Interview With Larry Dossey, MD

The Extraordinary Healing Powers of Ordinary Things

Larry Dossey, MD, is the author of ten books on the role of consciousness and spirituality in healing, including the New York Times bestseller Healing Words: The Power of Prayer and the Practice of Medicine. A former chief of staff of Medical City Dallas Hospital, he is always in great demand as a premier speaker. In his 1989 book Recovering the Soul, he introduced the concept of "nonlocal mind" — mind unconfined to the brain and body, mind spread infinitely throughout space and time. Dr. Dossey's ever-deepening explication of nonlocal mind provides a foundation for the merging of spirit and medicine. East West is honored to host him on the subject of his newest book: The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things. Dr. Dossey lives in Santa Fe with his wife, award-winning author Barbara Montgomery Dossey, PhD, RN. Interview by Diane Schneider courtesy of East West Bookstore. Attend the East West event with Dr. Larry Dossey on Saturday, March 25. Find information about this and other scheduled East West's speakers under Conferences.

Larry Dossey: My philosophy is simple. There is a profound and fundamental connection between what we call the material and the immaterial, and between body, mind and spirit. The glue that binds these entities is love, compassion and kindness. Any time we separate mind, body and spirit, we are in big trouble where health is concerned. We've paid a huge price for assuming these are separate aspects of who we are. For example, more people have heart attacks on Monday morning around 9 a.m. than any other time. Job satisfaction has been shown to be one of the best predictors of heart disease. This illustrates the key role of meaning in health: What do your job and Monday morning mean to you? Moreover, what you happen to think about your health is one of the best predictors of longevity ever discovered—a better predictor, statistically speaking, than your medical history, physical exam and lab tests. All these effects are consciousness-related. They are profound, a matter of life and death. Unfortunately, they are uniformly ignored in our materialistically obsessed healthcare system. These kinds of factors are the focus in my new book.

LD: A certain amount of memory loss is normal as people age, but so what? There is a lot more to mental function than memory, and there are some things we do better as we age. Unfortunately, we are so morbidly afraid of memory loss that we don't give ourselves credit for these skills. Consider the accumulation of wisdom. Are you wiser now than when you were sixteen? Will you be wiser in ten years than you are today? Almost certainly, the answer is yes. Focus on that, not on the fact that you can't remember where you put your glasses. Alzheimer's and memory loss are not inevitable, even though they may run in our family. The choices we make in middle age have huge influences on the development of Alzheimer's and memory loss in older age. Studies show that consuming more vegetables in middle age, and keeping your weight down, and exercising, and involving yourself in intellectually stimulating pursuits such as reading, are hugely protective against mental decline in older age.

LD: Depression is a downer, literally, in more ways than one. It causes the immune system to be less robust, increasing our susceptibility to infections and cancer. It destabilizes the cardiovascular system, making us more prone to heart attack and unstable heart rhythms. It paralyzes us against taking positive action steps in all areas of life, including prevention and good health habits. It saps the joy and sense of fulfillment in life. Depression makes accidents more likely. It is related to an increased risk of suicide. It infects those around us: depressed people make others depressed. Depressed people live shorter lives and are unhealthier than optimistic people - all of which I discuss in "Optimism," a chapter in my new book.

LD: First, we have to recognize that many old ideas of brain function are vastly inaccurate. The picture now emerging is that the brain is capable of amazing plasticity—it is capable of being molded and shaped as we mature and grow older. Meditation helps keep experiences fresh, because we learn to stay in the moment and fully attend to what is happening now. Meditation retards a sense of dullness and boredom. Other forms of quietude, such as prayerfulness, are also helpful, and have been found to be associated with improvements in immune function. Biofeedback, which employs mental imagery and quiet repose, helps stabilize the cardiovascular system. Meditation makes possible more than better brain function. It helps us sense our connectedness with others, and to appreciate that we extend beyond the brain. There is compelling evidence that our intentions can reach out in space and time. This realization—that we are not separate from all else—is crucial if we are to attend to the global crisis of environmental degradation. Equally important is the ability of meditation to help us see who we really are—infinite, immortal and one with all others.