The Spiritual Implications of Illness
How many times have we asked why God/Buddah/Great Spirit (or whatever name you use) allows pain, illness and suffering to exist? Some think illness happens by accident, or that is determined by fate, while others see it as a punishment by a Higher Power for something we have done. We have forgotten how to understand the inner meaning of illness, pain and suffering. It is my truth that all mental, emotional and physical manifestations of dis-ease are the result of a metaphysical (spiritual) cause -- the hidden meaning of illness.
Illnesses have meaning the same way that dreams have meaning. Like symbols in our dreams, our illnesses are messages from the higher self which can be interpreted and understood if we pay attention. However, our illnesses are not the problem, but are merely symptoms or symbols of the real problem. The real problem is spiritual and results from an imbalance in our thinking, attitudes and feelings.
By describing dis-ease as only relating to the physical body, the medical model has distracted the thoughts of people from the true origin of dis-ease, and has created fear that only drugs and other intervention can help. It’s a fear which should never have existed. When medical treatment alone is apparently successful, it is nothing more than a temporary fix unless the real non-physical, spiritual cause has been removed.
Dis-ease can teach us about the lessons we are here to learn. If we are aware of this and work toward dealing with those lessons, that work can raise us to a higher state of being than before. Dis-ease is often necessary to teach us a lesson which we have failed to get by other means. It can only be truly healed when that lesson is learned. That willingness to heal comes from a soul level.
Dr. Bach wrote in Heal Thyself that "dis-ease is in essence the result of conflict between Soul and Mind and will never be eradicated except by spiritual and mental effort. No effort directed to the body alone can do more than superficially repair damage. This is not a cure since the cause is still there and may at any moment again demonstrate its presence in another form. The apparent recovery hides from the patient the true cause of the trouble."
If we are to understand our illnesses and the lessons attached to it, we have to stop suppressing certain feelings and parts of ourselves, and simply take a look at what is going on with us, without judgment. We need to start consciously placing light into all areas of our life. That means placing light into those areas that do not seem to be working for us. For anything to evolve, it needs to have love, light and acceptance.
Many diseases are directly related to or caused by stress, anger, suppressed hostilities and resentments. There are many times when illness actually serves a purpose for an individual by taking them out of a situation that they are not happy with. I am certainly not implying that people really want to be sick, but that their thoughts are part of the co-creation of what is directly affecting their bodies and their lives in general. A good example of this comes from my own family. Recently, my mother has been very overwhelmed with taking care of my father and her husband of 54 years, who recently had his third stroke and has had to be admitted to a nursing home. He will never be able to come home again, and must have constant care. My mother has chosen to be there daily and provide personal care, but recently had become exhausted. However, she felt she could take no time off. She chose to ignore the message of Divine Grace her body was sending her. The only way she could justify within herself taking some time for rest without guilt, was to become ill. This gave her a needed rest which she otherwise would not have taken. These challenges are as much our creation as those things that give us joy, peace and a sense of being close to the Divine. As our spiritual growth unfolds and we begin to pay attention to signals, we will become increasingly aware of how we create our own reality and how our thoughts, ideas, emotions and beliefs influence the reality we experience around us.
Most often, healing occurs when an individual is ready, and willing, to make some major changes in his or her life. The achievement of balance and harmony on one level automatically requires and affects balance and harmony in the others. We must pay attention without judgment to all areas of our lives when we are in a state of imbalance. Our bodies are merely temporary instruments to be used for the fulfillment of the purposes of our Higher Self. Being aware of this is the
first step toward paying attention to the messages our bodies are sending us. This is the essence of holistic healing!
Copyright 1999, L. Rogers.
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