What Is Healing?

Over the past two weeks, my body has exhibited congestion, fever, aches, lack of energy and loss of appetite. In the past, I’ve had colds, stomach viruses and various allergies, but none of them has taken me out of commission for as long as this most recent experience.

Through it, I have had ample opportunities to practice spiritual principle, ignore spiritual principle, question spiritual principle, and contemplate what I truly believe about the concept of healing.

The New Thought movement of which Unity is a part was born from the “mind cure movement” of the late nineteenth century. Tracing our history, we encounter people such as Franz Mesmer who at first used magnets as tools for healing. As he was going to a healing session one day, he realized that he had forgotten his magnets, but went to the appointment anyway. Even in the absence of the magnets, his patient experienced a healing. Through this experience, he discovered that the power did not lie in the magnets but in the power of the mind to affect healing in the body.

Others who were instrumental in the development of the New Thought movement include E.B. Weeks who helped facilitate healing for Mary Baker Eddy who later founded the Christian Science church; Eddy’s student, Emma Curtis Hopkins, who became known as the “teacher of teachers;” and her students Charles and Myrtle Fillmore cofounders of Unity, Ernest Holmes founder of Religious Science, Malinda Cramer and Nona Brooks cofounders of Divine Science, and others. Each of these leaders of the early New Thought movement embraced the idea of the power of the mind to affect healing in the body. Unity cofounder Myrtle Fillmore is famous for healing herself of tuberculosis which at the time was considered a fatal disease.

We most often think of “healing” in terms of an observable physical affect as in the example of Myrtle Fillmore. She is said to have experienced a healing because, after a time, her body no longer manifested the symptoms of tuberculosis. Her body was restored to what we have agreed is the desired natural state of wholeness and health.

But if we think of healing solely in terms of a physical manifestation, what happens when one’s physical body does not “heal” of a disease or illness? Do we assume that they have not received their “healing?”

Quite often, for those who subscribe to the belief in the power of the mind to heal, metaphysical guilt results when their body does not conform to their idea of health. One might question whether they are not strong enough in their belief or not doing it “right” and feel guilty. Therein lies the issue.

When we evaluate “healing’ based solely on the external demonstration of our personal ideas of how “healing” is supposed to look, we limit ourselves and each other and we misunderstand and misinterpret the foundation of our teaching.

Over the past two weeks, I have meditated on and contemplate the question, “What is healing?” It helps that my quest has been supported by the ideas of others including Walter Starcke in his book, It’s All God; Paul Selig in his channeled work I Am The Word; and Matt Kahn in his YouTube videos and most recent book, Everything is Here to Help You. Yes, I am currently reading all of these as well as Richard Rohr’s latest release, The Universal Christ, How a Forgotten Reality can Change Everything we See, Hope for and Believe. I highly recommend them all.

My seeking has led me to define “healing’ as –

v      Wholeness Realized

Oneness Recognized
Love Revealed

Healing, at its foundation, has little or nothing to do with any condition but is a conscious decision and an internal process which may or may not result in the outer demonstration that our personality believes would be evidence of “healing.” Having said that, the body may, in fact, demonstrate a return to a state of vitality, easy flow of energy and movement as it did with Myrtle Fillmore. It is important for us to recognize and accept that whatever occurs in the physical as a result of what I am calling “healing” will be in alignment with the highest purpose and desire of one’s soul or higher self.

Wholeness Realized

Each of us is a perfect, whole, complete expression of God, created as the image/likeness of God. We, in Unity, often refer to this as our Christ nature or I AM. In alignment with Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, authors Starcke, Selig, and Rohr concur – the Christ or I AM is our true nature. Healing, which is actually Truth remembered, is necessary because we have been taught and we believe that we are something other. No one is at fault. We are products of our cultures, our religions and the prevailing belief systems of the collective unconscious.

We realize wholeness as we remove our focus from the outer condition. Know that we are not in any way defined by our body, our life situation, financial status, relationships or our limited beliefs. Take into our minds, hearts and spirits our true I-dentity which is – I AM, the Christ. Know it at the depth of being; do not just accept it as a belief. Meditate on it. Contemplate it. Be still and know the Real-I-Is the Christ.

Oneness Recognized

The I Am, the Christ, is the only begotten, the one expression, the only idea in the One Mind for all creation. As his title The Universal Christ implies Richard Rohr asserts that ‘Christ’ is another name for every thing in existence. When we recognize this truth, the perceived separation is erased from our minds and oneness is remembered. Healing is the recognition that each of us is the Christ and so is all of creation.

Love Revealed

In It’s All God, Walter Starcke says,

“A healing represents a change in consciousness that is brought about by Love, not getting rid of symptoms…Healing is the removing of any concept whatsoever that stands between me and God in any and all circumstances.”

While it may result, healing is not solely about a change in any condition. Healing is choosing to know God through any and all conditions.

Further he says,

“To Love is to “know.” To know the true [I-dentity] is to love. Do not seek a solution to a problem – seek Love.”

When we “know” our true I-dentity, we can more fully know the true identity of others and of all the manifest world. When we know that truth, our thoughts, words, and actions reflect the truth we know. Love is revealed in all we say and do.

None of the foregoing is meant in any way to negate the New Thought teaching on the power of the mind to affect physical demonstration, but is instead intended to support it. When we realize our wholeness, recognize our oneness with all creation and reveal Love through all we are, healing happens. In the space of healing, we are open and receptive to guidance from our inner knower that will lead us to take action that supports our soul’s highest good.

In Myrtle Fillmore’s case, she was guided to spend time blessing every aspect of her body, change her diet and spend time in the quiet. All these led to her being relieved of the physical symptoms of tuberculosis. I trust that her soul’s highest good was served. Of course, she went on to cofound the Unity movement through which millions of lives have been transformed.

I urge us not to compare Myrtle’s experience with our own lest we judge ourselves as inferior spiritually. Each of us is on a unique soul journey. Claiming our healing as I have outlined aligns us more fully and completely with our soul’s purpose. We cannot always know from a personality perspective what is in our soul’s highest and best good or what will best serve the whole. Often, it is not what we imagine it to be. But, when we accept our healing, we can trust and know that nothing that happens in our body or around us can in any way affect our Christ nature, our I AM.

As we consider healing, I encourage us to as much as possible remove our focus from the condition however it may appear. Instead, focus on the eternal nature of the Christ within; open to the awareness that we are in no way defined by a body or any life circumstance; listen for the urging of our soul, our unique expression of God; follow the guidance of the still small voice of the spirit within; and accept we are each an aspect of the One evolving Itself in and through all. Release attachment to outcome. Trust that all is ultimately for the highest good.