Rating System | Links | Key to Contributors
This is a compilation of reviews of sites from all over the World Wide Web related (more or sometimes less) to spirituality, medicine, and health.
The four-halo rating system is utterly objective, of course, but may need to be explained so that all of the universally applicable judgments expressed by its use are not merely announced (the cosmically important outcome) but also understood (we, too, are slaves to our pedagogically driven, bodhisattva-like compassion). The explanation may be somewhat technical but we ask you to bear with our attempts to break open web-centric phenomenological categories for the wider public.
Rating | Meaning | Deeper Meaning |
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! | Inexpressible;
transcending all categories of moral and aesthetic judgment; a genuinely irrational achievement; apophasis inducing |
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Wow! | Sartori is at
hand, so close you can almost taste it; the dew drop is about to slip into the shining sea to become one with all other water droplets |
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Bad! | Ananda down
under—which is the highest web- based quality permitted in Australia for public safety and medical reasons |
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Not bad! | Joy of the
regular sort; no bright lights or angelic visitations but a warm and happy feeling, at least for the most part; could be happier |
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Mmmm... | Quotidian
neutrality; the quintessential opposite of bipolar dynamism; the ordinary, easy-paced day off work with nothing much to do except nap |
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Well... | There is no
there there; there is no soul there either; in fact, there is not even any no-soul there; more meditation is vital, and urgently! |
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! | Inexpressible;
transcending all categories of moral and aesthetic judgment; a genuinely irrational achievement; apophasis inducing |
Halo Rank: 4 | 3.5 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1 | Unclassified
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Photo from here. |
Adidam and Adi Da. This website is
about Adidam, a new spiritual practice created by Adi Da Samraj, who is called a
Divine Incarnation or Avatar. Adi Da Samraj seems like a charismatic guru,
helping people to waken. Adidam practice seems to be influenced by Zen or at
least Eastern philosophy. It emphasizes meditation, Divine Enlightenment and
Spiritual Transmission. Adidam looks like a very complex and systematic
spiritual practice, and in some extents, it can even be called a new religion.
From the “Site Map” section of the website we can know the structure of the
website and also the system of the doctrines of Adidam. [DWY]
Arizona Center for Integrative
Medicine: A wide variety of audiences, from health professionals to
laypeople, will find this well laid out website appealing. Concerned not only
with endorsing its educational services but also with providing practical
knowledge to the general public, the institution offers an interactive site
where anyone interested can view video clips, press releases, and film
screenings with alternative medical themes. For those who find immediate
gratification appealing, a simple click on a tab reveals practical, portable,
and immediately applicable health facts on diet, general and mental health, and
pain management. A helpful worldwide search tool conveys the business location
of integrative medical practitioners educated at this facility. An abundantly
useful resource. [SNR]
Center for Mindfulness, in
Medicine, and Society / University of Massachusetts Department of Medicine.
The home page for the Center for Mindfulness details its history as “a global
leader in mind-body medicine,” pioneering the integration of mindfulness
meditation and related approaches into mainstream medicine and healthcare. The
Center is an outgrowth of the medically based Stress Reduction Clinic,
originally founded in 1995 by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. (Molecular Biology) The
website includes extensive links to the past accomplishments in the realms of
academic and scientific research, patient care, and medical education and their
present initiatives extending to broader society in fields of education and
leadership. [MHT]
Chopra Center. The Chopra Center is a
beautifully arranged and highly informative online hub for alternative medicine.
The center's website offers information on upcoming events around the country,
detailed explanations of the (mostly Eastern) methods of healing, information on
courses and programs to become a certified teacher, and a wide variety of
resources both online and print for immediate consumption. The information is
very up-to-date and the discussion boards are active with extensive
participation. And, of course, the site gives you a chance to keep up with all
things Deepak Chopra, a highly underrated figure in the field of spirituality,
medicine and health. All in all, a great resource for interested parties. [ERD]
Continuum Center for
Health and Healing. The Continuum Center is a unit within the Beth Israel
Medical Center’s Department of Integrative Medicine that conducts and compiles
research on a variety of forms of preventive and integrative care. The website,
well-designed and easy to navigate, is a veritable mine of valuable, non-biased
information on alternative and total health-oriented medical practices.
Especially interesting is a section offering reviews of clinical studies, in
which readers are given short summaries of studies into treatments such as
acupuncture, biofeedback, and herbal medicine. Significantly, studies showing
null results are presented alongside those showing positive correlations. This
refreshing objectivity paired with openness to as-yet unorthodox ideas is a
welcome addition to the spirituality and health discourse. [CPW]
Curandismo, The Healing Art of Mexico. This website provides an introduction
to the contemporary practice of Curanderismo as described by Griselda (Grace)
Alvarez Sesma, formerly a psychiatric hospital administrator, in practice as an
energy healer and teacher since 1993. Grace is the founder of MANA of the
Imperial Valley, which advocates for and supports Latina leadership. She has
lectured widely. The website contains a video interview and separate pages
describing the practices of Curanderismo, combining prayer, platicas
(heart to heart talks), limpias (cleansing), prayer, sound, breath,
ceremony, hands on healing, or massage as appropriate. Curanderismo attract a
diverse population as well as health care professionals, physicians, educators,
and as an adjunct to professional medical care. Additional links to literature
related to indigenous healing practices is available. [MHT]
Gaiam: This website functions like a “go-to
guide” for anyone interested in popular self-care modalities. Gaiam’s site is
complete with streaming TV that includes documentaries on spirituality and
health; fitness and yoga routines with workouts by instructor/guru Jillian
Michaels; and informational clips on diseases, aging, weight loss, environmental
issues, and metaphysics. Programs can be searched randomly, or they pop-up as
links in what Gaiam calls “hubs.” The site features an online store marketing
organic clothing, products for the home, health and beauty items, fair trade
goods, and DVDs. Conveniently, visitors need not explore deeply to find the
wisdom they seek. A simple click on the “Transform Your Life” art reveals the
following categories with accompanying blogs: Live Fit, Live Healthy, Live
Green, Live Happy, Find Solutions, and Shop Gaiam. Each area guides viewers
through different segments of the site. For instance, a click on Live Healthy
leads to book, DVD, and article recommendations regarding diet, detoxing,
injury, and more. In addition, Gaiam hosts an online educational university that
promises to help change participants’ lives. The company also supports
excursions around the world through Natural Habitat Adventures. [SNR]
Holistic Health
Solutions. The website is built by Cynthia Perkins, a trained mental health
professional and a holistic health counselor. The word “holistic” here means
body, mind and spirit altogether. Because drugs can treat only symptoms but not
always the underlying causes of the diseases, a holistic health solution can
treat the disease through the cooperation among body, mind and spirit.
