visualization
We’re used to thinking that we must use a medication to find relief or remission. It’s the traditional way. But. Many cancer patients believe that there’s something else they can do to enhance treatment: visualization. No joke. Real oncologists have used this with their patients. And as I explain, note this reduced  version of a card from our deck of healing affirmations.

The late O. Carl Simonton,M.D., a radiation oncologist, explored and made public the mind-body connection in fighting cancer. As a young doctor he noticed that patients who got the same radiation treatment sometimes had different outcomes.

As he looked more deeply, he concluded that those with more positive attitudes had fewer side effects AND lived longer. He began recommending meditation and medical imagery for his patients. His approach was termed “will to live” and it made quite an impact back in the 1970s. You’d think more researchers would pick up on it immediately. But it took a while.

visualizationIndependently, researchers at Stanford University and UC Berkeley  back in 1989 found that women with advanced breast cancer who got emotional counseling–that affected their attitude– lived about twice as long as those who did not. And today even cancer organizations point to studies showing that some cancer patients who wrote about their feelings about their disease had significantly fewer symptoms and cancer-related doctor visits.

So something is happening with the mind-body connection. But research is frustratingly slow.

I should point out that traditional medicine does not believe that evidence supports the use of imagery to affect cancer’s outcome–but it’s also true that guided imagery is used more and more to help with treatment or disease side effects. Bottom line: there’s a lot we don’t know about how to use guided imagery or attitude-affecting affirmations or emotional counseling to influence outcome–or if it really can. But we DO know that it doesn’t hurt outcome and it CAN help side effects.

So there’s nothing to lose and something important might be gained. Why not go for the possibility of an extra edge in treatment?

I believe deeply that researchers in the future will have a better handle on how to use these alternative methods for better health. After all, who thought famous hospitals would offer their patients the energy healing of Reiki? And yet, many big treatment center hospitals do just that.

visualizationAnd that’s exactly why and how I developed my healing products that harness the power of the mind-body connection: a deck of 50 compact, beautiful healing affirmations that can be used as daily visualization mantras or meditations and a guided journal that has pages of prompts and activities patients can use to express feelings about their disease.

Because some studies show this can help–and we know it can’t hurt.

If someone you love is facing a tough health challenge, why not support them by sending one of our pretty, affordable healing gifts?

The large gift pictured on the left has the affirmations, journal, a rose quartz healing stone, heart-shaped candle, a “you’ve got this” sticker and a luxury lip balm and the small gift  contains affirmations, a candle and the sticker.

Gifts are always shipped free in the U.S. and shipping to most other countries is discounted. Your message or ours on an enclosed gift card.

Visit the Gifts tab for more information.

Journals and affirmations can also be purchased alone and they’re super-affordable.  The deck is available as an online subscription, too. We also offer cancer patients a downloadable guided imagery they can listen to during treatment.

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