FIve years on from some pretty serious surgery, I'm reflecting with gratitude for my life. Looking back, I recall that  I did a lot of sitting around in hospital waiting rooms, and I was determined not to waste the time. I read a lot of books, and this one in particular I want to commend to you. It's called 'Timeless healing:the power and biology of belief'. You can find it on Amazon via my link here. 

Early in his medical career, the author, Dr Herbert Benson, studied the placebo response, which at that time was viewed as an irritating factor that had to be got rid of in double blind trials. He came to believe that far from being a problem for research method, the effect is fundamental to our ability to regulate and heal ourselves. He found evidence that what we believe is enormously powerful. For example he reports (p32) a 1950 study where pregnant women were given a substance that they were told would reduce morning sickness. However that substance was syrup of ipecac, which is usually given to induce vomiting. Yet these women were cured of the sickness - because they believed it. 

(Not sure this would get past a modern ethics committee though!)

He came to refer to the body's power to heal as 'Remembered Wellness' - what a lovely phrase this is. It goes on all the time in ways we don't think of as remarkable - if you cut your finger, in a few days it will have healed over all by itself and 'you' didn't have to do anything!  

Earlier in his career Dr Benson had identified what he describes as 'the relaxation response' which can be very easily learned and will put you into a calm physical and mental state. There are only two basic steps, although if you read the book you will learn more detail. First, repeat a simple word, sound, prayer or muscular movement. Second, 'passively disregard' any thoughts that float up and just go back to your repetition. 

In later chapters of the book he links all this to spirituality, indicating that we just might be 'wired for God'. It's an exciting read and I can thank Shola Arewa for it, as it was she who first told me about it.