Kate's Blog on Health & Spirituality

A recent Carnegie Mellon study found that social support-such as hugs- actively decreases the risk of developing infections- like the flu. Could the comfort of being loved be a palpable remedy for preventing or lessening the effects of illness? Cynthia Barnett, a spiritual thinker, writer and colleague, shares her own experience with the power of love to mend and to heal. Join me and read what Cynthia has learned about the healing nature of love.

There once was a boy with a boo-boo. He’d been hurt on the playground and came running, crying, to his teacher. Hugging him gently, needing no details, she simply murmured, “I know, Ramon, I know.” The boy’s tears stopped. He was quiet for a moment and then went happily back to play.

What happened to the boo-boo? Psychologist Dr. Haim Ginott didn’t really say, except that the unconditional love and unquestioning acceptance of the teacher were apparently enough to comfort the boy and override any sense of hurt. Dr. Ginott, best-selling author of Between Parent and Child, was convinced of the power of love to help and heal. He wrote and spoke about such true stories many decades ago.

So it’s not surprising that a recent article in Spirituality and Health (January 6, 2015) makes the same point, but with Carnegie Mellon research to back it up. This research did not involve boo-boos and children, however. It looked at 404 adults’ experiences with stress, conflict and contagion when they received the loving support of friends or community. Specifically, these men and women were asked how many conflicts they’d experienced each day for 14 days, as well as how many hugs. They also agreed to be given nasal drops with a common cold virus as a protective or preventive ingredient.

Please click here to read the entire article

Love comforts, Love Quiets, Love heals

Kate is interested in blogging about the impact of prayer and spirituality on our health from her experience as a Christian Science practitioner. She is the media, legislative and public contact for Christian Science in the state of Maryland. Contact Kate on Twitter: @CscomMaryland, on Facebook: Kate Johnson CS, or email: maryland@compub.org.

Photo by © Glow images - models are used for illustrative purposes