“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The old medicine men often dealt far more directly with the patient himself, and understood the nature of beliefs and the prime importance of suggestion. Many of their techniques were adopted for their psychological shock value, in which the patient was quite effectively “brainwashed” out of the disease he believed that he had.

The present medical profession is sadly hampered because of its own beliefs. Often it operates as a framework in which poor health and disease are not only accepted as normal, but the concepts behind them strengthened. Here you have again, as in psychoanalysis, a hide-and-seek arrangement in which both doctor and patient take part. (See the 616th session in Chapter Two.)

Both believe they need the other, of course. Behind this is the psychic pattern of beliefs in which the patient often assigns to the doctor the powers of knowledge and wisdom that his beliefs have taught him he does not have. Knowing otherwise, the patient still wants to consider the doctor omnipotent.

Upon the patient a doctor often assigns and projects his own feelings of helplessness against which he combats. The interactions continue with the patient trying to please the doctor, and at best merely changing from one group of symptoms to another. Far too often the doctor shares the patient’s unshakable belief in poor health and disease.

Not only this, but the medical profession often provides blueprints for diseases, and the patient too often tries them on for size. This is not to say that the medical profession often is not of great aid and benefit, but within the value system in which it operates much of its positive influence is negated.

Because they are held in such high esteem, the suggestions given by doctors are paid particular attention. The patient’s emotional condition is such that he or she readily accepts statements made under such circumstances less critically than usual.

(10:08.) The patient, therefore, often feels relatively powerless and at the mercy of any stray virus that might come along. The facts are that you choose even the kind of illness that you have according to the nature of your beliefs. You are immune from ill health as long as you believe that you are.