Table of Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  6
Introduction: About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Historical Perspectives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
Clarifying Competing Beliefs: A Case Of Double Vision . . . . . 29
Recognizing The Truth: Bringing Reality into Focus. . . . . . . 35
Blind Bartimaeus And You: Throwing Off Guilt. . . . . . . . . . 42
Becoming Like A Four Year Old: Making A Spiritual Advance. . . .52
Jeremiah And You: Adopting A Fighting Spirit. . . . . . . . . . 60
Prescription Number One: Find Your Mission . . . . . . . . . . .71
Understanding The Call To Serve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Understanding What It Means To Find Your Mission. . . . . . . . 80
Understanding How Finding Your Mission 
        Brings Emotional And Physical Pain Relief. . . . . . . .83
Understanding The Psycho-Physiology Of The Brain. . . . . . . . 87
Examples Of Missions To Which People Have Been Called . . . . . 90
Prescription Number Two: Exercise Your Muscles . . . . . . . . .94
What It Means To Adopt A Regular Exercise Program . . . . . . . 94
The Exercise Imperative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
The Physiology of Pain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Gaining The Necessary Heart of Wisdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Prescription Number Three:
        Get Regular Massage Therapy Treatments. . . . . . . . . 110
What Is Therapeutic Massage?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Understanding The Healing Effect of Massage Therapy . . . . . . 112
The Spiritual Aspects Of Receiving Massage Therapy. . . . . . . 115
Prescription Number Four:
        Cultivating The Art Of Meditation For Healing: The Theory 120
What Is Meditative Prayer For Healing?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Understanding The Power Of The Relaxation Response. . . . . . . 123
Understanding the "Imagery Response". . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Understanding The Receptive Visualization Response. . . . . . . 127
Is It Appropriate for Christians to Pray or Meditate
        for Healing?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
What You Can Expect .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Prescription Number Four:
        Learning The Art Of Meditation for Healing: The Practice 135
Meditative Relaxation Techniques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 135
Progressive Muscle Relaxation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Relaxation Through Breath Control. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .136
Autogenic Training . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Centering Prayer . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Directed Pain Control Imagery Visualization . . . . . . . . .. . 141
Directed Healing Imagery Visualization. . . . . . . . . .. . . . 144
Receptive Visualization Techniques.. . . .  . . . . . . . . . . .147
Guided Affective Imagery Visualization. . . . . . . . . . . . . .147
Active Imagination Visualization Techniques. . . . . . . .  . . .149
Ignatian Scripture Visualization . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .152
Instructions For Taking This Prescription. . . .  . . . . . . . .154
Important Preparations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154
Further Suggestions. . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163