power of positive thinking

M

manytrailsonepath

withallthingsgodspossible
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
somewhere between heaven and hell
Hello all of you interesting people!
Here's my deal:
Last weekend I sustained a large deep cut and was told I needed surgery to rapair the nerves. Today I saw the surgeon and he said it didn't look like it was needed.
My close friends and family (myself included) all thought positively about my situation for the day or two leading up to my consultation with the surgeon and I believe that it may have helped me avoid the need for surgery. I realize there is no proof, but I thought it would make for an interesting and stimulating conversation here. I have been away from this site for some time so please forgive me if this is a topic that has been recently discussed, please also forgive me if I am posting in the wrong area.
Can't wait to here from all of you!
 
Anecdotal yes, but the most common thing when someone looks after prayer or positive thought affects current physical situations is, "The original diagnosis was wrong", darned if it doesn't happen often in those situations.

They've got spontaneous healing of cancer, much nicer than the cut, poison or burn conventional methods. But when it reoccurs they say oh, see, it wasn't in remission after all, funny they have different reasoning after surgery, chemo or radiation.

The most hilarious thing is that drugs are weighed against placebos, but when the placebo works (lets see you think you are taking a drug to cure something, your brain thinks there is science behind it, and then you get the cure without the drug...but surely that wasn't positive thinking at work)
 
Yes the original diagnosis could've been wrong and I certainly don't deny that...... but isn't it more fun to think that these wonderful globs of grey matter we have actually have the power to change things to at least some extent.
Excellent reply, I really like your take on the placebo effect.
 
Hi MTOP,

I used to attend a "New Thought" church, they studied the works of Ernest Holmes and traced their lineage back to Phineas Quimby, once a student of the famous Mesmer. I left mostly because of the misapplication of what Holmes was originally trying to say in his works, and magical thinking abounds in groups like this. Yes, it is quite fun to think it true, but anecdotal evidence, ad hoc explanations don't quite explain life as it is.
Religious Science is still a bit of a misnomer IMHO because it fails to consistently produce the desired effect. Furthermore, adherents often chastise each other should the desired effect of the "spiritual treatment" not materialize. I have heard the "well, what's in YOUR consciousness" thing enough times to turn me off even trying a dialog with these people.

But the placebo and less known nocebo effects still create a bit of a mystery don't you think?
 
Paladin said:
Furthermore, adherents often chastise each other should the desired effect of the "spiritual treatment" not materialize. I have heard the "well, what's in YOUR consciousness" thing enough times to turn me off even trying a dialog with these people.
Click to expand...
We call that metaphysical malpractice, tis a shame really. As you indicated, folks not understanding the principles.

It was only a couple decades ago that conventional medicine denied food had anything to do with heart disease, we've come a long way baby, but have a long way to go.
 
I think I'm sort of at a balance point between two perspectives. I think one's attitude, thoughts, emotions, etc. play a large role in healing and I think science upholds that. It is testable statistically that there is an impact, though impossible to tease out the extent of the impact vis-a-vis other treatment.

I'm much more of a natural medicine/Chinese medicine person in terms of how I view health than the Western body-as-machine type.

However, I do not think that it is ALL about one's state of consciousness (and I don't think that's what MTOP was saying). Some things are easier to fix naturally than others. Sometimes there is more loose thread in the fabric of reality to work with. It is incorrect, I think, to place all the results in the lap of the ill person, yet I also think it is incorrect to do what Western medicine often does- to treat the body as if it is a machine that has nothing to do with one's mental, emotional, and spiritual state. Even if it is a placebo effect that prayer or meditation or whatever works, the fact that a placebo works still speaks to the power the mind has over the body.
 
i think that what you send out to the world comes back. Ive not been fixed medically by positive thinking, but I have changed my life by it. I was in a bad (life) before and things were getting worse, not better. To cut a long story short. I first removed myself from the situation, and started a new life. I pretended (yes, pretended, lied, whatever) to myself, that i was a happy, well adjusted normal everyday person....... with a normal life...........(sure I had a few hiccups along the way) but the result is that ,,,,,,, I lead a normal happy life.......... I really try not to be negative, ( I am only human, howver) because I believe that good attracts good and vice versa. Its a simplistic view, I am aware. thats me.
 
