The Absence of Mind and Self-Healing

The human mind plays an important role in the natural healing process of the body. Its impact on health and the general wellbeing of people has been studied and documented quite extensively in disciplines like medicine, psychology, physiology, as well as religious studies. Scholars and practitioners have applied various approaches and methods to examine the different status of the mind and their impact on a person, especially bodily functions or health. Although these studies may vary along a variety of fronts, they all seem to be concerned on either the application or the abstention of the mind. While a few studies on meditation emphasize the relaxation of the mind, most others seem to favor the manipulative use of mind power to achieve desirable effect on the body or the treatment of illness. Consequently little has been said about the complimentary relationship between the application and the abstention of the mind.

This paper discusses several cases of traditional Chinese Tai Ji Qi Dao treatment and the theoretical construct of Tai Ji Xue with regard to the impact of the mind on self-healing. Through the analysis of several cases of Qi Dao treatment and participants' testimony, it will highlight the relationship between the mind and the body's self-healing process. It will hypothesize that the abstention of the mind is a significant factor in self-healing and placebo effect. It will also point out that while active application of mind power in self-healing can be beneficial, like in cases of Qi Gong treatment and some meditation therapy, undisciplined and poorly developed techniques often lead to unwanted side effect and further complications.