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SPIRITUAL AND EMOTIONAL FACTORS
FOR DISEASE

"What is the cause of illness?" (Part III)

At the highest frequencies of energy, illness cannot exist, because disease vibrates at a low frequency. The highest vibrations come from the thoughts and emotions of love, joy, passion, excitement, and love of life. The ideal state for the frequency of wellness is self-love, which creates a protective shield of personal space, strengthening your aura and your immune system, and protecting you from negative energy (both from within yourself, and from negative energies outside yourself). The ideal state for the frequency of disease is self-hatred, which invites attack on every possible level, especially from within. Negative emotions such as anger, depression, sadness, despair, self-condemnation, etc. lower your vibration, which weakens your immune system and leaves you vulnerable to disease and negativity.

All illnesses already exist in the body, and only develop when they become activated by a particular thought or pattern of thoughts and energy, which are triggered by responses to certain life experiences. Like attracts like vibration, so if you are resonating on a high frequency of love and joy, then that is what you will attract to you and experience. If you let yourself be brought down emotionally, your vibration slows down and allows negativity to attach itself to you, which further lowers your vibration. This can spiral downward into disease, depression, and eventually, death.

If your auric field is strong and intact, then nothing can affect you from outside yourself. The high vibrations of self-love, joy and love of life protect you from being affected by external forces. Without them, one can allow oneself to be influenced by a variety of life experiences that contribute to a state of imbalance and disease.

Although I will not be addressing all of the causal factors for disease (this column has already become very long as it is!), the following are some of the emotional, karmic, and spiritual factors that contribute to the manifestation of illness, as well as factors that contribute to healing:

Emotional Factors:

- Fear of making necessary changes can result in illness. The Universe is always trying to communicate with us through our intuition, and through our body. Pain, discomfort and illness, as well as patterns that keep repeating, are signals that something needs to change, but if we fear change and ignore these signals, then disease can develop. Making the necessary changes in life can restore balance and healing.

- Unwillingness to acknowledge one's own needs or to meet them causes pain. Many people believe that "need" is a "four-letter word", but "love" also has four letters, and so does "self". We all have needs, and if we attend to them on a regular basis, we stay healthy and happy on all levels. Neediness only arises when we ignore our own needs, and become starved for energy and attention as a result. Unmet needs cry out for attention, and illness can become one of the ways to get one's needs met, but it is not a healthy way, nor a pleasant way to do so.

- The need to please others can put one at risk for disease. People pleasers (and healers/caregivers) often put others first, and attend to themselves last, if at all. The bottom line is that if you do not take care of yourself, no one else can, until you create a situation where you become so exhausted that you become dependent on others to take care of you. Balance is key to wellbeing in life, so you must always fill yourself full first so that you will have plenty to give to others. (Like on an airplane when they tell you to put on your oxygen mask first so you will be able to help others with theirs. If you put theirs on first, you might suffocate in the process!)

- A lack of boundaries, and an inability to say "no" are very dangerous. The aura is a boundary defining and protecting our personal space; it is the first line of defense for the immune system. When we do not have a healthy sense of our own identity and our right to be, our boundaries become weakened, leaving us vulnerable to other people's energy and influence. Saying the word "no" is an empowering act of self-love that honors your own truth. If you say "yes" when it is untrue for you, you compromise yourself and put yourself in a position of sacrifice, and what you give from that place is resentment rather than love. If you say "no" when that is your truth, then you love and honor yourself as well as the other person. If that person chooses to feel disappointed, rejected, offended, or angry, etc., that is not your responsibility, it is their choice of response, which is their responsibility. You are responsible first and foremost for yourself.

- Which brings me to selflessness. Giving yourself away will leave you feeling depleted and exhausted. It is wonderful to be generous, giving, and in service, but if you become selfless, you give all your power away until there is nothing left to give, at which point, you have depleted your power and life force. Selfless giving without the balance of receiving is a key factor in breast cancer. You must honor your self and give to yourself first, so that you always have plenty to give to others.

- Depression resonates at a very low frequency (it is a major topic unto itself that I will address fully in an upcoming column). Negative thoughts and emotions release chemicals in the body that attack the body. Over time, these negative thoughts will create depression, which actually causes a chemical imbalance, rather than being the result of one. Depression sucks the life and the joy out of everyone and everything. Joy is an expression of life force and vitality, whereas depression is a hole, a bottomless pit that sucks energy into it. People do not want to be around those who are in a depressed state, because it brings them down to a lower frequency where the immune system itself becomes depressed.

- Wishing for death or having suicidal thoughts invites death and darkness into the body. The longer, stronger and more frequent these thoughts are, the more death and darkness can spread and take hold in the body, becoming increasingly pervasive until the intention of death is met. The mind can be a real killer, but it is also the source for healing. Intensive meditation and visualization on gratitude and light can overcome this darkness, but there must be a true commitment to life in order to counteract the long-term effects of invoking death. Living well requires the will to live.

