| The human brain is the most exquisite | | | | form images on how the white corpuscles |
| creation in the universe. With the right | | | | attack the cancer cells and destroy them, or |
| "brain tools" or memory training, many have | | | | how the narrowed arteries of their heart open |
| been able to dramatically improve their | | | | up and allow the blood to rush through. For |
| memory and acquire extraordinary feats of | | | | a number of patients, the imaging technique |
| memory. Students can excel in school with | | | | does indeed cause the tumours to disappear. |
| enhanced study skills and achieve accelerated | | | | |
| learning, with only a slight change in their | | | | However, there is no clear scientific answer |
| study habits using special memory techniques | | | | to the question of whether and more |
| and their own imagination. The brain can | | | | imporantly, how - physical ailments are |
| also be called upon to heal critical | | | | improved or even healed by positive thinking. |
| illnesses, like cancer and tumours, and | | | | There is, however, no doubt that a |
| although rare, scientists are trying to | | | | confident, hopeful attitude makes an illness |
| determine what are the "psychological | | | | much easier to endure. |
| triggers" that are necessary for such | | | | |
| spontaneous healing. | | | | There is no doubt that there is an |
| | | | interaction between the psyche and the human |
| There are a number of factors which protect | | | | body. Phenomena such as spontaneous healings |
| us from disease and give us health. If we | | | | and the placebo effect show us as such. But |
| can understand and implement them into our | | | | what actual roles do emotional factors play |
| lives, we can prevent sickness and relieve | | | | when we are sick? How do feelings influence |
| afflictions from which we are suffering. One | | | | the processes of the body? Since the late |
| of the key factors is Positive Thinking. An | | | | 1980s, researchers in the field of |
| important part of Positive Thinking displayed | | | | Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) have been asking |
| by spontaneous-healing patients was their | | | | these questions. |
| firm belief that they would recover, that | | | | |
| they would defeat their illness and would | | | | PNI involves the collective effort of |
| influence its progress. Although there is no | | | | psychologists, psychiatrists, immunologists, |
| denying that the support of friends, family | | | | neurologists and endocrinologists. They are |
| and helpers do play an important role in the | | | | trying to decode the connections between the |
| healing, it is the patient's belief that the | | | | body and the spirit. Their work has produced |
| body has strong self-healing powers which | | | | some interesting findings. For instance, |
| would contribute to the final defeat of their | | | | doctors have found out that certain neural |
| sickness. | | | | pathways of organs in the body's immune |
| | | | system have direct connections to the brain. |
| There are many weapons that have been | | | | In this respect, the lymph glands and spleen |
| formulated to fight cancer. Among the most | | | | stimulate the production of cells responsible |
| interesting are the so-called visualizing | | | | for destroying invading cells that cause |
| techniques successfully used by many medical | | | | illness. This also works the other way, with |
| practitioners like O. Carl and Stephanie | | | | immune cells being influenced by the hormone |
| Simonton, a husband and wife team of doctors | | | | system. Thoughts and feelings probably work |
| from Texas. O. Carl Simonton, an oncologist, | | | | via intertwined routes to affect the immune |
| is director of the Simonton Cancer Center in | | | | system. When there is an illness, these |
| the US, and his books and lectures have | | | | paths carry messages to the brain, |
| brought the Simonton Method to wide public | | | | influencing the emotions,. PNI is still not |
| notice. The technique developed by the | | | | well-understood, but it could open up new |
| Simontons involves asking patients to | | | | avenues for the treatment of psychological |
| describe their suffering in detail. They are | | | | and physical ailments. What it has shown is |
| instructed on how to form the most vivid | | | | that the brain is a powerful tool and it does |
| image of their suffering they can imagine - | | | | have infinite wisdom stored in it to |
| no matter if this is the image of a tumour or | | | | influence memory, thinking creativity and |
| of a failing heart and to allow it to open up | | | | healing. |
| in their imagination. They are then asked to | | | | |