People have always used natural remedies to cure what ailed them. Such remedies aren’t limited to what can be found growing naturally, however. The power of mind over matter has also been used to help people heal themselves, and in the modern age it’s accepted as an obvious adjunct to healing of all kinds.
This is especially so in alternative, or holistic healing. The holistic approach considers the ‘whole’ person when applying treatment, and so attempts to address not only the physical symptoms of ailments, but also their underlying spiritual, mental, and emotional causes.
Understanding the nature of reality (as discussed in previous posts) is a key to helping a person with holistic treatments. For example, a hypochondriac isn’t just afflicted with ailments both real and fictitious; they’re suffering from the influence of their beliefs, something every psychiatrist knows. However, the same can be said of anyone suffering from any form of sickness or injury; life as we know it exists only in the mind, therefore a person’s health is strictly determined by their beliefs about it.
The mind exists outside of space and time, therefore all healing takes place not on the level of the body, but on the level of one’s self-awareness. Beliefs about the self are reflected in a person’s body, which is why treatment of afflictions needs to be aimed at understanding one’s beliefs, not just looking at the apparent physical manifestations of them. There’s no shortage of stories relating how people have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to beat some illness, or the limitations of a debilitating injury. Why does this happen? Simply put, the people concerned believed they could heal themselves.
How they did so isn’t as important as the beliefs they brought to aid with their healing regimens. It takes more than a healthy attitude, though that certainly helps. If someone isn’t used to being a positive person, they won’t be able to suddenly tap into some hidden reserve of strength to overcome a serious affliction. They need to have a healthy mind to begin with, and that starts with a positive belief system.
In order to ensure good health, it doesn’t hurt to consider bringing greater balance and awareness to one’s life. This is where such techniques as meditation, yoga, reiki and many others are very effective. They not only help a person change their beliefs about themselves, they help bring all aspects of the self to a higher state of health. Thus, when serious illness or injury does occur, a person who has been practicing or receiving some form of holistic therapy is better prepared to deal with it.
There’s no point in making comparisons between holistic and modern medicine, however. Both are necessary while people believe in the efficacy of either, or both. Any treatment can be effective if a person believes strongly enough in it, but more so if they believe in themselves, and their ability to meet health challenges. This is why a placebo is often just as good a remedy as a real drug; healing is all in the mind. Change your mind, and you can change your life.