“Spiritual” here is not related to any religion, but related to “the core self.”
This site provides suggestions to chronic pains, mental therapies, spiritual
health and other common diseases. It explains diseases in simple language and
offer practices and links to further readings. [DWY]
JAMA & archives – Topic Collections : Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
This site hosts the archives of the Journal of the American Medical Association,
plus affiliated archival journals: Archives of Neurology, Internal Medicine,
Dermatology, General Medicine, etc. Which is to say, the site allows you to see
the abstracts (and, if your IP address is affiliated with a subscribing
institution, the full text) of some of the most rigorous and well-respected
medical research available on complementary and alternative medicine. It is even
useful for the interested browser curious about supplements found in his local
drugstore or alternative practices offered locally; there have been trials done
on ginkgo biloba, acupuncture, and Ayurvedic medicine, just to mention a
few. Well worth a visit. [JCD]
Journal of
Religion and Health. The “Journal of Religion and Health” is one of the few
peer-reviewed journals dealing with spirituality and medicine and, as a result,
one of the more academically-respected periodicals – one of the only ones that
will announce its “impact factor” (a way of measuring the importance of a
journal in its field). Dating to 1961, it combines psychological and religious
research to present a truly interdisciplinary forum for researchers and
practitioners of various strains of medicine. It is an academic journal, not a
personal health blog; it doesn’t make for light reading. But to get a sense of
contemporary research and the state of the field, there are few sites better. [JCD]
Kalpulli Izkall – Healing Ourselves –
Healing the Earth. Kalpulli (community) Izkall (House of Light)
founded in 1996 is a grassroots, intergenerational organization, the
first of its kind in New Mexico with the purpose of transforming the health and
environment of the local community. It is designed to empower thorough action,
advocacy, education and services. It attempts to protect and preserve
traditional and cultural practices, which include agriculture, medicine, and
ceremony and to promote collaboration and sustainability. It makes a direct
connection between the health of the environment and that of human beings. The
link to Health Programs includes the Cihuapatli (Women’s Medicine)
Apprenticeship Program, Promotoras Tradicionales Project, and the Topahkal
Traditional Medicine Clinic. All of these reach out to the medically underserved
and uninsured, particularly women. [MHT]
Library of Congress
Presentation: “Inside Compassion: Edge States, Contemplative Interventions,
Neuroscience”. This film was recorded in May 12 of 2011. It is 1hour 28
minutes. Zen Buddhist Roshi Joan Halifax discusses empathy and compassion on the
part of caregivers of the dying. The term “edge states” relates to the
challenges faced by clinicians and others involved in end of life care. She
focuses on the neuroscience of “mindfulness” and its benefits offering
description of six contemplative interventions. A follow-up presentation is
offered by George Chouros, Technology Chair at the Kluge Center, and chairman of
the Dept. of Pediatrics at Athens Medical School, Greece. Chouros is a clinical
investigator who has engaged in extensive research into the complex of
relationship between the nervous and endocrine systems and the study of the
physiological impact of stress in biological systems. [MHT]
Massachusetts General Hospital’s
Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine. Herbert Benson, cardiologist,
researcher, and Director Emeritus of the Institute, is one of the most
recognizable names in meditation research. There is a plethora of information on
the Institute’s site: listings of all the services the Institute provides to
individuals, trainings it does for medical providers, and the medical research
it has conducted and is currently conducting. It is the section “Mind Body
Basics” that makes the site particularly helpful for an interested browser, as
it consolidates the Institute’s recommendations: the relaxation response (one of
Benson’s chief contributions to meditation research); behavioral therapy;
physical activity; and nutrition. It is, in other words, a thorough introduction
to spirituality and health. [JCD]
National Alliance on Mental
Illness FaithNet. NAMI FaithNet is a non-religious network of NAMI (National
Alliance on Mental Illness), which seeks to reach out to religious
organizations. According to the website, its purposes are (1) facilitating the
development within the faith community of a supportive environment for those
with serious mental illness and their families, (2) pointing out the value of
one’s spirituality in the recovery process from mental illness and the need for
spiritual strength for those who are caretakers, (3) educating clergy and
congregations concerning the biologic basis and characteristics of mental
illness, and (4) encouraging advocacy of the Faith Community to bring about hope
and help for all who are affected by mental illness. The website is an enormous
resource for those who share its purposes, as it provides a wealth of
information and numerous links to other relevant resources. [BLT]
Spark People: The goal of this
community of 1,723,288 active members is “is to show people that they
can use health and fitness to improve other areas of their lives, both
personal and professional.” The website is essentially the hub of a
healthy weight loss community, a totally free membership site that
combines social networking with diet and fitness tracking, encouraging
users to create a profile viewable to other members that details their
goals, eating and exercise habits, photos, blog entries and site
involvement. Spark People speaks to all levels of a health overhaul
journey, motivating site members with awards, fitness challenges and a
point system that accrues by reading health articles, sharing nutritious
recipes, posting on a message board, and logging daily food or exercise.
