Dr. Joan Borysenko, co-founder and director of the Mind/Body Clinic, and author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, declares: “We are entering a new level in the scientific understanding of mechanisms by which faith, belief, and imagination can actually unlock the mysteries of healing.” Major hospitals that once scoffed at such a view are now routinely including programs that employ mind-body techniques to help patients get well; medical centres offer classes in guided imagery techniques; doctors preach the value of meditation, prayer, and faith.

Dr. Carl Simonton, who pioneered the use of guided imagery for cancer patients, runs the Simonton Cancer Center in Pacific Palisades, California, where thousands of patients have mitigated the dreaded disease.

Dr. Dan Ornish, of the University of California at San Francisco, advocates the use of meditation and relaxation to reverse the effects of heart disease.

Dr. Karen Olness, head of the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, uses mind-over-matter techniques for children with haemophilia to help them control their bleeding.

Dr. Bernie Siegel, M.D., shocked the medical establishment with his book, Love, Medicine & Miracles, which told how patients with cancer could use the power of their minds to help heal them. The book remained at the top of the best seller list for months as millions of people embraced Dr. Siegel’s beliefs.

Dr. Ryke Hamer of Germany discovered after 40,000 case studies that every disease is caused by a shock experience of stress. This conflict of stress not only occurs in the psyche but simultaneously in the brain and on the corresponding organ. Dr. Hamer established that the moment we suffer such a shock-distress, it impacts a specific area of the brain (visibly on a brain scan). With the impact the affected brain cells instantly communicate the shock-distress to the corresponding organ. Whether the tissue responds with a tumour growth (cancer) with tissue loss (ulcers, osteoporosis, etc.) or with functional loss (diabetes, hearing loss, etc.) is determined by the exact type of conflict-shock.

Having briefly examined some of the typical present-day studies, which are taking place we are now better positioned to answer our previous question: How can we boost the healing power of our immune system?

We may first need reminding of the more obvious items on our list to great health, including a sensible lifestyle:

1. A proper diet (See the Canada Food Guide.)

Go easy on the fats and sugars and watch for spoiled foods. Increase amounts of fruits, vegetables and grains.

2. Vitamins and mineral supplements are recommended, since our foods may be lacking them.

3. Physical exercise is a must: aerobics, walking, cycling, etc.

4. Getting enough sleep.

There is, of course, another dimension to becoming a very healthy person. A growing body of evidence shows that every ill of the body – from arthritis to cold sores can be influenced by our emotions, i.e. how we feel. We may not prevent every disease through our emotional state since disease states are incredibly complex and involve many contributing factors, such as, the strength of our genes, our environment, our foods, our sleep, our exercise pattern, our age, our race, our sex, etc. But, based on the latest research it is clear that our mind is the most wonderful healing tool. Through such techniques as: meditation, faith in God, prayer, laughter, imagery, autosuggestion, biofeedback, exercise, and friendship, we can literally send healing messages to the brain where they are translated into biochemistry – the language of the body.

You can try this yourself. Create an image in your mind of a freshly cut lemon – Cleary see its colour and shape before you – Now, bite into it … Did your body create a reaction in your mouth? Did you feel the sourness? Did your mouth begin to water?

If you are still not convinced of the powerful influence of one simple thought on your body think of the last time you blushed. Within a split second your face was subject to an intense chemical shower that turned you hot and red.

One final example: “At Albright College in Pennsylvania, college students were randomly assigned to a control group OR to one of three 20-minute relaxation methods – the Relaxation Response pioneered by Herbert Benson: A) guided visualization, B) massage, or C) lying quietly with eyes closed. Antibody activity in the students’ saliva was measured both before and after they relaxed. No matter which method of relaxation they used, the levels of disease-fighting activity rose. Levels did not change, however, in students in the control group. The conclusion is clear; you can “vaccinate” yourself against the harmful effects of stress by using any of the coping techniques listed above.