| Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of "Love, Medicine and | | | | or recognize them in ourselves. We can be certain |
| Miracles" was once a distraught surgeon who fretted | | | | that they are there though, it is a virtually inevitable |
| over his inability to effectively serve his cancer | | | | consequence of living in a world that is so focused on |
| patients. Dr. Siegel's recognition and growing | | | | selfishness and less concerned with "loving" others. |
| understanding of the mind-body connection eventually | | | | So in order to find these bad things and eliminate them |
| allowed him to serve his patients and himself in a | | | | requires introspection, it requires looking at oneself hard |
| greater capacity. | | | | and long. However, there is still a problem. When we |
| Bernie writes in his book, "When a doctor reports | | | | are searching within our minds, we have to have a |
| amazing improvements in a patient's condition, he or | | | | standard to do the comparison with. Otherwise, how |
| she almost never mentions that person's beliefs and | | | | will we find anything? How will it stand out? |
| lifestyle, but when I inquire, I find the patient always has | | | | Let's look to one of the greatest thinkers of the |
| made some drastic change toward a more loving and | | | | Western world, Socrates. What did Socrates do with |
| accepting outlook. The patient seldom tells an | | | | is life? Didn't he teach others about virtue? Interesting, |
| unreceptive doctor about this, however." | | | | isn't it? One of the most influential people in western |
| When the person's mind changed, the state of their | | | | thinking emphasized virtue to his students. Socrates |
| health changed. Hence, the importance of the mind- | | | | talked about things like absolute goodness, beauty and |
| body connection. | | | | truth. |
| However, just covering up the surface with positive | | | | If someone as great, as well loved and respected as |
| thinking isn't necessarily going to help. It's like cleaning | | | | Socrates thought these things were important, perhaps |
| out a house. The dirt and filth has to be removed and | | | | therein lies the key to the mind-body connection. To |
| the stale air replaced with fresh air. There has to be a | | | | live a truly healthy and worthwhile life, maybe virtuous |
| fundamental change for real healing to take place. | | | | thoughts like truth and goodness are what our minds |
| Surface level, 'positive thinking' isn't going to effect this | | | | should embrace rather than the negative things |
| kind of change, just like lightly dusting our homes won't | | | | modern life finds us clinging too. |
| get the real dirt out. | | | | Remember what Bernie said, "I find the patient always |
| So what are the dirty and stale things in our minds? | | | | has made some drastic change toward a more loving |
| Well, they could be things like grudges, prejudices, | | | | and accepting outlook." When we embrace truth and |
| anger, resentment and hate. One spiritual principle from | | | | goodness, the beauty of life and this vast universe that |
| religion talks about "loving your enemy". That can't be | | | | we live in becomes evident. That is when we can heal |
| done without giving up hate. By giving up something | | | | our bodies. Real healing happens in the mind. |
| bad, we can make room for something good to come | | | | This article is for information purposes only, it is not |
| in and may, as a result, see a corresponding change in | | | | meant to diagnose, prevent or treat any illness or |
| our bodies. | | | | health issue. If you have or think you have a health |
| The problem here is that many of these bad things are | | | | condition, please visit your primary-care physician |
| buried and hidden and we won't necessarily see them | | | | immediately. |