Transforming the Way We Heal

Mark Robert Waldman

In a sense, medicine is burning, as old ideas and methods are fading on every hand. But medicine’s fires are purifying; new life is emerging from the ashes, as it always does . . . and healing is in the wind. The rebirth has begun.

-- Larry Dossey, Former Panel Chair, National Institutes of Health

Throughout history, the image of the healer has radiated a mystical light, guiding us through our inner and outer wounds. We have seen the healer as both charlatan and sage – a dispenser of snake oil, a purveyor of herbs, and the preacher who nurtures our soul – but for most Americans, the cardinal symbols of the healer have been the doctor, psychiatrist and nurse. These are the people to whom we entrust ourselves when illness or injury strikes. The healer of today no longer comes to our homes, as did the doctor of yesteryear; nor does he mend our souls. Instead, he has become a specialist of the body.

We travel to medical suites equipped with technological wizardry, and we wander the aisles of drugstores, lost in a pharmacological maze. Our healing capacities have phenomenally grown, but in the process, we may have sacrificed something essential, even sacred. As Frederick Stenn, Associate Professor at Northwestern Medical School, laments:

Most physicians have lost the pearl that was once an intimate part of the medicine, and that is humanism. Machinery, efficiency and precision have driven from the heart warmth, compassion, sympathy and concern for the individual. Medicine is now an icy science; its charm belongs to another age.

In response to the sterility now felt, a new generation of healers has emerged, reinvesting our science with warmth. Our interest in alternative medicine has soared as practitioners continue to employ unusual treatments gathered from indigenous cultures abroad. Supported by university research and government grants, our tools for healing include acupuncture, herbology, meditation, biofeedback and life-style enhancement. Even the power of prayer is being investigated, indicating a growing philosophy of health that integrates body, spirit and mind. For example, in the treatment of heart disease and cancer, doctors routinely use stress-reduction techniques (breathing, yoga, relaxation, guided imagery, etc.) in conjunction with psychotherapy, discussion groups, and dietary advice. To recover from illness, we are asked to reevaluate our work habits and to invest ourselves in social pursuits. We are even challenged to reappraise our fears about aging and death.

The new healer often uses the patient’s illness to expose dilemmas that the patient has to face. Patients are now learning to ask themselves, “Is my problem a virus or a gift, and should it be savored or cured?” And for the healer, more difficult questions arise. For instance, what if the patient dies. Does that mean the healer has failed? And if traditional medicine offers no cure, what alternatives remain?

The way we grapple with mortality and disease is playing a more significant role in our lives. “Can I appreciate the role that cancer has played in my life?” Other issues might be, “Am I capable of accepting all the parts of myself: my nose, my fat, my slowly encroaching death?” We are learning that if we do not confront these issues, we may deprive ourselves of meaningful insights about life.

This new approach to healing is changing the way we think about disease. Led by respected physicians and researchers like Bernie Siegal, Oliver Sacks, Larry Dossey, Deepak Chopra, Herbert Benson, Dean Ornish and others, we have begun to shift our focus toward a holistic view in which the doctor and patient are seen as equal partners in one’s pursuit of health. These new healers are moving away from their positions of authority, acting instead as compassionate educators and guides.

The archetypal energy of the healer can reach beyond the individual to address the ills of society as well. But who will these leaders be? Who will nurture our wounded world, and who will guide us toward healing the hunger of the poor, the disenfranchised, the victims of future wars? Will we be able to discern the difference between those who genuinely care and those who simply seek power over others? The healer, like every archetypal force, has its shadow side: the surgeon can turn greedy or careless, the patient can simmer with blame, the healer can even kill. In future generations, questions concerning mortality, euthanasia, overpopulation and the right to life will urge us to rethink our definitions of health, which raises yet another difficult question: Who ultimately has control over our bodies and our lives: our selves, our families, the government or the church? Do we have the right to make our own choices? Only when we have the courage to look within, to muster our compassion and love in the face of illness and disease, will our healing powers shine. As Carl Jung once wrote, the healer’s knowledge is “like a flickering lamp, the one dim light in the darkness.” Medicine is burning, and healing is in the wind.

Mark Robert Waldman is a therapist and author of nine books and anthologies, including The Art of Staying Together, The Spirit of Writing, Dreamscaping and the four-volume series, Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious: Shadow, Healer, Seeker, Lover. He was the founding editor of the Transpersonal Review and is chairman of the Los Angeles Transpersonal Interest Group. He may be reached by E-mail at: markwaldman@cyberhotline.com