Mind Over Matter

I am fascinated by the power of the mind as it can and does affect everything in the body. There is so much about the brain that is yet to be identified and philosophers still debate whether thought exists inside the body or externally.

Many years ago, I studied health psychology and was introduced to the concept of healing using thoughts. Researchers have proved that people who have positive beliefs, have a state of mind that helps the body to maintain and repair itself. I read how visualisation and meditation have positive healing effects and patients in clinical trials respond to placebo treatment as if they are getting the real drug. The power of the mind can and does affect everything in the body, frequently producing chemical changes that were believed to be only possible through the use of  powerful drugs. Optimists recover better. Long before cognitive behaviour therapy was a treatment of choice, I would help people who attended my stress groups, to retrain their thinking by discussing the effect of positive thinking, resulting in positive outcomes. 

A positive state of mind is linked to all the major religions. Christianity has good and evil concepts, eastern religions are based on positive and negative energies and the Chakras are believed to be energy centres for wellbeing. All these beliefs have the same goal, to gain wellbeing or a state of paradise. In a study of 50 people with advanced lung cancer, those judged to have high "spiritual faith" responded better to chemotherapy and survived longer. The universe began as a thought in the mind of God, those thoughts became words, those words became creation. In the New Testament it states that if you have faith, you can move a mountain.

In years or centuries to come, we will no doubt be educated to use our mind and thoughts with more precision. To gain incredible insights and awareness. I do not envisage that the drug companies will fund this research though!

Maybe, if I begin to meditate and visualise daily, I can rid my face of those advancing wrinkles instead of resorting to plastic surgery. I could ultimately patent the technique and make a fortune. Now that is positive thinking!!