[lou_lou]

12.03.06 --

Words Can Heal

Republished with permission from Alternative Approach by Patrick Massey MD, PhD, Daily Herald, 12/3/07

One of the most powerful healing tools we have are the everyday words we use. Their meanings and vibrations of their sound impart a profound and measurable effect on our health and the health of others.

Although there is considerable research in this area, most in the medical health field know very little about the healing power of words. Positive words result in positive effects and negative words result in negative effects. How words are used can encourage health or advance illness.

In the mid 1990’s, research at the University of Arizona, headed by Gerald Schwartz PhD, demonstrated that the words used by parents in talking to their children, directly affected the health of their children for decades. This research was part of the Harvard Mastery of Stress Study, a 35 year study which followed many parameters of stress and health. In this study, it was found that, regardless of other health risk factors, children from loving parents who often used positive words, had less coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and alcoholism than those from parents who were consistently negative. Since then, many papers have confirmed these findings.

What about the power of words used by health care providers? Well, there are over 700 papers in the medical literature emphasizing that the words we choose have a direct effect on our patient’s health. Positive words give hope and promote the healing process. Negative words extinguish hope and can create despair.

Some might say that the power of words is simply placebo or is dependent upon their perceived meaning. That may be true to some degree, however words are a form of energy and have a specific vibrational quality. The effects of these specific vibrations on the physical world are measurable and reproducible.

Over the past few decades, pioneering work in this area demonstrated that words not only impact health but the vibration quality of words can influence the shape of life-giving water itself.

In some very interesting research, Masaru Emoto Ph.D. has shown that positive words, like love and wisdom, literally spoken to liquid water then frozen cause the formation beautiful ice crystals. Negative phrases like “you fool” or “you’re an idiot” result in poorly organized ice crystals. Interestingly, the ice crystals formed from the word “wisdom” in English, German and Japanese all look very similar.

Music, also a form of energy, can also affect the shape of ice crystals. Classical music results in well-formed ice crystals whereas water subjected to heavy metal music and then frozen, is disorganized and chaotic.

Dr. Emoto has written a number of books on this phenomenon and even has a free book for children at http://www.internationalwaterforlife...what_we_do.htm.

Considering that adults are 70% water and, depending on age, children can be up to 95% water, maybe the words we use affect our actual physical structures and ultimately our health.

Based on these findings, it would seem that positive words improve not only your health but the health of all of those around you. So, during this holiday season, try using ten positive words when talking with family, friends and co-workers…every day. Do it for your health and the health of those you care about.

Patrick B. Massey MD, PhD, is Medical Director of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Alexian Brothers Hospital Network. Dr. Massey is also President of the ALT-MED Medical and Physical Therapy Program, Elk Grove Village IL 60007 (847) 923-0046 www.alt-med.org



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[reverett123]

The power of words, thoughts, and attitude are simplisticly dismissed by our version of science. The rule seems to be that it is only real if it willl work the same way on a comatose patient as it does on a fully conscious one. Or in a double blind study just as it would in an open label one.

Which is more than a little absurd. Consider the power of "I think you have a disease that is fatal and you have less than a year to live." Hear that from your doctor in his white coat and there is an effect. Hear the same words from your slob of a brother-in-law and it has another.

White coat says "There is no cure" and the reaction is different than "It is a longshot, but...."

Attitude is the criical difference because attitude affects chemistry as much as drugs or exercise or vitamins or anything else.

Its cousin, Belief, can determine life or death. In primitive cultures, belief in the power of another to curse can kill (the evil eye effect) and belief in the power to cure can heal (Lourdes anyone?). Belief in one's own powers can have similar effects. Believe you will jump higher and you will jump higher. Any athlete knows that. Believe in your healing systems and you will heal better.

That's why hope is so important. It isn't a matter of self deception. It is a matter of optimizing your own incredible healing machine. That machine, given the proper conditions, can heal the deadliest cancers, repair terrible trauma, and even patch up a nervous system.

