The mind is the control center of the human being, even more so than you know. But is it possible to heal the body with the mind?
The mind can make decisions, learn new things, and feel emotions — it might also be able to heal the body. Is there any evidence that the mind can completely and utterly destroy all signs of disease from the body?
One of the worst things to hear from your doctor is that you have a serious illness. The plans will be altered and your life will now revolve around treatments and medications, right? In most cases, this scenario proves to be true. In those few cases, this couldn’t be further from fact, especially if you know how to think correctly.
You may have heard about the claims that it is possible to heal yourself with thought alone. So let’s try to find out whether there is any evidence of this idea.
Is It Possible to Heal the Body with the Mind? Miracles and Science
Miracles may be one way to look at healing the body with the mind, and science could be the other way. With miracles, we place our lives in the hands of a great deity, praying that our ailments will go away. Science, on the other hand, provides a physiological explanation for this phenomenon.
Lissa Rankin, during a recent TEDtalk, explained the reality of healing with thought alone. It seems that the placebo effect has great power over the way we think and function, repairing our imperfections.
This talk has shaken the medical profession. Doctors have a problem believing their treatments and medications could potentially become useless. If the mind heals the body and itself, then this is true. But is it so?
Tests and the Truth
Of course, the only way to convince those who may be a little skeptical would be to reveal the results of the latest placebo tests. People with various diseases such as HIV, cancer, and heart disease, 3500 to be exact, were tested using the mind healing placebo effect. After the test was completed, the illnesses were improved or healed completely.
According to a paper published in the Journal of Projective Techniques in 1957, a man called Mr. Wright was given a medication and told that the drug would cure his cancer. After taking the medication, his tumors shrunk drastically.
Upon realizing the drug didn’t really work, his cancer grew again. He was then administered, what he was told, was a better version of the same drug, and his tumors shrunk once again, half the size!
Unfortunately, news broadcasts reported that all versions of the drug were worthless. The next day, the cancer patient died.
It looks like because of his beliefs, his mind took control over every aspect of his body and repaired what was wrong. When the placebo was revealed for what it really was, the doubts, depression, and frustration defeated the patient’s will to live.
Comfort for Healing
It has also been understood that patients suffering alone are not as likely to survive as those who use health care. Doctors and nurses do more than administer drugs, they also provide comfort during the illness. Even when these doctors may be administering fake treatments, they are also providing a positive environment, which the body needs.
The hidden potential of the mind
The mind basically works through stress response and relaxation. There are many stress indicators throughout our day which contribute to an unhealthy system. Relaxation stimulates the brain to heal from the stress.
When these things are out of balance, they can produce illnesses or make us more prone to contracting illnesses. Basically, the body’s defense system is not at peak performance when the brain is occupied with other issues. Studies confirm the adverse effect of stress on the immune system.
In balance, the brain can work wonders. While the scientific community is still quite skeptical about this notion, a growing number of studies show promising results regarding the effects of meditation and positive thinking on physical health.
With this being said, since the essential idea of staying healthy and living a long life seems to come from the power of the mind, it is obvious that our environment plays a huge part in how we think as well.
Surrounding yourself with positive situations and people may just be the secret to maintaining a healthy body and stimulating the natural human control center — the mind.
To learn more about healing the body with the mind, watch the video below:
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There is a solid basis for this. Read Dr. Preston’s: Hypnosis: Medicine of the Mind to learn more about how we can program the subconscious mind to heal the body. The basic premise is that the subconscious mind controls all bodily functions and does this without any thought. You do not have to think about breathing to breathe or about digesting food to digest and move your food. So by instructing the subconscious mind to heal the body the mind takes that thought and works to make it a reality.
I am all for this. I think that several times in my life I have become fed up with a minor but lasting complaint of some sort which in the end I have told my body to get rid of and suddenly the problem went away. I have also benefited from “faith healing” in the past after having major cancer surgery with two particular healers proving hugely effective in relieving stress and pain. I think there is so much that we have forgotten over the years because of our dependence on “professional knowledge” and technology; in fact we have forgotten how to “think” properly.
I agree with so much of this. I do think we’ve lost touch with so much of our brains potential. It’s true, our brains can most certainly heal or damage the body accordingly. Now, sometimes the pain may be so severe or our minds may be clouded with other concerns, that it’s hard to channel this healing. I have also had experience with spiritual healing in the past which has proven beneficial. It’s all so interesting, and I think something we should strive to get back.
Very nice content.
Thank you, Sana. I appreciate your time reading the post.
This therapy is being used in India since ancient times.
Yes! Thank you for stopping by.
