The Science The Science Behind Spiritual Healing PracticesBehind Spiritual Healing Practices

Introduction

 Do you wonder how spiritual healing works, if it really works, if there’s any merit to those stories of recovery and healing? If so, you’re in the right place. Spiritual Healing – One medicine, two faces ~ a scientific journey on spiritual healing, Oriental healing and healing by miracles. Let me take you on a tour to the multifaceted waters of the ‘voodoo healing’. Let us see what science has been able to comprehend, and what science still needs to comprehend. For someone who comes with an innocent inquiry about ‘how does spiritual healing work?’, or if one wants to understand the mechanism of spiritual healing, we have to dig deeper into the concept and origins of spiritual healing.

What is Spiritual Healing? 

 Essentially spiritual healing (SE) is a holistic method, used to enhance and maintain physical, emotional and spiritual health, integrating positive energy into people’s lives. I define spiritual healing as ‘a form of therapy based on perceiving, accepting and transmitting the energy of love and healing where the body’s energy system, balanced with the force of the mind, can facilitate the physical body’s desire for wellness’. In SE, sickness is not simply a set of symptoms, but the result of an energetic imbalance within the body: the root source behind almost every disease. Cause and effect are both relevant in SE, but the latter can be dealt with, doing something to reinstate the ‘homeostasis’ of the system – thereby correcting what is creating the problem. SE relies on the fluidity and openness of each individual’s system.

 Historical Perspective

 Spiritual healing is nothing new, either, and can be traced back to ancient civilisations in Egypt, China and India, which embraced the belief in life force or energy that flows through all living things. By manipulating this energy, mentioned healers could help people restore health and vitality to their bodies and minds. From these early beliefs, different forms of spiritual healing evolved with their own methods and philosophies.

 The Role of Energy in Spiritual Healing

 Energy is the ‘fundamental component’ of spiritual healing. Practitioners believe that the body is surrounded by an energy field (the aura) which, under the effects of stress, trauma or illness, can become unbalanced in some way. Channelling energy or directing it outwards towards someone is a common focus of spiritual healing in many traditions. The therapist is said to “cleanse” and rebalance the other person’s energy in order to promote their wellness. Spiritual healers speak anecdotally of both patients and themselves in terms of ‘blocks’; energy apparently can’t pass through, and has to be ‘cleared’. What does science have to say about this?

| Types of Spiritual Healing Practices

  Different kinds of spiritual healing, needless to say, include various techniques and methods of approaching the problem. Let’s first take a look at some of the most widespread ones.

Reiki

 Reiki is a healing method that originates in Japan. It works by channeling energy through the practitioner’s hands into the patient’s body to activate the natural healing processes, and restore physical and emotional well-being.

Pranic Healing

 | Pranic healing, which draws on ayurvedic traditions, operates on the understanding of all things being driven by prana, or life force. Practitioners work with their hands on the body-energy field, utilising chi from the environment to mend blockages and reduce energy imbalances.

 Crystals like amethyst, rose quartz and tiger’s eye are placed on or around the body to draw-out negative energy. By balancing electromagnetic fields and emitting subtle high frequencies, individualised crystals can support specific areas of health and wellbeing.

 Chakra Healing

 Chakra healing focuses on seven main energy centres that supposedly run up the spine in the body. There are so-called chakras in the head, heart, solar plexus, belly ( Svadhisthana), genitals and anus ( Muladhara). The root chakra is believed to connect to the Earth and keep us grounded. In chakra healing, all these points are manipulated, with the objective of facilitating energy flow, so we can become happier, healthier people. Practitioners guide life-energy through various pathways, by means of meditation, visualisation, energy manipulation, hands-on interactions, and music. Ultimately, it’s an extension of secular faith-healing.

 Scientific Basis for Spiritual Healing

 Although it sounds esoteric, it is increasingly backed by rigorous scientific studies on the results of spiritual healing.

 Quantum Physics and Energy

 Image © ShutterstockQuantum physics teaches that everything is made up of energy, and that energy is connected. All that is well-trodden ground of spiritual healing, where the transfer of energy depends on manipulation of fields.

Mind-Body Connection

 3. The mind-body link is a well-documented phenomenon.

Poor mental and emotional states can impact physical health to a measurable degree. Much of spiritual healing involves mindfulness and meditation, both of which lower stress to aid in healing.

 The phenomenon of the placebo effect, after all, is a stunning testament to what can be done to the body by the mind: assuming an intervention will have a beneficial effect can, indeed, affect the health measured during experiments or clinical checks. The positive state of mind encouraged through spiritual healing could help to heal this fracture of self.

| The Benefits of Spiritual Healing

 Spiritual healing can be helpful not only for your physical wellbeing, but also for your emotional health. It can help relieve stress, promote better sleep, relieve pain and give you more vitality, among many other things. For many people, it is also a pathway to more inner quiet and inner peace.