- Guilt is a killer of life force and joy, as is shame. Both of these cause the self to attack itself, and deny itself the joy of life.

- To hate anything is to hate life itself, because hate is anti-life, it is anti-love, and it is purely destructive for all involved.

- Anger, frustration and impatience require a lot of energy, and burn life force as fuel until they burn you out. These emotions are caused by resistance to what is, and resistance causes pain. Resistance creates blocks to the flow of energy, and these energy blocks in the body will manifest as disease. Take a breath, accept and allow the flow of life, even if it is not as you would like it to be. Nothing is worth the price of risking your health, happiness and wellbeing. You have no control over anything outside of yourself, but you always have choice as to your response (which is your responsibility), and your responses determine your outcomes and your ultimate experiences in life.

- Worry and anxiety, which create a constant leak of energy and life force, come from a lack of faith, and not trusting life. Your intuition will keep you safe and let you know when there is cause for concern, if you listen and trust yourself and your own feelings. But if you are in a constant state of alert, then the paranoia caused by worry and anxiety will drown out your intuition, making it difficult for you to hear or feel it. Worry and anxiety slowly erode life by preventing you from enjoying living in the now. However, the more present you are, the more aware you will be of any real cause for concern for yourself and those you love. So stop worrying and enjoy life, because joy is the key to wellness and longevity.

- Envy, vengeance and judgment waste precious energy and life force, and deny major tenets of Universal Law. This Universe is abundant, so each person can manifest whatever he/she chooses to create and experience, therefore there is no reason to envy another, but rather see them as an inspiration for what is possible. Vengeance denies the existence of divine justice enacted through the balance of karma; let go and trust that all is recorded and balanced in the final reckoning. We have all been all things and will be all things, so judge not. Judgment is a form of attack, and the energy that you send out comes back to you tenfold; therefore, bless those whom you would judge and wish them well, then you, too, shall be blessed.

- Illness is often an expression of a need for love and attention, or a need to be rescued. We have a tendency in our society not to give to others unless they are in need. If a person has learned that being ill is the only way that he/she will receive needed love and attention, then illness will manifest in order to meet that need. Sometimes illness is simply about a need to receive and to let go of control.

- Taking life too seriously can be very grave indeed. Lack of humor, joy, or joyful activities is very serious. Laughter is recognized as the best medicine to promote healing because it raises one's vibration, causing the cells to vibrate faster, at a frequency where disease cannot exist. (I have a friend who rents comedies whenever he's sick and he swears that he laughs himself well!)

- Feelings and beliefs of being a victim can manifest illness. A person who has a "why me?" mentality, and a belief that life just happens to them, and it is often bad, will attract all that is on those lower frequencies, including illness. Conversely, those who embrace disease as a gift and an opportunity to change, empower themselves to heal. Life is ultimately about power and energy; our thoughts and intentions direct that power and energy to manifest our experiences.

- Illness can be the ironic result of a need to avoid pain, a fear of taking the next step, or a way of procrastinating. If a person feels trapped in a painful life-situation, he/she may manifest illness as an escape from a terrible job, or an uncomfortable relationship, or a general malaise/discomfort. Illness may be seen as the body's best way out, but it is not. One always has choice, every moment and every step of the way, and there is always a moment of choice before illness sets in. It is best to have the courage to face and express your truth, rather than letting your body speak for you. Sometimes just getting away, having a change of scenery or routine can be all that is needed to restore balance and well-being, but one must be willing to meet one's needs without illness as an excuse.

- In my opinion, blame and lack of forgiveness are major causes for disease. They create enormous blocks in the flow of vital energy, and leave one feeling powerless and depleted. When you blame another, you give away your power by giving over responsibility to another. Responsibility is power - it is the power of choice. If you take responsibility for your part in creating a given situation, then you have the power to change it. Lack of forgiveness fragments the self and traps pieces of you in those unresolved situations. Forgiveness frees you, for this life and others, and gives you your power back. Forgiveness makes you whole again, allowing your life to flow in peace, love and joy. Forgiveness and compassion are keys to wellness and wellbeing.

Karmic Factors:

- All life challenges are opportunities for growth and evolution. When we are challenged, we learn a great deal in the process of facing and overcoming that challenge, whether it is within or outside of ourselves. Illness forces one to look within, and to face and address oneself and one's life.

- Sometimes illness and disabilities can be part of a soul's plan to experience all things - we have been all things, and we will be all things in the Universal recycling process of reincarnation. Often newer souls come in with mental "handicaps" so that they can be protected and taken care of while they experience the challenges of being human. Other souls may decide that they are ready for the life lessons involved with being ill, while very old souls are often afflicted with ailments and feelings of old age, even when they are children.

