The greatest mistake in the treatment of diseases is that there are physicians for the body and physicians for the soul, although the two cannot be separated. – Plato
Cancer as a Spiritual Teacher
Cancer Can Be a Great Lesson to Learn the Art of Living
The ultimate driver of our life is the mind and the mind needs to be healed even more than the body. The mind is the male in every one of us, the yang factor, the controlling part, and the body is the female yin receptor part. The body can only get cancer because the mind has failed to protect her. Cancer points out to the journey of the soul. Cancer is a hard lesson from which to learn the essential of living.
“Death looks ugly to you because you have never known life, and death creates fear in you because you are afraid of life. Remember, whatsoever your attitude towards life, your attitude towards death will be the same. If you are scared of death you are scared of life; if you love life, you will love death, because death is nothing but the highest peak, the completion. The song reaches its end, the river falls into the ocean. The river came from the ocean in the first place. Now the circle is complete, the river has arrived at the whole.” – Osho
“Death is the greatest fiction.” – Osho
Personality Factors in Recovery: Perseverance, Strength, Will to Live
“I have read that I flew up the hills and mountains of France. But you don’t fly up a hill, you struggle slowly and painfully up a hill and maybe if you work very hard, you get to the top ahead of everybody else. Cancer is like that too. Good strong people get cancer, and they do all the right things to beat it, and they still die.” – Lance Armstrong
“How you take challenge in your life will determine the course of the battle. Never, never, never give up.” ~ Winston Churchill
“The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it.” ~ C.C. Scott
“Sure, cancer can kill you, but it can also teach you faith, hope, courage, resilience, and purpose.” ~ Tom McLain, American attorney (anaplastic oligodendroglioma)
Commitment, The Power of Belief
The method you choose is only 50%, the rest is you, how strongly you believe in the method you are choosing and your determination to stick to it. In the conventional medical pharmaceutical world it is called the placebo effect. A drug will work because you expect or believe that it works. It demonstrates the strength of the mind over matter.
“Yes, I did reverse my life-threatening, end-stage cancer by totally natural methods. (You can see the pictures of the huge tumor I had, as well as my biopsy reports at my web site http://www.drday.com) Yes, I did refuse chemotherapy, radiation and mutilating surgery because, as a medical doctor with years of experience, I saw thousands of cancer patients die, NOT from their cancer, but from the painful, maiming, destructive “treatments” we doctors give them.
And Yes, I am TOTALLY WELL and Cancer-FREE a full 10 years after my tumor first appeared, and EVERYTHING I used to get well is totally free, except for food, and almost everyone has to buy that anyway.” – Dr. Lorraine Day breast cancer survivor’s answer to the AARP attack of quackery.
Psychological Factors Contributing to Cancer Growth or Regression
Stress : adverse events that may provoke anxiety, sleep deprivation, oxidative stress, depression, worry.
It is possible to learn to respond to stress with detachment and poise, rather than pessimism, frustration, anger, worry, suffering, resignation.
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” ~Winston Churchill
Stress Increases Tumor Growth and Occurrence
- Stress decreases DNA repair
- Stress increases DNA damage
- Stress activates Corticotropin Hormone (CRH) which in turn activates the hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis and mast cells. Mast cells can accumulate around tumors and secrete numerous vasoactive and growth promoting substances , promote angiogenesis, immune suppression, tumor proliferation, metastasis.
Oxidative Stress Shortens Telomere
Short telomeres are a precursor to the development of many types of cancer. Telomeres are genes at the ends of chromosomes protecting our genetic data.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers Prev. 2009 Feb;18(2):551-60. Occup Environ Med. 2011;May, epub ahead of print Lancet. 2005 Aug 20-26;366(9486):662-4.
Childhood adverse life events that provoke anxiety and distress are directly correlated with telomere length as an adult. Telomeres protect and stabilize chromosomes, reducing the risk of aneuploidy and mutations.
PLoS One. 2010 May 25;5(5):e10826.
