By D. Paul Reilly

I was watching Larry King Live the other evening when he presented an extremely interesting show on CNN aptly titled 'Change your thinking --- change your life.' On the show he had a panel of four people including J. Z. Knight, Founder of The Ramtha Educational Institute, and three others who were either psychologists or neuro-physicists. Basically, the discussions focused on the power of the human mind, to influence the way we feel in every aspect of our life.

At one point in the discussion Larry King said "Well, the way we think can't heal cancer"; to which J. Z. Knight replied "I don't agree with that, after all we're all familiar with 'The Placebo Effect.'" Incidentally, Webster's New World Dictionary tells us that the word 'placebo' comes from the Latin and literally means "I shall please," and goes on to give the following definition of the word "A harmless, unmedicated preparation given as a medicine to a patient merely to humor him, or used as a control in testing the efficacy of another medicated substance."

In Dr. Bernie Siegel's book 'Peace, Love and Healing', under a heading 'Faith, Hope and Placebo' he writes, "Everyone who has ever experienced 'The Placebo Effect' also has a role to play in the quest to understand the mind-body connection. These are the people who, for reasons we're now beginning to understand, will show rapid healing and pain relief after taking a placebo, which is an inert substance or a sham procedure with no properties that would allow it to function as an agent of healing."

Yes indeed, we know for a fact, that some people do react in a positive manner when given a substance or subjected to a procedure which they BELIEVE will actually cure them; and My Friend, the operative word here is 'BELIEVE'. Oh the power of the mind to cure the so-called 'Incurable'!

Continuing now from Dr. Bernie Siegel's book 'Peace, Love and Healing' he writes "So, how does 'The Placebo Effect' work? Since by definition a placebo is a substance or procedure without any actual power to effect a change in a patient's condition, it follows that any change that does result must somehow be mediated through the mind. In other words, 'The Placebo Effect' can be understood only if we acknowledge the unity of mind and body. We must recognize, as a scientific text explains, that "placebo responses are neither mystical nor inconsequential, and that ultimately psychological and psycho physiological processes operate through common anatomic pathways." The "Common Anatomic Pathways" are the tangible expression of mind-body unity."

In a nutshell, to once again use the words of James Allen "The body is the servant of the mind." So, we can all use the mind to control the condition of the body; or to put it as Jesus The Master Teacher did "ALL things are possible to he who BELIEVES."

THINK ABOUT IT!