But the site makes clear that information about calories, charts,
counting and measuring is only a fraction of the health and recovery
undertaking; spiritual growth, relaxation, social connections,
accountability, goal-setting, time management and improved self-esteem
are equally crucial for sustained wellness. Members are passionately
involved and encouraging with each other, returning message board
frustrations with advice, sympathy, and inspirational quotes. Members
can join groups tailored to their own political and spiritual
preferences: “Emotional Eaters,” “Liberal Atheist Hippies,” “Steer
Queer,” “Vets Unite,” “Military Wives,” “Girls and God,” and “Separation
of Church and Weight” (the religious SparkTeams are the most plentiful
and diverse). Free exercise videos are streamed, free nutritionist and
coach consultations are available, and information on the metabolics and
motivations behind every diet stage is plentiful. This reviewer lost 70
pounds with the help of Spark People and gained an enormous renovation
in nutritional consciousness and fitness know-how as well as astonishing
levels of support from strangers all over the globe, affirming the Spark
People claim to be “one of the most positive online communities!” This
website is a testament to the potent combination of community,
information and constant positive vigilance. [JL]
Spiritual Healing in
Buddhist Tibet. It is a major section of the website Dharma Haven by Terry
Halwes. Because healing in Tibetan culture interrelates with its whole religious
practices, this site provides both the basics to Tibetan culture and links to
bountiful resources of Tibetan meditation, prayer and medication. This website
reflects the extensive reading and profound investigations of the relevant
themes by Mr. Halwes. It does not only offer applicable spiritual healing
techniques, but also the mechanism and philosophy which are necessary for the
overall understanding of its healing. Reading this website is an interesting
experience because of its organized structure, pictures and the audio
clips—especially the fascinating Lama’s chants. [DWY]
Spiritual New Age Wisdom. This
website is built by Roy E. Klienwachter, an international spiritual author. The
characteristic of this website is its enormous amount of articles and finely
tuned organization. The Resource page provides bountiful links to different
topics. Besides URL links, the Resource page also has pictures for the websites
it links to and short comments about each link. In the Article Directory
section, there are huge amounts of articles sorted by different categories. The
categories are so specific, that, for instance, there is a subcategory “Sikhism”
under “Religion.” A great part of the articles are attributed to Health. They
are written in clear and informative language. One thing worth mentioning is
that the author of the website also has his section Roy Bits, where nearly 300
articles authored by Roy are also available. [DWY]
Spirituality & Health
Magazine. It is a website based on its namesake’s bi-monthly magazine
“Spirituality & Health,” by publisher Victoria C. Sutherland and editor-in-chief
Stephen Kiesling. All the articles from the print edition are accessible in full
text except for those in the latest two journals. The topics of these articles
range among various horizons of life, and of course mostly pertain to
spirituality and health. More articles discussing personal experiences and
insights in spiritual lives and practices are in the categories of Body, Soul
and Earth in the home page. The website is well-organized and multi-functional.
It has links to blogs with spiritual concerns and provides discussion boards
though most of the threads have few replies. [DWY]
University of
Florida, Center for Spirit and Health. "Spirituality deals with what we find
eternal, beautiful, meaningful and just, and asks us to contemplate 'what should
be'. Science and technology deal much more with 'what is" and how best to
predict and manipulate it. The interface between these powerful forces is of
immense and immediate importance.' This fascinating website lists for credit
courses offered at the center, including one titled "Neurotheology" - exploring
the relationship between the brain and spirituality. The site provides links to
impressive bibliographies and other academic, high-quality web sites exploring
the "interface" of spirituality and the health sciences. [JC]
Upaya Institute: Being With Dying:
Professional Training Program in Contemplative End of Life Care. The Upaya
Institute has developed under the direction of Roshi Joan Halifax, Ph. D.
(Medical Anthropology and Psychology) who is the founder and lead teacher of
Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, NM. The Being With Dying Program is dedicated to
bring about significant change in the care of the dying, incorporating a
cross-cultural and relationship-centered approach. Designed primarily for
physicians and nurses, it is intended to augment the training of clinicians
promoting the development of ethical, psychosocial, and spiritual knowledge and
skill not commonly included in contemporary medical training. This Program is
also associated with an initiative to establish professional standards for
Buddhist Chaplaincy, and serves the continuing education of social workers,
psychologists as well as non-Buddhist clergy. [MHT]
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Photo from here. |
Association for Clinical Pastoral
Education Research Network. This poorly laid-out website makes up for what
it lacks in style and ease of navigation by offering extraordinary useful and
eclectic resources. Concerned broadly with pastoral care and interdisciplinary
research into ministry and medicine, the association also provides a wealth of
articles, information, and links of interest to the general reader or the
scholarly researcher. Archives of the association’s tri-annual newsletter are
available in HTML format, offering articles on subjects as wide-ranging as
neural circuitry and the spiritual needs assessment scale. Articles of both
immediate topical relevance as well as long-term interest are offered. A superb
and fascinating resource.
The Ayurvedic Institute. This website is
one of the best and most comprehensive online spaces for Ayurvedic medicine.
While the main function is to coordinate the rather extensive series of courses
and training programs available at their New Mexico headquarters, the website
itself features many useful resources. For those seeking more information on
Ayurveda, they offer free downloadable PDF files ranging from explanation of
panchakarma to recipes for certain teas. They also have a sizable online shop
filled with Ayurvedic materials, ingredients and books is available for
browsing. This site is definitely for people interested in making Ayurveda part
of their lives. [ERD]
The Centre for Spirituality, Health and
Disability at the University of Aberdeen's website is a fantastic place to
find information on both the program itself and their vast research in the
field. Definitely geared for the outside viewer, the site offers detailed
sections with research proposals, current research projects, resources for
education, and published material on the topic of spirituality and disability.
