Spiritual disciplines, modern brain research and Bosch's psychological model of human dysfunction

First I discuss aims and methods of spiritual disciplines from all times and ages. Difficulties that people experience in maintaining spiritual disciplines are described. Modern brain research sheds light on the question as to why this is so. The new psychotherapy of the Dutch psychologist Bosch is presented, which takes into account new insights of modern brain research and which bears striking similarities with universal spiritual disciplines. Some similarities are presented and implications of the findings are discussed.

[Evidence about the power of intention]

Intention is defined as a directed thought to perform a determined action. Thoughts targeted to an end can affect inanimate objects and practically all living things from unicelular organisms to human beings. The emission of light particles (biophotons) seems to be the mechanism through which an intention produces its effects. All living organisms emit a constant current of photons as a mean to direct instantaneous nonlocal signals from one part of the body to another and to the outside world. Biophotons are stored in the intracelular DNA. When the organism is sick changes in biophotons emissions are produced.Direct intention manifests itself as an electric and magnetic energy producing an ordered flux of photons. Our intentions seem to operate as highly coherent frequencies capable of changing the molecular structure of matter. For the intention to be effective it is necessary to choose the appropriate time. In fact, living beings are mutually synchronized and to the earth and its constant changes of magnetic energy. It has been shown that the energy of thought can also alter the environment. Hypnosis, stigmata phenomena and the placebo effect can also be considered as types of intention, as instructions to the brain during a particular state of consciousness. Cases of spontaneous cures or of remote healing of extremely ill patients represent instances of an exceedingly great intention to control diseases menacing our lives. The intention to heal as well as the beliefs of the sick person on the efficacy of the healing influences promote his healing. In conclusion, studies on thought and consciousness are emerging as fundamental aspects and not as mere epiphenomena that are rapidly leading to a profound change in the paradigms of Biology and Medicine.

Linking human systems: strengthening individuals, families, and communities in the wake of mass trauma

This article presents an overview of the philosophy and practical principles underlying the Linking Human Systems Approach based on the theory of resilience in individuals, families, and communities facing crisis, trauma, and disaster. The Link Approach focuses on tapping into the inherent strength of individuals and their families and emphasizes resilience rather than vulnerability. It has been successfully used in combating critical public health problems, such as addiction, HIV/AIDS, and recovery from major trauma or disaster. Also, three specific models of Link intervention aimed at the individual, family, and community levels are discussed, with special emphasis on the family-level intervention. These interventions are directed toward mobilizing resources for long-term physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing.

Dissociative experience and cultural neuroscience: narrative, metaphor and mechanism

Approaches to trance and possession in anthropology have tended to use outmoded models drawn from psychodynamic theory or treated such dissociative phenomena as purely discursive processes of attributing action and experience to agencies other than the self. Within psychology and psychiatry, understanding of dissociative disorders has been hindered by polemical "either/or" arguments: either dissociative disorders are real, spontaneous alterations in brain states that reflect basic neurobiological phenomena, or they are imaginary, socially constructed role performances dictated by interpersonal expectations, power dynamics and cultural scripts. In this paper, we outline an approach to dissociative phenomena, including trance, possession and spiritual and healing practices, that integrates the neuropsychological notions of underlying mechanism with sociocultural processes of the narrative construction and social presentation of the self. This integrative model, grounded in a cultural neuroscience, can advance ethnographic studies of dissociation and inform clinical approaches to dissociation through careful consideration of the impact of social context.

Creating optimal healing environments in a health care setting

As evidence about the benefits of healing environments accumulates, health care organizations are starting to incorporate features into hospital design that reduce stress and promote healing. This article discusses some of the research supporting healing design and provides examples of how it is being used in new construction and renovations.

[Healing current through a goiter. The life, work and after effects of the magic healer Bruno Gröning]

During the years between 1949 and 1959 the wonder healer Bruno Gröning (1906-1959) gripped the public and medical interest in Germany. He explained to be a descent of Jesus Christ, sending "healing waves" to end diseases and made a lot of money. Finally he was found guilty in letting a persuaded fan dying and was convicted. But before the end of the process he died of carcinoma, which had been operated in a regular clinic. Despite this obvious problem that Gröning demanded from his admirers refusing medical help but preferred it for his own health today his successors are still promoting his legacy.

Evaluating biofield treatments in a cell culture model of oxidative stress

OBJECTIVE

To test whether healing treatments by biofield practitioners can protect normal human brain cells against cell death induced by oxidative stress.

DESIGN

Cultured human brain cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and cell death was quantified by computerized time-lapse microscopy. Biofield treatments were delivered to cells from a short distance in 24 independent experiments. Six highly experienced biofield practitioners each participated, all with exceptional reputations within their respective communities (4 independent experiments each). An equal number of control experiments involving no healing intervention were conducted to provide a measure of intrinsic variability of the experimental system. Experiments were conducted with blinding applied to each of the scientists and randomized sample assignment.

