Science is often perceived to be an opponent of religion/spirituality and likewise religion/spirituality is often perceived to be an opponent of science. There is a war of thought and faith that has been going on for centuries. Can these opposing world views be united?

1. 1
Clergy Special Interest Group of the National Guild of Hypnotists
DEEPENING
September, 2004
Introduction by Rev. Lindsay Bates, DMin, CH
One of our goals in the Clergy Special Interest Group of the NGH this year is to give more of our members the opportunity to share their thoughts & experiences with the rest of our Guild – in part so we can get to know one another as colleagues, and in part because the diversity of our perspectives is a treasure well worth sharing. This issue, it’s my pleasure to introduce to you the Rev. David C. Grinstead, CH, licensed in the Methodist and ordained in the Interfaith traditions. David is currently an Associate Chaplain in the Department of Spiritual Care at Gaston Memorial Hospital and is the co-founder of the Hypnosis Center for Renewal in North Carolina.
A word of caution as you read David’s review and considers the implications of Dr. Koenig’s work for our own: As a medical doctor, Dr. Koenig is legally entitled to use the language of medicine and psychology and to treat medical and psychological conditions. A hypnotist who is not licensed to practice medicine or psychology may work with diagnosed or suspected medical or mental disease (including addiction, depression and anxiety) only upon referral from a properly licensed health care professional. If you haven’t already done so, go to the NGH website, download and read both the “Recommended Terminology for Hypnotic Practice” and the “Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice.” These are invaluable tools for

2. 2
translating the popularly-used medical terms into language we as hypnotists may legally and ethically employ, and for determining when it is appropriate for us to use them!

3. 3
A Review of
The Healing Power of Faith:
Science Explores Medicine’s Last Great Frontier
(by Harold G. Koenig, M.D. Simon & Schuster, New York, New York, 1999, 331 pages)
Reviewed by the Rev. David C. Grinstead, MA, CH
Science is often perceived to be an opponent of religion/spirituality and likewise religion/spirituality is often perceived to be an opponent of science. There is a war of thought and faith that has been going on for centuries. Can these opposing world views be united? As I read the book The Healing Power of Faith: science explores medicine’s last great frontier, I found that the author, Dr. Koenig, offers an olive branch of peace uniting these traditionally opposed world views as complimentary allies that optimize health, healing and well-being. Using cutting- edge studies that include thousands of medical patients county wide and of both sexes, the author proves the positive impact of people’s religious life on their physical and emotional health. Strong belief itself is shown to affect immune system responses, reduce blood pressure, and prolong survival.
Koenig has impressive credentials as he is certified in family medicine, psychiatry, geriatric medicine, and geriatric psychiatry. He has also worked as a hospital orderly, registered nurse, medical professor and researcher. Currently he

4. 4
is head of Duke University’s Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health where many studies have produced these findings:
 The deeper a person’s religious faith, the less likely he or she is to be crippled by depression during and after hospitalization for physical illness.
 People with strong religious faith are less likely to suffer depression from stressful life events, and if they do, they are more likely to recover from depression than those who are less religious.
 People with strong faith who suffer from physical illness have significantly better health outcomes than less religious people.
 Religious people live longer... are both physically healthier into later life and live longer than their non-religious counterparts.
 People who attend church regularly are hospitalized much less often than people who never or rarely participate in religious services.
This book is about hard scientific data and facts that focus on the impact of traditional religious faith and practice on physical health and emotional well-being. It does not contain anything of specific spiritual guidance or pastoral advice. However, there are many personal stories and examples from case histories that are related to relevant research findings. This allows the reader to draw conclusions of how religious practice and faith contributes to healing, health, and well-being.

5. 5
Used in the title are the words “Healing” and “Faith.” The author’s concept of healing is not limited to the cure of physical disease or recovery from injury. It encompasses those who suffer prolonged disability or illness, who can surrender to illness and experience anguish and desperation that far exceeds their physical pain. Faith is understood as the belief in a supreme being who hears and responds to prayer, an intentional Other intimately involved at the individual level assisting as we strive to our highest potential in terms of physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Specific health topics are addressed that speak directly to us as Hypnotists: chronic drug and alcohol abuse, depression, anxiety, forgiveness, nicotine addiction, weight control, self-esteem, and hope.
One case history of drug addiction illustrates how “Rick” was taught by his counselors a prayer to recite repetitively: “Lord, help me to hate this drug as much as I love it.” This simple invocation, repeated a hundred times daily, did what all the psychotherapy and drug treatment had not done –quenched the burning desire for heroin. Deep sincere devotional practices that include reliance on the daily reciting of specific Scripture passages reduce stress, alleviate anguish and produce tranquility. These types of religious devotional practices are self-hypnosis and hypnosis as prayer. The author points out that forgiveness and absolution are key factors in ending the alcoholic’s chronic cycle of guilt and bingeing, followed by increased guilt, more alcohol consumption, etc. Those recovering from alcoholic

6. 6
abuse need powerful sources of self-esteem and hope in order to undergo the necessary personality changes. Twelve step programs, depending heavily on personal religious experience to achieve and preserve sobriety, are highly successful. Compared to purely secular treatment, after a year into recovery, those in religious-based recovery programs were almost eight times more likely to report abstinence.
What about tobacco and nicotine? Can religion protect people against the harmful effects of these addictions? People who often attend religious services or have a private devotional practice were less likely to use cigarettes or to have never smoked cigarettes. The most important finding was that people attending religious services weekly accompanied with a daily devotional practice were almost 90 percent more likely not to use cigarettes than those less involved in such religious practices. The evidence is that religious faith may stop people from smoking, aid them in eliminating the habit, or assist them in smoking less if already a smoker.
Motivation and perseverance are primary elements in any weight-control effort. Spiritually based weight-loss organizations use small support groups combined with motivational prayer and scripture reading. Tension-reducing prayer is used to ease the emotional cravings that are often associated with food. And physical exercise such as walking combined with prayer at the same time is highly

7. 7
effective. These practices are very similar to the practices of walking meditation and Tai Chi, each a form of moving self-hypnosis.
Depression? Religion offers protection from depression and assists those already afflicted to recover faster. Those with religious faith cope better with life’s hardships. Though they may suffer depression they are more likely to recover quickly due to their faith. The evidence is that the higher the level of positive religious coping, the better the quality of life and the lower the levels of depressive symptoms. And statistical analysis shows that this protection is not affected by sex, age, education, race, etc.
In his book Koenig provides solid scientific proof that belief and hope do matter and that religious and spiritual based belief combined with hope matters the most. He proves that health, healing and well-being are optimized by combining the best that both science and religion/spirituality have to offer. It demonstrates how people can regain control over their lives through the use of spiritual tools that take full advantage of the healing power of faith.
Copyright © 2011, NGH-CSIG, including all individual works, studies, essays & papers herein unless specifically noted otherwise by the author. However, you may copy or quote any of the work herein provided proper credit is afforded to the writer and CSIG in the reproduced work. All rights reserved.