I recently talked to a friend about Visualization to help this friend's physical healing. I thought I would share what I said in case someone can benefit from it. This kind of prayer is accepted in the Catholic tradition.
To clarify, this friend is undergoing medical treatment; therefore the use of Visualization is complementary to this person's treatment.
Visualization or guided imagery can help with emotional as well as physical healing. Visualization, for instance, is used to help treat cancer. Visualization is also used to heal memories; and within the Christian tradition the meditation could involve bringing Jesus with you to revisit the scene of trauma (in your imagination).
What I suggested to my friend is to integrate religion with visualization to help with physical healing.
The basic idea is to relax and get into a meditative state, and to use your powers of imagination. There are variations of this type of meditative prayer. I am talking about a specific technique, which uses a scene in the bible.
Put yourself in a quiet, restful, and pleasant place, take some deep breaths and relax, then do visualization, thinking always of good and positive things, and filling yourself with golden healing light. The idea is to pick a bible scene and in your imagination go there. Use your senses to see, hear, smell, feel, even taste to experience what is going on in that biblical scene. Imagine Jesus touching your body and filling you with golden healing light.
For instance, you could use the following scene of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment. Imagine yourself in Jerusalem. There is a crowd, we know that, but where are you? What time of day is it? What do you hear? What do you smell? When the image is more or less vivid in your head, you could put yourself in the place of the woman and approach Jesus, touch the hem of His robe, and fall down in front of Him. Imagine Jesus touching you and filling you with golden healing light so your body glows. You can in your imagination, talk to Jesus, ask for healing, thank Him. You should also listen because sometimes, in this meditative and prayerful state, He talks to you.
Luke 8:43-48: And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
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Here is another bible scene about healing, the one about the blind beggar. Use your powers of imagination and place yourself near Jericho. Use your senses to see, hear, smell, feel what is going on. Then when the image is clear in your mind, like the blind man call out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Imagine Jesus responding to your plea and touching you and healing you.
Luke 18:35: As he drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And those who were in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and commanded him to be brought to him. And when he came near, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him."
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In this type of meditative Visualization, remember to think of positive thoughts only, and to fill yourself with God's love. Imagine yourself filled and surrounded with golden healing light. If you have negative thoughts or if you are afraid, offer these up to God and let him take care of these thoughts and feelings of fear.
In addition, try to laugh everyday--- watch
cartoons or funny movies. The writer, Norman Cousins literally laughed himself to health. According to this Mayo Clinic report, laughter stimulates many organs, activates and relieves the stress response, soothes tension, improves your immune system, relieves pain, increases personal satisfaction, improves your mood, and many other benefits.
Laughing, smiling, being happy are all healing.
We are God's children, and He wants the best for us. He wants us healed.
tags: healing, health, alternative, medicine, therapy, treatment, prayer, meditation, visualization, guided imagery
This is all for now,
2 comments:
Yes, the visualization or imagery technique is very effective, especially using Bible images of healing. Please allow me to share.
When I had malignant cancer of my thyroid glands in 1995,worst scenario according to my oncologist is I would lose my voice bec the malignancy enveloped my tracheal chords. Scraping along my tracheal chords had to be done during the operation. I constantly meditated on scriptural passages and images on the blind man Bartimeus who shouted, "Lord that I may see", and he did. In my case i pleaded "Lord,that i will get my voice back." And I immediately did even inside the recovery room! Because my ulcers acted up, I turned to the voice panel and asked the nurse to bring me food and ice.The nurses hurriedly came and gave me food.I was heard! Then, my doctor came and I greeted him. "Good afternoon." To his amazement, he exclaimed "You got your voice back!" and he even said, praise be to God!. Later on, our healer friend priest, the late Fr.Adorable, upon hearing this "little miracle", told me that at that moment I was recovering,God orchestrated everything with my ulcers acting up, to the nurses following my wishes to get food etc.even without doctor's approval to the doctor visiting me right away etc, so that Glory and Praise be given back to Him, our Lord as the Divine and Master Healer!
Same case when I had a very difficult pregnancy on 1984 with our youngest daughter, A____she just got married last Jan in Mla). I had a bad case of placenta previa, she was coming out, head down at two months! and so was confined completely and totally in bed. It was so painful and hard esp that we just moved to our home in G_____ and wanted badly to decorate myself and fix!
Fr. A_____ would come and visit me at home, do the healing prayers every two weeks during my entire term.. But I also had a bad case of toxic hypothyroidism which aggravated the health and proper nourishment of our baby.
I prayed like never before, prayed the prayer of St.Escriva, meditated daily on the woman with hemorrhage, wanting to reach out to touch Jesus garment,to be healed!
Inspite of so many medical issues related to my pregnancy, a fifty-fifty chance of survival at 4th month of my pregnancy,thank God, i reached my full term and gave birth to our biggest baby , Caesarian at 8lbs!!, the fairest and in the pink of health, as they say", defying all my medical issues that i will give birth to a small baby because of my toxic condition.(the rest of our babies born earlier, normal, were only in the range of 6lbs bec of my thyroid condition already then.,)Indeed, I praise and thank God!
My sharing here allows me again to praise God and give Him all the glory! Thank you, Raquel , for blessing us with your spiritual journey and healing, especially in this new Season of Pentecost.
The biblical woman with hemorrhage was so apt for me, mainly because for every slight move I made while totally in bed, I would bleed. Sometimes profusely. Other times , even with small blood clots.So, I had to completely surrender to God our baby and my toxic condition. We both survived and it is a miracle, indeed!
Thanks, Cecilia for your beautiful blogs which are so rich and precious! Love them all!Sharing them with my family, too.
Hi Cecilia...I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 weeks ago. My husband and I have been praying using the method of Dr. Francis McNutt (laying on of hands). I went to a healing mass two weeks ago and realized that Jesus does not change. He is in the Eucharist and Blessed Sacrament and is the same healer He has always been. Using your creative visualization method makes it come "more alive" and less "cerebral". Thank you!
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