Marc Ian Barasch

I really liked the varied investigative approach the author took to his subject of compassion. He looks for clues in the behavior of our simian cousins, chimpanzees and bonobos, finds inspiration in the work of Soren Kierkegaard, and talks to a number of extraordinary altruists. I learned of this book because I am friends with one of them, Hector Black. I'm very glad to have read this book; it really got me thinking about the ways that we can open ourselves to be caring and compassionate in our daily lives.… (more)

I previously reviewed ”Healing Dreams” by Marc Ian Barasch, which book I thought was brilliant.

The present book is quite excellent, though perhaps I was even more enamoured of “Healing Dreams”.

Barasch suffered from cancer of the thyroid, which he himself was the first to diagnose, as recounted in the above-mentioned book. He had to make the difficult decision as to which form of treatment to pursue.

He consults Tibetan and Chinese physicians, noted psychologists, including Lawrence LeShan, and takes part in an Indian sweat lodge ceremony.

He finally concedes to accepting surgery, though is in doubt as to whether this is the correct decision.

Barasch discusses disease and transformation and the spiritual implications of disease. What are you supposed to learn? He states: “ --- the interplay of illness, healing and consciousness has been observed throughout the history of medicine ….”.

He deals with making meaning out of illness and asks “What heals?” Former patients informed him that getting in touch with so-called negative feelings was “a first gateway to greater aliveness”. “Healing means to become your real self,” He is told that the quest for wellness is “intimately entwined with the search for personal authenticity.”

He quotes the psychologist Jeanne Achtenberg as saying that “kindness, graciousness, a giving constitution, a cheerful outlook – don´t work in the struggle against disease”. Cardiologist Dr. James Lynch states that disease often results when patients “cannot feel in their own bodies” and “become deaf to the longings of their own hearts”.

Some patients inform him that when they surrender, let go, their symptoms begin to mysteriously diminish (this is the message of the illustrious David R. Hawkins – my comment).

He notes that we may experience spiritual growth without being physically healed (this is what I personally have experienced).

The author treats the subject in great depth – he leaves no stone unturned.

He talks of the powers of nature, mentioning that ailing wild chimpanzees will seek out the Vernonia amygdalina bush to cure themselves of intestinal parasites.

The body is capable of fighting serious disease when restored to its natural balance.

Barasch cites a patient diagnosed with terminal melanoma who uses the Gerson diet of detoxification. She begins re-experiencing every physical injury she´d ever had, the numbing of her arms from an accidental pesticide exposure, the worst emotional hurts she´d received from her parents, etc. etc. She´d had terrible curvature of her spine as a child and osteoporosis as an adult. She´d broken her ribcage and her posture had got progressively stooped. But suddenly her spine seemed to straighten out, pop-pop-pop. The compound fractures in her back went pow-pow-pow for about two hours, and then she could stand again! Then the five months of chemotherapy came pouring out in three days. Sooty stuff came out of her pores, and she got burns on her face from the chemicals. When she came home from the clinic three weeks later, her neighbours didn´t recognize her. When she´d left she was stooped over, ugly, awful. She looked dead. Now she was hopping around like a twenty-year-old-girl. She even started menstruating again. However, when she went off the diet for five months, everything started reversing. She had to return to drinking large quantities of carrot juice, eating organic foods, etc. etc.

To sum up, this is an amazing, rich book, wonderfully expressed, tackling deeply the subject of healing in the deepest sense. As the sub-title states, it is a “soul approach to illness”.

I highly recommend that you read this enlightening, unique work!… (more)