Hello, sparkie-ga!
I will try to answer your question as thoroughly as I can.
My first attempt at researching the “investigation of miracles”
brought me to a website with extensive newspaper and medical journal
articles attesting to the power of prayer and spiritual belief in
healing. “Scientific Investigation of Prayer and Healing” is divided
into five chapters, and can be found at
http://www.webspawner.com/users/apologete2/
“These studies are evidence of a paradigm shift in medicine which is
truly remarkable. Thirty years ago no medical school would have taken
seriously the notion that patient attitude can significantly affect
the rate of healing. Today 30 major medical schools teach courses on
spiritual healing.” Read more links to articles from the “Introduction
to Scientific Investigation of Prayer Part I” at
http://www.webspawner.com/users/apologete2/prayerpage1.html.
Several medical journal articles are cited in the second section. An
abstract from “Positive therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer in
a coronary care unit population.” Byrd RC.Medical Service, San
Francisco General Medical Center, CA. South Med J 1988 Jul;81(7):826-9
at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?db=m&form=6&Dopt=r&uid=88277956
follows:
“The therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer (IP) to the
Judeo-Christian God, one of the oldest forms of therapy, has had
little attention in the medical literature. To evaluate the effects of
IP in a coronary care unit (CCU) population, a prospective randomized
double-blind protocol was followed. Over ten months, 393 patients
admitted to the CCU were randomized, after signing informed consent,
to an intercessory prayer group (192 patients) or to a control group
(201 patients). While hospitalized, the first group received IP by
participating Christians praying outside the hospital; the control
group did not. At entry, chi-square and stepwise logistic analysis
revealed no statistical difference between the groups. After entry,
all patients had follow-up for the remainder of the admission. The IP
group subsequently had a significantly lower severity score based on
the hospital course after entry (P less than .01). Multivariant
analysis separated the groups on the basis of the outcome variables (P
less than .0001). The control patients required ventilatory
assistance, antibiotics, and diuretics more frequently than patients
in the IP group. These data suggest that intercessory prayer to the
Judeo-Christian God has a beneficial therapeutic effect in patients
admitted to a CCU.”
Several other references to the power of spiritual healing may be
found in the section titled “Scientific Investigation of Prayer Part
II at http://www.webspawner.com/users/apologete2/prayer2.html
An article titled ‘Prayer Works as a Cure.” BBC News. (June 5, 2000)
at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/778564.stm cites a study by the
University of Maryland finding that “prayer and spiritual healing may
reduce pain and speed up the recovery of patients.” “Researchers
analysed the results of 23 clinical studies which examined the effect
of prayer, spiritual healing and other unconventional treatments on
patients' health. More than half of these studies -57% - found a
positive impact on patients. The highest number of positive results
was found in studies which examined spiritual healing, in particular a
technique where the "energy field" around a person's body is treated.
As part of this therapy, a practitioner moves their hands over a
patient's body to promote healing. Dr John Astin, who carried out the
study and describes himself as an "open-minded sceptic", described the
results as "intriguing". Of the 23 studies he analysed, 11 examined
therapeutic touch, five the effectiveness of prayer, and seven tested
a variety of other unconventional treatments.”
The article, “Spirituality in Health and Healing.” Mission Through
Action at http://www.chs-stl.com/pages/advocacy/spring00/Spirituality.shtml
highlights the connection between spirituality and the recovery from
illness.
“Traditionally, medical practice in the United States has focused on
the physical indicators of health. However, in recent years an
increasing number of studies have begun to document the role of
spirituality and religious faith in the healing process. Much of this
research supports the assertion that spirituality plays an important
part in the overall well-being of patients, particularly those
experiencing life-threatening illness (LTI).”
Read the entire article for more information.
Joseph Ghabi, founder of a the Free Spirit Centre website, has
written a comprehensive article examining spiritual healing titled
“Spiritual Healing - The Hidden Truth and Misconception” at
http://www.freespiritcentre.info/shealing1.html .
Some excerpts follow:
“There are two types of healing, self-healing and spiritual healing.
How much do we really understand the difference between the two? Can
we refer to them as being a science? Or in such a case where science
cannot explain or rationalize the manifestation itself, do we then
find it would be easier to disregard it all together rather than
investigating? Perhaps it is when something does not bring us much
financial profit it then becomes worthless for us to investigate. Well
it seems there are many question marks when it comes to the subject of
healing and apparently with little answers.”
“Self-healing is the effect that a person can inflict upon
themselves, in terms of a manifestation when bringing his or her state
of mind, either physical, or emotional, into perfect harmony and
balance with the universal flow of energies to get him or herself into
‘normal’ state of being. We all have this power within ourselves even
if we do not believe it is so. This can be practiced through praying
or self-inflicted healing.”