INTERVENTION

Healing treatments were delivered to cells from a short distance by a single practitioner, before and after exposure to hydrogen peroxide, for a total of 30 minutes.

OUTCOME MEASURE

Cell death was quantified over a 4-hour period following experimental treatments.

RESULTS

We found no significant difference in cell death rates between treatment and control groups.

Qualitative and quantitative assessment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS)

It was the aim of the present study to develop a synoptic multidimensional test system for assessment of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients objectifying physical and mental fatigue as well as the subjective and objective standpoint in these two fatigue forms. Seventy nine patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and 51 age-matched healthy controls (H) were analysed by means of the physical fatigue test (hand dynamometer) and an objective mental fatigue test (vigilance test from the computerised Test Battery for Attentional Performance). Furthermore, subjective tiredness caused by test procedures, subjective persisting tiredness (Modified Fatigue Impact Scale; MFIS: physical and cognitive scale) and mood (Beck Depression Inventory; BDI-18) were analysed.MS patients differed significantly from the controls in their objective physical and mental performance under fatigue, as well as in their subjective estimation of tiredness. MS patients showed an inverse relationship between below-average objective performance and high subjective feeling of tiredness when compared to controls. Subjectively severely tired MS patients achieved clearly poorer performances on the hand dynamometer test and slightly poorer performances on the vigilance test when compared to subjectively rarely tired MS patients. Depressed MS patients estimated their subjective tiredness in the MFIS significantly higher than non-depressed MS patients, but attained the same objective performance. This set of standardised tests enables meaningful comparisons between objective fatigue performance and subjective fatigue estimations in the physical and mental sphere and considers the influence of depression. Depression affects the subjective tiredness but not the objective fatigue performance.

FieldREG II: consciousness field effects: replications and explorations

Based on formal analysis of 18 exploratory applications, 12 of which have been reported previously, a testable general hypothesis for FieldREG experiments has been postulated, namely that data taken in environments fostering relatively intense or profound subjective resonance will show larger deviations of the mean relative to chance expectation than those generated in more pragmatic assemblies. The 61 subsequent FieldREG applications reported here comprise 21 hypothesis-based formal replications, along with 40 further explorations designed to learn more about the circumstances that favor anomalous deviations. The results of the formal replications strongly confirm the general hypothesis, yielding a composite probability against chance for the resonant subset of 2.2 x 10(-6) compared to 0.91 for the mundane subset. The exploratory work suggests other venues in which anomalous effects of group consciousness can be expected, and also identifies a number of situations that do not appear to be conducive to such responses.

Psychopharmacotherapy and spirituality

Although the connection between spiritual and physical has been acknowledged since the oldest of human civilizations and emphasized in almost all of religions, It has taken a lot of time for that connection to gradually recover its lost meaning. As it is evident that many diseases and illnesses can not be explained purely by physical causes nor treated with purely physical methods there is a growing interest in spirituality and its usability in the treatment of various diseases and states, as well as in everyday life. Despite the fact that a sense of positive, nourishing and healing power of faith is deeply rooted in every religion, objective and empirical research of that connection has been avoided for centuries, and those studies which were conducted are only rudimentary, on the outskirts of empirical science. Scientific literature regarding spirituality and mental health points to a conclusion that spirituality and faith are positively correlated with positive therapeutic outcome and the possible explanation for that can be found in the fact that spirituality and religiosity can satisfy some of the basic needs of psychiatric patients. Efficacy of psychiatric treatment improved with the introduction of psychotropic medicaments and psychotherapeutic techniques, but the outcome is still not satisfying because relapse, recidivation and discontinuation of therapy occur very often. On the other hand, spirituality and religiosity play a very significant role in the healing process because they provide people with strength and will to fight their problems and disease itself. Psychopharmaceuticals are evidently irreplaceable in the therapy of mental disorders, but they are only one of the segments of the overall therapy. In order to adequately answer to the spiritual and religious needs of their patients, psychiatrists, psychologists and related health care professionals are faced with the need for expanding scientific concepts which served as the basis for development of many psychiatric methods and techniques.

Cycles of abuse nurtured by concealment: a clinical report

At present, health care staff do not seem to have sufficient knowledge about their patients' abusive experiences. The aim of the present study is to analyze and discuss what the implications might be for the encounter between patients and health care professionals, when experiences of abuse are concealed. The methodology of this article is varied: a personal narrative, medical records, sociological theoretical literature and empirical evidence. From the narrative we learn that concealment of abuse was devastating for the patient. She was "treated" in vain as a correct diagnosis was not made, while abuse by her father continued. Health care staff also violated her, which she told her therapist, but her protests were not acknowledged. Ten years of treatment thus made her even more sick. This case story focuses on the mechanisms which nurture concealment of a patient's history of abuse, such as structural and symbolic violence. We also suggest ways to break "cycles of abuse". Help the patient to stop concealing also means that she/he leaves a victim role, gets in charge of the situation and takes a first step towards empowerment. In this way, health care settings can become enabling and empowering environments.