It also provides networking to other scholars and links to other online
spirituality and health hubs. Overall, the Centre's website is a beacon in this
specialized field and allows you to keep tabs on the pulse of the academic study
of spirituality, health, and disability. [ERD]
George Washington Institute for Spirituality and
Health (GWish) is aimed at enriching the United States Healthcare system by
encouraging Doctors to 'recognize the spiritual dimension of health and
suffering' in their patients. As a website, Gwish contains a wealth of
information relating to how religion, or one's spiritual beliefs, interact with
the clinical work of Doctors, as well as provides tools for how Doctor's may
better care for their patients by taking into account the spiritual factors of
their well-being. Even the non-religious may find this site beneficial, for at
worst it promotes a more humane method of approaching the spiritually minded
during their times of ailment. [KJ]
The Healing Music Organization (HMO):
Since this website is such an extensive resource on the topic of using music for
healing purposes, it’s a shame that its interface makes it look so amateurish.
Serious researchers on the topic will almost certainly be spooked by the
shimmery cosmic purple wallpaper and the yellow script font on the banner.
Beyond these crippling aesthetics, however, this site offers a truly cornucopic
range of resources tailored to the intent of the browser: the Healing Music
Library’s collection of articles, interviews, contemporary news pieces, resource
links and enormous discography of “healing music” can be accessed alongside
customized journeys through the site for the Healing Practitioner, Musician,
Student, Researcher, Organization / School, Consumer or News Media. The site is
even refreshingly self-conscious, defining its own terms with extensively cited
articles, such as the “What is Healing Music?” entry at the beginning of the
Discography, and expressing such caveats in the Mission Statement as: “The
Healing Music Organization advocates no one specific modality, but presents all
possibilities for those who want to learn…The Healing Music Organization serves
as a bridge between the worlds of spirituality and medicine by honoring the
value of both modalities.” The website is a rough gem, extensively and lovingly
developed over 12 years, and probably lives up to its own tagline: A Really Good
HMO. [JL]
International Parish Nurse Resource
Center: This resource center is a clinically oriented organization seeking
to help faith communities incorporate parish nursing into their community and
tradition through education, consultation and research. Parish nurses work in
congregations to help address health concerns from the perspective that
spirituality is an integral component of health. “Parish nursing is rooted in
the Judeo-Christian tradition, and is consistent with the basic assumptions of
many faiths that we care for self and others as an expression of God's love.”
The IPNRC also serves as a professional organization for parish nurses. Since
October 1, 2011, the IPNRC has merged with the
Church Health Center in Memphis,
Tennessee. [LAW]
Interview With Dr.
Mona Lisa Schultz. This interview took place on June 13, 2011 and is 13
minutes in length. During the Interview Dr. Schultz, who received her doctorate
in Behavioral Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine in 1993 offers
autobiographical detail regarding her choice twenty three years ago to practice
as a Medical Intuitive rather than a conventional Neuro-psychiatrist. During a
medical-intuitive consultation Dr. Schultz discerns a person’s physical and
emotion condition through phone contact alone, eschewing psychotherapy and the
ordinary feature of the doctor patient relationship. Her books are popular, and
geared to developing the intuition of her clients as a means to promote healing.
Clearly, given her professional education and formal research background she
attracts controversy. [MHT]
Journal of Mental Health,
Religion and Culture. Self described: “Mental
Health, Religion & Culture provides an authoritative forum and a single
point of reference for the growing number of professionals and academics working
in the expanding field of mental health and religion.” This journal contains
top-shelf research articles on the interrelations of mental health, religion and
culture. As an academic publication, it is drier and weightier than more
personal or experiential sites. It provides invaluable, up-to-date insight into
contemporary research, researchers, attitudes and approaches to the
conflagration of these three compelling subjects. [JC]
Practical Spiritual
Healing Guide: Motivated by a desire to enrich the spiritual lives of the
general reader, Reverend Della Menechella creates a very simply laid-out website
full of information concerning various aspects of spirituality including its
relationship to physical health. As a Revered, Della Menechella focuses on
improving the mental and spiritual health of inquirers while appearing to remain
denominationally neutral. In fact, she draws from myriad sources, featuring the
work of specialists as guest authors on the site. If visitors can tolerate the
annoying ads that inhibit the web pages’ flow, they will discover additional
helpful links to external sites and can sign up for a free newsletter.
