June Newsletter

THE PSYCHICAL NATURE OF DISEASES

The psychical nature of diseases can be explained in a few words as being the lack of life, either by the lack of sufficient matter in the body or by the excess of matter, which leaves no scope for the spirit. Besides it is the impression of pain which the mind holds. Pain is not always physical. There are physical causes, but as soon as the mind knows of discomfort, out of fear it holds it, and this is called pain.

Disease is often caused by the lack of rhythm, be it in thought or feeling, in the breath, in action, or in one’s everyday life. For instance, to stay up in the night when one is not accustomed to - anything that one is not accustomed to do put one out of rhythm. People, who are accustomed to be angry or quarrel, if they are not allowed to do that, would become ill. There is a story told in India that a person who could not keep any secret was compelled to keep quiet; in the end he became ill and the doctor had to cure him by permitting him to give it out. All this signifies rhythm; every habit forms a rhythm.

The fear of catching a disease is also cause of illness. There are people who wonder whether they are ill, and try to find if there is something wrong with them. There are some who enjoy self pity of the sympathy of others. These invite disease. Some entertain disease when they are to a certain extent unwell. They wish to surround themselves with the environment of a patient, or try to take a lazy life. By so doing, naturally the mind holds the disease longer, as it was allowed to do so.

There are many other causes. Among them the most unfortunate is the impression that, " I have got an illness that can never be cures." For this impression is worse than a disease. In fact the soul of every individual, healthy or ill, is pure from any pain or disease, and it constantly heals mind and body; and it were not for mind and body, which increase illness, a person would always be well. It is natural to be healthy, and all illness, pain or discomfort is natural.