When talking about doing healing work, I am often asked; “Who does the healing?” “Is it God who does the healing?”, “And what about the individual’s own healing ability, what role does that play?”

            I’ve been exploring these questions to try and found out how one can increase the effectiveness of a healing session regardless of the actual modality being used. And I’ve been able to identify some common patterns that appear to repeat themselves throughout the various approaches to healing. They may be likened to Archetypes of healing, if you will.

            First and perhaps most important is the mindset of the practitioner, their beliefs about healing. The practitioner’s expectations for the treatment are very important. Does the practitioner believe that a healing is possible?

            Different healers when interviewed after a miraculous healing have often stated that they felt the client was ready to heal. They sensed that a healing would take place prior to the actual healing. There have been studies where two groups of children were assigned to teachers with the teachers being told that one group was extremely bright and the other group was slow. After the end of the semester the results of the students learning progress was reviewed. The group labeled slow performed below average, while the group labeled bright performed above average. The catch to this study was that the so called slow group, was actually a group of young students who were very bright, and the bright group, had actually been performing below average prior to the study. It was determined that the teachers’ expectations were the determining factor for the students results of the study. Likewise, the healers whose clients tend to heal more often and more readily all hold the belief that healings will occur.

            This is an important finding and provides insight into the role the healer plays in the healing sessions. Those studied and interviewed, however most often talk of times prior to this belief that healings will happen. They had their doubts and questions, and yet healings occurred anyway.

            Most healers when starting out will have experiences of miraculous healings; even when they the healers didn’t expect them. This would tend to indicate; that although the expectations of the healer has been found to be a major influence as to whether or not the person heals, it is not a sole determining factor, other influences are involved.

            Research and studies on people who have recovered from cancer have found some traits among the cancer survivors. Regardless of the treatment given; be it radiation, nutrition, hypnosis, energy healing, meditation, yoga, or some other form of treatment; the majority expected to heal. They also tended to be future orientated in regards to their illness. They would see themselves healthy having recovered from the cancer and they BELIEVED in those images.

            Many studies have been done on the role of placebos and a remarkable finding has occurred. When studying those who did not respond to the placebo, 80% did not respond to the real drug, in this case morphine for cancer patients’ pain.

            These examples indicate the role of the client’s expectations as well. Still, once again there are numerous stories, of those, who were ill from all kinds of illnesses, who truly expected to die and are alive today.

            So, we now have at least two major influences which can, but will not always, determine whether a healing will take place. There are some remarkable healers whose belief that a person can and will heal will often times override a client’s belief, that they are going to die or not heal. And then there are those patients who heal despite being told they are going to die.

            This brings up a few more questions regarding one’s innate ability to heal, and how does healing work?

            Many people believe that healings do happen, only for others and not themselves. Within this belief lies the belief that healings do occur, a doorway has been opened. It is at this point that confidence in the healing treatment may be established. The best healers have around them an aura that exudes images of healings, and the client has probably heard stories of the miracles that have occurred around a particular healer. Other healers tell stories of past clients with similar illness and doubts, who have had miraculous healings occur.

            Inadvertently, and sometimes purposefully the healer has shifted the client’s mindset from focusing totally on death and illness, to now also include images of healing and possibility.

            It is believed and taught in most healing arts; that each one of us has an innate desire to be healthy and whole. And that this drive for health and well-being resides in everyone, regardless of the current stage of health. The role of the healer is to act as a catalyst to reignite the spark within, if it is out, and to nurture the client back into a healthy frame of mind. Often times this drive or desire for health is very weak, and is fading. Sometimes it actually appears to have gone out.

            Many healers when interviewed about healings that occurred over time state that they have noticed a shift within the client. The clients become brighter, more chipper and more vibrant, and that the healing process tends to accelerate at this point. It is as if the treatment has taking on a new direction, moving from one which focused on the illness and recreating a proper energy flow, to one of really strengthening the body, mind and spirit into a vibrantly balanced whole.

            This is a very important shift and may occur during the very first session, or over time with some slipping back and forth. Still, a direction has been set, which is in alignment with the client’s innate desire for health and wholeness. There have even been clients who claim to have been healed in spite of them.

            Now, there are also times when the practitioner has doubts and the client does not believe that will heal, and yet they are healed. For many this indicates a higher power is at work.

            So we now have four major elements in the healing process. First we have the practitioner’s beliefs and expectations, secondly we have the client’s beliefs and expectations, and thirdly nature’s innate desire for health and wholeness that is in all of us, and fourth we have a higher power at work. To state that first we have such and such, and fourth we have this; is by no means meant to indicate any type of priority. Rather it is simply to indicate four common elements found within the healing process as performed by those healers whose clients seem to have a higher degree and success rate of healing.

