Mental Healing

Ever had a moment when you wished you could just hit "undo" on that nagging headache or lingering cold? Maybe you've tried every remedy in the book—chicken soup, over-the-counter meds, even your grandma's secret herbal tea—but nothing seems to do the trick. What if the key to healing isn't found in a pill or potion, but within your own mind?

In Part 10 of our modernization of Thomas Troward’s Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science, we dove into the fascinating world of Intuition. We explored how tuning into that inner voice—the subtle nudge from the universe—can guide us toward choices that align with our true selves. It's like having a built-in GPS that always knows the best route, even when the road ahead is foggy.

Now, in Part 11, we're turning our attention to the transformative power of Healing. We'll uncover how changing our beliefs can literally change our bodies, tapping into the creative force of our subconscious mind. Imagine realizing that you're not just a passive recipient of whatever ailments come your way, but an active participant in your own wellness journey.

So, are you ready to explore how your thoughts can become your most potent medicine? Let's embark on this journey to discover how embracing the principles of mental healing can revolutionize not just how you feel, but how you live your life.

Understanding the Foundations of Mental Healing

Let's dive into the topic of mental healing—a subject that's been explored extensively by many writers and thinkers. It deserves all the attention it gets. But our mission here isn't to hand out a step-by-step guide for specific healing techniques. Instead, we're focusing on the foundational principles that underlie all conscious use of thought's creative power—a power that connects us to something greater than ourselves.

So, what's the common thread among all the different methods of mental healing out there? Spoiler alert: it's not the unique quirks of each method that make them effective. Rather, it's that they all tap into higher laws of nature, allowing these laws to work through them. At the heart of every mental healing practice is a core principle: healing begins with a change in belief.

The Four Key Principles of Mental Healing

Here's how it breaks down:

1. The Subconscious Mind is the Creative Powerhouse: Think of your subconscious mind as the ultimate architect of your life—a deep well of potential where new realities can take shape. It builds whatever your conscious mind—the part you're aware of—hands over to it.

2. The Conscious Mind Imprints Thoughts onto the Subconscious: Your conscious mind, or intellect, impresses its thoughts onto the subconscious. It's like the screenwriter handing the script to the director.

3. Thoughts Reflect Beliefs: Your thoughts are expressions of your beliefs. If you believe you're capable and healthy, your thoughts will align with that belief.

4. The Subconscious Manifests These Beliefs into Reality: The subconscious doesn't question or judge; it simply brings forth into your life what the conscious mind consistently feeds it.

So, if we want to change what's showing up in our lives—like improving our health—we need to change our beliefs. But here's the kicker: we can't just flip a switch and adopt new beliefs without a solid reason. We need convincing evidence that our old beliefs are holding us back and that the new ones are empowering. This is where understanding the law of causation comes in.

A common misconception that trips us up is mistaking secondary causes (like germs or external conditions) for primary ones. It's like blaming the mirror for the way you look. The real deal is that there's only one primary cause, and within our own individuality, that's the subconscious mind—the source of our creative power.

This is why I've emphasized the difference between planting an idea in the subconscious mind—on the plane of the absolute, beyond time and space—and just thinking about it consciously, where everything is bound by time and space. The only way to conceive of yourself in the absolute sense is as pure, living Spirit—not bogged down by any limitations, and therefore not subject to illness.

When you firmly impress this idea—that you're pure Spirit—onto your subconscious mind, it'll start to manifest in your physical reality. But let's be real: this process doesn't always work on the first try. Why? Because we've spent our whole lives holding onto the false belief that sickness is a substantial thing in itself—a primary cause—instead of recognizing it as a negative condition resulting from the absence of the primary cause (the expression of our true nature as pure Spirit).

Think about it: a belief that's been ingrained since childhood isn't going to disappear overnight. It's like trying to delete a deeply embedded computer virus with a single click—it takes more effort than that. That's why we often see initial improvements in health after starting this inner work, only to have old symptoms sneak back in. The new belief in our own creative power hasn't fully penetrated the deepest levels of the subconscious yet; it's only started to take root.

Each time we reinforce this new belief—through practices like meditation, affirmation, or mindful intention—we're strengthening its hold on the subconscious mind until, eventually, a lasting change is achieved. This is the essence of self-healing based on understanding the laws of our own being.

The Role of the Healer

But let's face it—not everyone has this knowledge, or at least not enough of a grasp to heal themselves effectively. That's when the intervention of a healer becomes helpful.

Hint: A healer in the modern-day sense could be someone like a Reiki practitioner, a mindset coach, or even a trusted friend who offers support.

So, what's the difference between the healer and the patient? Simply put, the healer has learned how to guide the less self-aware aspects of the mind (the subconscious) using the more self-aware aspect (the conscious mind). The patient hasn't yet acquired this skill. The healer steps in to substitute their own conscious mentality—combining will and intellect—for that of the patient. In doing so, they gain access to the patient's subconscious mind and can impress upon it the suggestion of perfect health.

You might be wondering, "How can the healer substitute their conscious mind for someone else's?" Great question! The answer lies in some profound principles we've discussed earlier, but let's break it down.

Establishing a Healing Connection

We usually think of ourselves as separate individuals—my personality ends where yours begins. But that's not entirely accurate. The boundaries between personalities aren't fixed; they can be adjusted based on our willingness to connect at a deeper level. In fact, they can be temporarily removed so completely that, for a time, two minds unite in a shared purpose.

This is the principle at work between the healer and the patient. The healer asks the patient to adopt a receptive mental attitude—to willingly lower the barriers of their own conscious personality. This openness allows the healer's positive intentions to enter. On the flip side, the healer also lowers their own barriers, but with the intention of sending out healing energy or thoughts.

