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An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

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During massage <strong>the</strong>rapy <strong>the</strong> body is relaxed, <strong>the</strong> lymphatic system functions moreefficiently in removing chemicals from <strong>the</strong> blood stream. This is similar to <strong>the</strong> body‟sresponse to physical activity or exercise. After massage <strong>the</strong>rapy, <strong>the</strong> client is usuallyadvised to drink water to flush <strong>the</strong> toxins. The many beneficial effects <strong>of</strong> massage <strong>the</strong>rapyis outlined in Moyer‟s (2004) meta-analysis <strong>of</strong> massage <strong>the</strong>rapy research. This paperexplains that when compared to <strong>the</strong> medical model <strong>of</strong> treatments, <strong>the</strong>re are limitations but<strong>the</strong>re is a psycho<strong>the</strong>rapy perspective on mood enhancing effects. It may be that <strong>the</strong> bodyhas a similar response when <strong>spiritual</strong> healing is administered whe<strong>the</strong>r by direct contact(using <strong>the</strong> healer) or indirect contact (participating in a church service or receiving distantprayer).The <strong>spiritual</strong> healer may intuitively „feel‟ <strong>the</strong> person‟s pain through transference <strong>and</strong>empathy (Rogers 1990, Fleischman1990) <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> physical process <strong>of</strong> reaching out to <strong>the</strong>person confirm a psychological <strong>spiritual</strong> process. This is also sensed <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> person mayreceive or reject <strong>the</strong> healing energy. Rogers suggests that it is <strong>the</strong> attitude <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> tone <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> healer (counsellor) that encourages <strong>the</strong> client to accept a diagnosis <strong>of</strong> client‟s feelings.In <strong>spiritual</strong> healing, using touch as part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>rapy implies that <strong>the</strong> attitude <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> healeris intended to be empa<strong>the</strong>tic <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> person will receive it as such. The healer is advisednot to „lay h<strong>and</strong>s on anyone hastily <strong>and</strong> to eep yourself pure‟. The <strong>spiritual</strong> healer maynot underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> chemical requirements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> body <strong>and</strong> may fail to give <strong>the</strong> recipientappropriate advice. Equally it may be that <strong>the</strong> miraculous or mysterious effect <strong>of</strong> <strong>spiritual</strong>healing allows healing to take place regardless <strong>of</strong> how <strong>the</strong> healer or <strong>the</strong> healed behave.273

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