Spiritual healing

                                             Spiritual healing

                                                    By Jimmy Henderson 

                                            Hons BA (phil), MA (psych), FRC

   The issues around faith-healing or spiritual healing are becoming quite topical at the moment. Criticism is often being leveled at spiritual healers who do not always produce positive results and this may be having a negative effect on issues of faith and the belief in a higher power (God). For this reason I think it is important that I offer an explanation as to why healing may, in terms of universal law, sometimes not take place. This may also explain why a healer may even pass by a person who wishes to be healed.

   Spiritual healing takes place within the framework of universal law and needs to conform to certain requirements and criteria to be effective. A true spiritual healer will have access to higher guidance or have at least a highly developed spiritual insight. This is necessary to identify true causes and the underlying issues associated with a person’s illness. He or she will examine the case holistically and this should ideally include a consultation with the person involved, or at least a close family member, beforehand. In my opinion, any healer who offers unconditional healing to all and sundry without insight into their background or circumstances, can at best offer only temporary relief or partial healing on an emotional level. The reason for this statement will become clear once we examine the five instances that I have identified, in which faith healing or spiritual healing may not always take place.

   Firstly, from a purely religious viewpoint, it may be God’s will that a particular soul should return after having completed the tasks which were assigned to him or her to perform. In other words, it could be his or her “time to go”. Alternatively, on a more general metaphysical level, this person could have made a very deep soul-choice (of which he or she is usually not objectively aware), that his or her mission is completed and wishes to return to the spiritual source. As this decision or act is in accordance with God’s will or universal law, depending on your viewpoint, any effort to save such a dying person will be ultimately unsuccessful.

   Second, sickness can sometimes also be linked to issues of the individual’s growth or development on a spiritual level or as a form of “soul-lesson’. In other words, an individual may actually draw an illness to himself or herself in order to develop God-attributes such as love, empathy, patience and tolerance or to learn a necessary lesson in human experience. A healer who thus prematurely removes the “thorn from his or her side” in fact performs a disservice. This person may or may not as yet have reached the point where he or she is ready to be healed. In counselling, it is quite a well-known fact that a person must have reached a certain point of despair where he or she is willing to ask for help, before therapy will be really effective. This is the reason why it is of utmost importance that the individual request, or at least be willing to receive healing and not be forced into the situation.   

   Thirdly, an illness can also be the result of certain maladaptive patterns in thinking, emotions or behaviour (lifestyle), or due to extreme or unfavourable circumstances. Research has proven that psychological stress as well as intense pent-up emotions such as rage, resentment or a state of chronic depression can lead to psychosomatic illnesses. The illness may therefore only be a symptom of an inharmonious psychological or emotional state and the issue of healing will have to be addressed holistically and not merely by pronouncing the person healed. In terms of our present understanding of cause and effect, it will therefore be essential for any patient to attend to these underlying issues before he or she can be permanently healed.

   In addition, the person may not yet have reached the point where they are ready to ask for help. In other words, healing has been requested by a third person, but the patient may not be willing or ready to unconditionally accept such healing, due to lack of faith, no belief in a superior power or as the result of plain stubbornness. This attempt at healing initiated by a third person, may therefore also not be successful.

   Finally, in rare cases, illness may also be caused by other factors such as the belief in black magic (believing oneself to be cursed) or the attentions of unpleasant non-material entities or energies, which may have intentionally or unintentionally been invited by the victim. Treatment in this case will need to be more than the laying on of hands, as the real cause of the illness will need to be addressed first.

   Some healers can mask or even remove symptoms temporarily, by moving the patient’s focus from negative thinking, emotional trauma or self-destructive behaviour, to more positive thoughts and actions. If the person, by virtue of his or her healing experience, is able to let go, immediately change these patterns or come to terms with these issues, then more permanent healing could occur. However, if there are deeper causes and they are not resolved during the process, the patient could very well return later to the earlier patterns of thinking, emotion or behaviour and the illnesses could re-surface.

   It is therefore advisable for any healer to make himself or herself aware of the possible underlying causes of the illness during a brief diagnosis and attempt to facilitate their release before attempting to bring about healing. If the patient is not ready or willing to release any negative and destructive patterns, permanent healing will not be possible and the healer would be wasting his or her time.

   To conclude therefore, it may now be understood why a healer who has the necessary insight and spiritual guidance, may sometimes actually refrain from attending to a patient at a certain time, and why some healings are not permanent. Effective spiritual healing calls for spiritual insight, a comprehensive knowledge of the situation or at least a proper diagnosis. The process should include the identification of underlying root causes and should not be seen as a quick fix. Merely masking the illness with an emotional “high” will at best, only provide temporary relief. We really need to look holistically at the problem.

Jimmy Henderson is a well-known metaphysician and regular radio talk show guest. He is the author of many articles as well as two metaphysical self-help books entitled ‘Multi-Dimensional Thinking’ and ‘Multi-Dimensional Perception’ which are available at Exclusive Books, Amazon.com and Kalahari.com. He is also a facilitator with Metavarsity and based in Durban, South Africa.

Website - www.jimmyhendersonbooks.com