The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery. Anais Ni n. While doctors are usually very good at taking care of a patient’s physical needs , we usually neglect to minister to our patient’s desire for spiritual comfort.
This is a deficiency we urgently need to rectify, because a patient’s spiritual health can have a significant impact on how they cope with their illness. The idea that spirituality can help to heal is very old, and traditional cultures have always relied on medicine men, witch doctors and shamans to use spiritual interventions in order to cure illnesses, often with remarkable results. After all, it is through both the channels of medicine and religion that humans have grappled with the common issues of suffering, despair, and death , when confronted with an illness. Since the topic is so unfamiliar for most…
