“What you think matters most in your life. It's more important than your income, where you live, your position in society. It's more important than what everyone else thinks of you.”
George Adams, American biologist.
A Ten-Word Health Formula
One of the most famous ancient healers, Avicenna, said, “A physician has three means to fight illness: the word, the plant, and the knife.” Note: the word comes first! In a Parisian hospital, Emily Cui, a young psychologist, decided to put this idea, considered “backward” by modern medicine, to the test.
She, at her own risk, purportedly citing the head physician, instructed each of her patients to repeat the same phrase ten times a day—before bed, immediately upon waking, and before lunch—either aloud or mentally: “I feel better and better every day!” Moreover, they were to repeat this phrase not mechanically, but, if possible, vividly imagining themselves healthier, younger, full of strength and energy.
And guess what? Within a month, this doctor's patients had become the talk of the hospital's medical staff, and soon, of all of France. Amazingly, seriously ill patients, who typically spent months recovering, recovered within a month. For some—and this is the most incredible part—the need for surgery disappeared, as the tumors resolved on their own! The recovery period after surgery was cut in half, even a third. The best results, as it later turned out, were achieved by those patients who didn't simply repeat these words out loud mechanically, but tried each time to vividly imagine how they felt, or would feel, if they were completely healthy and happy.
Thus, the forgotten ancient truth was experimentally confirmed: “the word is the best medicine.”
The main thing is to believe
In the 17th century, an Italian professor invented a toothache remedy. It was very simple and guaranteed to work for a year. Toothache sufferers were instructed to crush a worm, known by its Latin name, Curculio antiodontaligious, between their thumb and forefinger. The remains of the worm were then applied to the aching tooth. Soon, the professor was suspected of quackery, and a special commission had to be appointed to determine the effectiveness of his method. The commission interviewed hundreds of the professor's patients, and nearly 70% confirmed the worm's effectiveness in treating their aching teeth.
“Faith and a strong imagination create an event,” said Montaigne. The professor's patients passionately craved a cure, and they received it. When you believe something exists, it affects you as if it truly existed.
A very interesting fact was recently discovered by a group of doctors observing a woman suffering from split personality disorder. Her blood sugar levels are usually within the normal range, but during schizophrenic episodes, when she believes she has diabetes, her entire physiology changes, and her blood sugar levels rise to levels typical of diabetics. Her beliefs become reality.
Similar facts are demonstrated by numerous experiments conducted on people in a hypnotic trance, where they are touched with a piece of ice, but are told it's hot metal. As a result, a burn occurs at the point of contact between the skin and the ice. The decisive factor is not reality, but belief—direct, unconditional commands sent to the nervous system. The skin simply follows what the brain tells it to do.
It doesn't matter what medicine you take…
Norman Cousins, who became world-famous for overcoming an incurable illness with laughter and self-confidence, asserts in his book: “Medicine isn't always necessary for recovery, but faith always is.” His belief is shared by many scientists today, based on the results of numerous studies and experiments.
Italian doctors conducted a study among 228 ulcer patients. They were divided into two groups. Those in the first group were told they were being given a new, powerful medication that would definitely bring them relief. Those in the second group were told they were being given a new, but still poorly tested, medication whose effectiveness was uncertain. 70% of patients in the first group experienced significant relief, compared to only 25% in the second. In both cases, patients received so-called placebos—dummy pills with no medicinal properties.
Even more impressive results are obtained from observations of people on whom drugs with a known negative effect have no harmful effect if they are told that this drug has a positive effect.
Experiments conducted by American doctors lead to the conclusion that, with appropriate suggestion, stimulants act as sedatives, and sedatives act as stimulants.
In other words, it doesn't matter what medicine you take. What matters is your faith in it. Remember, “Everyone will be rewarded according to their faith…” Isn't that what we're talking about?
Not all reading is beneficial
A true sage is not one who knows much, but one who knows what is necessary. But who among us is blessed with the fortunate ability to distinguish between what is necessary and what is unnecessary? In the East, they say, “Man's worst enemies would not wish upon him the misfortunes that his own thoughts can bring upon him.” Buddha taught, “Man will not become free until he learns to control his thoughts.” Alas, how often and how quickly do we change our beliefs simply because someone says something contrary to our own views! And to someone who is easily converted, anything can happen…
American doctors recall a tragicomedy involving a patient dying of cancer. Already in a completely hopeless state, he began studying popular literature and read about the miraculous properties of some “horse serum.” He became so convinced that he literally forced the doctors to administer it. A dying man's wish is law! Great was the doctors' surprise when, a few days later, the doomed patient not only got out of bed but also began flirting with the nurses. An immediate examination revealed that his cancerous tumor and all metastases had disappeared.
