The mind-body connection is a concept that suggests that the state of one’s mental and emotional being can affect physical health. This theory was first proposed by psychoanalyst William James in the 19th century. It is the idea that what happens in the mind affects the body and vice versa. It is a concept that has been around for centuries, but it has been studied extensively in recent decades by psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists and other medical professionals.
The mind and body are connected to each other through a process called psychoneuroimmunology. Indeed, it is held by some that the mental processes and bodily functions are so closely linked that one cannot be fully understood without the other.
In the field of psychology, some say that the mind-body connection is an important factor in understanding how people react to various situations. It also helps to explain how people can use their thoughts to heal themselves. What researchers have found is that mental and emotional factors can have a profound effect on physical health.
How does the mind-body connection work?
For example, the body reacts to stress by releasing hormones, chemicals and other substances that can cause inflammation in the body. This inflammation can lead to many types of illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and depression. When you are stressed, your immune system becomes weaker and more susceptible to illness. It is well known that one’s emotional and/ or mental state can profoundly affect one’s physical health.
All living organisms generate electric signals. The human body is made up of trillions of cells, every one of which is constantly sending out electrical signals. These signals can be detected by machines, allowing us to see how they change over time. It has been shown that these signals change when a person is ill or in pain, and they also change when a person meditates or does yoga.
And it is not just our cells that emit these electrical signals- our thoughts do too! When we think about something, our brain sends out electrical impulses to tell the rest of the body what it’s thinking about. These thoughts are called “brainwaves”. Brainwaves are measured using an electroencephalogram (EEG) a test that gauges electrical activity in the brain.
These electrical signals are always changing ~ and these changes can be used to diagnose and predict diseases. Research has shown that the electrical signals of the heart, brain, and muscles can be used to detect illnesses.
Energy Healing is a type of alternative medicine that involves the use of Energy fields to diagnose and Heal, and it has been proven in many studies as a very effective way of alleviating pain, as well as treating emotional/ mental maladies such as stress and anxiety. This form of Healing is based on the belief that an Energy field surrounds and penetrates the mind and body, and that a healthy person will have an unbroken, balanced flow of Energy. The mind-body’s energy field is made up of a number of Energy channels through which this Energetic Life force flows. In Chinese medicine, this Life Force Energy is also known as “Chi”. When there is an imbalance in the body’s Chi, disease or injury may occur. Energy healing works by balancing the flow of this Life force and restoring balance and health to the person’s body and mind. This is why practices such as meditation and mindfulness are known to have positive effects on one’s physical health.
A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that people with chronic pain were able to reduce their pain by up to 68% after undergoing an Energy Healing session.
The study also found that people who had not been diagnosed with chronic pain but were experiencing mild or moderate pain levels experienced a reduction in pain by up to 27% after undergoing an Energy Healing session.
Research has also shown that Energy Healing can be very effective at treating emotional and mental issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Some of its benefits also include an increased sense of well-being and emotional stability.
A 2004 study “followed patients being treated for mild depression and stress. After six weeks of treatment and for up to a year afterward, those who had received Energy Healing showed both immediate and long-term improvements in depression, stress and hopelessness.” * Depression can not only affect one’s sleep and quality of Life, it can increase one’s risk for a number of illnesses and other ailments. It has been shown that depression generates stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which then weakens the immune system.
The mind-body connection is an amazing phenomenon. The body is a vehicle for the mind, which is the driver, and which in turn responds to feedback from the body. Energy Healing has long been used to balance and Heal the Energies of both; The two are strongly interconnected vis-a-vis Chi, the Energy channels and flow. Further, the ability of each to affect the other is widely known. This connection is not just an analogy, but rather a reality that we can Positively experience and benefit from through Energy Healing.
~JJL
*PsychCentral.com