Although their methods may vary, the end result is usually the same: the patient feels a sense of calm or serenity, feels more balanced emotionally, more open and aware on a spiritual level, and in many cases experiences some sort of relief from the ailment that brought them to the attention of the healer in the first place. In some cases the illness is permanently cured, while in others the relief is temporary and multiple treatments are necessary. So how does the process work, and why do results seem to vary from one instance to another? To answer these questions, we must first look at the basis for metaphysical healing (also known as “energy work”).
There are several assumptions that take place in this work. The first assumption in metaphysical healing is that there is a higher power, or source of energy, that exists all around us and can be intentionally tapped and used for healing. The atomic bomb is a clear example of how every atom in universe contains an extreme amount of usable energy. Quantum science has shown that on a sub-molecular level everything in the universe is actually connected and that one cannot even observe a thing or process without that thing or process being altered on a molecular level1. Astronomers talk of “dark matter”, a substance that makes up over 88% of our universe, yet so far cannot be observed directly, but rather by its effect on observable objects such as galaxies and galactic clusters. Obviously, there are things in this universe that modern science has yet to grasp. Yet for thousands of years, healers from all parts of the world have observed the effects of a mysterious invisible force that could be used to influence the health of both humans and animals. This energy has been called many things. “Spirit”, “Elemental Energy”, “Ether”, “God”, “Source Energy”, and a plethora of other terms have been used to describe it.
The second assumption is that we all have an internal energy system that runs parallel to our physical systems (such as the respiratory and circulatory systems). In Eastern medicine, these energies have been studied quite extensively. Oriental healers have spoken for thousands of years about channels or meridians in our bodies through which internal energy flows, which when blocked can manifest physical symptoms of illness. Therapies such as Acupuncture, Acupressure, and Reiki have all grown from these roots. Yogic philosophies speak of energy centers (or “Chakras”) that act as spiritual “organs” of a sort, regulating and balancing our emotional states as well as our levels of awareness. When these energy centers become unbalanced or “clouded”, we can spin into negative cycles that manifest themselves through depression, mood swings, physical illness, and in severe circumstances, death.
The third assumption is that this internal energy can be transferred by one individual to another. This can be accomplished in many ways; prayer, a laying on of hands, “aura massage”, breathing (either on or with the patient), crystal massage, toning, and other methods all assist the practitioner to transfer vital energy from the universal Source into the patient. Sometimes the transfer of energy comes from the practitioner themselves, while at other times the transfer happens directly from the Source to the patient. This may sound a little far-fetched to those who have never experienced this type of healing, but it's quickly gaining scientific support; studies have shown an instant elevation of blood pressure in the recipients of telepathic messages, whether the recipient was consciously aware of receiving a message or not. Recent double- and triple-blind studies have shown the incredible power of prayer, particularly in-vitro fertilization2 and after cardiac surgery3.
One thing that nearly every religious or spiritual teaching agrees on is that Love is the key. “God is Love,” says Christianity. “God will regenerate those in whose hearts there is love,” say the Sikhs. “To love all men is the greatest benevolence,” say the Buddhists. “Heaven arms with love those it would not see destroyed,” say the Taoists. The list goes on and on. Obviously, love is more than a simple emotion, more than just a biochemical reaction that occurs in the brain. Infants who receive all they need physically, but do not receive love, often sicken and die. Widows and widowers have been known to die of a “broken heart” soon after their spouse passes on, often without any physical cause. Dr. Masaru Emoto's experiments with water crystals4 show that when love is projected towards freezing water, the ice crystals form intricate and beautiful patterns, but when anger or other negative emotions are projected, the same water samples form fractured and jumbled crystals, and sometimes refuses to crystallize at all. Considering that the human body is comprised primarily of water, it should not surprise us that projecting positive energy or emotions to a person would have healing effects as well. This is the underlying basis for nearly all forms of metaphysical healing.
Basically, a healer is one who can open themselves to, and channel into another individual, a powerful and focused flow of unconditional loving energy. This tells us several things. First of all, a healer must have the ability to love others unconditionally. This is much more difficult than it sounds; our culture generally instills a very judgmental attitude in people. Secondly, the healer must truly love themselves in order to be able to channel love into another. This is even more challenging than the first condition, since it is often much easier to love someone else despite their imperfections than it is to love oneself and all of one's inherent flaws and vulnerabilities. The more loving the healer is in general, the more energy that person will be able to utilize in their treatments.
This brings us to the question raised earlier: why do results seem to vary from one instance to another? There are many variables that can affect the outcome of any metaphysical therapy.
First of all, everyone has ups and downs, and if the healer is having an “off day”, they may not be able to channel the usual amount of energy into their patient. Aside from that, however, much depends on the patients themselves. How much do they love themselves? It is very difficult to accept love from another if one does not love oneself. Also, how committed are they to becoming well? Does the patient have a positive attitude? Western medicine has confirmed that a person's mindset is one of the most important factors in healing; in many cases, a placebo can be just as effective as a pharmaceutical drug because the person actually believes that positive results will be seen, and so their bodies respond to that belief by manifesting improved health. On the other hand, someone who constantly projects negative attitudes like stress, anger, and cynicism is much more likely to experience relapse, since the energy they are projecting from within quickly overpowers any positive results achieved through external healing. One of the world's great healers, Jesus, said to one woman, “your faith has made you well”5. This makes it clear that even through much depends on the healer, the primary responsibility lies with the patient. In the end, we must have love to heal or be healed. Our love will make us well.