Oh yes , i saw it i was a nurse, the people that believed they would get well , had much better survival rates.
Thank you, Stacey. It’s nice to hear from someone in the medical field.
I agree. Chronic pain. Muscle tension. Caused by chronic stress and anxiety. Found meditation to be the answer. Creative brain reprogramming.
Meditation is amazing. The hard part is remembering it’s importance. Many people tend to forget just how important meditation is to our health, both physically and mentally. We should try to make meditation a routine part of our day, to be honest – we should replace the unhealthy things we choose every morning, afternoon and night…
Interesting
Thank you, Donah, for reading.
Yep } )
Thank you for reading, Madelyn
What if the brain itself is sick?
I am happy you brought this up. I suffer from mental illness, and it’s incredibly difficult to muster up the motivation to exercise or get things done. I know that exercise is beneficial, not only for my physical health but for my mental state of being as well because it is the push we need to then meditate. Unfortunately, my mental state can be so bad sometimes that I cannot get moving. Can you see the pattern here? So, if the brain is sick, then there has to be an incredible push. This push can come from support from others, or by listening to inspirational music or movies. You must alter your thought processes just enough to get a tiny bit of motivation. The small amount of motivation can get you up and move about. Hopefully, the results of this activity will give you the mental boost to do more. It’s not easy, but it can be done. Oh, and remember to always give yourself praise for moving forward and getting better, no matter how small the steps may be.
Here’s a secret too…as exercise helps the brain get a boost, hence this boost gives us the better ability to clear our thoughts.
It’s true!!!
Thank you for reading, Rakotovelo
I agree
Jacqueline, Thank you for reading
Quote:
Relaxation stimulates the brain to heal from the stress. When these things are out of balance, they can produce illnesses or make us more prone to contracting illnesses
I agree that relaxation can help heal the brain, but so can being active. I think it depends on what works best for you. Both activities help us calm our thoughts and become better mentally organized.
In Australia, due to the fact doctors have significant fear of litigation, they tell patients worst case outcomes to avoid lawsuits later. However, such an approach can adversely affect patients health status and progress. In the east, where the opposite approach is taken, patients fair much better.
Wow, this is terrible. I cannot imagine thinking that I was dying just to find out later that I was not. All that stress surely could have killed me anyway. This is the first time I’ve heard this and it’s interesting and horrific all at the same time.
yeah. ….i think we will just stick to genetics thank you
Yes because you know it all and medication is key? Foh with that pharma shit. The gene pool has been designed specifically in our favor. Wtf do you think an immune system is? It’s definitely not made up. It can be strengthened and maintained through direct ether processes that release specific chemicals to the body. In other words, your body can fight off diseases sub consciously. It’s been happening for years. “The people that don’t get the flu” or “allergies”. Wake up
Genetics do play a role, but they do not govern everything. I assure you of this.
its Bs in the real life, nobody heals his disease with his mind, so many exemples around me of diverses sickness, go tell those persons they can simply heal themselves by thinking , it wont DO SHIT IRL
You’re literally underestimating the mind power that has lead humanity to create technology that fits into the size of a cheerio…
Healing of sickness by the mind is not what you think. You cannot always heal immediately, while some can. It all depends on the frame of mind that you’re dealing with. There are so many factors involved that govern how well, how quick, and permanently we heal. Where you might see a sudden “miracle” in one example, another one might prove to be a difficult case…with healing not arriving until years later. You have spiritual, chemical, and psychological aspects to keep in mind.
eastern cultures have known this since ancient times! now more than ever i feel like i belong on the eastern side of the world for crying out loud!
Yes, they have. I am happy that we are learning more about it though. It is still so beneficial to healing.
This is not only feasible & possible — its fact!!
Thank you for reading, Roz. I believe it as well.
Minding my mind.
Thank you for reading, Peter
This is crazy but in the same time true
Yes, it does seem rather fantastical, I know. Thing is, I have seen this happen many times in my life, much too many for coincidence.
Really good stuff and something I can completely relate to in my own struggles.
A thing that struck me was learning how plant-based antioxidants, phytochemicals, work – the same ones that are continually investigated for all sorts of significant health benefits.
Phytochemicals don’t actually heal us. They just stimulate the body to heal itself via a process called hormesis.
That is, they provide a low level cellular stress that causes the body to react by upregulating its own antixoidants and various health promoting pathways. Emphasis here on ‘the body’ and ‘its own’.
So, in essence, we have all the medicine we need inside of us already. We just need the right stimulus.
Yes, certains external things, like phytochemicals, can be that. However, it’s my sincere belief the brain is the best stimulus we have for the body to repair itself.
Kind regards,
Matthew