- Sometimes illness or disability can be part of a sacred contract with family and loved ones. It can be a gift that allows others to grow in their ability to love, to have compassion and to care for another. These are huge opportunities for growth, expansion and evolution of the heart, the mind, and the soul of all concerned.

- For some, like Stephen Hawking, or Mattie Stepanek (child author of "Heartsongs" who appeared on Oprah), illness is a way to get the world to listen to their great wisdom and pay attention to their message. They sacrifice themselves physically for the betterment of the world. Also, sometimes the body cannot handle such great power, and either becomes weak or heavy in order to be able to embody the intense greatness of such a soul. This can be the body and soul's way of compromise and balance, like a blind person whose other senses become heightened. Often people who are highly gifted intuitively have challenges physically, especially with weight or eyesight. Such is also the case with people who have autism but are geniuses in other areas, such as mathematics or music. The Universe has many ways of creating and maintaining balance, and physical afflictions can be part of that.

- Balance is key to wellbeing, and imbalance can create illness. Imbalance between masculine and feminine principles, whether internally within the self, or externally in the world, can manifest as illnesses related to reproductive organs.

- Imbalance between giving and receiving depletes energy for all those concerned, and creates resentment on both sides. If you are constantly giving to another without receiving, you are not only exhausting your own supply which will lead to resentment, but you are also giving the message to the other person that they have nothing of worth to offer. You deny them the joy of giving to you, and you deny yourself the joy of receiving a gift in acknowledgement of your kindness. You disempower them by fostering dependence, and you disempower yourself by not receiving your worth, creating an imbalance of power, and feelings of inferiority and worthlessness all around. This is a disastrous situation that leads to bad feelings and bad experiences, which create lower vibrations for everyone concerned. Eventually, those who only allow themselves to be givers will become martyrs, and will only attract takers; but there is no joy in that, and it leads to exhaustion, resentment, and illness. Ultimately, someone has to pay for what is given; if you do not allow the other person to pay for what they have received, then you will be the one to pay in one way or another. There must be an exchange of energy in some form in order to maintain a healthy balance.

- Imbalances in this lifetime can be corrected later in life in order to avoid having to live in extremes in the next lifetime. For instance, someone who has been extremely controlled/controlling, independent, uptight, or very mentally focused, may experience such conditions as Alzheimer's, ALS, incontinence, etc., in order to have the balance of lack of control and dependence.

- Some ailments and injuries can be the result of past life afflictions. Birthmarks can be the marks of mortal wounds from other lifetimes. Some issues, such as asthma, can relate to how one died in a former life, for instance, by strangulation, hanging or asphyxiation by fire. Most phobias originate from past lives, and can be resolved through SPIRITUAL HEALING.

- What we judge we become in order to experience compassion. If we judge another person's hardship, whether in this life or in past lifetimes, we are likely to take on their experience in order to develop love and compassion for our fellow man, because we are all connected.

Spiritual Factors:

- Facing death causes one to embrace and appreciate life. Illness provides an opportunity for choice: either to make changes in life, or to accept the process of disease and death.

- Lack of self-love opens one to attack of all kinds, including disease. Feelings of unworthiness, low self-esteem or low self-worth are symptoms of a lack of self-love. If one does not love oneself, then one will not feel worthy of joy; rather one will have a tendency to feel bad, to attract bad things that resonate on that frequency, and then to assume that those bad things are deserved as a measure of one's lack of worth. This becomes a self-fulfilling (or unfulfilling) prophecy, as like attracts like. Self-love attracts love, joy and light; lack of self-love attracts pain, darkness and despair.

- Many people hold a belief that suffering is holy, and that the stairway to heaven is built with blood, sweat and tears. This is often fostered by antiquated religious doctrines that needed to control the population and make them literally pay for their sins - it is much easier to control people if they are suffering and afraid. This belief in suffering will manifest all sorts of ailments and afflictions of body, mind, heart and soul. Pain will be the inevitable result, because your beliefs create your reality. The frequency of heaven is that of joy and love, and when you resonate at those frequencies, then you can have heavenly experiences in life and in the afterlife.

- The aura is the first line of defense of the immune system. When it is intact, it protects you from outside forces, allowing the body to maintain its systems for optimum health. When it is damaged, it leaves one vulnerable to external energies, and it allows one's own energy to leak out, both of which allow for the manifestation of disease. Holes and tears in the aura occur through shock, trauma, accidents, surgery, abuse, illness, etc., and cause "chinks in the armor" of your auric force field of protection. (My COLUMN ON THE AURA describes how you can heal this damage for yourself and others.)

