Healing of the Body Through the Mind by D. H. Kress, M. D.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 12, 1912

Healing of the Body Through the Mind

By D. H. Kress, M. D.

D. H. KRESS, M. D.

A most intimate relation exists between the mind and the body. It is impossible for one to suffer without the other's being affected.

Derangements of the body due to wrong habits of living are often responsible for derangements of the mind, and in these cases improvement in the mental condition can not be expected until the bodily conditions are improved by the correction of wrong and injurious habits. It is also known that heart-sickness is responsible for many physical ills which can not be cured by diet or treatment alone. Remorse of conscience, dissatisfied and restless feelings, discontent, mental despondency,—all interfere with, and mar, the healthful action of the vital organs. Obstinate digestive disturbances and often more serious difficulties may be wholly or in part due to a perverse mental state. When the mind is sick, the entire body is sick. Mind-cure in such cases is the only remedy.

To the palsied man, who was conscious of having brought upon himself this bodily affliction through sin, Jesus said, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." To be healed of the palsy of the body, the palsied mind must first be restored. After this was accomplished, Christ could say, "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house."

"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance," and "doeth good like a medicine." When the heart is cheerful, the stomach, liver, and other organs of the body are at their best. Health of body depends upon health of mind.

A violated conscience is many times responsible for serious bodily disease. It is impossible to wrong another without sustaining an injury to the health, provided the one who does the wrong has a conscience. There is but one legitimate remedy for such. It is found in the book of James: "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." If this prescription were more literally carried out, there would be many marked cases of healing.

Feelings of despondency should not be cultivated. An effort should be made by all to look upon the bright side of life. It is important to talk health instead of disease. This was very forcibly illustrated a few years ago. In Australia, at the close of a lecture, in which I dwelt upon the need of cultivating a hopeful, cheerful disposition because of our influence upon others, one of the audience, a minister of the gospel, arose and said,

"I wish to relate my experience to emphasize what has been said by the speaker this evening. Several years ago, when editor of a paper in America, I was in poor health, and one morning especially felt very much indisposed for work. A knowledge of the many papers piled up on my desk needing attention led me to make an effort to start for my office. On the way I met a friend, who said, 'Good morning, Mr. —! you are not looking well this morning.' This almost led me to turn around and start for home, but by a renewed effort I continued on my way toward the office. I met another friend, who said, 'Mr. —! you are certainly looking poorly,' etc. This was too much for me, and I turned around and started for home. The next morning I felt worse and less inclined to go to work than on the preceding morning, but I made another effort to go to my office. On my way I was just at the point of turning around and starting for home when I chanced to meet another friend, who said, 'Good morning, Mr. —! this is a bright morning; you are looking real well.' This gave me a mental uplift, and enabled me to get to my office. I worked the entire day, and started for my home at night feeling much better." Then he turned around, and to my surprise said, "The friend who spoke these encouraging words was the lecturer of the evening." This to me had been a trivial thing, and was unconsciously done; but it meant very much to my friend. I determined that night that I should continue to carry with me a good supply of good cheer with which to greet my friends.

To live to be a blessing to others is one of the paths leading to health. Giving is living; denying is dying. "Is thy cruse of comfort failing? Rise and share it with another." It was not until Job prayed for his friends that the Lord turned his captivity, and gave him twice as much as he had before his affliction.

The prophet Isaiah, in the fifty-eighth chapter, speaks of a people who were evidently seeking health, but were self-centered. The Lord said of them, "They seek me daily." This seems commendable, but the difficulty was, they were selfish. They fasted and afflicted their souls, bowing down their heads like a bulrush, and then said, "Wherefore have we fasted . . . and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?" The reply was, "Is it such a fast that I have chosen?" God does not encourage selfishness even in prayer. Then he added, "Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" And the promise is, when you do this, "Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily." Disinterested benevolence, living to bless others, brings about a wholesome condition of mind, which in turn reacts upon the entire body, carrying healthy impulses to every organ and cell. This is a remedy for want of which many are perishing. "The liberal soul shall be made fat."