Studies show that psychological interventions to reduce stress can improve longevity and decrease cancer recurrence probably by strengthening the immune system.
Chronic internal stress involves the body and the mind and weakens the immune system. Learn how to express yourself, stand up for yourself and affirm the validity of your feelings.
Family Support, Love
People who have families live longer and have a better chance of survival than single individuals. I have seen loving families supportive of whatever path the patient decided to take to fight cancer. I have seen destructive families fighting to impose their views on the patient. When a patient chooses a natural alternative cancer treatment, it happens that families get divided over the issues. Blame and negativity from the family only sabotage the patient’s efforts to heal. Real support from family and friends ignores one’s own beliefs, to support the patient’s beliefs and chosen method of treatment. Cancer can be the opportunity for a family to strengthen their ties and grow together or it can be devastating for the patient’s healing process.
Faith, Prayer
Whatever religion the patient believes in, is not important. What is important is the experience of faith itself. What heals is not God, it is the belief in God. Religions may have different gods but they are all based on faith. Faith is the healing factor, regardless of the type of God. Patients who pray, or are prayed for, live longer.
“Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death.” ~Author Unknown
Gratitude and Appreciation of Life
“Your mortality is at optimal distance, not up so close that it obscures everything else, but close enough to give you depth perception. Previously, it has taken you weeks, months, or years to discover the meaning of an experience. Now it’s instantaneous.” ~Melissa Bank
A Positive Mind
A positive mind is the result of a spirited individual determined to look at life with the eyes of love, beauty and gratitude. Life is not what we perceive, but how we perceive it. The world dies with us and we also give it life.
“I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.” ~Anne Frank
“The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” ~Scott Hamilton
Empower Yourself: Belief in Your Own Self-Healing Power
“One must not forget that recovery is brought about not by the physician, but by the sick man himself. He heals himself, by his own power, exactly as he walks by means of his own power, or eats, or thinks, breathes or sleeps.” ~Georg Groddeck, The Book of the It, 1923
Choosing Hope
Hope is the driver. Hope is the manifestation of the soul. If the soul vibrates high, all cells of the body respond to its song and healing can happen. Hope is the antidote of fear. In fear the soul crumbles and loses its strength.
Hopelessness and helplessness are personality factors that may predispose to cancer.
“More than anything else you have given me hope”. – A common comment from our patients to Dr. Nicole Baylac
“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” ~ Christopher Reeve
“Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope.” ~ Author Unknown
The Power to Choose
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” ~ William James
Create Your Own Reality
“Anywhere is paradise; it’s up to you.” ~ Author Unknown
“The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, became a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.” ~ Thomas Carlyle
“The Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, but a state of mind.” ~ John Burroughs
“Physical strength is measured by what we can carry; spiritual by what we can bear.” ~ Author Unknown
“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.” ~ Maori Proverb
Courage Versus Fear
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.” ~ Ambrose Redmoon
Dr. Baylac was someone who had taught me not to be afraid. I think this is they key thing I learnt from her and I am very very grateful to her for it. – Jane
Accept Our Mortality
“I have been unexpectedly confronted with my own mortality as I was told that I had cancer.” ~ Jodi Rell, American politician (breast cancer).
Our Answer: Discuss feelings, learn meditation, and explore ways of coping with grief, depression, pain and fear.
“Psychological intervention improves survival for breast cancer patients: A randomized clinical trial.” Barbara L. Andersen, Hae-Chung Yang, William B. Farrar, Deanna M. Golden-Kreutz, Charles F. Emery, Lisa M. Thornton, Donn C. Young, and William E. Carson III. CANCER; Published Online: November 17, 2008 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.23969); Print Issue Date: December 15, 2008.
Cancer Patient Psychology According to Dr. Kelly
First, the stricken cancer victim and their family members have been so deceived by the Establishment that they are completely brainwashed and put in overwhelming fear.
Second, another parameter we often forget is, once a cancer victim or family member has awakened from this imprisoned condition — they trust no one.
