Metaphysical Healing

Universal Life Church 

I was struck by the author's description of her discovery of her spiritual healing capability, as well as her description of the training that traditional African healers undergo. It is evident that spiritual healing is a calling, and that not all who hear the call are successful as healers. Just as the quality and capability of individual physicians varies, so too are the skills and capabilities of individual spiritual healers different.

The other thing that struck me was the difference in education and training. It appears that spiritual healing is a gift, rather than a learned skill, although I am sure that experience can certainly enhance ability. In contrast, traditional or shamanic healers, as well as conventional Western physicians, undergo extensive training.

As a Reiki practitioner, I use a form of energy healing with a spiritual component, starting and ending with prayer. And I know that experience is a great teacher that has sharpened my skills. I am sure this course will be a great help as well.

Metaphysical Healing

Universal Life Church

Metaphysical Healing

Part of the Lesson 1 assignment is to research the types healing practiced in the United States. These are not all inclusive but are considered the most popular practices.

Acupuncture- An ancient Chinese alternative medical treatment used to promote healing which involves inserting thin needles into specific points of the body know as "acupuncture points" to block pain by stimulating the nerves. Treatment is for other conditions besides pain such as allergies and drug withdrawal.

Aromatherapy- Refers to treating a person's mood or health for psychological and physical wellness with the use of essential oils from flowers, trees, and herbs to promote health and well-being, vitality and rejuvenation of the body, mind and spirit. Treatments include massage, facials, body wraps and teas.

Ayurvedic Medicine- The ancient Hindu science of health and medicine. This very personalized and natural healing system focuses on establishing and maintaining balance of the life energies within us, rather than individual symptoms. Use of dietary modification, massage, yoga and herbal preparations.

Chakra balancing- Based on ancient Indian belief that chakras, or energy centers, are located at specific points between the top of the skull and the base of the spine, and each are related to specific organs of the body. Balancing can be done through hands-on techniques, meditation, exercise, yoga or music in conjunction with crystals, aromas, and other contemporary items.

Chiropractics- One of the most popular alternative therapies, grounded on the principle that when the skeletal system is correctly aligned and the nervous system is functioning properly, the body can heal itself. Generally done by hands, manipulating the joints and spine of the patient as they lie on a specifically designed padded table it seeks to relieve pressure on the nerves and restores natural balance and equilibrium.

Crystal Healing- The therapeutic application of crystals and gemstones for mental, physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Based on the belief that crystals have energies and emit healing vibrations that are able to promote healing and improve health.

Feng Shui- The ancient Chinese art of placement based on philosophy of the movement of natural energy through our environments. Focuses on positioning objects, furniture, buildings etc. to create balance and harmony through the healthy flow of chi-(energy). the goal is to achieve optimal health and prosperity in one's life by first supporting one's environment with the rhythms of the cosmic whole.

Hypnotherapy- The use of hypnotism to deeply relax the conscious mind and induce a hypnotic trance during which the subconscious mind is brought into alignment with the conscious mind. Used commonly for treatment of emotional problems (i.e. stress, depression, offering pain relief, conquering phobias and changing habits.

Iridology- The study of the iris of the eye to diagnose under the theory that the iris serves as a map of the body and gives warning signs of physical, mental and spiritual problems. It states that every bodily organ corresponds to a location within the iris and the relative health of each organ can be determined by examining the iris.

Naturopathy- Originating in Europe Naturopathic Medicine is a form of therapy that depends on the natural forces, rather than surgery or drugs, to treat disease. It focuses on the concept that the body is a self-healing organism and will heal itself given the right stimulus. The science treats the whole person rather than the afflicting problem. It is the practice of using natural agents and physical means to provide a healthier balance of internal chemistry which include herbs, vitamins, massage, counseling as well as diet and nutrition.

Reflexology- An ancient Chinese technique based upon the belief that each part of the body is interconnected through the nervous system to the feet, hands and ears. The therapist applies pressure to acupunture points in these areas, restoring balance and opening blocked meridians, to enhance the flow of energy throughout the body also improving nerve and blood circulation, and encouraging the body's immune response.

Reiki- It is a gentile Japanese energy-based modality. Through a series of hand positions either directly on or just above the body, the energy worker allows for the flow of energy through their body which the client then draws off the amount of energy that is required. This hands-on healing results in a relaxing spiritual state of being which then allows cells to heal and replenish.

Rolfing- Rolfing is a deep massage technique that involves optimally positioning the body's organs, bones ad tissues. By manipulating the deep fascia and muscles. as well as educating about the body position and posture, improvements can be made to a person's physciological and psychological processes to relieve stress, treat chronic pain and increase energy.

Shamanic Healing - This ancient healing art emphasizes the caring of the soul and the healing through soul retrieval. It is based on the belief that the condition of the sould must be addressed and if healthy, other healings can then manifest mentally, physically and emotionally.

