Blog 4

Chapter 10, The Healing Field, was actual very personal to me. The idea that one could realign someone else’s structure, acting as a healer, is fascinating to me. The studies done in this chapter could turn a person without hope into a believer. Elisabeth’s reaction to her studies’ results was great. Her mentality of distant healing changed significantly because of the results.

Personally, I feel those who have more of a scientific look on life or those who lack belief for things that cannot be proven have a slight disadvantage than others who believe in the more mysterious things that occur during our lifetime. Elisabeth’s astonishment to how the treatment was working in her first study with the AIDS patients made me almost feel sorry for her because it seemed as though she didn’t want to believe in the outcome. So many scientists think with their brains and not with their hearts. I believe that sometimes the most unexplainable things in life don’t have to seem right on paper. For scientists there is only black and white, the explained and what is to be explained. Sometimes it is great to live in the gray area and to leave room for what little unknown that is left in a human’s life.

On another note, the findings within this chapter were special to me. The findings gave me some closure to a recent death in my family. A close cousin of mine was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago. It was at that point the doctors told her the cancer was too aggressive, was spreading, and she wouldn’t live longer than six months. However, what the doctors didn’t know was that my cousin was an extremely religious person. Even before her cancer days, she went to church every day and continued to go as she underwent chemotherapy and other treatments. She was put on prayer chains and was prayed for by many, including priests and bishops. To make an extremely long and heartfelt story short, she survived many years past the doctors’ expectancy and passed away last December. Her story made me believe that faith, hope, and prayer can overcome both the questionable and unimaginable.

I believe that positive thinking does have a reward: the opportunity for a better outcome.

On another note, before I read this novel I was somewhat cynical of its subject matter. I grew less skeptical as I began reading. I was pleasantly intrigued with the studies that were held. As I began the material I couldn’t help but wonder if this so-called ‘theory’ is in actuality not a theory at all. The power of the mind is a gift that most take advantage of. If we are capable of doing the things discussed in the book, and they are someday proven as facts, image what can be done.