By both parties lowering their mental defenses, a flow is established—from the healer, who is actively giving, to the patient, who is passively receiving. This aligns with a universal law of nature: flow always moves from fullness to emptiness, like water seeking the lowest point.

This mutual removal of mental barriers is what's called establishing a rapport. Here's where we see a practical application of the principle that pure Spirit is fully present at every point simultaneously. Once the healer recognizes that the barriers between themselves and the patient are down, they can communicate with the patient's subconscious mind as if it were their own. Since both are expressions of pure Spirit, thinking of their unity makes them unified. They become focused into a single point upon which the healer's conscious mind can act.

But here's a crucial point: if we focus our thoughts on the patient's illness, we're reinforcing the idea of separation and the reality of the sickness. Instead, we need to withdraw our attention from their physical symptoms and even their physical personality. We must see them as a purely spiritual being—free from any conditions or limitations. By holding this vision, we mentally affirm that they will outwardly manifest the perfect vitality and intelligence that pure Spirit embodies.

As we make this mental affirmation, the healer's conscious thought impresses this suggestion upon the patient's subconscious mind. Meanwhile, the patient's conscious mind is open to receiving this positive intention. The result? The patient's subconscious becomes thoroughly infused with the recognition of its own life-giving power. According to the laws of the subconscious mind, it begins to manifest this suggestion into physical reality, replacing sickness with health.

It's important to understand that the purpose of this process is to strengthen the individual's own power, not to control or dominate them. Using this method to dominate someone is like using a gift card to commit fraud—it backfires and brings negative consequences to the one misusing it.

The Power of Remote Healing

In situations where direct interaction isn't possible or advisable, absent treatment becomes highly effective. This is where the concept of remote healing comes into play, and it's something many spiritual traditions have recognized—think of how prayer works across distances.

In mental processes, time and space don't really matter because the action happens on a plane where these conditions don't apply. So, whether the patient is sitting next to the healer or halfway around the world makes no difference.

Experience shows that one of the most effective times for mental healing is during sleep. When we're asleep, our entire system is naturally relaxed, and the conscious mind—the gatekeeper—is off duty. This means there's less chance of the patient unconsciously resisting the healing suggestions.

Similarly, the healer can perform treatments during their own sleep. Before drifting off, the healer firmly impresses upon their own subconscious mind the intention to convey healing suggestions to the patient's subconscious. Thanks to the relationship between the conscious and subconscious minds, this suggestion continues to work throughout the night, while the healer's conscious individuality is resting.

This approach is similar to how prayer operates in many spiritual practices. When we pray for someone else's well-being, we're setting a positive intention and sending supportive energy their way, regardless of physical distance. Prayer becomes a form of remote healing, leveraging the interconnectedness of all beings.

The only real advantage of meeting in person is the opportunity to provide verbal instruction or when the patient's belief system requires the healer's physical presence to accept that something is happening. Otherwise, whether the patient is present or not is irrelevant.

Remember, the subconscious mind doesn't need to work through the intellect or conscious mind to produce healing effects. It's part of the all-encompassing creative force of nature, while the intellect is more of a manager than a creator—it organizes and distributes but doesn't originate.

Connecting Modern Practices: Reiki and Mental Healing

Now, you might be thinking, "This all sounds a bit abstract. How does it relate to something I might be familiar with?" Great question! Let's connect these principles to Reiki, a popular modern-day healing practice.

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It operates on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. When this energy is low, we're more likely to get sick or feel stress; when it's high, we're more capable of being happy and healthy.

In a Reiki session, the practitioner places their hands lightly on or just above the client, aiming to transfer universal energy through their palms to encourage healing. This process is remarkably similar to what we've discussed:

• Establishing a Connection: Just as the healer and patient remove mental barriers to allow the flow of healing energy, Reiki practitioners and clients connect to facilitate energy transfer.

• Beyond Time and Space: Reiki can be performed in person or at a distance, echoing the idea that healing transcends physical limitations.

• Intention and Belief: Both Reiki and mental healing rely on the practitioner's focused intention and the client's openness to receive.

• Empowerment, Not Domination: The goal is to support the client's own healing abilities, not to impose the practitioner's will.

By understanding the principles behind practices like Reiki and the role of prayer in remote healing, we see that they're practical applications of the foundational concepts we've been exploring. They demonstrate how ancient wisdom and modern techniques converge to promote holistic healing.

The journey of healing—whether self-directed or with the assistance of a healer—is about recognizing and harnessing the creative power of our subconscious mind. By transforming our beliefs and understanding our interconnectedness with others, we unlock the ability to manifest profound changes in our health and well-being.

As we wrap up our exploration of the transformative power of healing, we've uncovered that changing our beliefs isn't just a mental exercise—it's a catalyst for real, tangible change in our physical and emotional well-being. We've learned that by tapping into the creative force of our subconscious mind, we can replace old, limiting beliefs with new ones that promote health and vitality. It's like discovering an internal switch that, once flipped, illuminates every aspect of our lives with renewed energy and purpose.

But this journey is far from over. While understanding and harnessing our beliefs is a significant step, there's another crucial element that propels this entire process forward: the Will. How do we maintain focus on our new beliefs amid the distractions and challenges of everyday life? What empowers us to consistently align our thoughts with our highest aspirations, ensuring that our subconscious mind receives the clear, unwavering guidance it needs to manifest our desires?

Coming Up Next: Part 12 - The Will

In Part 12: The Will, we'll delve into this driving force behind intentional thought and action. We'll explore how the will isn't about exerting force or dominating circumstances through sheer intensity. Instead, it's about cultivating a calm, centered determination that directs our mental faculties toward our goals without strain or exhaustion. We'll learn how the will functions as the guiding hand that keeps our imagination and desires aligned with the creative laws of the universe.