There has always been a long tradition of Healing in the Western tradition (and indeed in other Mystery Traditions). Indeed, what are now known as “Esoteric” healing methods were widely used by exoteric medical practitioners at least until the end of the Renaissance, and the beginning of the so-called Enlightenment. From that point on, esoteric healing methods were driven underground by the scientific community, as indeed were a lot of occult practices. It is only in the present era that they are beginning to be publicly mentioned again.
The general principle behind esoteric healing methods from ancient times to the present day may be stated thus: physical effects do not solely come about through purely physical causes. Moreover, to successfully treat a condition, all of the causes must be dealt with.
These two sentences are fundamentally at variance with modern medical practice, which generally confines itself to the physical. In addition, modern medicine does not necessarily treat the cause of the injury or disease, but often only the effect thereof.
The correct (i.e. esoteric) approach to healing should be both Holistic and Integral. Holistic (from the Greek Holos, means to treat the whole. The Holistic Healer, when examining the patient, asks:
Is there a physical cause?
Is there an emotional cause? Is there what esotericists would call an etheric or astral cause?
Is there a mental cause?
Is there a spiritual cause?
Remember that in each case one is searching for causes and not merely effects. For example, the effect of Eczema is a painful skin condition. However the cause is a liver condition which sends poisons out through the skin, which cause the skin to become irritated. The Holistic healer would then go to work by treating the liver - and by treating whatever caused the liver to fall into that condition in the first place – as opposed to treating the skin, which at best would only alleviate the symptoms of the disease.
The holistic healer also recognises that causes do not just occur within the patient, but also within the patient’s environment. This may include emotional, mental or spiritual causes as well. For example, if the healer determined that the patient’s condition was caused by a troubled relationship, the healer would address the problem of what to do about that relationship. The healer would not rule out looking at paranormal factors: astral influences, karmic influences, and more. For although scoffed at by conventional science, often these are only too real to the patient, and so they deserve to be treated seriously by the healer.
The Holistic Healer then prescribes a course of treatment that deals with all of the causes identified. This leads to another undeniable truth when it comes to healing: ultimately, the Patient must take responsibility for his,[1] own well-being and health. The Holistic Healer cannot do all the work himself – because in many cases the only effective ways to treat all of the causes are for the patient to put changes into effect in his own life. The Healer facilitates, helps, encourages, and shows the way – and the patient actively assists the Healer to do so.
True Healing is also said to be Integral, in that treatment at higher levels both transcends and includes treatment at lower levels – including conventional medicine. Conventional medicine does have its place in relieving injuries and illnesses that really are physically caused. However, the ideal form of healing is one that integrates all levels at once, wherever necessary: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Note well that there are practitioners of supposedly Holistic forms of healing, such as Homeopathy, who are not Integral in their outlook, because they criticise conventional medicine with as much fanaticism as sceptics criticise them. The wise approach is to appreciate all that is useful in all forms of healing. (jwmt.org)