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Healing Intentions refers to doing one's own part, mindfully, for whole-person healing in cooperation with regular medical care. Mindful intentions are very important for reduction and management of stress in everyday life, and for helping the processes of whole-person healing when facing chronic and life-threatening diseases. Pills and procedures, though very important and even essential for many cases, are not enough in themselves. The body must do its own fine tuning. Our mindful intentions become very important in letting that inner healing happen.
Healing Intentions can be focused at several levels, but as individuals, we are usually mentally prepared to work and to respond at a particular level at a given time. If the idea of mind-body interactions and healing intentions is new to you, it might be best to begin at what I call the medical level. It focuses on overcoming the effects of the stress which is present in the lives of all modern people. However, as we progress in the quest for individual healing, we become increasingly aware of an inner call to go deeper into ourselves. We also begin to see the broad overlap in these "levels," and come to realize that we really are not made up of compartments. We are complete beings, in which body, mind and spirit seem inseparable.
Medically, the intention is to activate the "relaxation response," designed to offset the effects of stress. Stress suppresses the all-important immune system. Controlling stress helps fight many illnesses, including infectious diseases and cancer.
(1) Herbert Benson, MD with Miriam Z. Klipper. The Relaxation Response. (New York: Avon Books, 1976) Dr. Benson, an internist, writes about simple meditation techniques which are designed to relieve stress, improve control of blood pressure, and provide other medically beneficial effects.
(2) Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. (New York: Bantam Doubleday/Delta, 1990) Dr. Kabat-Zinn outlines the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Mindfulness is the golden thread which runs through all levels of the healing intentions concept.
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Psychologically, the intention can be to learn to be aware of the influence of attitudes, and how to use various forms of guided-imagery. Most important, perhaps, is learning to be aware of the unconscious aspects of psyche, such as dreams.
(3) Bernie Siegel, MD. Love, Medicine & Miracles (NY: HarperPerennial, 1986) Dr. Siegel is a surgeon, author and lecturer on surviving cancer and other serious illness. Though his approach seems somewhat superficial, his discussion of the attitudes and cognitive approaches which distinguish "exceptional patients" (those who survive unexpectedly) has been helpful and inspiring for many people.
(4) O. Carl Simonton, MD et. al. Getting Well Again (1978). (NY: Bantam Books, 1992) A radiotherapist presents techniques for self-awareness and guided imagery to assist with healing of cancer.
(5) Robert A. Johnson. Inner Work. (SanFrancisco: Harper & Row, 1986) A Jungian analyst and best-selling author describes how an individual may use personal dream interpretation and Jung's technique of active imagination for personal growth and development (whether or not one is physically ill).
Spiritually, the intention can be to engage in quiet forms of prayer. All of the major religions have a contemplative tradition, and concepts of healing by being in proper relationship with the spiritual realm.
(6) Herbert Benson, MD with Marg Stark. Timeless Healing: The Power and Biology of Belief (NY: Scribner, 1996) Discussion by an internist of faith effects in the healing process. This volume stands somewhere between the psychological and spiritual approaches: "Believe in something good if you can. Or even better, believe in something better than anything you can fathom. Because, for us mortals, this is very profound medicine."
(7) Larry Dossey, MD. Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. (HarperSanFrancisco, 1993) An internist explores in depth the studies which relate an attitude of prayerfulness to the healing response. This is a practical and open-minded book which discusses both prospects and pitfalls of reliance on spiritual approaches.
(8) Thomas Keating. Open Mind, Open Heart (1986). (New York: Continuum, 1991) A Benedictine monk discusses centering prayer, a contemporary Christian approach to mindfulness meditation and the ancient practice of contemplative prayer.
(9) Agnes Sanford. The Healing Light (NY: Ballentine Books, rev. 1972). The author is a Christian layperson who recounts her experiences as a spiritual healer.
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Of course there are many titles on spiritual healing written from a variety of faith traditions. Look especially for those which are developed within your own tradition (even if you are no longer close to that tradition), for those will probably have the deepest resonance and meaning for you as you face the healing challenge.
All of these intentions can help with normal medical treatment, without any conflict. Of course, it is important to be aware that different people react differently. Disease situations are very different from person to person, and most disease effects are beyond our direct control. Both medical and non-medical methods can only work to help reset the balance to give the body its best chance to heal.
Relying exclusively on non-medical methods can be very dangerous indeed. And of course, you must not blame yourself or feel that you are somehow inadequate if the response is not what you had hoped for. Remember that Creator/Creation have hidden processes which neither patient nor physician can control, or understand.
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Donivan
Bessinger, MD
Greenville SC
Copyright, Donivan Bessinger, 12 May 1998