The supreme task of the physicist is to arrive at those universal elementary laws from which the cosmos can be
built up by pure deduction. There is no logical path to these laws; only intuition, resting on sympathetic understanding of experience that can reach them.
Albert Einstein, 1918
The Role of Spirituality in Healing
After fifty years of medical practice, it has become clear to me that there is an intricate organization and incredible perfection in the universe that is mind- boggling, especially when it comes to illness. The more I have contemplated the workings of the universe in health and disease, the more I’ve become impressed with how every aspect of a person’s “dance with illness” unfolds in a way that reveals meaning and value. I have observed so many instances where my patient’s illness has had an impact beyond its associated physical disabilities and psychological challenges that I’ve come to expect there is always a deeper meaning that is an integral part of illness. Now I look for this hidden significance whenever I’m working with my patients, or for that matter, in everything that happens in my world.
The trinity formed by patient, doctor, and spirit when dealing with illness encourages the creation of a safe, love-filled, partnership. Listening and caring without judgment is key in supporting the development of a sacred space where it becomes possible to connect with our own inner healer. When we connect with our inner healer a channel opens where we feel at one with the universe and commune with spirit. This is where soul healing begins.
Yet, today’s medical model fails to acknowledge or address this relationship with spirit. HMO medicine is content to get us back on our feet and back to work. While there is value to the quick fix, there is much more value in addressing the deeper spiritual roots that are the cause for illness.
What I have discovered is that our spirituality, or the universal consciousness through which we are all con- nected, plays a central role in all aspects of our lives. This applies to our health as well. I’ve come to believe that it is our soul, or that spark of spirit that dwells within each of us, that connects us to universal consciousness and which provides the mechanism through which we can heal. This is nothing new. Ancient shamans were aware of this relationship thousands of years ago, but it has been forgotten as science has superseded spirituality in medicine!