Video: Mental Imagery Can Cure and Can Kill

In a case study published in a major medical journal, cardiologist Bernard Lown reports on a patient admitted with irreparable heart damage following a massive heart attack. In the days before transplants, this patient was not expected to survive. During rounds, the patient overheard his cardiologist, Dr. Lown telling medical students and residents that the patient’s heart had a wholesome gallup (a very bad sign) but this patient, upon hearing that his heart had a wholesome gallup misinterpreted that to mean that he was as healthy as a horse. Upon misinterpreting that statement as great news, the patient became empowered to get well. The heart began to recover and the man was discharged. The doctors concluded that this was one of those bizarre cases that defied medical explanation. This is not a common occurrence, but various versions of this story have occurred throughout history. Usually, the cure is attributed to some supernatural occurrence, referred to as a miracle. The reality is that, as explored in my book—In Your Own Hands: New Hope for people with chronic medical conditions, the mind has the power to cure disease. The challenge is usually in finding a way to make that happen.