manytrailsonepath said:
Hello all of you interesting people!
Here's my deal:
Last weekend I sustained a large deep cut and was told I needed surgery to rapair the nerves. Today I saw the surgeon and he said it didn't look like it was needed.
My close friends and family (myself included) all thought positively about my situation for the day or two leading up to my consultation with the surgeon and I believe that it may have helped me avoid the need for surgery. I realize there is no proof, but I thought it would make for an interesting and stimulating conversation here. I have been away from this site for some time so please forgive me if this is a topic that has been recently discussed, please also forgive me if I am posting in the wrong area.
Can't wait to here from all of you!
Click to expand...

More than half the battle is always frame of mind.... If you are of strong mind, I believe you will endure longer than those who are simply of strong body.

The mind is a pretty amazing thing, I couldn't honestly say that I would agree, that your thoughts some how repaired your nerve points in your wound (the mind I am 100% sure is capable of rapid and even "miracle" repair healing.... But I don't believe we can use our minds to that level. Yet.), I would say it is more down to a waiting period of time to see how extensive damage would be as, with such things as nerve damage can take time to be more clear on what the outcome maybe... But your thoughts and mind I guess could have assisted to a degree as you hear about the mind aiding the body all the time... Tricky one to pin to an answer eh.
 
actually, now that ive thought about it. it shouldnt be any surprise, really. Because, we have always said that the mind can "play tricks on you" (eg, bad things, not really real) why couldnt it then, work in a benficial way? (see, simplistic again)
 
Ok, I think that some of you may have misunderstood me, my puny mind didn't fix my nerves or heal me and perform a miracle. Let's get it straight:
1. My hand feels like I slammed it in the front door
2. I still have a gaping wound 3 1/2 inches long in my palm that's only held together with the stitches.
3. My right thumb is still numb and could remain that way indefinitely even with surgery.
So you can see no miracles here. I just wanted to hear from you all and get various opinions on the subject because it is interesting to me. For all I know positive thinking does nothing for the healing process.
I do believe that the power of ones mind plays a role, I don't even begin to guess at how much of a role. I would be arrogant (in my opinion) to think I knew how much of a role. When I had my intial diagnosis at the e.r. they told me I needed surgery, when I went in for surgery Tues they told me I didn't. I think there is a mix of things going on there - a few parts of over concern from the e.r., a dash of positive thinking, the fact that I'm still young and have always healed fast may have come into play to some extent and so on.

I really used my personal injury as a "for example" not a testament to the power of positive thought. I don't blame anyone for misconstruing my original posts, after all I'm usually not the most articulate (but I do try).
Hope this clears the air and to clear it further I would like to re-establish the reason I posted - Because I find all of your opinions stimulating and extremely fun to think about.
 
path_of_one said:
I think I'm sort of at a balance point between two perspectives. I think one's attitude, thoughts, emotions, etc. play a large role in healing and I think science upholds that. It is testable statistically that there is an impact, though impossible to tease out the extent of the impact vis-a-vis other treatment.

I'm much more of a natural medicine/Chinese medicine person in terms of how I view health than the Western body-as-machine type.

However, I do not think that it is ALL about one's state of consciousness (and I don't think that's what MTOP was saying). Some things are easier to fix naturally than others. Sometimes there is more loose thread in the fabric of reality to work with. It is incorrect, I think, to place all the results in the lap of the ill person, yet I also think it is incorrect to do what Western medicine often does- to treat the body as if it is a machine that has nothing to do with one's mental, emotional, and spiritual state. Even if it is a placebo effect that prayer or meditation or whatever works, the fact that a placebo works still speaks to the power the mind has over the body.
Click to expand...
You're right when you say "that's not what I was saying". Funny you should know that?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top