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Episode 008. Ten or 20 years ago, you never could have convinced my undergraduate Biology professors, my allopathic medical school faculty, or my Emergency Medicine or Psychiatry attending physicians that I’d be writing about energy healing and metaphysical topics on a blog. To this observation I say, Welcome to Episode 8".
Mainstream Western Medicine Leaves Out 'Healing'
My academic life had been unusual only because it began while I was in the Army stationed in Germany in the late 1990’s. A few years later I was out of the Army and in school full time through the University of Texas, Texas A&M Health Science Center, and Baylor Scott & White’s educational systems. It wasn’t my fault that those experiences groomed me to think that modern medicine and the scientific formula had all the answers. My attitude out of training was simple: “If they didn’t mention it in my training, it must be inconsequential.” When I was in the mainstream, I never asked “Where is this stream going?”
Reiki Energy Healing Now Widely Accepted for PTSD
Imagine my surprise when, what I thought were New Age, energy healing was being used by the US military. Since then, I’ve read books like The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy, by Cyndi Dale. The particular book is the text book for the local Reiki class. Again, I found that my college chemistry, physics and biology classes had not prepared me to learn that there are at least two ways that people communicate “telepathically” that isn’t quazi-spiritual at all. We emit an electromagnetic frequency (EMF) that others can detect. Also, the variability of the pause between our heartbeats creates an EMF pattern that is detectable by other human brains. “Chemistry” between people, as it turns out, has a lot more to do with quantum physics.
Generally speaking, there is mainstream science knowledge I was taught in college, medical school, Emergency Medicine internship, and 4-year psychiatry residency. I was really ignorant about acupuncture, yoga, meditation for anything other than sobriety, reflexology, and Reiki energy healing. By “healing”, I mean supporting the body’s self-healing mechanisms.
If Hypnosis is Metaphysical, EMDR is Not.
The closest I got to any form of metaphysical therapy was a one hour, informal lecture on hypnosis. We were 4 residents and a teacher chatting about a few bullet points on a printout, which we were not required to read. The meeting actually contained about 15 minutes of educational value. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was also taught but has a more CBT flair.
Now, I don’t expect my allopathic medical school to devote the time and resources to teaching these subjects in any great detail. What I can say is that reading The Subtle Body and watching the documentary I AM left me feeling lied to and cheated.
What I’ve discovered since then is that there are dozens of modalities that PTSD survivors use successfully to self-regulate after serious trauma. I teach many of them personally in PTSD Academy, where we join mainstream folks with holistic, ancient therapies into the same room, looking at a common operating picture of health.
Peripherally-Related Energy Healings
- Somato-Respiratory Integration
- Reiki Energy Healing
- Trauma and Tension Releasing Exercise
- Traditional Massage
- Chiropractic Care
- Reflexology: visit www.ARCB.net to look up a Board-Certified reflexologist in your area.
- Prayer and the laying on of hands
- The Emotion Code
- Freedom Tapping Technique
- Tai Chi
- Acupuncture
- Mindfulness Meditation
References and Documentaries for PTSD Healing
- Heal
- I Am: The Shift is About to Hit the Fan
- The God Plant (introduction to endocannabinoid receptor system)
- Root Cause (from the physical toxin perspective). The concept presented here also applies to the preservatives, toxins, and genetically modified foods that are killing us the world over and enslaving our bodies to feel the full weight of PTSD for the rest of our lives.
Faith in PTSD Recovery
And now for the “sign of the times” reference in today’s title. Many of the Unitarians and Pre-tribulationist Christians I know believe that mankind is in the biblical “end times”. If you follow their logic, it really changes the commentary on what we may be witnessing happen as this revolution against traditional psychotherapy unfolds.
"End Times" Spiritual Healing
There are a couple of monumental biblical references that support such a view. Taken together, they posit that what we are witnessing is God’s Spirit being poured out on all mankind (Acts 2:17). So those in the energy healing, or even marginalized or fringe groups open to spiritual matters, as well as the Church, are experiencing an awakening accompanied with signs and miracles. Unfortunately, Jesus said many will say to me in that day “Lord, Lord. I cast out demons in your name.” But Jesus will say “Get away from me. I never knew you. (Matthew 7:21-23)” Therefore, one must be careful to keep one’s faith, history, archaeology straight and recognize that spiritual healing may be making a comeback.
THE END
The next episode is #9 titled When Healers Feel the Wounds: Surviving Life as a Level-III Empath.