Informative site that can assist the novice in gathering information about
spirituality and health. [SNR]
Southern Medical Association's
Spirituality and Medicine Interface Project. The Southern Medical
Association's compact website based off their 2005-6 “Spirituality and Medicine
Interface Project” is a great open source for general information and in-depth
research on religion and its place within the field of medicine. Its clear
interface allows anyone to access lectures by prominent scholars like Harold
Koenig as well as full texts of spirituality and health related articles from
the Southern Medical Journal. While is has not been updated in a couple years,
the site serves as a great gateway to the subject due to its extensive linked
resources, including similar websites, similar organizations, and other places
in media and print to seek more information. [ERD]
Yoga Download: The health benefits of
a regular yoga practice are increasingly well-documented. Though yoga has come
to dominate mainstream North American gyms and fitness discourse in the last two
decades, its origins are in ancient Indian philosophy. Literally a “binding
back” to a wholesome and holistic state of well-being, various yoga processes
and practices of stretching and deep breathing are recommended in Hindu
philosophies and as part of an Ayurvedic healing discipline. Yoga Download
affords an opportunity for guided yoga classes of many styles and levels for
people who cannot pay $15-20 per class or commit to a studio schedule. The
classes are pared-down, straightforward, well-taught, pleasingly voiced and easy
to follow; there are streaming video or audio classes, and the audio classes are
accompanied with PDF pose guides. This website enables yogis of all levels to
choose where, when and for how long they practice, for very affordable prices;
the $10 monthly membership allows for unlimited class streaming and 6 free class
downloads. After several months, this adds up into a nice personal collection of
classes that are enjoyable and rigorous on repeat. In addition to movement
classes, Yoga Download has also released a Healing Series of guided meditations
such as “Chakra Balancing,” “Letting Go of Your Thoughts,” “Living in the
Present Moment,” and “Aura Strengthening.” The site offers specialty classes for
cyclists, runners, back injuries, and pregnant women. Yogis who hate to hear
yoga teachers speak in sing-songy blissed-out mantra language, enforce
saccharine pseudo-liturgy and pressure Western yogis to ride the mysterious
oriental OM do not have to endure any of that nonsense on Yoga Download. When
this reviewer was recovering from back and leg surgeries, Yoga Download was one
of the primary healing factors, as classes are modifiable for all conditions,
teachers are calm and encouraging, and audio tracks are replete with reminders
to listen to the body and become attuned to its natural processes. 3.5 Halos
given because it is infrequently updated: resources are extensive but some
sections, such as the “Kundalini Yoga” section, have read “Coming Soon!” for
over two years; the links section is particularly sparse and makes Yoga Download
look unattended. [JL]
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Artwork from here. |
The Bravewell Collaborative: This
organization of philanthropists seeks to advance integrative medicine through
research, education and advocacy. The collaborative specifically identifies
spirituality as a component in integrative medicine, and includes a page
explaining the role of spirituality and religion in health care in the section
of the site exploring the philosophical foundation of integrative medicine. The
site is helpful both for pointing towards research initiatives that include
spirituality, religion, and health, and for seeing how spirituality, religion,
and health can be framed in a broader holistic framework for understanding and
achieving a healthy life. [LAW]
The Center for Spirituality and Healing at the
University of Minnesota is meant to be a resource on spirituality and health
for academics, professionals, and consumers. In 2004 this Center was awarded a
$2.3 million dollar grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) for
advanced research, one of only a handful in the nation to recieve such an award.
The Center also promotes education by hosting numerous programs and events on
Spirituality and Health. Another distinction of this Center is that it offers a
formal track in 'health coaching,' a recently new way of providing healthcare to
individuals on a one-to-one basis. The website for this Center also offers a
rich variety of information on Spiritualuty and Health, easily accessable to any
inquirer. [KJ]
The Center for
Spirituality, Theology, and Health at Duke University is an organization
where various scholars come together to focus their research on the
intersections of spirituality and health. Medical Doctor's, scholars, teachers,
and students (specifically at Duke) join each other for various seminars and
workshops and discuss issues found throughout the study of spirituality and
health. There are also annual meetings connected with the Society for
Spirituality, Theology, and Health, as well as an eNewsletter titled
'Crossroads.' Although more for the academic, this site hosts a plethora of
information easily accessable to the lay-reader and new-comers alike. [KJ]
Center for the Study of
Health, Religion, and Spirituality. The Center for the Study of Health,
Religion, and Spirituality at Indiana State University is--or was--a research
group focusing on a variety of topics related to health, spirituality, and
medicine. The plainly laid-out website features pages for news, research
projects, publications, conference presentations and more. The site seems not to
have been updated in more than two years, but there are a number of useful
bibliographies related to fairly specialized areas of research, including
mindfulness meditation, spirituality and addiction, and the integration of
pastoral care into medical interventions. A separate page presents further
information on spirituality and addiction, including a number of links. Further
links to broader spirituality and health websites are also offered. [CPW]
Christian Connections for International Health.
Christian Connections for International Health is an unapologetically
confessional organization dedicated to combating health problems in the poorer
regions of the world. Its website is simple, but is designed less for the casual
lay reader searching for information than for those already familiar with the
organization and its goals; available resources include job postings and tools
for crunching data on health-care threats and assets in underprivileged
locations. However, a number of Powerpoint lectures are available on subjects
such as Christian hospitals and the role of the Church in health care, and there
are sizable compendiums of organizations and projects addressing health care
concerns using a religious framework. Potentially useful for a specialized
audience. [CPW]
EMax Health: Spirituality & Healing.
This is the home page for discussion of “Spirituality & Healing” within a much
broader web site concerned generally with health. It contains reviews,
references and summaries of a vast assortment of reports from legitimate news
and research sources, more or less connected to the conjoined subject
Spirituality and Health. These are generously supplemented with links to other
sites, also spanning a broad spectrum on the spirituality and health continuum.
The more conservative religionist might be disappointed in the content, but most
open-minded explorers should find more than a few articles and links to
challenge thought and imagination. [JC]
Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing.
