I was having a lovely dinner with couple last night. One of them was having health issues and had
undergone many months of a form of chemotherapy. The subject of spiritual healing came up. I explained
that the greatest tool for healing was in their possession – their mind. As long as they had that, wellness
could happen. The woman asked “are you talking of mind over matter?”

This led to an interesting discussion. I really dislike the term “mind over matter”. It implies a kind of conflict
between the two – as if mind makes war on matter and a tussle ensues. In reality there is no war and no
tussle. Matter should be understood as “mind made visible”. It is the “end product” of mind. Mind is cause
and Matter is effect. Or as some have said matter is mind on a lower vibration. When mind changes,
matter changes – though often it is not seen by the five senses. But on the subtle levels these changes are
happening. This understanding is essential in understanding astrology and the role the planetary powers
have on behavior, health and circumstances. The planetary movements change the mental-emotional
atmosphere. Mostly on an unconscious level, but sometimes consciously. This naturally produces
changes in the physical conditions.

In spiritual healing we are not making war on a person’s physical symptoms. Those symptoms are the
result of past thinking (and in many cases thinking that has gone on for thousands of years). This is one of
the meanings of “karma” – past momentums that are still in effect. Positive momentums produce happy
things, negative momentums produce suffering and discord. In spiritual healing we turn the mind from its
present condition to a different one – to a condition of health. The attention – the focus – is turned to health
and wellness. We do our best to ignore the symptoms. We just keep the attention on health and keep it
changed. This change of mind will have physical consequences. Matter, the effect, will mold itself
according to the new cause that has been set into motion.

In the case of acute problems, healing will tend to happen very quickly. In the case of chronic problems –
things that have taken, many years to develop (sometimes thousands of years and many incarnations) the
progress will be slower. But if the mind is turned to health to the exclusion of all else, progress will happen.
There will be gradual improvement in these conditions. Over time, healing will happen.