Spiritual Healing

Spiritual Healing is the channelling of healing energies through the healer to the patient. It re-energises and relaxes the patients to enable their own natural resources to deal with illness or injury in the best possible way. By ‘attunement’ - perhaps best described as a combination of empathy and intent - either in the presence of the patient or at a distance - and by directing energy, usually through the hands, the healer seeks to supplement the depleted energy of the recipient, dealing with stress at whatever level it exists and releasing the body’s recuperative abilities to deal with the problem in the most effective way for that individual.

Patients receiving healing tend to experience sensations of being re-energised or relaxed, ‘pins and needles’, heat or coolness, and pain coming to the surface and dispersing indicating that the energies are indeed ‘going to work’. Healing can be given for any illness, stress or injury as a therapy which is completely natural, has no side effects and is complementary to any other therapy. It can be helpful in a wide range of physical and psychological conditions, sometimes to a remarkable degree: indeed the medically diagnosed nature of the illness appears to be irrelevant to the outcome, and case histories range from the trivial to the terminal in which healing seems to have made an important, perhaps even overriding, contribution to recovery. Aside from its value in relieving pain and restoring function, healing is also notable for initiating improvements in patients’ attitudes and clarity of thought, and in their quality of life.

Is it necessary to have ‘Faith’
No. Nothing special is asked of the patient except perhaps openness to anything that happens and a degree of trust in the healer. An awareness of the need for change and the motivation to do so can also be helpful.

Spiritual Healers
Healers work in their own and patients’ homes, in the workplace, in doctors’ surgeries, in hospitals, in hospices, in healing and natural health centres, in nursing and retirement homes, in community centres, in fact almost anywhere a need for healing exists. NFSH Healing Centres are being established throughout the country as operational arms of the parent organisation to form part of the local community service and a list of these can be obtained from Central Office.

Healing and the Medical Profession
There is a growing trend for healing to be given under the supervision of a doctor and healers’ patients are always advised to contact their doctors about conditions which may require medical attention. Healing is not a substitute or alternative, it works very successfully as a complement to other forms of treatment and a growing number of doctors and nurses practise healing. Healing is officially listed as a therapy recognised by the National Health Service and doctors are permitted by the General Medical Council to refer patients for spiritual healing if they wish to do so. NFSH healers may also attend hospital in-patients who request their services.

Is there any charge for spiritual healing?
The NFSH believes that healing should be freely available to all irrespective of their ability to pay and many healers make no charge for their services. However, a growing number of healers now give healing as their occupation and they will charge accordingly but concessions are often available. The NFSH is a charitable organisation dependent on voluntary contributions to cover the cost of its administration and information services and NFSH Centres therefore usually suggest a minimum donation of £5. Similarly, donations for this purpose can also be made when treatment is received from individual members.

Some further thoughts
Spiritual healing penetrates the deepest levels of a person’s being where many illnesses have their origin, for example, stress, tension and fatigue - so that symptoms disappear when the cause is revealed and removed. Changes in attitude and the quality of life often follow and continue the good work. The power nature to enable us to help ourselves, recognised for thousands of years, has been overshadowed in modern times by the growing emphasis on technology, benefits underestimated, under-utilised and misunderstood, It is this power which spiritual healers seek to tap, addressing illness and injury at its source and recovery at all levels of the patient’s being.

Does Spiritual Healing always work?
It is unusual for healing not to be helpful in some way. Sometimes one treatment is sufficient, but often several are needed and the benefits emerge gradually. With some patients a successful outcome to healing is obvious, but for some, change takes place at a more subtle level and sometimes in an unexpected way. Healing often helps with the speed and extent of recovery from serious illness and surgery and from the effects of treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It works well with all forms of holistic medicine. Usually patients feel more stable and relaxed, and often experience a beneficial change to their attitude to life, a situation which often arises in cases of terminal illness where healing brings a sense of peace to the patient and to relatives and friends as well.

Can it do any harm?
Definitely not. There are rare occasions when the patient may feel worse’ before improving, but this is often a significant part of the healing process, signalling a release of stress which may have gone unrecognised.

Information Courtesy of:
National Federation of Spiritual Healers (NFSH) The Old Manor Farm Studio Church Street Sunbury-on-Thames Middlesex TW16 6RG Tel: 01932 783 164 Email: office@nfsh.org.uk For Further information visit the website: www.nfsh.org.uk