Our bodies and minds are incredible. Shaped by evolution for optimal function in our environment, we are able to repair every system if the conditions are right. In retrospect, it was plainly absurd to think that the most important system in the whole mix, the nervous system, had zero repair capabilities. Sure it may be hard as hell. But that is far different than impossible.

<Hm. This royal jelly is pretty good stuff. Only one typo. >

[Virginia Therese]

I have certainly been aware of the healing power of words...have read a great deal about this and have actually applied it in my everyday association with others...and it "works"! What I didn't know is the very interesting fact about the vibration quality...vibration sounds that make such a difference. Interesting, too, was the data about water crystals...thank you for posting this...it has been a "gentle" reminder to me to assure that I use my words as a means of healing...for me and for others...thank you.

Therese

[Thelma]

The truth and the full truth are the only words that can be a basis for going along with or fighting reality.

The rest are only more troops put into the offense against how you can fight and cope with this truth.

the rest are merely wind blowing and upsetting your balance

[steffi 001]

Like Therese,I find the water crystals information fascinating,but being a musician,I am aware of harmony and discord. There are reasons why upbeat music is written in a major key...and plaintive,sad or reflective pieces preferring a minor mode.

When it comes to the words we utter to another human being,well...I have always held the belief that we are given a choice.The choice to either elevate and have that person walk away with a smile and a spring in their step,or to inflict doom and gloom,hurt and pain,and have them walk away,stooped,and feeling a lesser person than they really are.

I say to my children..."If you can`t say something kind..,...then don`t say anything at all"

I still remember the word "liar" echoing down the school corridor when I was 10 years.I had made up a poem and stupidly shown my headmaster.He dismissed me with a toss of his head,called me a liar...saying that I MUST have copied it.....It killed my desire to write poetry for many many years.

Words can heal or damage? I think so. We forget how powerful words can be...and like the rule which accompanies folk who are learning to shoot with a gun....
Don`t ever forget that when the trigger has been pulled....there is no going back.
...such is the same when engaging one`s mouth.

xxx

[Virginia Therese]

Interestingly, Steffi, I, too, am a musician...and when I first read this thread related to healing...most especially the water crystals...it did occur to me that my fascination with this could very well have been attributed to my muscial background...harmony and discord... major and minor keys, etc. You just stated it better and more adequately than I as did you state your entire post...

Therese

[vlhperry]

If truth is reality, why do we need a court system? If the truth cannot be found by a jury, does that mean that the reality is there was no crime? Or is there no reality, thus, no truth!?

Vicky

[Thelma]

There is moral reality and the reality of our existence with no attenuating additions to the truth of said reality. We face decisions every day that hinge on the trthfullness of others and in order to make those decisions there can be nothilng but the truth in particular when it comes to medical decisions.

Criminal actions that are against the current laws of the land are to be treated differentlly. They are not to be taken lightly nor to be acted upon by our own personal truths.

There the perpetrator can have either his own story told to a judge or he can have a jury of 12 of his peers hear it. He takes his chances on both. Such is the manner of men that the truth will lie somewhere in between these three.

But the law has to be seen to be done and what we see is not always the truth.

But beyond the legal implications of the proof of truth lie the everyday decisions that are ours and ours alone. there is where we are vulnerable as well.

But the end result of not being truthfull is unecessary hurts and travails.

[vlhperry]

Truth does not require reality. Truth requires faith. Science is not truth. Science also requires faith. Science or our perception of science can be wrong as much as our perception of religion could be wrong. There is no reason people can have faith in both. Either faith in religion can be proved wrong. Many people pray for the recovery of a dear one and they still die. Many doctors pronounce a "death" sentence for a patient and yet they live with no prayers.

Science and religion are both not able to prove their reality. You can have faith that man can be perfect (science) or/and have faith that something higher is caring and helping man to discover perfection.

Vicky

[Thelma]

Truth and reality are the same.

Prayer is wishfull thinking and faith is the wish that it become reality.

Science is truth in trying to see and find the reality which will extend to the
cure.

Religion is man trying to prove his superiority over nature.