Timeless Healing

by Herbert Benson, Marg Stark

In this life-changing book, Dr. Herbert Benson draws on his twenty-five years as a physician and researcher to reveal how affirming beliefs, particularly belief in a higher power, make an important contribution to our physical health. We are not simply nourished by meditation and prayer, but are, in essence, "wired for God."

Combining the wisdom of modem medicine and of age-old faith. Dr. Benson shows how anyone can, with the aid of a caring physician or healer, use their beliefs and other self-care methods to heal over 60 percent of medical problems.

As practical as it is spiritual, Timeless Healing is a blueprint for healing and transforming your life.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Health, Medicine, Meditation, Medical, Psychology

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Herbert Benson, M.D. (born 1935), is an American cardiologist and founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He graduated from Wesleyan University and Harvard Medical School.

Benson is Mind/Body Medical Institute Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI). He is the author or co-author of more than 175 scientific publications and 11 books. More than four million copies of his books have been printed in many languages.

Benson is a pioneer in mind/body medicine, one of the first Western physicians to bring spirituality and healing into medicine. In his 35+ year career, he has defined the relaxation response and continues to lead teaching and research into its efficacy in counteracting the harmful effects of stress. The recipient of numerous national and international awards, Dr. Benson lectures widely about mind/body medicine and the BHI's work. His expertise is frequently sought by national and international news media, and he appears in scores of newspapers, magazines, and television programs each year. Dr. Benson's research extends from the laboratory to the clinic to Asian field expeditions. His work serves as a bridge between medicine and religion, East and West, mind and body, and belief and science.

Benson participated in a dialogue that was held at Harvard in March 1991, as part of a conversation between scientists and Buddhists initiated by 14th Dalaï Lama, organized by the Mind and Life Institute. Book Review: MindScience.

Reviews

[Dottie Parish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Herbert Benson, M.D. in his book Timeless Healing cites the placebo effect as evidence of the power of our thoughts. Patients believe sugar pills will alleviate their symptom and their belief makes this happen. A 1988 research study at Brown University showed that patients with chronic pain were more likely to be impaired, no matter the severity of their pain, if they believed pain indicated impairment. In other words, those who believed pain and disability were always linked became more impaired. When patients focused their minds on thoughts of being active and well, even though in pain, their health improved.

Focusing on positive thoughts in the midst of pain, fatigue and invasive or immune lowering treatments is not easy. The key is to monitor your thoughts and don’t dwell on how bad you feel. Acknowledge your illness or pain but think about other things most of the time. We can’t control what happens to us but we can learn to control our thoughts. This Is an excellent book to help all of us be healthier.

[Amelia the Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the ideals of this book: belief and biology go hand-in-hand. Faith is a powerful thing. As humans, we are wired to believe in something or someone bigger than ourselves. And I enjoyed knowing that it was a doctor-a man of science-writing with such passion about how important prayer and meditation are. But the only reason I finished it was because it was an assignment. Benson was in dire need of an editor and a good one. His writing felt unfocused. And there were times I felt he was only writing something becauase he could. The entire book could have been condensed into a series of three or four articles.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover blurb of the Baen edition hints at what this truly is, which is a technological horror story of sorts. What begins as standard space adventure turns into something much darker.
I found that I couldn't put it down, especially once the nature of the horror story became clear. Clever and well-written.

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

It wasn't necessarily a bad book, just filled with information that I already agree with, and didn't find all that new or interesting.

[Mat Rueter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The faith or faithlesness that governs our lives can affect our health.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want to heal your soul with the self-help books, this is definitely not the one as you will not learn much.

I read a lot of books on this subject, and if you ask me what I learnt from this book, I cannot remember.

'Just let it happen' author says.

Ok, you can let t happen without buying this book for sure.

[Stu · Rating 4 out of 5]

My sort of thing, so I liked it. Made good sense to me. Interesting confession at the end. I'd read Relaxation Response a long time ago and this was basically more of the same but giving a wider view and pushing for reform.... in short saying a better 'bedside' manner and listening and empathy is nice ....

[كريمه بو قمر · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this book on 1992 , i was in a bad situation and saw a dr speaking about it on tv , and i were lucky : i found the book on the local super market , and back a days we cant find such books in my country specialy on the super marcket , and read it and reread it again and again , it is a very well written book , and i learn so much from it

[LWDC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the relaxation response... More a way of writing the same thing and calling it timeless as we have been able to learn, perhaps, that in order to heal we need to return to our base state of mind. Yet in this world of over distraction we might not know what are base state of mind is other than our most often resided in state of mind...

[Ruby Hollyberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Goodreads blurb needs to be fixed. :( This is space opera but instead of romance, honor, glory or idealism, it mixes elements of the Alien movies/War of the Worlds and the psychological terror of running from one's sick past. The ending is terrifying.

[Jim Bouchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a genre crowded with new-age hocus-pocus, Dr. Benson, a noted and well credentialed medical expert, offers practical and proven techniques for health and wellness based on sound science and the continuing exploration of the power of the mind.

[Isabelle]

Read part of this for my Mind-Body connection class -- I like the theories presented, how he re-defines "placebo effect" to become a positive self-healing idea. I just didn't have time to finish before the final exam, and I haven't picked it up again yet.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequential Tart review

[Joy Ayscue]

loving the validation that healing is a CHOICE!

[Martianngray]

Also a book to better understand the psychology behind stuttering

[Glennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This rating is for Hunting the Corrigan's Blood by Holly Lisle

[Anthea Strezze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to be added later.