Dr. Kamhi: When I was 12 years old I had a severe injury after falling off a horse, and the doctors felt that surgery would be needed. I decided to go to the local library and research to see if there were any alternative suggestions. I was truly amazed by what was available! After scratching just a little bit below the surface I was able to uncover all kinds of information about using natural therapies to heal an injured lower back. These included foods, energy techniques like meditation, hands on healing and using magnets, lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements and plant medicines. I had to order many things through the mail, since health food stores did not exist where I was at the time.

But I was truly impressed by the results. I was also dismayed at the lack of interest displayed by the medical authorities. They dismissed my apparent recovery, and avoidance of surgery as merely a “co-incidence”, totally unrelated to my dabbling in ‘that old folklore stuff’. Well, to me a ‘co-incidence” means two or more simultaneous events occurring together and intersecting in a deeply meaningful way- so I agreed with their analysis. I KNEW the natural therapies had indeed cured my problem, and this event started me on a life long quest that continues to this day. I am forever grateful for my knowledge, which has helped me, my children, family and thousands of patients throughout the years, to deal with health imbalances.
 

Q: How did you come to integrate traditional and western healing systems?

Dr. Kamhi: As spiral cycles continue, like a Nautilus shell, in ever intertwining paths throughout time and space, so we are witness to the modern day return of the use of herbs to the forefront , as a recognized healing art, and energy healing emerging as the medicine of the future. As is so often the case, science often substantiates what tribal healers have known for centuries, that plants and energetic healing make good medicine.

 
Q: What are some of the scientific findings related to spirituality and health?

Dr. Kamhi: Intentionality research: This is a new area of science that is investigating how human intention can be directed to influence specific biological processes. An exciting paper delivered by Dr. Glen Rein clearly demonstrates that focusing your conscious mind can either cause DNA strands to wind or unwind. Dr. Rein concluded that when test subjects were able to synchronize their heart and mind, determined by measuring EKG and EEG patterns, they could successfully wrap or unwrap DNA strands at will! Further research in this area will lead to our understanding more about the unlimited healing capacity we all have available to us!


Q: What is the implication of unwinding or winding DNA as it relates to intention?

Dr. Kamhi: By accessing the ability to wind and unwind DNA through Intention, we unlock the vast stores of healing available to us as Individuals and as a society. If you get a cut on your skin- the cut heals through the body creating new tissue, which Involves DNA winding as part of the process.


Q: Is the research suggesting that it is better for one's health and peace to focus on harmonious/spiritual thoughts even over say, radical thoughts to help the earth, or poverty, or any valid cause if one's thoughts contain anger or judgment? In other words, is it more important to health and peace how you think about a subject rather than the subject itself?

Dr. Kamhi: How an Individual handles stressful situations Is Intimately  linked to the toll It takes on their body. This Is a physical process that Is caused by the release of hormones such as cortisol. The more we can project thoughts of harmony, the more we release chemicals that support health. Of course, this Is easy to do when life situations are positive; the challenge arises when we are faced with uncomfortable situations. That Is when It Is great to have a pre-programmed support system, such as meditation techniques, that can help refocus the mind on harmonious thoughts.


Q: What other positive thought research do you find interesting?

Dr. Kamhi:
Music research: Studies have shown that music of a meditative nature can lower blood pressure as well as reduce the level of stress hormones. I personally did a study on 100 patients comparing the effects of Steven Halpern’s music, Crystal Suite, with the sound of a leaf blower. The outcome showed that listening to Steven Halpern’s music increased the activity of white blood cells ( part of the immune system), while the sound of a leaf blower inhibited white blood cell activity. Steven’s music is extremely relaxing and healing. (www.stevenhalpern.com).
 
The Placebo Effect: The power of the mind is acknowledged in conventional medicine, where it is called the placebo effect. A placebo is an inactive substance, such as a sugar pill, which is often used along side an active substance, such as a drug, to see how much effect the drug actually has. The famous ‘double blind placebo control trial’ has been the gold standard for proving the efficacy of certain pharmaceutical agents. The well documented placebo effect collaborates the ‘power of the mind’ in healing. The placebo effect is thought to work through three mechanisms:

    •    conditioning
    •    endorphin release
    •    expectation

For instance, if people are given sugar water and told it is an emetic, they will often vomit. The placebo response rate can be quite high- up to 80% in some experiments!  Rather than relating to this well documented phenomena as an ‘annoyance’ that interferes with drug research, perhaps we should honor and extol this effect, and use it to its maximum potential in our own self healing.

 
Q: Are you suggesting that if a person tells themselves they are not going to get sick; or that they will have more peace; or better still, that they are divine grace, the placebo effect can take over and make these views a reality for that person?

Dr. Kamhi: Science has documented that the 'placebo effect' Is responsible for a large percentage of the healing effects that are experienced by an Individual after any medical Intervention- including the ingestion of pharmaceutical drugs. Therefore, using the mind for self healing Is a very effective tool. In addition, healing can encompass an Inner state of peace, even If the outward reality reflects Illness or other challenging life states. For example, research Is now unearthing the exact mechanism of how the mind can decrease the experience of physical pain by: 1) influencing pre-stimulus expectation of pain relief 2) modifying pain perception, and 3) distorting post-stimulus pain rating. Multiple brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, prefrontal cortex and periaqueductal grey, play a pivotal role in these processes. (Kong, J, et al. Placebo analgesia: findings from brain imaging studies and emerging hypotheses.  Rev Neurosci. 2007;18(3-4):173-90)

Meditation studies are also fascinating.
Scientific studies have confirmed that meditation reduces stress and has beneficial effects on the body. Could it be that these beneficial effects are brought about by the re-synchronization of our rhythms? A plethora of studies continue to be done on the positive effects of meditation. Long term meditators are better able to process, regulate and use emotionally challenging subtle Information. (Neilson, et. al. "Awareness of subtle emotional feelings: A comparison of long-term meditators and nonmeditators": Emotion, 2006[Aug], Vol 6[3], 392-405).  Although meditation is often a life long practice, after only five days of meditation, study participants showed improvement in conflict scores on the Attention Network Test, lower anxiety, depression, anger, and fatigue, and higher vigor on the Profile of Mood States scale, a significant decrease in stress-related cortisol, and an increase in immunoreactivity. (Tang, et. al., Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.2007 Oct 23;104(43):17152-6.)


Q: Can you say something about the Gratitude study you often speak about? 

Dr. Kamhi:  I lecture on many different topics, but one of my favorites Is using a focus on gratitude and forgiveness as a cornerstone for purposeful action to enhance both physical and spiritual health. There Is actually a test used In research called the Gratitude, Resentment and Appreciation Test. One study used this test to determine that those who scored highest In gratitude experienced a higher degree of spiritual transcendence, and were less Involved In materialism. (Diessner, et. al. Further validation of the gratitude, resentment, and appreciation test (GRAT). J Soc Psychol. 2007 Aug;147(4):445-7.) It’s amusing that modern science requires all these fancy studies to understand the basic concepts of positive thinking and right action that Is so well evidenced by all traditional ancient teachings.

Learn more about Dr. Kamhi, her books, radio shows, events, and consultations at her website