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I do not refer to spiritual healing as "faith healing" because openness, or suspension of disbelief, rather than faith, is necessary on the part of the patient. I participate by surrendering my own will and entering a nonordinary state of consciousness, so that a transpersonal mind may express itself through the opening provided by my willingness to be its vehicle. This merging of consciousness for the purpose of healing entails trust by both patient and healer. In my practice, it also embodies the concept that giving is receiving. I believe that my participation in a healing interaction lifts my consciousness as well as the consciousness of the patient. We make contact with a universal consciousness together, and I believe that connection permits a spiritual power to affect human activity.
I give my attention, and receive an experience of an expanded state of awareness during healing  my very being becomes activated with consciousness, and my body feels infused with light. Doing healing feels much like the life-changing dream experience that I described in Chapter 7. I begin each healing interaction with faith that something lawful, but as yet unexplainable, will occur; and then I experience it occurring. I perceive its activity by inner sensations of vibrations, movement, and colors; and overwhelming feelings of inner bliss and peace. Observable changes in a patient's physical symptoms are made possible by our mind-to-mind connection.
Spiritual healers are primarily concerned with a way of being, whereas other types of healers attend to the sick person's body, and try to heal the patient's physical symptoms. They direct their attention outward, and concentrate on replenishing or manipulating the sick person's "energy flow." Energy healers do this in the presence of the patient, using their fingers or the palms of their hands. Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, pranic healing, and Chi Gong are examples of this type of subtle energy healing. Psychic healers, on the other hand, are able to manipulate symptoms with their minds from a distance. I believe that psychic healing, energy healing, and spiritual healing belong in different experiential categories, though each of them involves nonlocal mind connections, and each may promote healing. I have participated in both spiritual and so-called energy healing, and some recent healing experiences I have had with family members illustrate the differences.

 
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