All emphasis for proper healing on mental healing
There is a small section referencing medical care, but again, it places all emphasis for proper healing on mental healing:
“Surgery has its place. It is good for broken bones and accidents and for conditions beyond the abilities of a beginner to dissolve. It may be easier under these conditions to have the operation, and concentrate all the mental healing on seeing that the condition is not recreated.
More and more each day there are many wonderful people in the medical profession who are truly dedicated to helping humanity. More and more doctors are turning to holistic ways of healing, treating the whole person. Yet most doctors do not work with the cause of any illness; they only treat the symptoms, the effects.”
Summary
I find it difficult to believe that, for example, having surgery for an ovarian cyst, then concentrating on mental healing, is going to prevent another cyst if the person's body is prone to them. As for doctors not treating the cause of illnesses, that's true with some doctors, but I doubt that Hay is going to find many people to agree with her as to the cause of illnesses.
Hay certainly has a right to express her beliefs. What concerns me is that people will see her as an expert because she's a published author, and not seek necessary medical care. I'm all for good, valid complementary therapies. Hay, however, would have us believe that the cause of all illness is psychological/spiritual in nature. Her complete failure to acknowledge actual physical conditions renders this book virtually useless.
Most books have some redeeming content, but I cannot find it here. The book perpetuates myths that head pain is psychological, lacks reasonable medical foundation, and essentially blames us for our pain.
If you want to add a pretty book cover to your library, go for it, but take the content not with a grain of salt, but with an entire salt block.
© Teri Robert, 2007
Last updated October 5, 2007.
