In examining the correlation between the mind and your health I came across some information pertaining to some tests done on a woman with split personalities. The thing that struck me so profoundly was the testing of the woman was different when she was of one of the two personalities. You see the woman would test positive for diabetes when her mind had her as one personality and then test negative for diabetes as the other personality. Proving how powerful the mind really is. The realization of this leads to the question, how can I control my mind to make me a healthier and happier human being?

There have been many documented positive effects on people do to a “placebo response” to a certain drugs or procedure. Many scientists are researching just how powerful our thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and emotions can be and how they affect our health and wellbeing.

So what role does the power of the mind play in our health and in our lives? Why is it that some people survive from the same diagnosed disease and others suffer and die? One emotion, Hope, has played a role in healing for centuries. How does hope and the attitude of certain individuals actually become the medicine needed to help there immune systems cure them of these deadly diseases. Why is it that a doctor cannot prescribe hope and tell us that although the diagnostics may be bad that along with some medication, a change in certain habits and an extra dose of “hope” and positive attitude your body can cure itself? Well the reason why a doctor or anybody else cannot prescribe hope is that it is something that cannot be measured. It is also not a pill that can be taken. But many, including the medical industry, know that there is something to it. In the past few years researchers have begun to examine how hope, as a function of the mind, plays in the recovery of the human body. They have looked into the biochemical reaction between the brain and the body. There has been research done at the National Institute of Health and Georgetown University on how emotions bridge the gap between mind and matter within our bodies. They describe this communication system as the psychosomatic network. The psychological and chemical mechanisms within our body which controls the neuronal, hormonal and immune system all use the same neuropeptides to communicate. Since they all use this system to communicate the crosstalk on these systems affects each other. If hope is the emotions being transferred over these neuronal pathways, can it actually affect and improve the communication and ability of these other systems to perform better and lead to curing a person?

Studies have shown that the immune systems cells loose their ability to fight off disease in people who are helpless or hopeless. And that hope actually boosts the immune systems function.

When fighting a disease or poor health one should realize that hope and the power of the mind does actually play a part in the body curing itself. Also people with hope usually have more energy which will also help your immune system and give you the strength to enjoy your day.

Many people derive hope from God or from their spiritual source, others from family and friends and others by setting a goal and attaining it. Even though a situation may be difficult the knowing that hope and your mind can play a part in it could be just the source you need to give you the extra strength to cure your disease.