“Explore” straddles the line between a mainstream medical research journal and a
New Age site. To be sure, it is indexed in Medline; most of its authors are
members of university departments of psychology, medicine and the like; Larry
Dossey, Executive Editor, is a pioneer in mind-body medicine. But some articles
– like a recent study “test[ing] for telepathy in connection with text messages”
– provoke suspicion of the journal as a whole. Nonetheless, the occasional gem
and articles by well-known researchers makes it worth a stop on the Web travels
of a reader interested in spirituality and medicine. [JCD]
Feldenkrais Method for Somatic Education:
This website educates viewers about an exercise method, developed by Moshe
Pinhas Feldenkrais, and its accompanying training center. The Feldenkrais method
of body movement consists of precise exercises that necessitate mental awareness
to move towards a more expansive self and promote healing. Informative articles,
including movements for practice, are accessible through the site’s newsletter,
SensAbility. There is an additional, more scholarly, publication called the
Feldenkrais Journal available for purchase. The website includes information on
how to become a practitioner and provides a search tool for viewers to find
drop-in Feldenkrais Method classes all over the world. Anyone can become a
member of the Feldenkrais Method to gain access to additional resources and its
annual conference. A useful resource for those interested in body/mind awareness
techniques and rehabilitation. [SNR]
Hazelden--Alcohol and Drug Addiction
Treatment Center. This online resource is intended for persons interested in
learning more about alcohol/drug addiction as well as the treatment necessary
for achieving recovery. The Minnesota Model of addiction treatment is unique, as
it integrates the 12-step “spiritual” model with other medical, disease-centered
approaches. As noted on the website, “We approach treatment in a holistic way,
working with mind, body and spirit as components of a healthy life.” This is a
good resource for those interested in this particular model of treatment; not,
however, for those more interested in the broader discussion of spirituality and
medicine/health in general, or even in the process of recovery from addictions. [BLT]
Holistic Healing Web Page
claims to be the “Internet’s Premier Source for Holistic Medicine.” It may be
right about that. Its unimpressive home page blandly lists several links which
when opened and explored lead to a seemingly endless world of internet sources
and information. Opening home page links to such items as articles, case
histories, conferences, and news, to name a few, yields indices containing
dozens, and tens of dozens of entries and carefully catalogued links. This is a
site that takes off on an ultimately circular journey of links through the
internet universe. It may be too big. But with its alphabetized index, if you
know what you’re looking for, you are likely to find it here. [JC]
Holistic. This website is a clear and simple
website on body and mind and other related issues. Based in Ireland, this
website seems to function like a newspaper, providing news and information about
body, mind and daily life. Registered users can comment on the posts. Meanwhile,
there seems to be a team or a healing workshop running this website because
there are also some ads and info about upcoming activities and workshops;
however, the website does not mention much about the team or the workshop. Many
articles are available in the site, roughly categorized into Body, Mind, News
and Spirit. [DWY]
Jim Gangė, M.D. -
Spirituality in Medicine. Jim Gangė, M.D., an internist in California,
reserves a substantial portion of his professional website for a wide-ranging,
refreshingly lucid discussion of spirituality, particularly meditation, as it
relates to health care. In practice, this takes the form of practical advice on
meditation practices, and as such the website has the feeling of a consolidated
online self-help manual. However, the advice is delivered in a clear fashion,
and the author, no charlatan, is obviously well-read in the literature. A handy
86-entry bibliography of spirituality in medicine rounds out the offerings.
Limited in scope, but useful for those interested in an on-the-ground
perspective into practical applications of spirituality/health research. [CPW]
Medical
University of South Carolina’s Spirituality and Health Interest Group.
Strongly oriented towards physicians and health care workers, the website of
MUSC's Spirituality and Health Interest Group is a good source for statistics
regarding religious belief and practice in the United States and arguments for
greater religious awareness among clinicians. The overarching goal of the site
is to argue for the use among clinicians of “spiritual histories,” which are
sets of data tabulating patients' spiritual values, motivations, and needs, to
be used in determining how to best provide for spiritual needs in clinical
settings. Sound arguments are given for why patients' spirituality matters in
terms of care delivery. Extensive bibliographies and links provide a wealth of
opportunities for further learning. [CPW]
Metanexus. As stated on the website, “Metanexus is a not-for-profit
organization that promotes transdisciplinary research into profound questions of
human meaning and purpose with the aim of transforming our educational,
religious, and civic institutions.” The topic of “salus,” which is Latin
for “good health,” is covered by experts in their fields by means of informative
essays, which evaluate the intersection of spirituality and health. The aim is
not to promote or defend a particular vantage point on this intersection, but
rather, to serve as a resource for one to develop his or her own informed
opinion. [BLT]
Oprah Winfrey’s Official Website:
Even people who think they are too good for Oprah have a lot to gain
from her website, one of the most holistic and extensive health resource
databases out there. This website is packed with offerings in categories
of spirit, health, books, money, food, beauty, relationships and
personal growth, and dispenses advice, recipes, motivation, testimonies,
questionnaires, articles, contests, enrollment plans (paid and free),
message boards, and general support for all comers to “Live your best
life!” A person could spend the rest of their life sitting at the
computer and improving their life if they wanted to partake of all of
Oprah.com’s advice. The website promotes an extent of self-awareness
that may tip into self-absorption, then offers reminders to get involved
in community, reach out to others, and perform random acts of
lovingkindness. The Health section covers women’s health in depth and
emphasizes stress management, fitness inspiration and vocational
fulfillment; the Food section is primarily health focused, with
reminders to eat breakfast, develop nutrition consciousness, and render
junk favorites into healthful snacks. Oprah.com also filters the “best
of” from popular self-help mind/body experts like Deepak Chopra and Dr.
