Wholeness is another word for healing. Centuries of spiritual and medical research have been devoted to the pursuit of wholeness.

Wholeness, at its essence, involves incorporating those aspects of ourselves that are below the surface of our conscious awareness — those aspects that produce disease, discomfort, anxiety and despair. Our conscious minds would never produce these things. In fact, in our conscious minds, we fight these things. We look for the best exercise program, the right foods, the next new drug. All of it brings a temporary cure. None of it brings wholeness.

Wholeness comes from within. Wholeness comes from self-examination — examining what’s behind this discomfort, this sore that doesn’t heal, this persistent back pain.

I recently worked with a woman who experienced continuous pain in her lower back. During our intake interview, she expressed her worry that people were talking about her. She kept coming back to this theme. At the end of the interview, I finally said firmly, “Let them talk.” Her eyes opened wide. She reported that her back pain released immediately.

“Let them talk.” Her eyes opened wide. She reported that her back pain released immediately.

We need to become free from our own fear, our own anger, our own held grief. None of these emotions are harmful in and of themselves. They are a natural part of our humanity. But held in, unexpressed, even to ourselves, they make our knees weak, our heads hurt, our backs ache, or any number of other diseases. In themselves, they are meant to flow into our awareness and be met by our discernment, our growing compassion and wisdom. Unacknowledged and repressed, they become crippling.

John Sarno, M.D., was an American professor of Rehabilitative Medicine and a practicing physician for over seventy years. Throughout his career, he worked with chronic pain, and got remarkable results. His treatment was often more education than drugs or bandages. Dr. Sarno’s research reveals that our own internal processes can — and must — heal us. His final book, The Divided Mind, is in the Resources section of this blog, along with his earlier books. The writings of Howard Schubiner, M.D., are also valuable, particularly Unlearn Your Pain. And last but not least is the remarkable story of Howard Shifke, a lay person who found his own internal cure for Parkinson’s. He documents his story in Fighting Parkinsons… And Winning.

There is hope. And if the answer doesn’t come from the latest miracle drug, it may simply be within.