Abstract

Few in-depth writings explore the anomalous remission or healing of symptoms and disease that defy the physicalistic explanations of allopathic medicine. This issue of IJHC features the reports of several people who experienced these remarkable recoveries from several physical problems. I present here a broad spectrum of psychological factors that get in our way of considering remarkable potentials for transformative remissions from illness with spiritual healing treatments, as found in Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, Reiki, Qigong, prayer healing and related approaches. The mind is the most complex computer yet developed, having an incredible capacity to modulate self-awareness. Often, these self-reflective abilities lead us into self-perpetuating loops of beliefs. These articles of faith, in science, religion and other areas of our lives, shape our consciousness in ways that can hinder us from an open-minded stance in new observations and in learning valuable information. This self-blinding process obscures our recognizing remarkable recoveries, impedes our explorations of them and thwarts acceptance and integration of spiritual awarenesses and healing into our healthcare system.