Do our thoughts make us sick?
May 7, 2007
It’s a very popular idea in some circles that we create our reality with our thoughts. I’d like to investigate that idea and see if it really holds up in our common experience. In particular, I’d like to see how it relates to our health, or lack thereof.
If I look at my own life, I see plenty of examples where thinking did not make it so. Years ago I when I got pregnant I held the idea firmly in my mind that I was going to have a model pregnancy. Everything about the pregnancy and birth was going to be perfect. I simply wouldn’t allow any thoughts to the contrary to take root. What happened couldn’t have been further from my imaginings. I ended up with a very rare disease of pregnancy and almost lost my life. I contrast that with the fact that I tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac and have imagined myself with all sorts of diseases that I’ve never gotten. If thoughts came true, I wouldn’t be here writing this newsletter! One final example concerns my mother. She had a long held belief that she would not live to an old age. She was unwavering in this conviction, and yet she lived to be 93.
Take a look at your own life and see if there’s any evidence that you thought yourself into illnesses you’ve had. Chances are there are times when your thoughts corresponded with what happened and other times when they didn’t. I’ve seen people become fearful when a “negative” thought appears and quickly replace it with a positive affirmation. This seems like such a struggle to me and I don’t think that changing the content of our thoughts makes a difference to our health.
I do feel, however, that emotions affect our health. Chemical correlates to emotional states such as fear have been clearly demonstrated. All we have to do is tune into our own bodies to be aware of the powerful impact of emotions. My sense is that the emotions that accompany our thoughts are what can affect us, and it is our emotional states that we need to address. To simply try to replace negative with positive thoughts is too superficial an approach.
What do you think? What has your experience been?
Comments
9 Responses to “Do our thoughts make us sick?”
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Hi Mary and Richard!
I agree – For me changing the thought pattern even accompanied by vision was not enough if the emotional side was not addressed. The issue was not resolved, altered, etc. as the emotional state had not changed. I took your previous newsletter to heart in allowing my emotions in, acknowledging them which in turns facilitates them leaving. For me, that is the road to change.
It has been quite helpful, thank you.
Blessings -
Michelle
Thanks for your comment, Michelle. I’ve been exploring the interplay of thoughts and emotions quite a bit lately, and it really helps to hear what others experience.
Good to hear that you are able to allow the emotions in. It sounds so simple and yet it isn’t always easy to do. We have so much conditioning to do otherwise. We’re glad this has been helpful.
Blessings to you!
Mary
I agree that a single change of thought might not change a situation. But I sincerely think that thinking positive thoughts about what is going on in your life, or your future, brings positive emotions, a lighter heart you may say, which then may attract positive energies to you. So saying or thinking positive affirmations about something might not change the thing going on right now but in the long run, I think, it makes for a happier and more positive outlook on life in general and helps you to cope with what ever life dumps on you in a more easy and positive way. It keeps the joy, the twinkle in your eye, even in the face of troubles. My daily affirmation is actually a reminder to my self to remember where happiness comes from; Happiness comes from a sincere love of God and a positive outlook on life! It has worked for me! Sincerely, Patricia Foth
Hi Pat!
The more I think about this subject, the more complicated it seems, and I appreciate different perspectives.
I do feel that our thoughts affect our emotions. Cognitive therapy, which deals with that, can be very effective for something like depression. It can be helpful to discover habitual ways of thinking and underlying beliefs which affect our emotions and outlook.
Hi Pat: I enjoy your insightful writing. I would have to agree that what we think influences us in many different ways. I know in my own life if I think about something it does indeed affect me. I react to situations and life differently depending on my thoughts.
Yet I also know that thoughts which are closely tied to our emotions. I’m a heart doctor, and what is clear from medical research is that negative emotions can create illness.
Since thoughts and emotions are also intertwined, I’d have to agree that thinking a certain way can make you sick.
Joan Borysenko, has an excellent book, Mending the Body-Mending the Mind. She was a researcher at Harvard and has chronicled the link between thoughts and the body.
It’s a good read.
Thank you, Dr. Kirk, for adding your perspective and for the book reference.
I agree that thoughts and emotions are intertwined and the way we think affects our emotional states (just as our emotional states color the way we think). What I was trying to get at in the original post was that simply exchanging a positive thought for a negative thought without attending to the emotional component may not have any impact.
It’s a mystery to me how it is that our thoughts impact our emotions and vice versa!
What a good conversation. I’ve been aware of the thoughts-emotions connection for years and have worked to greatly increase the percentage of positive thoughts and emotions I experience everyday. I will admit that I am much happier, laugh a lot more, etc.
But there still seems to be a missing piece and the more I learn about the subconscious mind, the more I am struck by the role it plays. No matter how positive I train my focus to be, if I am carrying contrasting fears or beliefs under the radar that were instilled years and years ago, my positive emotions don’t seem to make a dent.
So, I suggest that our unconscious beliefs can make us sick, regardless of what we think and feel consciously.
Great addition to the conversation, Deb. I feel that uncovering those unconscious beliefs is essential in healing and I’m so glad you brought this up!
….this is getting interesting and right to the point:
so what we all need to do is re program our neurological thought patterns as well as emotions. In term re-programing the way we think. Which can be done. The mind is like a muscle, it grows stronger each time we perform a certain task. If we are used to thinking the worst of situations, a certain part of the brain creates that habit. (or strength) we need to break that habit and replace it with a positive thought pattern, then visualize and actually feel the emotions that go with it. (even if at the start we feel like we are faking it) But after time we actually start to feel it, believe it and LIVE IT.
A recent scientific study of Buddist monks has proved that daily meditation does infact ‘re-wire’ the brain and can infact make us happier and healthier without changing our lives.
It is simply a change in the way we think, see ourselves and feel.
very interesting don’t you think…
But what most people don’t realize is that there is 3 parts to healing and they are :THE MIND, BODY and the SOUL.
It is only when all three are combined that truly create health and happiness for the long term.
Once negative thought patterns are erased,
the next step is to forgiveness of ones self and more importantly others. To let all negative thoughts go and accept people/things for who/what they are.
The third is to truly LOVE oneself with a deep love. (warts and all)
I read your story above and i wonder how much your sub consious thoughts played on your outcome?
who can say?
but thank you for a thought provoking conversation…