Shiatsu Therapy- Japanese form of physical and therapeutic massage. Know as the yang process balancing from the outside to inside. this full body massage is normally done clothed.

Swedish Massage- A system of therapeutic massage combined with passive and active exercise for the muscles and joints.

Tai Chi- Ancient Chinese mind-body exercise and fighting system consisting of 108 smooth, flowing, strengthening sequences, meditation and breath regulation. Health benefits include improved blood circulation and enhanced immune functions

Thai Massag- Also referred to as Yoga Massage which emphasizes rhythmic stretching, pressing and loosening of the body. Used for healing, health and transformation.

Yoga- Defined as "to yoke or unite", this Hindu series of mental, spiritual and physical systems is designed to aid in enlightenment and achieving a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility. Yoga improves breathing and focuses on the alignment of the body by increasing awareness, posture, flexibility of body and mind, and calmness of spirit. It is also believed that yoga cleanses the body toxins, improving blood circulation and muscle tone.

There are some more types of healing arts to include Astrology, Huna ,Palm Reading, Tarot Cards, Tea Leaf Reading that have clients but are considered less popular methods of actual healing and are more associated with mystical sciences.

Dr. Dennis W. Zerull

METAPHYSICAL HEALING by Rev. Terri

FINAL ESSAY – METAPHYSICAL HEALING

Rev. Teresa Swerdloff

Over these several months I have read lessons and in some cases applied techniques. But I think the most valuable lesson I have come away with is, too often we look for the truth in relationship to the world around us, others and ourselves. With our main focus on others and the world around us and checking to see if we're up-to- par, or fit-in. We might say it's “taking a hard look at what is.”

As I have grown these last few months I realize I am the center of my universe. And I am the most important thing in my day. And how I feel about the people, places and things in my day is the most relevant thing in my reality. There may have been a time when it was beneficial to look at something from someone else's point of view. And I spent most of my life doing just that. But someone else does not truly make any decisions in my life. I have really come into myself during these last few months and feel such a freedom, rebirth.

I found the lesson on anatomy very helpful. I think an expansion on this lesson would be very valuable to students. This lesson prompted me to go out and get diagrams of various systems of the body, and look for more information

I believe this class is a good introduction to Metaphysical Healing. It is a nice cross section of Metaphysical Healing techniques as they are practiced in Africa. I did feel it didn't relate as much as I would have liked to the way holistic practices are here in the United States.

I disagree with our instructor, in that I take complete responsibility for my reality. In doing this I am examining my own belief contents that attract my fears for the future of Healing. I do have to say though I think the point she was making is not to overwhelm the client with the thoughts (especially if they are struggling already) that they create their reality. If they are not ready they may hear this as “It's your fault the reality your creating”.

For me, there is no question but that Metaphysical Healing is where all healing stems from. As science and society has developed, I feel, a belief system in machines (surgical), drugs, and western practice has developed. This belief system is built on a structure of power control and economic gain, followed by (somewhere down at the bottom of the list) a need to heal. I fear the loss of true healing as this system continues to place more controls (legislation) on Holistic practices.

As I see it there will be little difference between Western Medicine and Holistic Practices if this continues. And as I experience this fear I am examining my part in attracting more of this that I do not want and I realize the desire to change my focus to what I do want. -A thriving healthy society- I have simplified this but then one of the things I also noticed throughout this class was when I broke things down to their simplest form, the point became crystal clear....

Love and laughter,

Terri

Spiritual Awareness

I really like the definitions for Energy and Power in this text: “Power is energy that is formed by the intentions of the soul. It is Light shaped by the intentions of love and compassion guided by wisdom.” Light is the spirit of God, love and compassion are the nature of God. It then becomes clear that all power originates in God. For me then, the sense of being powerful or powerless always comes back to my awareness and alignment with the Lord.

Fear and pain signify the loss of energy or powerlessness. When there is fear for the loss of the ability to love or be loved an individual may experience physical pain in the region of the heart—heartache. Every distress and dysfunction of the physical body, every disease can be traced back to an overwhelming sense of powerlessness over external circumstances. Each of the chakras, or energy focal points in the body, is designed to release potent energies to bless the individual and beyond, but these points can be disturbed and blocked causing discomfort and disease when not allowed to function by reason of the individual’s actions and attitudes.

In my own experience, I felt the heartache when I had to admit my own dear wife into an Alzheimer’s residential facility. I spent from 9:30 until 2:30 each day with her for almost five months. Every day when it was time for me to leave, she would ask me to take her home with me. Every day I thought that my heart would break; even now as I write these words, the memory is so strong that the feelings are overwhelming. Finally I was able to bring her back home, and I became her home care provider.

