Using Herbs for Healing

By Nathaniel Whitmore

Modern science has barely begun to understand the profound effects of the mind in the process of healing. The mind/body connection has been clearly acknowledged, though, as is evidenced by the use of the placebo effect in the scientific assessment of the effectiveness and safety of pharmaceutical drugs. I wonder why the scientific medical community will use the placebo effect in the testing of drugs while it practically ignores the healing power of the mind when considering treatment. This dynamic is especially ironic when one considers that pharmaceutical drugs contain the potential for many unpleasant and dangerous side effects, while the healing power of the mind is more-or-less safe.

I attended the Kushi Institute, a school that teaches about macrobiotics, and while there met many people who had used or were using the macrobiotic diet and lifestyle recommendations to recover from cancer. Macrobiotics has become fairly well known for benefiting those with cancer (though macrobiotics certainly does not focus on this or any one disease at the exclusion of others) and many people would visit the Kushi Institute for consultations, cooking classes, chi gung classes, or simple good food. One thing that became clear from meeting people at the Kushi Institute and elsewhere who had been successful with healing from cancer and other serious diseases is that they had a certain spirit to them, which I call the “spirit of healing.”

My observation of the spirit of healing is constantly confirmed as I learn more about the various healing traditions around the world. Most recently, I received a small magazine on the Navajo uses of herbs that stated, “A good mental attitude is an important part of healing.” (From, “Leading the Way” September 2008; John E. Salaybe, Jr. and Kathleen Manolescu) Even modern research is turning more and more to the healing power of the mind, such as in the work of Dr. Emoto (See his book “The Hidden Messages of Water”).

I have never been the type that was too much in need of confirmation from outside sources, however, and would be just as convinced about the spirit of healing if it wasn’t so well acknowledged. I use the healing power of the mind every day, and especially when I start to fall ill. My direct experience has shown me that the spirit of healing is vital to healing. As an herbalist, I can treat colds and the like with relative ease, using herbs to put a quick end to a cold, fever, or infection. I have little fear about being around people who are sick (I often, for instance, give shiatsu to people who have colds) as simply trusting in the immune system seems to strengthen it significantly.

I have noticed that the times when I have had the most trouble warding off a cold or infection were times of emotional stress. It seems that when my being is emotionally drained, I lack the energy that my immune system requires. The “immune system” is not an identifiable organ, but a very complex network of body functions that includes many parts of the body to the best of modern knowledge, and probably many more than we can even imagine. Anything that fatigues the body or mind, therefore, will have some effect on the immune system.

I believe that the modern attitude, which has redirected from spiritualism to materialism, harms the immune system. A materialistic attitude always looks for satisfaction, and in general has an easy time finding something to complain about. The spiritual attitude, in contrast, is characterized by a reverence for life and a gratitude for creation. I have noted the following that I believe represent a poor attitude in general (one that generally undermines the immune system by being counter to the spirit of healing):

1. Lack of prayer in daily life (regular prayer before meals and before bed, for instance).
2. An abundance of complaints (about the government, spouses, work, etc.).
3. Intolerance (the lack of love, compassion, and understanding, relating to family members, co-workers, neighbors, government officials, etc.).
4. Lack of joy (as evidenced by the above observations and addictive relationships to television, unhealthy foods, drugs, and other distractions).

Along with observing a healthy mental attitude, it is important to understand some practical details about the use of herbs and how to use the power of the mind and the power of the herbs for healing. In the case of something like Echinacea, it is generally important to use it in large and frequent doses until you feel better. Paying attention to how you feel when taking herbs for infections helps you to tune into the effects of the herbs and to the effects of your mind. Always do your best to feel your best. If you start feeling run down again after a dose of Echinacea that was helpful, take another dose.

In the case of herbs like white sage, they are used to clear the air and the mind of negative vibrations. Such herbs are used to directly influence the mind, which has an effect, in turn, on the immune system and one’s general condition of health. There are many other herbs that can be used as incense or smudge to uplift the mind.

The spiritual and mental aspects of herbal medicine are often the deciding factors in whether the herbs are helpful or not. Such is the practice of healing. In the philosophy of holistic medicine, there should not be a cure without healing. If a disease is “cured” without healing, then one is only fooling one’s self. The underlying condition that created the disease will still be there, and the disease will, therefore, come back in the same or a different form. Holistic medicine is not the mere replacement of pharmaceuticals with herbal medicines. Holistic medicine, by definition, takes into account all factors that lead up to a disease, whether physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. Ultimately, we do not see any division between the body, mind, and spirit. It is all energy and is all one.

Nathaniel Whitmore can be reached at (570) 224-0264.

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