Recent research has shown that only 2 to 5 percent of diseases are caused by defective genes or heredity. (Strohman 2003; Willet 2002; Silverman 2004). The majority of diseases are caused by environmental  factors affecting the genes.  This makes sense, as genes cannot turn themselves on or off. So what does? The brain does, reacting to the environment it functions in. Our immune system is controlled by the brain both indirectly, through hormones in the blood stream and directly through nerves and neurochemicals.

The “surveillance theory”, accepted widely as an explanation for cancer, states that cancer cells develop in our body all the time but are destroyed by white blood cells before they become tumours. A healthy immune system thus not only fights germs but is also a thorough, effective repair system that can seek out and destroy a tumour completely; it can, in fact, remove most illnesses. However if the immune system is overwhelmed by conflict, depression,  suppressed anger, fear, negativity and other stresses it is then powerless to halt the body`s breakdown.

For example: A study of identical twins, one of which in each pair had leukaemia, showed that the twin with the disease had been severely depressed or had suffered emotional loss beforehand, whilst the healthy twin had not.

Psychiatrist George Valliant followed 200 Harvard Graduates for 30 years, correlating psychological tests with health surveys each year. Those who were extremely satisfied with their lives had ONE TENTH the rate of serious illnesses and death suffered by their dissatisfied peers.

Stress can literally become a killer. Hans Selye first described the chronic stress syndrome (1936). Here what happens is that under threat, the adrenal glands release hormones as part of the “fight or flight” response which suppress the immune system.  This worked perfectly for our ancestors - faced with occasional threats from a wild beast they needed all their power to run!  However today the  tensions and anxiety of modern life  are not “occasional”, so they can keep the stress response switched “on” all the time, meaning that the hormones constantly released lower our resistance to disease alarmingly.  Therefore cancer and many other serious illnesses are not primary diseases, they are largely a reaction to circumstances that weaken and drain the body`s defences.  This explains why doctors report that if they cure cancer or some other serious disease without treatment addressing the patient`s entire life, a new illness may appear.    Here is where Cognitive Hypnotherapy is so helpful in working in complement to mainstream medicine.

(for more information read “Love Medicine and Miracles” by Bernie Siegel.)