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How Did Attitudinal Healing Start?

Dr. Jerry Jampolsky, a graduate of Stanford Medical School, was a child and adult psychiatrist. One day, he overheard a young boy with leukemia ask the doctor, “What is it like to die?” The doctor changed the subject and asked the child about his bowel movements. Jerry decided to create a safe place for kids facing life-threatening illness to honestly discuss their own questions and fears. Out of these groups (and greatly influenced by A Course in Miracles) the 12 Principles of Attitudinal Healing arose. Since 1975, thousands of groups–for all kinds of life challenges–exist all over the world and in most major US cities.

What Attitudinal Healing?

It is not just adjusting or adapting our attitudes. Rather, it’s consciously choosing to let go of our fearful attitudes. This spiritual pathway uses no “God” language, and seeks to adopt a non-judgmental attitude toward oneself, others, and the world. The goal is not to change behavior, but to retrain and reprogram our own mind. We learn to heal relationships, to experience peace of mind, and to let go of our fears.

Principle 1. The Essence of our Being is Love, and Love is Eternal

Attitudinal Healing is really concerned with experiencing love rather than defining it. Love itself is a pure energy force that flows through us. It remains constant and eternal.

If this energy is not blocked by pain, anxiety, anger and other manifestations of fear, we can recognize the essence of love and learn to feel peaceful inside. It is important to constantly work at clearing our minds and realize that the energy of love is all there is, and that which we call negative emotions keeps us from this sensation.

We can learn to experience a life that is about loving ourselves and extending that love to others. This is different than the way much of society views love. To the world, love is something that we want to GET from someone else coupled with the fear that we won’t have enough. When we live in this fear we are unable to give love freely. That is the work of the ego.

Love, which cannot be evaluated or measured is to be shared. The essence of love plays a large part in physical healing, as illustrated by this story.

In one of our groups at our Center, a woman in her mid-fifties was complaining that she had been plagued by a constant back pain for about nine years. We asked her if she would be willing to partake in a small experiment. We then asked the group of about fifteen people if they would be willing to send this woman love with their thoughts for about thirty seconds. We then asked the woman if she would be willing to send love back to the group at the same time. It was a wonderful half a minute as we all focused on the single goal of sending love to another. When the thirty seconds were up, it was tempting to evaluate what had transpired. But we cautioned about that, and the meeting continued on with much deeper sharing. At the end of the meeting, the woman with the back pain excitedly said, “I just can’t stand it. I have to tell you that for the last hour I have not had any pain in my back.”

What occurred in this meeting was not something tangible that could be seen or measured. The only thing that was happening was the intent to feel love for this woman. My goal was not to take her pain away or make myself feel better. It was only to be in the present, send love, and not be concerned with the outcome. It was a powerful lesson to realize that loving thoughts can be transmitted clearly and felt by another at a deep level.

(All content here is quoted or summarized from A Definition of the Principles of Attitudinal Healing by Patricia Robinson (Forward by Gerald Jampolsky, founder of AH) 

Meet Jerry Jampolsky

Listen to Jerry explain Attitudinal Healing here.

So, What Do You Think? Pretty Great Stuff, aye? And Here’s More!

Such glimmers prove that your True Self is there, and it’s bigger and wiser than your fears. We all can grow into the person we hope to be. I know this because I and many others have learned how to dissolve the fears blocking our hearts and live from the power of our True Selves. I offer you the following examples of my life challenges. Although they temporarily stopped me in my tracks, I found ways to open my heart and walk through them with peace of mind and courage.

–Relationship failures. After couples therapy, I divorced my third husband, convinced I could never be happily married. A year later, I met Peter, the man of my dreams. Terrified of repeating my pattern of making a man the center of my life, I allowed myself to see him only twice a week. With therapy and supportive, female friends, my heart opened to the possibility of a healthy relationship. Peter and I recently celebrated over thirty years of happy, harmonious marriage.

–Worry about loved ones. When my dear friend battled cancer and, later, my fourth husband resumed drinking alcohol, my desire to control others tortured me. No matter what I did, nothing changed, other than my anxiety. Over time I discovered that my sense of security came not from their well-being, but from the Loving Energy of my True Self.

–Overwork and perfectionism. As a college professor, I wrestled with fierce professional jealousies, along with a tendency toward overwork and perfectionism. I constantly sought a sense of security through my achievements. Eventually, I learned how to open my heart to others and allow Loving Energy (rather than fear) to lead my efforts. It’s one reason I’ve been able to write this book and 50 Ways to Worry Less Now. An open, loving heart is a wonderful creative partner!

–Dysfunctional family and trauma. I suffered from many of the characteristics found in children of alcoholic parents: heart-closing anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. I also discovered memories of early abuse, healed its wounds, and forgave those who had harmed me. The healing power of Loving Energy released me from a lifetime of worry about my safety and security.

–Poor health and illness. I struggled with back pain for fifteen years. Then both of my shoulders “froze” for two merciless years. With powerful tools to stream Love into my pain (for example, visualization and meditation), I finally recovered. I’m now free of limitations and in excellent health.

–Isolation and loneliness. Instead of trying to live as an island of self-sufficiency, I now enjoy the Love and care of women who keep my heart open and full. I know in my gut they will have my back, even if the worst of the worst happens. And I will do the same for them.

–Alcohol and drug dependence. For many years, marijuana and alcohol were ruining my relationships and inhibiting my power. I’ve now been clean and sober for over three decades and have helped (and been helped by) hundreds of women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.

Although your own challenges may be different from those mentioned here, I know you too can access the loving power and wisdom of your True Self. After practicing this way of living, you’ll find that, no matter what life throws at you, you can dissolve your fears and frustrations to find a peaceful, courageous way through it.

** If you want an advance PDF so you can post a review on Amazon in February, please email me glanger2202@gmail.com **