And yet, this story ended tragically. The persistent patient, discharged from the hospital and declared completely healthy by the medical community, dug up a scientific article about the same “horse serum,” citing evidence of its complete uselessness in the fight against cancer. This so astonished the poor, erudite man that the tumor recurred, and he died a short time later…
Why you shouldn't read horoscopes?
Because bad predictions tend to come true. If, of course, you believe them. And people, unfortunately, are easily influenced. American sociologist David Phillips of the University of California, San Diego, discovered this when he studied the medical records of 30,000 deceased Chinese Americans. These individuals interested the researcher because, according to Chinese astrologers, a person's year of birth can predict their fate: whether they will be healthy or doomed to illnesses that will lead them to the grave.
As it turned out, the Chinese who had their illnesses predicted in advance died five to six years earlier in 12 out of every 15 cases than their fellow tribesmen who suffered from the same illnesses but were born in other, “favorable” years from the point of view of astrologers.
Canadian psychologists decided to study the health effects of certain television programs. They found that approximately an hour and a half after watching the evening news, the number of emergency room calls increases by almost a quarter. However, after a home-team hockey game, a comedy show, or a comedy film, the number of emergency room visits decreases by almost half! Scientists believe the harmful effects of television news are due to the fact that much of the information it contains has a negative connotation: terrorist attacks, war reports, natural disasters, crimes, scandals, and the like.
“You should only open your mouth in two cases…”
The famous ancient philosopher Pythagoras was held in high esteem by his students. A single word of encouragement, casually offered by him, would send them into ecstasy. Once, one of his students irritated the teacher, and Pythagoras uttered a few harsh words. The student committed suicide out of grief. Pythagoras was so shaken by this tragic incident that from then on he never uttered a single unkind word to anyone.
German psychologist Paul Weinzweig tells the following story in his book, The Ten Commandments of the Creative Personality:
“A friend of mine lived with two daughters – her husband had abandoned her and the children. One evening, in a moment of deep despair, she opened a drawer of her medicine cabinet, pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills, took a large dose, lay down on her bed, and waited for death. Suddenly, her youngest, four-year-old daughter, entered the bedroom – some instinctive sense of impending tragedy had spurred the child on. Climbing into bed with her mother, the girl hugged her and began whispering, 'I love you, Mom… I can't live without you… Please, don't leave me…' The mother was so shocked by her daughter's sensitivity that she found the strength to get up, walk to the bathroom, and take an emetic. Thus, she was able to find the patience necessary to live and care for her daughters.”
As we see, just a few words can kill or save. One of the most important psychological laws states: verbal expressions of love, sympathy, and admiration enhance the vital energy of the recipient. However, evil and unkind words diminish the energy of the listener.
Japanese-born Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama received this advice from his father as a child: “You should only open your mouth for two reasons: to say something important or to please someone.” Raymond followed this advice, and today he believes it was thanks to this advice that he was able to live a dignified and beautiful life, achieve universal recognition, and achieve wealth.
Perhaps we, dear reader, should also take advantage of this good advice?
“Don't read anything you don't want to remember…”
If you rub gold against iron, the iron will increase in value and “nobility”: it will contain real gold, if only on the surface. But the gold will lose its value from such contact: it will acquire an “base” impurity. So it is in life: you become what you associate with. You become what you surround yourself with. The Arabic proverb teaches the same: “A wise man who associates with fools becomes a fool; a dog who lives with kind, intelligent people becomes a rational being.” Our life is made up of our friends, neighbors, coworkers, books, newspapers, movies, TV news, music… In short, any information we receive from the outside influences our thoughts to one degree or another. And therefore, our health, our destiny, and our life in general.
Remember the ancient advice: “Don't read what you don't want to remember. Don't memorize what you don't want to apply.” This applies not only to reading, but to everything else. Watch a horror movie before bed, and you're guaranteed a restless night. Listen to a particularly popular pop or rock band for two or three hours, and you're guaranteed to lose your intelligence. Watch a news program that spends most of its time talking about a war or some other emergency, and don't be surprised the next morning if you suddenly yell at your kids or your blood pressure suddenly spikes… This isn't my imagination—it's experimentally proven fact.
Only consciously protecting ourselves from negative messages, news, or predictions, even if it's just a forecast of bad weather, can preserve mental health. After all, it is a healthy mind—our everyday thoughts—that determines how long we live, what kind of health we have, what success we achieve, and, in general, what kind of life we live. A person is what they think. Don't let others think for you.