“We know that someone who is a ‘Spiritual Healer’ is someone who is
normally referred to as being an ‘instrument’. This is so when souls
from a different dimension to our own use the ‘instruments’ body as a
channel to perform their work of spiritual healing. These ‘healing’
souls are sometimes called ‘spirit doctors’. They use their wisdom and
knowledge from the universal flow of energies to manipulate a human
being into a state of perfection. This is successful so long as no-one
has been tampered with, in terms of having their body altered when
having organs removed or by being operated upon. What is the cost of
all of this? Well it’s FREE. So let’s explore all factors involved
here.”
“In our world of today, healing, just like anything else has been
abused. Some healers are taking advantage of this gift by
misrepresenting the benefits of it. It seems to have become a way of
overly charging their patient financially and in some cases providing
them with false hopes. When healing becomes a business, how do we know
that healing is genuine after all? If the healing gift is used only as
a means of survival for the healer where do we draw the line between
what is a true healing and what is a mere attempt of making money
based upon the needs of the person who has come to receive healing?”
“Working with healing is the purest gift that a human being can
achieve in one lifetime in terms of working with any form of
Mediumship. I would like to make sure that you understand that it is
not the power of the healer that is making the change in any situation
it is the work of his or her assisted spirit doctors.”
“Healers should not attempt to prescribe or go against any medical
challenge. Rather, they should work in conjunction with the medical
field in order to bring harmony to the patient. Most often, the
medical community will take credit for the cure but that is far out
from the truth in many instances. This is because in many cases the
doctor has declared that they still cannot comprehend what has
happened for their patient to return back to a normal state of
health.”
(If the above excerpts sound interesting, please read the entire
article! http://www.freespiritcentre.info/shealing1.html
Organizations and Practitioners Devoted to Spiritual Healing
***************************************************
National Federation of Spiritual Healers
http://www.webhealth.co.uk/Complementary_Health/Professional_Bodies/PB_National_Federation_of_Spri/pb_national_federation_of_spri.html
“Founded in 1955, the National Federation of Spiritual Healers is
acknowledged to be the principal organisation for spiritual healing in
the United Kingdom, with more than 6,000 members working individually
and in Centres throughout the country. There is also a growing
overseas membership. NFSH is a registered charity and operates through
regional committees serving the membership within their geographical
boundaries. A Council of nationally elected representatives and
officers are the governing board of trustees.”
“The NFSH is not associated with any religion, -ism or -ology. It
does see the source of healing as divine, but respects the right of
every individual to his or her own interpretation of that source. The
word spiritual; in the title refers to the quality of spirituality
implicit in the healing process. Members of the NFSH are bound by a
strict Code of Conduct.”
(For some reason, the main link to the organization does not work, so
I have provided the written and e-mail address below. The organization
has offices in the United States and possibly other countries, so you
can contact them for a clinic near you.
National Federation of Spiritual Healers (NFSH)
The Old Manor Farm Studio
Church Street
Sunbury-on-Thames
Middlesex
TW16 6RG
Tel: 01932 783 164
Email: office@nfsh.org.uk
United Kingdom links for Spiritual Healing clinics can be found at
http://www.webhealth.co.uk/Complementary_Health/Complementary_Therapists_Direc/Directory_Of_Spiritual_Healing/directory_of_spiritual_healing.html
A US listing in Glastonbury, Connecticut is at
http://www.glastonbury.co.uk/locald/nfsh/
An article about the Spiritual Healing Center and Distance Healing,
titled “Would you like to try the power of Healing?” can be found at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/360/A852310
The World Federation of Healing
http://www.wfh.org.uk/
“The mission of the World Federation of Healing is to unite
registered spiritual healers and healing practitioners from all
complementary therapies, with traditional medical professionals for
the purpose of offering a holistic approach to treat disease i.e.:
addressing disharmony in body, mind or spirit.”
“The WFH seeks to make spiritual healing available throughout the
world by attracting the membership of all holistic healers and
traditional practitioners from all cultures, races and languages,
thereby forming an international referral network of healers.”
Doug Osborne – Spiritual Healer
http://members.tripod.com/~rahotep/
“Spiritual Healing is a Divine therapy that has powerful restorative
properties in illness and/or disease. "Absent Healing" is "distant"
healing, and does not require the physical presence of the Healer to
initiate restorative changes as the healing progresses.