- A lack of meaning or purpose in life can leave one feeling depressed and unfulfilled, which are both lower frequencies. The things that give you joy and passion will guide you to your purpose, because it is your purpose to experience and share love and joy in life. Giving to others, sharing yourself, your gifts, your success and your abundance raise your frequency, and give you a great sense of meaning and purpose. You receive joy as you give and share joy, because what you give out comes back to you.

- Feelings of hopelessness, lack of faith and having nothing to look forward to can lead to illness. Wellness is maintained through joy, and through love of life. Make a list of all the things you want to experience and accomplish in life (places you want to see, things you want to do, even people you want to meet), They don't have to be big things, just the things that give you joy. Do as many of them as possible as often as possible.

- Sometimes disease can be the result of taking on someone else's pain, or a sacrifice to serve others. Pets often do this out of love, as do children and healers. One of the problems with this is that the other person has manifested pain as an opportunity to learn, to grow and to heal; if that pain is taken from them before they have healed the root cause, then they will likely manifest the situation again. This is true of all situations where we would be tempted to help and rescue another: homelessness, bankruptcy, illness, mental illness, depression, etc. It is better to teach them to fish for themselves for a lifetime, then to give them food for one day so they will only starve again next week. Give them the benefit of your wisdom and guidance, so they can empower themselves to live well for life.

- It is possible to die from the despair of a broken heart. Tremendous grief can create a lack of will to live, which activates the dying process. (Husky dogs have been known to kill themselves after losing their beloved masters by burying themselves in the snow.) It is essential to reach out for love and support in such times, and to give grief and heartbreak time to heal itself. It is important for the person who is grieving to trust that one day, the dark days will pass and the light will shine for them again, which will mark a rebirth into a new life. Faith is key in this process.

- Illness is the result of a disturbance to the natural flow of energy. Peace within creates a state of wellbeing, and lack of peace can disrupt one's sense of internal harmony and harmony with life. When illness arises, it can signal a need for peace, a need to be alone and reconnect with oneself (journaling is great for this), and a need for silence and retreat. This can allow a person to recharge and replenish energy and life force, especially if they are spiritually, emotionally, mentally or physically exhausted. Self-nurturing is key to healing, and requires slowing down and getting back in synch with your own rhythm and timing, and fulfilling your own needs in order to feel fulfilled and at peace in life. This is the ultimate form of self-love, and self-love is the optimum energy for health and well-being.

- We are what we eat. Food gives us life, not just by the nutrients it provides, but by its energy and vibration. Food absorbs energy every step of the way from its inception, to how it is handled, to the energies of those who prepare and serve it, to the energy in which you consume it. Animals who are slaughtered experience tremendous fear, among other things, which permeates their flesh and is ingested by those who consume it. Prayer and intention can alter energy, from the blessings on Kosher or Muslim meats, to the act of saying any kind of Grace or blessing at the table before consuming the food. When you say a blessing, you enact your power, your will and your intention to raise the vibration with love and gratitude. This is a key frequency for wellness and wellbeing. Never prepare or eat food when you are upset or angry; allow yourself to come to a place of peace, of sharing love and blessing. Remember that love is the secret ingredient that makes food divinely delicious and nutritious.

Healing Factors:

Healing requires transformation and change. An illness can save your life in some ways by helping you change your path. If you keep doing the same thing, you'll end up with the same results. Even if you have surgery, if you don't change the pattern that created the imbalance in the first place, you will manifest disease again: for instance, if a person who has gastric bypass surgery continues to eat the same portions and types of foods without addressing underlying issues, they are likely to regain the weight because no change has occurred at the causal level.

Intention is the key to healing. Everything is energy and energy is directed by intention. Essentially, thoughts create illness, and thought can heal it. Each disease holds a particular low vibration. When you raise your vibration, healing occurs.

You can raise your vibration by:
Laughing; meditating; visualizing; invoking affirmations; singing; dancing; exercise; art; writing; creative expression; wearing certain colors; jewelry, stones and metal; sunlight; walking; being by the ocean where there is the highest concentration of oxygen; having a sense of accomplishment and achievement; conquering fear (which is very debilitating); making love; having pets; gardening/plants, being in nature; flower arranging; whole foods, raw foods, juicing; full spectrum light bulbs; fresh air; having uplifting colors and surroundings; moving; traveling; etc. Whatever you love and enjoy will raise your vibration, because love and joy hold high frequencies of energy, which support healing and wellbeing. Shining an inner light of love, joy, passion and joie de vivre, creates vitality.

Ultimately, love of self and life is the true healer.

Copyright ©2005 Grace & Grace Associates Consulting, Inc.

"Responsibility is power. You have the power of choice.
You are always responsible for the choices you make and the actions you take."