Spiritual healing as practiced in the religion of Spiritualism is never advocated as a substitute for mainstream medicine but is used in conjunction with mainstream medicine.† There is substantial empirical evidence, including scientific research, that demonstrates spiritual healing works (see the section below on recommended reading).

Here is a method of laying-on-of-hands spiritual healing:

Always advise your sitters to see a doctor if they have a serious condition.

The person receiving healing should sit in a chair.

The healer stands behind the chair and places his hands on the shoulders of the sitter.

The healer mentally repeats the following prayer:

Repeat this meditation for several minutes, ten to twenty minutes would be typical.

This healing meditation is especially effective when used in combination with the Practicing Peace meditation.

When healing another person, it is not necessary to touch the sitter. If the receiver is bedridden the healer and receiver may hold hands or the healer may just sit or stand near the receiver.

This can continue for any amount of time, 5 to 20 minutes would be typical. Repeat as often as desired, daily among family members or weekly from a dedicated healer is typical. Do not expect miraculous results. While there may be a few exceptional healers who can obtain significant results in one treatment, it is more common to repeat treatments over a period of weeks, months, or years depending on the condition. Healing is not synonymous with curing. Do not promise results. Do not make medical diagnoses unless you have a license to do so. Results may come in unexpected ways and times. Healing may manifest in acceptance of the condition or other alternative experiences.

The healing does not come from the healer, it comes through him from a higher source which applies and directs the healing force for the highest good of the sitter. This should be kept in mind by the healer during healing. The healer's intention should not be to heal by his own power. His intention should be to offer himself as a channel through which he moves the healing force.

The healer should be in a relaxed, alert, meditative state. His mind should not be racing or wandering wildly, nor should it be asleep or allowed to drift in a drowsy manner. Super-intense concentration or straining should be avoided. It is possible to think of something else while healing, and this should be avoided too. The healer should only be thinking of healing. If you are repeating a prayer, don't just say the words mindlessly but understand them, be aware of their meaning as you say the prayer. If you mention a person's name, think of the person or visualize them if you know what they look like. If you use the word "God" bring to mind your idea of God when you use the word. If you ask for healing energy to come into you and to flow through you, visualize that. The correct effort of concentration is key to channeling the greatest amount of healing force possible.

The healer should be physically and mentally relaxed, rested, and in good health. If he is upset and cannot relax or (except in self healing) is in ill health, the healing session should be postponed. If the healer is in a depleted state due to dieting, or exhausted from too much exercise, or is very hungry there may be difficulty bringing through the healing force.

If you develop a sense of the healing force flowing through you, you may be able to notice how it fluctuates with the quality of your concentration and other conditions. This type of feedback will allow you to achieve your maximum potential as a healer. Remember your intention, not your effort, is to heal. Your mental effort is to bring through the healing energy. The law of proportional assistance applies here.

There are many, many different types of techniques used for spiritual healing. What they have in common is the intention of the healer to heal. The differences are simply different techniques that help the healer to maintain intention and concentration over an extended period of time. Therefore the best technique will be the one that allows the healer to maintain intention and concentration and this may differ from healer to healer.

Anyone can do this. Psychic ability is not required or even an indicator of healing ability. The sitter does not need faith, it can be used on animals and infants who do not understand anything about it.

Family members of the chronically ill can do this for their loved ones.

Spiritual healing is completely natural to human beings. Every parent who has held a sick child and wished for its recovery has performed this type of healing. When you place your hand on some part of your body in response to pain, you are doing it. Health professionals such as physical therapists, massage therapists, and chiropractors may also be spiritual healers while not being aware of it.

The more you practice healing the more effective you will become. The best healers will have a sincere desire to help others with no thought of reward or recognition.

You can send healing to those not present simply by sitting quietly, entering a meditative state of mind, and praying for healing to be given to those you name. You can visualize healing white light coming down to your head from a higher source while repeating a prayer such as, "Oh God, please move healing energy through me to [name the person(s) to receive healing] to give them healing for their highest good." You may also visualize the recipients in vigorous good health. The length of time for healing would be the same as for laying on of hands. It is typical to do this daily. You can heal more than one person during a session by naming each person individually.

Sending healing to "where it's needed for the highest good" is a practice that leads to spiritual unfoldment.

You can improve your ability to transmit the healing force by practicing every day. This will attract spirit helpers because it demonstrates your dedication, and will give them an opportunity to become attuned to you. You can practice by laying-on-of-hands, by sending healing to those not present, or by sending healing "to where it's needed for the highest good". All of these methods are equally effective for the development of the healer.

Remember: The correct application of the healing force is in the spirit of love.

Recommended Reading

• "The Effect of the Laying On of Hands on Transplanted Breast Cancer in Mice", William F. Bengston, David Krinsley Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp. 353-364, 2000
  http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_14_3_bengston.pdf
• "The Therapeutic Touch: How to Use Your Hands to Help or to Heal" By Dolores Krieger
• "Psychic Healers" by David St. Claire
• "Born To Heal" by Ruth Montgomery
• Sir Robert Boyle endorsed spiritual healing.
• Nurse Healers Professional Associates International: "In 1992, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) created the Office of Alternative Medicine. The experts in this office found that Therapeutic Touch has one of the strongest research bases of any of the alternative/complementary modalities. There are over two dozen doctoral dissertations, dozens of master's theses, and many post-doctoral studies, several of which have been funded by NIH. Research continues at a rigorous pace in institutions of higher learning throughout the country. TT is accepted in a growing number of hospitals and universities throughout the US, Canada and around the world."
• "Men, Woman Say They Were Cured by Faith Healings"
  http://www.newsnet5.com/news/4216901/detail.html
• More books on healing
• More news articles on healing
• More articles on spiritual healing can be found on my blog:
  http://ncu9nc.blogspot.com/search/label/spiritual%20healing

† It is a misunderstanding to distinguish between the physical world and the spirit planes. They are all part of the one universe. This misunderstanding occurs because people have difficulty perceiving the spirit planes. However the distinction made by extremists who blindly prefer either spiritual healing or mainstream medicine is incorrect. Both healing technologies have their areas of effectiveness in treating the complex being of a spirit incarnated in a physical body. For example, if a bone is broken, it would be most efficient to set the bone with physical manipulations and once the ends are correctly aligned, then apply spiritual healing in conjunction with the body's natural healing process.

There are a number of factors that can influence the effectiveness of spiritual healing:

• The amount of healing force the healer is able to conduct.
• The skills of the spirit guides directing the healing force conducted by the healer.
• The karmic needs of the recipient. If an illness is intended to teach something to the recipient, then spiritual healing may help the recipient understand the lesson rather than help with the illness.