What is spiritual healing?

Our understanding of sickness and health has changed radically over the past few decades.  A "holistic" approach to health has begun to reconnect the soul with the body, the state of our mind with the state of our health, our lifestyles with our life expectancy. In the process we are healing not just ourselves, but the way we look at the world.

 

Healing is no longer seen as a passive experience, no longer pursued as a clinical undertaking, but increasingly embraced as a spiritual endeavor. We are again recognizing that we cannot separate what ails the body from what troubles the spirit. When our world is "shattered," "in pieces," "falling apart," healing -- of mind, body and soul -- does not only help us put the pieces together. In this largest sense, healing is about more than reconnecting the hipbone to the thighbone to the kneebone; it is about reconnecting to our souls.

 

It is becoming increasingly irrelevant to speak simply of "curing" depression, "treating" an illness, or even "mending" broken bones -- as if each part of the human experience were some isolated event. The modern trend of medical specialization has fragmented the healing process. But the mounting spiritual awareness converging from many fields is pulling in the opposite direction.  Doctors and patients alike are looking up from the minutiae to which man has been reduced and are taking an aerial view. This holistic approach to health, far from dismissing what each discipline has to offer, seeks to unify the different parts of man. We need to embrace healing that treats our whole being.

Spiritual healing can be defined more than one way. Those who have been dismissive or disregarding of their own innate spirituality---and then experienced an epiphany by reclaiming that spirituality---may claim to have had a "spiritual awakening" or "spiritual healing." Indeed, in extraordinary circumstances, some individuals who have been at their most desperate and lowest point have been the recipients of miracles which have altered the course of their respective lives.

Spiritual healing can also pertain to the act of healing others of their physical or emotional ailments through prayer or meditation, which may include the transference of spiritual energy from the administering party through touch or 'laying on of hands." Believers in spiritual healing can attest to the grace of such compassionate acts and the benefit derived when we access our spiritual gifts and talents to heal one another.

Spiritual healing is about finding a connection to something greater than yourself, be it friendship, community, a sense of virtue or meaning, God, a higher power or some sense of higher truth, beauty or sacredness in life. Spiritual healing, therefore, is anything that helps you to transcend the isolation you feel because of a lack of meaning or purpose in life, or because of a lack of connection to a higher power or sense of something greater than yourself.

The word "spirit" includes a wide range of concepts, including nonmaterial beings such as ghosts or ancestors, the soul, emotions, or one's true inner core or most fundamental self. For some of us, spirituality is associated with our deities or God; it is the "spirit" part of our being, along with our mind and body that is addressed through spiritual healing practices. What constitutes spirit or spirituality depends on our religious and cultural orientations and upon the healing orientations of the practitioners we consult. Spiritual healing is a way of life for many people. Venues for spiritual healing range widely and include home altars, shrines of vodoun practitioners, Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, synagogues, and prayer chains on the Internet. People may attribute healing to a non-physical entity (spirit or deity or God or Jesus Christ), a group (prayer group, healing circle, church group), an individual (minister, shaman, psychic), or attendance at a "miraculous" place such as Lourdes. Techniques and rituals used in spiritual healing may include meditation and prayer, touching with healing intent, communication with the spirit realm, and connecting with sacred deities or ancestors.

The use of spiritual healing can be traced as far back as the New Testament of the Bible. In modern times, a number of therapeutic techniques involve spiritual aspects, and there is overlap between these different approaches. Individuals and organizations involved with spiritual healing may use many different approaches and styles.

Some of the therapies used in the United States that involve spiritual healing or mind/body medicine include distance healing, therapeutic touch, Ayurveda, prayer, pastoral counseling, supernatural healing sources, metaphysical healing and Reiki. These therapies may be grouped under the concept of holistic care.

Spiritual healing is often practiced without charge, and many different approaches and durations have been used. Treatments may be given at healing centers, in the medical setting, in hospice programs, in the home, and from a distance. Spiritual healers may also work with patients over the Internet.

Various theories have been proposed by healers and healing organizations to explain how these techniques might work. Reliable scientific study of these theories is limited, likely due to difficulties designing research in this area. Some healers suggest that illness is caused by imbalances in the body, and that channeling of "energy" via the healer to the patient may be therapeutic. In this model, spiritual healing is considered to be a direct interaction between the healer and an ill individual, with the intention of bringing about an improvement or cure of an illness. The healer is generally not considered to be the source of healing energy, but rather to serve as a vehicle for channeling greater forms of energy or power to the patient.

Depending on the technique, it is believed that energy can be passed through physical contact or distance healing. Distant approaches may include directing compassionate thoughts, intentions, or prayers towards others. Participation by the patient may also be included, and healers may encourage visualization techniques, prayer, or positive thinking.

You should read product labels, and discuss all therapies with a qualified healthcare provider. Natural Standard information does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.