A Advanced Hypnosis Mind/Body

A Advanced Hypnosis Mind/BodyThe earliest recordings of human existence document that every society has been besieged by various maladies. Yet despite varying belief systems, the common goal has always been to restore the body to a state of wholeness. Medical models from ancient Egypt, Babylon, and Greece all incorporated treatment of the body as well as the mind. Likewise, both traditional Chinese medicine and Indian ayurvedic medicine contain elements that allow for the treatment of both. Central to these systems is the belief that interactions between the mind and body can bring about disease and affect health and healing. This is in contrast to modern Western medicine (MWM), which traditionally has focused on the body, evidence, and drug therapy (Verkerk, 2009).

Although it is not entirely obvious at what point the focus shifted or who crowns the MWM genogram, it likely traces back to the microscopic observation of bacteria and microorganisms in 1676 by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. In 1700, Nicolas Andry theorized that smallpox resulted from bacterial invasion. Although poorly received at first, the germ theory would later be validated by French chemist Louis Pasteur. Building on van Leeuwenhoek’s observations, Pasteur provided evidence that disease was a direct result of invasion by microorganisms. In 1862, Pasteur, along with Claude Bernard, developed the process of pasteurization, which is still in use. Other innovators of the 19th century include Gregor Mendel, Joseph Lister, and Robert Koch. In 1852, Florence Nightingale, who established St. Thomas Hospital in London, became a noted champion of hygiene and nutrition, leading to a measurable reduction in mortality.

Building on the established roots of these notable contributors, the 20th century would define medicine’s paradigm as one underwritten by the scientific method. Through pandemics, epidemics, and various wars, technology has continued to advance and utilization of the scientific method has brought us full circle from discovery of the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick (1953) to international sequencing of the human genome. While such unprecedented achievements leave little room for criticism, they support an operational definition of illness as an entity of external cause with internal effect, driving modern science to focus on the development of externally administered treatments that control symptoms or cure disease.