Miracles do happen. I now take care of her every day and I thank the power of the Spirit that I express. She is slowly making progress, and I know that she is happy to be at home with me in her familiar surroundings. We just celebrated our 57th wedding anniversary. We are blessed with four children and six grandchildren. I had to surrender to the power of the Almighty in those dark days. I had to maintain a thankful heart as much as possible. Little by little fear and pain gave way to trust that “Thy will, not my will be done.” God’s grace and mercy revealed themselves moment by moment through the many blessings that have come for both of us through this experience.

Rev. James D. Connor

Spirituality by Rev. Oles

 Universal Life Church Seminary

Master of Spiritualism

            The basis of this course was first and foremost a philosophical look at religion, ideas, and spirituality throughout about the past 3000 years and then explaining how these same ideas are woven into your daily world.  Small sections of the course also went beyond just explaining the philosophical ideas to showing practical uses and placements of those same ideas in modern spirituality and society.

            I liked that the author covered various philosophies some of which may not have explicitly been directly related to religion, such as socialism.  The author does bring up good arguments for all of the theories he covers including socialism, which once looked at through the right lens does relate very well to spirituality and religion.

            It was also nice of the author to bring their personal experience in views into the lessons.  It’s unfortunate that the author has had to go through some of the trial and tribulations that they have but they seems to have grown from it.  Hopefully all of the students taking the course are also able to learn something vicariously through their experiences.  

I can personally say that while I have not lived anything to the extremes that the author has I did see certain parts of the story that related to me.  For example, I’ve been lost in the woods alone in the winter in New York State before, true I was not lost for days I was only lost for hours but it gives me an inkling of the feeling the author must have felt.  I’ve never dealt with an abusive lover but I was the child that had to listen to his parents fight all the time.  

These things cause us to grow over time and lead us to be the people that we are today.  We have a choice, we can either learn from our life, from our successes and failures; or we can choose to keep doing what we’ve always done, the only problem with that is, as the saying goes, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten.

Rev. Justin Oles

Spiritual Awareness by Rev. Francis

Spiritual Awareness

I recall asking my parents to have the country song "Me and Jesus Have Our Own Thing Going," played at my funeral if I should die while I was still a child. Looking back I realize, It was my own personal statement of awareness’ perhaps of the first insight even at the age of 5 or 6. As I grew older the awareness grew stronger. I knew that I sensed things that the adults around me did not. My God with his divine unconditional love was not theirs with the big stick of fear, guilt and shame waiting to pounce on your whenever he got the chance. I learned not to asked the questions and upset them but deep inside I knew there was an "energy out there" that was not understood or communicated with by my parents, community and church. As in the 4th insight to remain around certain people would only result in drained energy and I would actually find myself sick. It was then I became somewhat of a loner but seldom lonely except for the cold winters when I could not communicate with nature and be lifted by its beauty and positive energy. Humans who are not aware of the oneness of all things created by the Spirit and thus connect with all things cut themselves off with the selfishness of the ego, where the ego is always focused on self at the price of others.

I am a professional storyteller, often when folks are listening to my stories they will say, "How is it so many astounding and coincidental things seem to happen to you and not others?" For a while I thought I just recalled them to use in my stories and they did not since they were not storytellers. However, lately I realized there is something unique in my life and has been there since I was a child. Perhaps, it is in everyone's life and I just tap into mine. After taking this class and my son saying to me just lately, "Mom you live a most unusual and charmed life. It is as if circumstances and things in life, play right into your hands when least expected, " I am aware that because I attempt to be at one with all things created by Spirit it does seem circumstances unfold upon my behalf with great mystery.

Just yesterday was a great example. I had painted a door prize for the International Thanksgiving dinner for peace among all faith and cultures. A piece of my soul was in the painting for I had felt such love for all mankind as I painted it. It was warm in its earth tones accented with blue for personal truth. I titled it - A Time for Gratitude - Thanksgiving. As I delivered and set it up I held it to my chest and with my minds intent said, "May the person who gets this painting feel the passion and beauty I felt painting it" I did not know the couple who won it but hoped it would not end up in some closet somewhere. Yesterday, I went to church and read that we had guest, Art and Cathy, a man and wife, that would be doing the special music. Suddenly, I noticed their faces and realized they were the winners of my painting, but the real treat came when all 4 of their songs were on Gratitude. I knew my oneness with all the Universe had brought my painting to them and their song, I Danced While I Could was their gift to me. I have loved to dance all my life but after an accident that left my knees in a lot of pain I leaned to swim instead and now instead, make my fingers dance on paper with my paints. As I was painting their painting I had said to myself. This is almost much fun as dancing as I splashed the paint on paper and moved more like a dancer than a painter on the paper.

