ‘dis’-ease into the population.”
Health promise
“promise |ˈpräməs|noun declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that guarantees that a particular thing will happen” (New Oxford American Dictionary) “I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord;…” (KJV Jeremiah 30:17).
KJV’s 400th anniversary
With the recent royal wedding, England has been the focus of much world-wide attention lately. Keeping attention on England for a bit longer, today marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of The Bible (KJV), first out in print in 1611.
KJV allowed the general English-speaking public to have access to Scripture. It allowed congregations to follow along together as Scriptures were shared from their pulpits.
According to Amazon.com, KJV “still ranks among the top two or three best-selling translations of Scripture in the United States each month.“
The Translators spoke of its value in their “Epistle Dedicatory” (dedication) when they said, “…among all our joys, there was no one that more filled our hearts, than the blessed continuance of the preaching of God’s sacred Word among us; which is that inestimable treasure, which excelleth all the riches of the earth; because the fruit thereof extendeth itself, not only to the time spent in this transitory world, but directeth and disposeth men unto that eternal happiness which is above in heaven.”
Easter’s blessing every day
by Callmetim
One of the Easter hymns in my church says, “Let us sing of Easter gladness that rejoices every day…”¹
Jesus’ resurrection has meaning for us every day. It shows us, among other things, that the real essence of our being is spiritual. And this leads to more health and happiness.
It’s clear that Jesus’ resurrection showed us that true life is eternal. But a material mortal has a material birth, a temporary material life and a material death. So what kind of being has eternal life? Not a material being. So if our true life is eternal, our true being is spiritual. The resurrection reveals that we’re really eternal, spiritual beings.