Chapter 8
It All
Begins -- and Ends -- in Your Head
Rearranging
the Furniture of Your Mind
Studies of the placebo response reveal our ability to alleviate every imaginable health condition and symptom 30 to 90 percent of the time, based only on our belief in the effectiveness of medical treatment. Hypnosis, which is successfully used to control or eliminate a wide variety of unpleasant symptoms, also shows the power of expectation and attitude on health. Spontaneous remissions from cancer often come about when beliefs change—when patients reinterpret their symptoms and alter their attitudes about their lives.
The influence of beliefs upon health cannot be overstated. This is in keeping with the main rule of consciousness, "You get what you concentrate upon." Our thoughts and emotions follow our beliefs and create the attitudes, assumptions, expectations, and behaviors that determine how we react to life events and what we think is possible.
Our beliefs are the furnishings of our mind, put in place by us. They are not the result of mysterious unconscious forces that are beyond our control. Choosing to become aware of our beliefs is the first step in rearranging them to better suit us.
Beliefs associated with health can be emotionally charged in ways that lead us to avoid looking at them closely. When we manifest unwanted physical symptoms, it is often because we have resisted making needed changes in how we think about and respond to challenging events and situations. It can seem safer to be limited by illness than to face the discomfort of examining and changing our beliefs.
In order to free yourself from unconstructive programming about health, you need to become aware of the influence of mass social beliefs—like the assumption that aging means inevitable physical and mental decline. Such beliefs connect to constellations of related beliefs, for example, that arthritis, deafness, poor vision, weakness, impaired balance, memory loss, and lack of interest in sex are part and parcel of getting old.
Unconstructive beliefs about health also come from well-meaning sources like our families, medical professionals, advertising, the news, and public health messages. One that may nag at you as you learn to use the mind-body approach is the mass belief that worrying about health is a sign of responsibility, while feeling optimistic and confident is irresponsible and delusional.
Negative beliefs tend to get most of your attention when you are using the mind-body approach because the discomfort of undesirable situations often provides the stimulus for making changes. However, becoming aware of your constructive beliefs is also important. A focus on what works for you allows you to build on your strengths and provides models for ways to alter unconstructive beliefs. Studying health leads to well-being more surely than studying illness.