Third, Most of these individuals expect and demand immediate results or they go on to other therapies.
This, however, is not the way one recovers from cancer. It is not the way they developed cancer.
Belief and Reality
“Whatsoever you believe, you project. Belief is a projection. It is just like a projector in a movie film-house: you see something on the screen which is not there. The projector is hidden behind, but you never look at the projector, you look at the screen. The projector is at the back, and the whole game is going on there, but you look at the screen. The whole game is going on in your mind, and a mind filled with belief always goes on projecting things in the world, it sees things which are not there.” – Osho
At Hawaii Naturopathic Retreat spiritual and emotional work is as important as nutrition to build the immune system.
Counseling Therapies
We perceive the world, experience situations and feelings according to our belief systems. To a certain extent we can affect how we feel by changing our thinking. There is no health benefit in being attached to a system of thought that maintains suffering. A poor self-image, lack of self confidence and passion, depression and anxiety can all be reversed. Self-transformation is an important part of recovery. We offer many tools to help in this process. The Work of Byron Katie, Reichian Breathwork, Mindfulness, Psychological Counseling, Spiritual Counseling, Hypnotherapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Emotional Freedom Technique are all powerful, valid tools to guide the seeker on the journey.
Dealing with stress, emotions and negative thinking patterns is a very important component of our mind-body-spirit centered programs.
We offer the following counseling therapies to address underlying emotional and psychological issues:
Reichian Breathwork
A depth therapy very useful for individuals who want to know themselves, confront their fears and grow spiritually. Relieve stress, learn self-acceptance and come home to your natural vitality, sexuality and joy through individual Reichian Breathwork sessions! Experience the many benefits of this powerful form of bodywork using breath, sound, mindfulness …
E F T
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a technique of tapping on acupuncture points to unravel negative emotions, limiting beliefs, and the emotional core of many physical diseases. This simple, natural and safe therapy gives relief to many different problems including anxiety, post-traumatic stress, unreasonable fears, panic attacks, nightmares and flashbacks.
The Work of Byron Katie
The Work of Byron Katie, known simply as “The Work” is a simple yet powerful process of inquiry that teaches you to identify and question thoughts that cause all the suffering in your world. It is a way to understand what’s hurting you, and to address the cause of your problems with clarity. The Work brings rapid clarity and insight into your relationship to the distress in your life.
C B T
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on the concept that the way we think affects how we feel emotionally. CBT focuses on present thinking, behavior, and communication rather than on past experiences (childhood experiences) and is oriented toward problem solving. CBT is probably the most widely utilized therapy in modern clinical psychology.
Gestalt Therapy
Gestalt Therapy emphasizes the concepts of self-responsibility, awareness, no “shoulds” and here and now experience. People, according to Gestalt therapy, are responsible (response-able); that is, they are the primary agents in determining their own behavior. When people confuse responsibility with blaming and “shoulds,” they pressure and manipulate themselves.
Group Therapy
Group Therapy through support groups cradle our basic human need for companionship and esteem by creating a nurturing environment to intimately connect and relate. They can be a place to quietly listen to the experience of another, share wisdom, or reach out for help. Often times, when seeking to make changes, the goal can seem painfully far out of reach and the process can be profoundly challenging.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Neuro-Linguistic Programing is a field of psychotherapy that evolved out of Cognitive Science research. Based in the scientific analysis of effective communication, it has evolved into a set of tools to enhance your mental flexibility and emotional intelligence. The term describes the connection between one’s language and the “Map” of one’s personal psyche.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis, also referred to as hypnotherapy or hypnotic suggestion, is a trancelike state in which you have heightened focus and concentration. Hypnosis is usually done with the help of a therapist using verbal repetition and mental images. When you’re under hypnosis, you usually feel calm and relaxed, and are more open to suggestions. Hypnosis can be used to help you gain control over undesired behaviors or to help you cope better with anxiety or pain.