Healing versus Cure

This past weekend I happened to stumble across a quote from Jon Kabat-zinn about healing. Healing implies the possibility for us to relate differently to illness, disability, even death, as we learn to see with eyes of wholeness. Healing is coming to terms with things as they are.

I was curious about what others had written on this topic and found an interesting sampling on-line:

Bernie Sigel MD Waging a War Against Cancer Versus Healing Your Life When our minds and bodies are involved in a battle and a war our response is one of protection. That means we are prepared to run for our lives as our blood is diverted to parts of our brain and bodies, which help us to escape. Stress hormone levels are elevated and immune function is suppressed during this time. When we are involved in healing and see life as a labor pain of self-birthing then the side affects are diminished and our body is reprogrammed to grow and heal as the stress level is reduced and immune function enhanced.

Patrick Quanten MD Healing versus Curing When we heal people, we very often notice that the disease does not disappear. Yet, somehow we have the feeling that we did help that person. Healing is not about "curing diseases"; healing is about "making whole". In healing no one is fighting anything or anybody. There are no bugs or mystery causes to be destroyed. Healing is not about destroying; healing is about making whole. A person, an animal, a country or culture can be made whole without overcoming all illness and discomfort. Even Nature has its own discomforts, its own pains and anxieties, but none of it imbalances the structure. "Evil" and "goodness" are human concepts, which colour our world in good and bad. These concepts do not help us to live a more whole live as they separate the seeds from the husks, the active ingredient from the impurities, the "me" from the "them". It is this separation that creates the harmful situation we are now desperate to find a cure for. Healing brings together all those differences in a whole; it delivers the normal state.

Landis Vance Healing vs.Cure Vance is a writer, professor and former hospital chaplain. She is living with cancer and post polio syndrome. For me it isn't about hope - what do I hope for? To be rid of these conditions - not gonna happen. To have a good day? Some will be good and some not. It's about living in the moment, fully, with the negative and the positive and allowing each its rightful measure. Perhaps healing is acceptance in some way - not acceptance as in caving in to doom - acceptance as in here you are - you are what you are- not more and not less.

My psychology professor had a wonderful way of expressing this. 'Greet each thing that overwhelms you thus: "There you are. Please come in and let's have tea."' Or another expression: "There you are. Have a seat on the bus. You can journey with me but you're not driving!"