The Power of Healing

March 24, 2024

In 1986, Yale University surgeon Bernie Siegel, M.D. published his groundbreaking work on healing entitled Love, Medicine, and Miracles. This book is a courageous literary contribution by a science-based medical doctor. Yet Bernie's experience taught him that his patients' purest and most effective healing occurred in the container of love. He noted that his surgical patients recovered quicker and that their health steadily improved when they were supported by the love of their families and their faith.

Dr. Siegel also noted that his patients' experiences of his genuine love for them and his experience of their love for him paved the way for a successful surgery. In his classic book, Dr. Siegel recounts how, in many cases, the power of love was the only thing that carried the patient back to health. For him, these were miracles.

Out of love for all patients everywhere, Dr. Siegel did not remain silent about the truths he discovered about love, healing, and the medical miracles he'd witnessed. In person, Dr. Siegel is a strong and articulate man. He is not afraid of being ostracized by colleagues for being "woo woo:' Instead, he is a champion for helping the medical profession embrace the consciousness of love. 

Healing is not a one-way street from the healer to the patient. The doctor-patient relationship is a triangle (Law of Three) consisting of the patient's needs, the healer's needs, and the power of love. The healer, as well as the patient, derives positive feelings and gifts. If you could be a fly on the wall in the doctors' lounge, you would hear story after story from physicians about how patients responded positively to their procedure or medical treatment. As doctors tell these stories, many of their faces glow with satisfaction. Being affirmed in their profession is one of a healer's essential needs.

Inquiry: What have you experienced in a relationship with a healer? 

Dear God,

I come to you with an expectant heart. I give you thanks and praise for all the healing yet to come. I am truly humbled and thankful for all the healing that has already happened.

Amen.

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