Mehmet Oz. If you don’t want to get too deep about the science behind
your healing, and you’re more concerned with the behavioral adjustments
for prevention and promotion, admit it: Oprah will meet your needs. 3
Halos given because the website is so extensive that targeted searches
are tough, and because of the popularly accessible thus shallow extent
of information; these articles are inevitably introductory gateways to
more in-depth inquiries. [JL]
Pathways to Promise: Ministry and
Mental Illness. This website, awkwardly laid out and somewhat unfriendly to
navigate, is nonetheless a valuable resource for ministers and similar
professionals interested in specifically confessional responses to mental
illness. A section entitled “Helping the Family” provides approximately 20
different text-based lessons for interacting with and providing pastoral help
for persons suffering from depression and other related maladies. Another
section provides an annotated list of resources for information on mental
health, while an eight-year archive of the organization’s biannual newsletter is
available through PDF links on the front page. Despite not in any sense claiming
to rest on the cutting edge of research in spirituality and health, this site
offers practical tools, links, and information for ministers and their
congregations. [CPW]
Prevention – Spirituality & Inspiration. “Prevention” was one of the first
health magazines, dating all the way back to 1950, and still has the highest
circulation in its class. Notable for its absence in the magazine (and on the
site) is any clear demarcation between alternative and mainstream treatments:
suggestions to count your blessings and utilize your “sixth sense” appear
alongside recommendations on how to cut down sodium intake and lower
cholesterol. The result is to offer the reader a variety of ways that he can
positively influence his own health, without concern for whether the method fits
into the “spirituality” category or some other. It’s somewhat disorganized, but
a good site for the reader interested in health matters of all kinds. [JCD]
Religion and Public Health Collaborative at
Emory University: This multidisciplinary enterprise draws resources from
Emory University’s schools of public health, nursing, theology and the
department of religion. The collaborative “is committed to an interdisciplinary
and interfaith approach to exploring the intersection of religion and public
health, both in partnership and in tension,” and is a sub-initiative of the
Religions and the Human
Spirit Initiative. The site includes information about events, research,
academic programs, policy initiatives, and publications. Of these categories,
the first four are highly developed, while the publications section deserves
more attention. [LAW]
The Royal College of Psychiatrists--Spirituality and Mental Health. This
online resource is a product of The Royal College of Psychiatrists. It exists
for those interested in understanding the important role spirituality can play
in aiding mental health. It provides a good deal of information related to
spirituality itself, spiritual care provided by psychiatrists and
chaplains/pastors, as well as a number of helpful guidelines for incorporating
spiritual practices into one’s everyday lifestyle. It also provides a list of
other helpful resources related to the topic, such as books and links to other
websites. Overall, this is a good resource for anybody interested in finding out
more about the intersection of spirituality and mental health. [BLT]
El Sanctuario de
Chimayo. This is the current website for the Roman Catholic Church in
Chimayo, NM, which is a National Historic Site, and a pilgrimage destination
which attracts as many as 300,000 visitors a year. The shrine was built in the
period between 1814-16 over a site understood to contain “holy dirt” considered
to have curative powers and according to legend a miraculous crucifix found by
a Penitente, Bernardo de Abeyta around 1810 is also housed in the building. The
website itself carries a sense of spiritual, anthropologic, and historic
romance, with strains of Ave Maria in the background. Evidence of pastoral
balance is in reminding those seeking to be healed “not to eat the dirt”. There
are many links primarily to Catholic resources and devotional materials.
However, the deep history of the Taos County area, is a complex mix of Catholic
faith, magic, folklore and the practices of curandero healers whose influence
persists into the 21st Century. [MHT]
The Southern Medical
Association's Spirituality/Medicine Interface Project is a
cross-disciplinary effort to raise awareness of the importance of spirituality
and religion in medical practice, and to assist physicians in determining when
and how to address spiritual concerns in their treatments. The SMIP's website is
well-designed and efficiently laid out, with a simple, handy column of resources
on the left-hand side offering a veritable treasure trove of research, articles,
and even slide presentations. The compendium of articles are archived from the
Southern Medical Journal and address subjects as diverse as end-of-life care,
meditation, and alcohol abuse in the context of spiritual practice and medical
integration. A highly valuable resource. [CPW]
Spiritual Health & Healing. The
website Cellular Nutrition (or Acu-Cell) is built by Dr. Ronald Roth to
investigate the issues of nutrition, physical disorders and health effects
through Acu-Cell technology. This website has research on nutrition and
diseases, and also provides guides to diets and spiritual health.The spiritual
health and healing section of the website compiles abundant biblical references
to the health issues. The argument in the whole page can be concluded as: God
loves human and answers their prayers. However, the prayers for spiritual health
are more likely to be answered than prayers for physical health. From the site’s
perspective, spirituality is more important and “praying for physical health or
blessings is as futile as praying for material things and blessings.” [DWY]
University of Florida’s Center
for Spirituality and Health. The Center for Spirituality and Health at the
University of Florida is a burgeoning program that is making significant
progress for spirituality and medicine in the academic realm. Their simple and
easy-to-navigate website offers both local information, such as upcoming course
offerings supported by the Center, and useful general resources, such as online
videos of past lectures and links to subject-specific bibliographies and other
similar online hubs. The latter resources, though, are meager compared to the
sweeping claims of their mission statement. For the time being, their site is
mostly focused on the local UF community, but growing attention could expand its
reach. [ERD]
Wholistic Healing Research.
This website is established by Daniel J. Benor, a wholistic psychiatric
psychotherapist and healer. Wholistic here means the combination of the five
elements: Spirit, Relationships, Mind Emotions and Body. This website provides
several articles and web links to wholistic healing. The best self-healing
method, as recommended by the website, is WHEE: Whole Health—Easy and
Effectively. WHEE can effectively and rapidly heal both physical and
psychological pains, while having no side effects. There are also some articles
explicating how to operate spiritual healing as well as some links to other
websites. [DWY]
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Center for
Complementary and Integrative Medicine (Department of Psychiatry, University
of Miami School of Medicine). This organization is one of the many springing up
in university medical schools that offer information about complementary and
alternative treatments, as well as offering the treatments themselves from
qualified practitioners. The Center offers seminars and workshops in
acupuncture, nutrition, and counseling, along with a self-help practice called
“Meta-Energetics.” These workshops are available for the general public, though
many of them are intended for a medical audience that would like to incorporate
alternative medicine into their practices. The Center offers an interesting
preview of what alternative medicine will look like in traditional hospital
contexts as it becomes more mainstream. [JCD]
The Institute for Spirituality and Health at
the Texas Medical Center hosts a very easy to browse website that offers a
thorough description of their purpose and their available programs in the
Houston area. Their programs vary from courses on acupuncture in modern medicine
to the metaphysical aspects of the science/religion debate. Those outside of
Texas will find useful information on networked practitioners and ways to
contact them. The most interesting part of ish-tmc.org is the active and quite
topical Spirituality and Health Blog, frequently updated by one of the group's
more progressive members. [ERD]
Nashville Integrated
Medicine: While this website appears to promote an expansive institution,
the organization, operated by Dr. J. David Forbes, actually includes only a
small number of practitioners. Forbes claims that “holistic health,” defined on
his site as the individual’s capacity to connect mind and spirit to improve
physical well being, can best be achieved by treatment at his facility including
coaching, Rolfing, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. Visitors to the web pages
might find specific practitioners individually appealing and may want to inquire
further; however, the site functions more like an advertisement than a resource
evident by a meditation CD’s availability for purchase from and by Dr. Forbes
himself. Potentially a resource for specific individuals. [SNR]
Project Healing Water.
