Can You Cure Your Illness?
Some years ago, a young man seeking a more peaceful and fulfilling life, traveled from his native home in Germany to India to visit the ashram of the philosopher and mystic, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. He was fortunate to participate in a meeting with this wise man, where there were present only a handful of visitors like him from various countries around the world.
“By all means, let your body and mind function as they do, but do not let them limit you. If you notice imperfections in the way they operate, I suggest that you often and quietly, take time to observe these imperfections [without fear or judgement]. Your frequent [fearless and nonjudgmental] attention to them will eventually set your heart, mind, and body right.”
The young man from Germany was taken aback. Could thoughts and observations have such a powerful effect? He immediately asked, “Can I really cure myself of a serious illness by simply, fearlessly, and nonjudgmentally observing the function of my body and mind?”
The wise mystic responded, “Yes you can. But you must observe the whole of it, not only the outer symptoms. All illness begins in the mind. Take care of the mind first, by tracing and eliminating all of what you believe are wrong ideas, thoughts, and emotions, based on your values. Then, continue to go about your life and work, disregarding the illness. Do this consistently, and you are bound to remove the causes in your mind. And as a consequence, the physical and emotional effects will eventually depart. You see, my friend, you become what you believe yourself to be.”[i]
There have been thousands of clinically-reported “spontaneous remissions” from deadly illnesses. With research over the last two decades showing a direct correlation between the state-of-mind and the state-of-health, numerous experienced physicians and scientists, unable to explain the reasons for these cures, now feel that some form of internal shift in consciousness played a role in these positive outcomes. This is the body-mind-consciousness connection in action.
Whether it was prayer, hypnosis, or meditation, an altered state of consciousness seemed to be connected in some way with a vast majority of these cures.
Famed psychiatrist, Carl Jung maintained that we are all mentally and physically shaped by what he called the Collective Unconscious, which consists of knowledge and imagery that each of us is genetically born with and which is shared by all human beings due to our connected ancestral experience. The Collective Unconscious is further augmented by programming from birth—often with the best of intentions—by well-meaning parents, teachers, friends, family, the media, and other external sources. Some of this programming is useful, even necessary, for our effective functioning in our world. Are we stuck with the final outcome?
No! We are the first and only species that can choose to deprogram those parts of our Collective Unconscious that no longer serve us well. In principle and in practice, we can erase those aspects of the mind—most especially those harbored in the subconscious—that make us susceptible to illness and its progression. Using the power of altered states of consciousness, such as meditation, curing and preventing illness by such reprogramming is much more than a remote possibility.[ii]
Thoughts for your consideration.
Namaste,
Chairman & Owner, Chateau Mcely
“The Dialogue—A Journey to Universal Truth”[i] Adapted from Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That, Acorn Press, Durham, North Carolina, 2009.
[ii] James A. Cusumano, Life Is Beautiful: 12 Universal Rules, Waterfront Press, 2015, Chapters 8 and 9; also published in Czech as Zivot je Kraznyby Maitrea Publishing, Prague, 2015.
