As I commence this paper, it is not what I thought I would be writing on but it is what developed over the past few weeks. I’m evolving in my view of life and am becoming a major believer that one has to take responsibility for their actions, thoughts-conscious and unconscious, beliefs, and health, mental and physical. It is at this point also I am realizing that I am not limited to my humanness but I am also evolving spiritually. I am ready to give credence to the saying ”we are spiritual beings having a human experience” as stated by such New Age thinkers Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Sylvia Brown, and Louise Hayes.
“Wisdom” is much greater than that of human mind alone. In my opinion, an emerging idea being sculpted within our cohort and program is that every person has within themselves the potential and ability to be a healer. In order for this critical concept to transpire, the person/healer must first make the decision and own the power of healing for themselves and optimize their health before the full ability and effect of healing others can come to pass. Along with this acknowledgment of becoming an evolved healer, another key ingredient must be added to the equation, which is intentionality.
Intentionality is a critical concept applicable to both Allopathic and Integrative/CAM medicine. Intentionality involves the projection of an awareness, with purpose and efficacy, toward some object or outcome, according to standard dictionary definition. The issue of intentionality represents both challenges and opportunities for deepening understanding of health and healing. Whether consciously or unconsciously, the mind and body are listening in different modes and interpreting the language, gestures, signals, and signs comprising communication between healer and patient.
The influence of a healer’s intentions (including expectations) on the physical state of the patient perplexes allopathic medical professionals but intentionality should be viewed as an untapped resource in healing (Braud). Most healing practitioners give credence to the notion that healing is not possible when patients are not cooperating and have lost the will to be well and/or live. Health is a matter of choice on many levels. Health and well being must be balanced and maintained before disease has the chance to arise.
All stress can be attributed to a person’s internal attitudes towards him or her self and their environment. It is not the life’s event which can cause the stress BUT how each person reacts to the situation (Hawkins, page 211). Society, especially healers, should seek to become aware of habits which undermine health and replace them with habits which reinforce overall well-being. Unfortunately, in most allopathic medicine, the patient’s “being” and intentions are left out of the process of achieving and maintaining wellness.
Integrative/CAM medicine allows the patient and healer to create a space where the unexpected can happen. In order for patients or clients to achieve the greatest benefit from healing services, healers must use intention to assist in the issue of attaining overall health and well-being. But it is the quality of intentionality of the person and healers involved in the healing process which is most important. All communication between practitioner and patient must be positive. Healers must transcend and accept the inherent difference between treating and healing.
In treating, the situation and environment remain the same but in healing the body’s response causes or brings about a removal of the cause of the condition rather than just the recovery from the symptoms. Amazing!!! Therefore, the first step towards optimal healing is to actively seek the involvement of the patient, including family and friends, in the healing process. Healers must provide and stimulate “intentionality” with patients by generating an experience which proves change is possible and reconfirms life. Thereby, these positive feelings allow the body’s own self-healing powers and immune system to be activated.
More evidence and documentation is emerging that patients who are diagnosed with a fatal illness but refused to accept the verdict of being incurable, not only survived, but in some cases even went into complete remission and ultimately be considered cured. Even when complete healing is physically not possible, a positive maintenance program can still be discussed realistically. It is possible for lifelong affliction, such as alcoholism and mental health issues, to heal rapidly with a mere shift of attitude and intention (Hawkins, page 223).
Key areas for research in the field of integrative/CAM medicine include ways in which intentions interact with a person’s body, such as in self-healing; ways in which intentions influence others through direct or indirect communication, such as in placebo effect; and ways in which intentions influence others through distant healing. More research is necessary to analyze nonspecific factors including intention, joy, anticipation, faith, gratitude, and hope, in a way that begins to clarify their roles in healing.
At the same time, we must develop reliable holistic methods and approaches allowing the entire healing community to understand and evaluate various types of healing relationships. The recent movie Pay it Forward told the touching story of an 11-year old boy who was challenged to identify something that distressed him and to set about changing it. In four months, he created a ripple effect through his gestures. He demonstrated intentionality by envisioning a better world and engaging others to help. Envision the world as it might be and enlist those around you to assist in co-creating this shared vision.
As Albert Einstein chided, “we will never solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. ” Intentionality sets the goals and is the driving force which pushes forward the healing process. Allopathic and other healing professions must evolve and transform healing medicine into a caring, curing, assisting, and healing system seeking the root causes of the “dis-ease” out of necessity for the continuation of humanity.
Bibliography Benor D. Healing Research. Vol. 1. Oxfordshire, England: Helix Editions. 1993 Braud W. and Schlitz M.Consciousness interactions with remote biological systems: anomalous intentionality effects. Subtle Energies. 1991 Hawkins, D. Power vs. Force. Hay House. 2002. Page 211. Hawkins, D. Power vs. Force. Hay House. 2002.
E=14 N=13 F=18 J=20 I=9 S=10 T=5 P=3 Scoring: Allopathic: 11 80 or higher very resilient! Healers: 8 65-80 better than most 50-65 slow, but adequate 40-50 you’re struggling 40 or under seek help! E=14 N=13 F=18 J=20 E=EXTROVISION 75% OF POPULATION Draw energy from the outside world of people, activities and things N=INTUTITION 25% OF POPULATION Preference for drawing in information through 6th sense/intutition and what might be F=FEELING 50% OF POPULATION Prefers to make decisions in a personal and value orientated way J=JUDGMENT 50% OF POPULATION Prefers a planning, organization in life.
I=9 S=10 T=5 P=3 I=INTROVERSION 25% OF POPULATION Draw energy from the one’s internal world of ideas, emotions or impressions S=SENSING 75% OF POPULATION Preference for drawing in information through 5 senses and what is actually there .
Personality characteristics of hospice volunteers as measured by Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. J Pers Assess. 1995 Dec;65(3):521-32. PMID: 8609585 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE] Renz MC. Learning from intuition. Nursing.
1993 Jul;23(7):44-5. No abstract available. PMID: 8327211 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE] English I. Intuition as a function of the expert nurse: a critique of Benner’s novice to expert model. J Adv Nurs. 1993 Mar;18(3):387-93. PMID: 8450133 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE] Potter PJ, Frisch N. Holistic assessment and care: presence in the process. Nurs Clin North Am. 2007 Jun;42(2):213-28, vi. PMID: 17544679 [PubMed – in process] Hoban V. How to … be a reflective practitioner. Nurs Times. 2004 Feb 24-Mar 1;100(8):64- No abstract available. PMID: 15027232 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
References Humanmetrics. Jung Typology Test. Humanmetrics. com. PLEASE PUT THE DATE WHEN YOU ACCESSED THIS SITE <http://www. humanmetrics. com/cgi-win/JTypes2. asp>; ISFP Personality Type. October 28, 2006. A. F. de Vries. PLEASE PUT THE DATE WHEN YOU HAD ACCESSED THIS SITE <http://www/homeopathy. healthspace. eu/types/ISFP/php>. Personalitypage. com. Portrait of an ENFJ. Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc. PLEASE PUT THE DATE WHEN YOU HAD ACCESSED THIS SITE <http://www. personalitypage. com/ENFJ>. —. Portrait of an ESFJ. Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc.