Illness—No Laughing Matter

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The Belk Library is a treasure trove for the spiritual seeker. One of the subjects that fascinated Henry Belk was physical healing. The library has many books on healing, from obscure titles to classics.

“The reality of miracles, of healing . . . is not thought to be compatible with the reality of science,” wrote Evan Walker, Ph.D. in his introduction to The Realms of Healing by Stanley Krippner and Alberto Villoldo. He goes on to say, “In fact, truth and reality will not be completely discovered until we know if these miracles exist and how they occur.” This book is a scientific exploration of what actually occurs during non-medical healing.

The library is also home to the beloved classic Anatomy of an Illness, by Norman Cousins. The author used the mind-body connection to heal from his own crippling disease. He theorized that if stress and negative emotions could cause negative chemical changes resulting in illness, it was possible that positive emotions could have the opposite effect. Partnering with his doctor, he decided to use love, hope, faith, the will to live, and laughter as treatment. He found that ten minutes of hearty laughter from watching funny movies or shows would produce about two hours of pain-free sleep. After several years of laughter therapy, he experienced little to no pain in his daily life.

There is still so much to learn about treating illnesses holistically. The Belk and JMSI libraries have books to assist us in delving deeper into the subject.

- Kathleen Crow