While I have been involved in a peace mission for years as a teacher I have found until each person hears their own inner calling and listen to this voice within they are not ready to find a better path, and thus the teaching is useless. However, I have noted that just being able to forgive and send love energy to those who seek to hurt me and others often is enough to help the closed door of their minds open to a higher self.

After reading, Dr. Emoto book on blessing water. - Messages in Water, A year ago this month I started blessing the water I swim in each day and all the people that swim in the water. I bless the oceans, the lakes, the streams, the rain, puddles, tears and the water in all plants and humans on this earth. Just this simple act appears to have others opening up and asking for a better way. It is at this point I can teach and they are open to learning. I have a blog site where I have asked others to join me as they bath each night or morning in blessing all the water of the earth for in this way all humans and Mother Earth are blessed daily. I have not had a lot of takers yet, but I have faith they will come and join me with time in this blessing. There is a 100 Monkey concept in science that when 100 monkeys are taught a new trick that for some unknown reason the universal mind picks this up and monkeys all over the world can suddenly do the same thing. I believe as more and more of us commit to love and spirit and not the ego that this too will be picked up by all the universe. I feel our reason on this earth is to know this divine love and beauty that is a part of our heritage being created in the image of the Father/Mother Spirit who is Love.

Many of the things shared in this course are things I have been doing all my life. I think the joy of the class has been that I am now aware I am not alone. This inner voice of wisdom is calling to many, I just have not known it until now. It reminds me of a fiction book I read in college long ago by Stephen King, The Stand. In the story there are people all over the US hearing this same inner calling of wisdom to a better way, while it appears the rest if the world is falling apart. Instead, all these people follow the wisdom of the voice and as the world comes to an end for those going the wrong direction, there are those ready to lead those seeking the right direction.

By Rev. Linda Francis

Spirituality by Rev. Hope

In the reading of this course and some additional research I have done, I can see the similarities between science and the Bible, as well as the differences. In my own personal spiritual path, we believe that all Gods are one God. They just go by different names. In this course, I believe it to be the same, even with science-minded people. Whether they believe there is a God or not, they do believe there is a higher power. Even if that higher power is numbers, they see it as something greater then themselves.

 I would like to address the creation hypotheses for a moment. In Genesis 1:1-3,

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3. Then God said "let there be light"; and there was light.

Can we see how this can correlate with science and the Big Bang Theory? As a child growing up and attending church we were told that a life-time to us was but a blink of an eye to God. The way I see this is that if the blink of an eye to God is but a hundred years, a day would be thousands, if not more. (No one can ever be sure of this). No one is ever sure if indeed there was a "Big Bang". Other than scientists knowing that the universe is expanding and that it had to start from somewhere, no one knows for sure. Just like the Bible. No one knows for sure if this is how creation was actually started. But I do believe that they go hand in hand.

Science Vs. The Bible.

The Theory of Evolution:

 Charles Darwin's theory that life came from the oceans again coincides with parts of the Bible. Genesis 1:20-21.

 Then God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens."

 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw this and it was good.

 This was the fifth day.

Genesis 1:26-27

 Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.

 Darwin's theory that life came from the ocean could be true. Again, no one knows for sure. Who is to say that the time that passes in a day to God could be hundred of thousands or Millions of years and in Darwin's theory, with time on our side being ever so slow compared to that of God's, it could indeed seem that man came from the ocean; that this is where life started.

 There is a beautiful analogy that I believe covers all religions, faiths, spiritual paths and belief systems, science and so forth.

 Imagine if you would, a beautiful mountain. On top of that mountain is God, Mohammad, Allah, The Goddess, Shiva, the Master Architect or whatever Higher Power one may believe in.

 Everyone wants to get to the top of this mountain. There are many different paths for people to take. People need to find the path that is right for them.

 Now some people tell others about their path and that their path is the right one, the only way and to follow them. They lead them to the top.

 Some people tell others they know the best path to take to get to the top and in doing so trying to get everyone to follow them, wind up only going in circles at the base of this mountain.

 Some people may take an easy route, while others tend to take a harder path, all to attain the same dissension. Some people's path may be lonely and they go solo. Others are in groups with support. It doesn't matter how you get to the top only that one tries. 

 Some people sit at the bottom of this mountain trying to calculate the best way to get to the top. Others wonder why bother? Maybe they will find another mountain they will come to climb.

 The above analogy illustrates how God is inside each and every one of us. To some it could be the Great Mother, and to others it could be this gray haired, bearded older man or it could be the infinity symbol. I believe that this Omnipotence comes to us in whatever why it sees best for the individual.

 I have always believed in the thought process that the cup is half full, rather then half empty. All belief systems are beautiful, no matter what they may be. Science has some wonderful theories, as does religion. I believe they all go hand in hand. No matter what path one may walk.  

All Gods are one God.   

       

Rev. Hope Macdonald-Vellone