It is Possible to Die Healed

"It is possible to die healed". I read this sentence in a Palliative Medicine text recently. The author, Balfour Mount, suggested the word 'healed' embraced the concept of human wholeness. As I was pondering my definition of healing, I was transported back to Epidavros, Greece, remembering a trip to commemorate medical school graduation and the profound impact of simply sitting on the amphitheatre steps contemplating the legacy of medicine.

The ancient Greeks were treated in Asclepions. These were healing sanctuaries named for the mythological god of medicine, Asclepius. When the philosopher-physician Hippocrates, a descendant of the asclepiad began his practice he introduced observation and study of the human body. His approach provided a physical & rational explanation for illness previously attributed to superstition, disfavor of the gods and evil spirits. He believed in the natural healing process of rest, a good diet, fresh air and cleanliness and ascribed to the philosophy of physician as "healer of the sick", rather than "curer of disease". Hippocrates believed the body must be treated as a whole and not just a series of parts.

When Thomas Egnew began his PhD studies on the meaning of healing, he was surprised to learn that despite references to the word healing since ancient times, medicine had no accepted definition of holistic healing. He hypothesized that ill persons undergo transformations in which they are unable to be the persons they once were. This threat to wholeness generates suffering that involves the physical, social, psychological and spiritual dimensions of personhood. He concluded by proposing that healing is the personal experience of the transcendence of suffering and is related to themes of wholeness, narrative and spirituality.  As an aside, the term medicine is derived from the Latin ars medicina meaning the art of healing.

To read Egnew's article, click on his name in this post, then select Full text (PDF) from the right column.