            Most healers and alternative healing modalities have inherited in them a form of working with a higher power. There are also several healers whose healing system does not in and of itself mention a higher power, and yet those who practice that particular healing modality and find themselves apart of miracle healings do. An example of this is a wonderful reflexologist who is known for miraculous healings occurring for her clients. When interviewed by Eric Klaft, she mentioned that at the end of her treatments she bows her head, and a white light flows through her and into the client. She is also praying for the client at this point.

            While allowing white light to flow through her and into the client and praying for the client are not standards of a reflexology treatment, they are common among remarkable healers.

            The value of prayer and healing has been extensively studied with some intriguing findings. In one study cancer patients who were prayed for without them even knowing responded better then those who weren’t. In another study, people prayed over one group of plants and not another. The prayed over group had an accelerate growth rate. In yet a third study, people prayed over cells with cancer in them and the cells healed faster then those not prayed over.

            There are many stories of miracles happening once a person’s name has been placed on a prayer list; both with and without their knowing they were being prayed for.

            There have been many explanations and reasons given to try to explain how these events occur; yet I doubt anyone really knows for sure. We do all know however of these stories and the remarkable healers who pray for their clients, asking a higher power to intercede and help heal their clients, with positive results.

            Many faith healers from all walks of life, describe two forms of faith healing. One is praying for intercession as just mentioned, and the second may be described as invocative healing were the practitioner invokes the healing Grace of God and opens themselves to allow this Grace to flow through them and into the client.

            This is different from some types of pranic and shamanic healing were the practitioner builds up the energy or life force within themselves and then transfers it to the client. Here, the practitioner is allowing a steady flow of energy to enter them and flow out to the client. Many describe themselves as a vessel, vehicle or channel, for God’s healing love to flow through. In actuality, most shamanic type healers include prayer and invocative healing in their sessions.

            Most faith healers also believe that God is the true healer. God is the primary healer, who’s Divine will is that we all be healthy and whole. God’s permissive will allows for us to get ill and breakdown. When a person comes to them for healing, they believe that individual will receive a healing on some level; be it emotional, spiritual or physical. That is between the individual’s higher self and God. They the faith healers, partition God to heal the individual through prayer, and by allowing themselves to be open channels for the healing Grace of God to flow through.

            Faith healers also have a tremendous confidence in the power of love and compassion. Love of God for all humanity, and that it is this love that heals through prayer and faith healing.

            The faith healers that I have spoken to and studied with also believe in the role of the individual healer to assist the person being healed to open to the possibility of being healed, by recognizing their own healing ability and the healing power of prayer and faith being offered to them from above, and by their fellow community.

            In review of the most effective healers, I found compassion, tremendous compassion and love for life.

            There was a study performed of lab rats. Lab rats were being tested for cancer after being fed poison. There were several different lab sights were the tests were being performed. All the rats at the various sites started to become ill, EXCEPT at one particular lab. this one lab’s results baffled the researchers, for the rats were not becoming ill. They remained healthy! How could this be?

            As it turned out; the lab attendant would loving caress the rats prior to feeding them. That was the only variable that was different, yet it was profound enough to over ride the normal biological reaction of rats being fed poison! Psychologists have a different name for it-heaven forbids they call it love or compassion. Emotional stimuli can over ride physical ailments.

            The truly remarkable healers have this quality about them, which brings us back to the first ingredient of healing: The role of the practitioner. True healers tend to have a healing presence about them. And many are healed while simply being in their presence, often “in spite of themselves”.

            Second, these wonderful people, I have been blessed to have met and studied, bring a sense of calm and serenity into the healing session. This allows the client to begin to relax and open to the possibility of healing. And through sensing the healer’s love and compassion, the client tends to feel cared for. For many who are ill, this may be the only time during their period of illness where they can truly relax, and feel loved without any strings attached. They are simply accepted for who they are as they are.

            Thirdly, the client’s own innate desire for wholeness and health is reinforced and strengthened on all levels, emotional, physical and spiritual. As healing is applied from without, the healing ability within is also strengthened.

            A re-opening of the client’s connection with a higher power, be it their higher self or God is established. Most often both will occur, although not always with the client’s being aware of this occurring.

            We now have all the ingredients working together, a Divine will for health and wholeness meeting up with and working with an innate drive for the same, within a loving and compassionate healer-healer relationship where the healer is truly caring for the client in a tangible way. Aiding and assisting the client move from illness into health and well being, while strengthening their innate desire and healing ability, through the use of the healing techniques of their particular art and through petitioning the heavens on behalf of the client, allowing the healing graces of the divine to flow through them and into the client.