 Common Misconceptions

 Many people approach spiritual healing in the same way — with either a real (but inferior) understanding or else with blatant skepticism, thinking perhaps that it’s just quackery, a snake-oil treatment, or something ‘new age-y’ — or else a ‘woo-woo’ placebo. But it’s important to see that many spiritual healing practices have a lengthy history, and are, in fact, scientifically validated.

How to Choose a Spiritual Healer

 Looking for a spiritual healer? Here are pointers that can make that process a little easier.

 Qualifications and Experience

 Look for a healer with appropriate training and credentials Are more experienced practitioners likely to give better treatments?

 Personal Connection

Have you ever had a healing experience that seemed personally designed for you? I was born with clubfoot and for a time in high school, I felt sorry for myself. I sat with my legs crossed underneath me, one foot tucked behind my knee, just like other guys, but it never looked right, and several kids laughed at me one day. So now, I walked with my foot facing out, trying to hide my twisted foot. To hide my pain, I wore boots even in hot weather. But the scars on the inside of my leg from my casts nagged at me constantly, constantly reminding me of my weakness.

Sometimes, I thought people in the hallways were walking with purpose, while I moved like I was on uneven ground. I felt like I was on a different plane – not just a commonly understood metaphor but literally. When I walked, it felt like I was taking giant strides over objects on the ground, as if my leg was half a foot long.

The pain had completely entered my thoughts; I felt like an alien exploring the halls. One evening, at a youth group meeting at my church, a healer approached me. She said she had palms of fire that could heal me. I accepted her offer and told her what was wrong. In a circle, she laid her hands on me. Quietly, she asked me to close my eyes. The sensation was completely unexpected. It felt like a symphony of masses of yellow light moving within my whole body. These lights started forming in the middle of my crown, near the temple, and continued to my toes.

My mind was spinning with thoughts, mostly misunderstandings and doubts. Snippets of that day at high school came rushing back. I tried to distance myself, but I felt so weak in that moment that I couldn't. I wanted to distance myself from everything, like seeing the world through a high-tech filter that dampened the harsh sounds and colors. Suddenly, she stopped. My eyes were closed but it felt as if I were pressed against an invisible and beautiful wall.

Reviews and Testimonials

  Consider reading client reviews and testimonials to get feedback on the effectiveness and professionalism of a healer.

 Integrating Spiritual Healing with Conventional Medicine

 Spiritual healing is a fine adjunct to medical treatments – an integrated form of healthcare that can be supplementary rather than alternative. Increasing numbers of medical practitioners are drawing on the modalities of spiritual healing – especially with their clients – to help them cope with chronic pain, stress, and mood-related issues.

Case Studies and Testimonials

 Many case histories as well as testimonies point to the amazing effectiveness of spiritual healing, including miraculous cures as well as emotional breakthroughs that were remarkable and deeply moving.

 Practical Steps to Start Your Spiritual Healing Journey

 Practical suggestions for doing your ‘work’: | Ready to go on your spiritual healing journey? Here are some suggestions to get you started:

 1. Examine the various types of spiritual healing until one attracts you.

2. Find a qualified and experienced healer.

 3. Set clear intentions for your healing journey.

 4. Be open-minded and willing to explore new experiences.

 5. Practice self-care and mindfulness regularly.

 | Conclusion | Spiritual healing is a powerful and miraculous practice which is filled with multiple health benefits to the body, mind and soul. If you understand the science behind it and see how you can do it yourself, then you will have extra channels of healing for yourself. Spiritual healing has the power to improve your quality of life, regardless of whether you are a sceptic or a believer. So why not give it a try? |

FAQs

 1. Is spiritual healing safe?

Yes, spiritual healing is usually safe with a trained healer, but it’s important to check with your physician before beginning any treatment.

 2. Is spiritual healing a replacement for medical treatment?

the answer appears so far to be that spiritual healing, while it may not be a direct substitute for medical treatment, can, if properly effected, prove beneficial as an adjunct to or in parallel with conventional medical treatment – particularly in reducing symptoms and improving the general wellbeing of sufferers.

3. How often should I receive spiritual healing treatments?

 Treatments will occur at a different frequency depending on your needs and type of healing. Some people will benefit from receiving treatment weekly while others will only require occasional treatment.

4. Do I need to believe in spiritual healing for it to work?

 While the effect is enhanced in those who believe, it does not necessitate belief to be helpful, with many experiencing it even if initially sceptical.

 5. Can I learn to practice spiritual healing on myself?

 Yes, for many forms of spiritual healing, it is possible to simply read about the approach and become self-taught, to seek guidance from a workshop or course, or perhaps learn from another individual. Meditation, mindfulness and much of energy healing can be conducted privately. You can do it yourself.