Spiritual healing is NOT "Faith" healing, as young children and
animals can all respond readily to this therapy, as well as those for
whom help has been requested by another, in a proxy manner. Although
having some form of confidence in the power of healing is always
helpful, it is certainly not a pre-requisite for a healing result.”
“There is no known illness/disease that in the past has not failed
in some way to respond to the special "power" of Spiritual Healing. In
this way, the Healer always anticipates positive changes as the
healing progresses, always looking ahead, knowing that whatever can be
done, will be done, if at all possible.”
“Spiritual Healing will not (and does not) interfere in any way with
other treatments or medication already being used or taken. (It is
suggested that as improvements and positive changes take place
throughout the progress of the healing, that the patient discusses
with their doctor/therapist any alterations etc. to their prescribed
treatment.)”
http://members.tripod.com/~rahotep/WHATISHEALING.html#Whatishealing
Joan Borysenko
http://catalyst.bigmindmedia.com/cgi/bmc.pl?page=pubpg_welcome.html&tset=mbhs
“If you are already familiar with my work, then you know that I am a
former Harvard medical scientist and psychologist whose vision it is
to weave together science, psychology and spirituality in the service
of wholeness.”
Gerhard Kluegl
http://gerhardhealer.com/
“Gerhard Kluegl, a spiritual healer from Germany, has been
astonishing patients and doctors alike on two continents with his
success in treating illnesses and chronic conditions. He's very much
in demand for appearances and workshops in Europe and America.
Everyone who meets him is struck by his sincerity and devotion to
healing. He works in the energy field of the human body which he is
able to feel with his hands.
Gerhard welcomes serious investigators and invites doctors and
scientists to study his work. He is currently cooperating with the
Human Energy Resources Laboratory of Arizona in Tucson. Dr. Gary E.
Schwartz and his colleagues in this laboratory are truly on the
cutting edge of research into paranormal abilities.
The National Federation of Healers
http://web.logicworld.com.au/~nfh/
Read about the NFH and their work and mission at
http://web.logicworld.com.au/~nfh/about%20nfh.htm
The Ministry of Spiritual Healing and Personal Development
http://www.spiritual-healing.co.uk/ministry/index.htm
Spiritual Healings: an affiliate project of the Spiritual Institute of
Co-Creative Healing
http://www.spiritualhealings.com/index.php
“Welcome to SpiritualHealings.com, a collection of websites to bring
those in need of healing into contact with spiritual healers equipped
to help them. You'll find in these pages a means of contacting a wide
network of healers of all sorts of affliction, from trauma to cancer
to Hepatitis--our healers have the unique gifts of channeling healing
energies to make bodies and spirits well again.”
Spiritual Healing Trinity Center of Alabama
http://www.spiritualhealingalabama.com/
“This healing is unlike any healing you will ever know. Once you've
experienced true, "Spiritual Healing" there will be no need for any
other. For you will be truly at the graces of God. For God will be
your physician, your medicine and most of all your savior.”
The World Mystery Research Center
http://www.worldmysteryrc.org/healing.htm
“We have met medical professionals who are on the cutting edge of
combining traditional medicine with alternative therapies and thus
have a great interest to pure our researchers into this intriguing
mystery! We therefore will conduct various projects to explore and
document these unexplained activities using all types of sensitized
devices that are at our disposal.”
(Chapters in the US, the UK and the Netherlands)
Lists of Techniques and Modalities for Achieving Spiritual Growth
*************************************************
“The Spiritual Path,” a link to an extensive number of articles
exploring spiritual growth can be found at
http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/path/sp-selec.htm
The DMOZ Directory at
http://dmoz.org/Society/Religion_and_Spirituality/New_Age/Spiritual_Growth/
also has an extensive listing of links exploring methods of achieving
spiritual growth.
The Inner Search Healing School
http://www.innersearchhealingschool.com/techniques.htm
“The healing techniques and methods developed and created by ISHS
are taken from a select group of healing interventions. However, ISHS
Healing process focuses primarily on achieving a shift in
consciousness. The process is about expanding a participants'
consciousness in order for a person to make a deliberate turning away
from destructive life patterns, negative behavioral beliefs and
actions. The concepts and teaching program at ISHS serve to reconnect
an individual's body and spirit. ISHS provides training and teaching
on how to uncover a persons' deepest levels of pain and suffering.
This program leads to the uncovering the reasons for why specific life
lessons were chosen. Participants are then encouraged to learn form
their own life lessons. Every action, feeling, emotion, thought and
experience results in each person being taught something about him or
herself. Once recognizing the issues, a person must aspire to the
highest and best good. This leads to continuous growth and learning.
