Healing Beyond the Body: Medicine and the Infinite Reach of the Mind

by Larry Dossey

Here is a new collection of writings on health and healing from a leader in the field of alternative medicine. Larry Dossey has transformed both the practice and teaching of modern medicine by demanding that they encompass two subjects that many in the scientific establishment would rather ignore. The first is meaning, a concept many scientists flatly declare to be beyond the realm of science. The second is nonlocality, a term indicating the infinite reach of human consciousness, or, more prosaically, the ability of one being to affect another—through prayer, for example—at a distance and through no known medium. A third concept connects and embodies both meaning and nonlocality: mind. It's a subject that Dossey quickly persuades us we know far too little about. Dossey is one of the most influential spokespersons for the role of consciousness and spirituality in modern medicine, lecturing to hospitals, medical schools, and lay groups around the world. The wide-ranging essays gathered in Healing beyond the Body exemplify consciousness without boundaries. Time and again, Dossey explores research that demands that we expand our view of healing to include elements well outside the standard medical modalities. He examines alternatives such as prayer, love, laughter, creativity, dreams, hypnosis, and more. Some of the essays are lighthearted and whimsical, such as those dealing with the impact of humor or fishing on health. Others are more challenging—for example, the essay on the "evil eye" and his Maggie Award–winning "War: A Vietnam Memoir." Some are visionary, such as those dealing with the infinite reach of the mind, and some are genuinely inspirational, such as the concluding essay, "Immortality." Each essay in its own way will challenge and inspire readers to examine themselves and their health in new and different lights.

Genres: Health

369 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2001

About the author

Larry Dossey is a physician and author who propounds the importance for healing of prayer and spirituality. He combines science and prayer to advance the cause of healing the sick.

Larry Dossey studied medicine, graduating from University of Texas at Austin & the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in 1967. While attending medical school, he became interested in Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Taoism. Severe, recurring migraines prompted him to study biofeedback and meditation in hopes of finding a means of controlling the headaches. He began to practice meditation regularly, while remaining skeptical about the type of praying he had learned in his youth. After graduation, Dossey went on to a distinguished medical career, which included service in Vietnam as a battalion surgeon and residencies at the Veterans Administration Hospital and Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Dossey's curiosity about the connections between science and religion prompted him to begin researching medical studies focused on the power of prayer to aid healing. In the 1980s, Dossey began writing books to document and explain his findings.

Dossey's 1993 book, Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine, made it to the New York Times bestseller list and sold close to 150,000 copies in the first three years after its publication.

Reviews

[Ricky · Rating 3 out of 5]

From one chapter to the next the author makes quantum jumps in linking topics. The conclusion was weakly delivered and failed to crisply integrate all the book's concepts in answering its title. That all said, Dossey's storytelling style is easy reading and he proffers some interesting and convincing arguments. The concept of 'healing beyond the body' centres on how consciousness and meaning has a part to play in our physical health and road to healing. He talks about how the scientific philosophy of conventional western medicine needs to recognise the importance of complementary care, as well as better nurture the natural healing talents of young entrants to the profession. If you believe in alternative therapies then recommend reading this book, which is easy to digest in random chunks...

[Gregg Puluka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that covers a lot of topics. Definitely a book that reflects the author’s view of the world based on his experiences and personal reading.

Great starting point for a discussion on science, American medical practice and spirituality.

Definitely recommend

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Jennifer Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one for anyone who works in health care. I really believe in the mind-body connection, especially as it relates to healing. Would highly recommend.

[Pat]

Ideas of why we go to war

[Ne'emah Assaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it