The soul must continue to evolve, learn, and grow. this is our task
and our sacred trust which our Creator gave to each of us.”
Can Spiritual Healing Modalities Help Mental Illness?
**********************************************
In some cases, spiritual healing can help mental illness. However,
serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and
clinical depression often need medication as well. Yet, there is no
doubt that the combination of medication and spiritual healing can
certainly go hand-in-hand.
Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome is one area of “mental illness” that
has been helped by spiritual counseling. Refer to the website for
“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder " Support Services" at
http://www.pcisys.net/~thebear/church.html
Depression can also benefit from spiritual healing.
In the article, “Confronting Depression: Using Spiritual Tools for
Healing,” by Rabbi B. Allison Bergman Vann, Sermon (4/26/2002) at
http://www.beth-elsa.org/be_s0426a.htm , the combination of medication
and prayer is discussed as a vital component to treating depression.
For another example of Spiritual Healing and Depression, read
“Bearing the Unbearable Pain: Mental Illness as a Spiritual Practice,”
by John Milton. Healing From Depression at
http://www.healingfromdepression.com/bearing-pain.htm
Mental illness and spirituality has also been addressed by the Jewish
community. An excerpt from “Mental Illness is a Jewish Issue that We
Must Address,” by Rabbi Eric Weiss and Rabbi Nathaniel Ezray. Jewish
Opinion. at http://www.jewishsf.com/bk021018/comm2.shtml
follows:
“While any community typically has psychological and medical
resources available, spiritual resources may not be. And yet such
resources are critically important. In fact, recent studies have shown
that mental health generally is better among those who engage in some
kind of regular spiritual life. Simply put, any aspect of mental
health, and specifically, any mental illness must include an
understanding of how spiritual resources can support both those with
mental illness and their loved ones.”
“Many with mental illness, like those with any other kind of illness,
often speak of spiritual support as crucial to their overall sense of
life's challenges. And over half of those with a mental illness, as
well as their loved ones, first go to a member of their clergy and
their place of worship in their search for support and help. Whatever
the needs may be, clergy and our houses of worship must be places of
refuge and spiritual comfort.”
“From it all we can learn the tremendous courage it takes for someone
with mental illness to face each day. Many comment that their places
of faith and their clergy are important factors in their sustained
recovery. Their life experience can offer all of us insights into the
ways faith and a faith community offer a sustained sense of wholeness
and healing.”
Energetic Healing
http://shamshealing.com/
Barbara Shams believes that her therapy can help (though not
necessarily cure) mental illness.
“It is my privilege to be present with a client and to focus God's
healing energy (love) into his/her area of concern -- which may be
physical or mental illness, problems with work, financial difficulties
or spiritual malaise. First I guide the client into an environment of
safety. When he is relaxed and peaceful I ask God to be present with
us and to direct me to the area that most troubles my client. God
guides the healing every step of the way. Not only does the client
experience healing, but often he receives a lesson for his soul, some
bit of wisdom that will be his own forever, that will enrich and
change his life for the better.
Pathways to Promise – an Interfaith Organization
http://www.pathways2promise.org/resources/index.htm
“Pathways was founded by fourteen faith groups and mental health
organizations to facilitate the faith community's work in reaching out
to those with mental illnesses and their families.”
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill has a website called
“Faithnet” which stresses the importance of a nurturing spiritual
community towards those afflicted with mental illness. To read more,
visit their site at http://www.faithnetnami.org/spiritual_community.htm
Additional reading
“America’s Belief in Miracles Growing,” by Mark O’Keefe. The
Oregonian. (12/25/1998) at
http://www.oregonlive.com/todaysnews/9812/st122508.html
“Spiritual Healing” at
http://www.holistic-online.com/Prayer/hol_spiritual_healing.htm
“Healing Means More than a Cure,” by Anita Jantz. Christianity.ca
(1/5/2003) at http://www.christianity.ca/spirituality/personal_growth_stories/healing_more_than_cure_story_template.php3
As a Christian, I believe that spirituality and prayer are extremely
important for both physical and emotional health. However, based on my
own experience, I believe all authentic mental illnesses benefit
primarily from medication. I would never recommend that one forgo
medical intervention when suffering from the symptoms of mental
illness. Medication in no way denotes weakness or a disbelief in the
power of spiritual healing. However, it is my personal opinion that
the two should be used together for the most successful treatment.
Read “Prozac and Peer Pressure,” by Courtney Sellers. Beliefnet at
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/14/story_1431_1.html for an overview
of a Christian who turned to medication for help from depression.
I sincerely hope that I have provided some answers to your questions.
My best to you.
umiat-ga
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