Some web sites provide a broad array of topics and links, not this one. This is
the website for “Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, LLP.” The organization’s
focus is narrow and its target audience well-defined. It offers fly-fishing as a
healing practice for disabled veterans and: “is dedicated to the physical and
emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty military personnel and veterans
through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.” The organization hosts
regional events throughout the country, generally no further than a half-day’s
travel from a Veteran’s or Department of Defense Hospital. Some recent
activities include the Yakima River trip and Trout Unlimited’s 50th Anniversary
Celebration. All events and activities are offered free of charge to
hospitalized and outpatient disabled veterans. This is a very cool site for a
unique organization. [JC]
Spirituality and Alternative
Healing. This site provides numerous links to a variety of artistic,
experiential, therapeutic and other resources spanning nearly the full potential
continuum for collaboration between spirituality and healing from academic
skepticism through subjective emotive experience. With links to music, an
on-line art gallery, aromatherapy resources, after-life experiences, one might
rush to judgment that this site is a mish-mash of quackery. It is not. Exploring
possibilities for healing through art as spiritual expression, process, iconic
resource, etc., is a fascinating addition to this genre. [JC]
University of
Pennssyvania’s Center for Spirituality and the Mind. Directed more towards
the specialist than the layperson hoping to learn about spirituality and health,
UPenn's Center for Spirituality and the Mind website abounds with plans,
outlines, and schemes but remains a bit thin on actual facts and data.
Nevertheless, reading through the list of current projects provides a relatively
informative peek at the cutting edge of research in subfields like meditation
brain imaging and placebo effect research. The research proposals and field
studies listed here are several stages removed from their eventual newspaper
write-ups, and skimming them allows readers to build their understanding of the
issues somewhat beyond the beginner's level. [CPW]
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APA
Online--Spirituality and Mental Health. This online resource is a product of
the American Psychological Association (APA). It addresses the relevance of
spirituality for mental health, and includes discussion topics ranging from the
concept of spirituality, as it applies to the clinical psychologist’s job of
collecting data and providing treatment for various mental illnesses, to the
role certain religious traditions play in the process of mental rehabilitation,
as experienced by the patient. Overall, this is a modest attempt by the APA to
address the need for interdisciplinary research in the areas of spirituality and
mental health. It provides some cursory evaluations of the topic, but does not
cover very extensive ground. [BLT]
Beliefnet. Beliefnet.com is an expansive
website that mostly serves the self-help community. Their subsection on health
features a wide variety of topics and navigation options that are rather poorly
organized. The material on the site is fairly general, offering very safe
articles with little networking to outside sources. While you are belabored on
every page with advertising, the promoted products do tend to align with the
subject matter at hand. The discussion boards may provide a good way to connect
with others and address topics more thoroughly, but the site in general is only
really useful to either a complete newcomer or just someone looking for a quick
“spiritual pick-me-up.” [ERD]
Center for Spirituality
Studies at The University of Hull. The Center for Spirituality Studies (CSS)
is a research group at The University of Hull, which, according to the website,
exists to (1) promote interdisciplinary research and scholarship that develops
understandings of spirituality, (2) provide opportunities for advanced study and
research training in spirituality, and (3) offer a forum for community
engagement with spirituality. Overall, the website appears to be designed for
persons interested in the group in particular, rather than those seeking broader
information regarding the intersection of spirituality and health. Nevertheless,
it provides some helpful information on the topic of spirituality, as well as
several relevant links to other resources. [BLT]
Duke Institute on Care at the
End of Life. The Duke Institute (ICEOL) is centered around caring for the
“whole person” at the end of life. Accordingly, the ICEOL lists among its
guiding principles the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to care, upon
which professionals from various fields (e.g., medicine, theology, psychology,
etc.) bring their respective contributions in exchange for the others’. In
general, this is a good website for such professionals and/or persons interested
in end-of-life issues, who wish to either collaborate with the institute or
glean from its ongoing research and contributions to this important field. [BLT]
Healing and Health. This
website is built by Robert Longman Jr., an ELCA Lutheran layman, spreading
Christian spiritual health and healing. It does not contain a lot of pages
though it has detailed categories and sections. As it says “All healing is, in
some way, divine healing,” the website concerns exclusively to spirituality as
divine healing. It contains a historical review of spiritual healing of
Christianity as well as an elaboration of the significance of healing in
Christian faith; however, it does not provide a practical guideline to a
healing-seeking person. Maybe what we can do, as suggested by the website, is to
only believe and leave the solutions to the Divine. [DWY]
Health Ministries
Association. Health Ministries Association (HMA) is a community of nurses
committed to the principles of faith underlying medical practice. According to
their mission statement, “HMA encourages, supports and empowers leaders in the
integration of faith and health in their local communities.” Thus, this online
resource may be seen as an extension of that mission, providing related news,
resources, and links for its viewers. Students interested in the intersection of
spirituality and health, as a field of study, should expect that this website
has a more practical orientation and does not explicitly address such issues.
[BLT]
The International
Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine. In
some ways this organization founded in 1989 seems to be the natural
inheritor of the mission undertaken by the Spiritualist Lilly Dale
Community of 1879 and its links to the Theosophical Society. ISSSEEM
desires to provide a current forum for “scientific and intuitive
exploration of integrative healing, applied spirituality, and the subtle
realms”. Its adherents are primarily interested in the nature of
consciousness. They claim to support rigorous science and publish a
peer-reviewed journal titled Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine
Journal. Nevertheless, ISSSEEM appears to be operating on the outside
margins of practical considerations involved in healthcare. [MHT]
Lilly Dale. Lilly Dale
today is a small community of a few hundred people situated at the north
end of Lake Chautauqua in New York State, including a significant number
of Registered Mediums. Founded in 1879, it is a vestigial remnant of the
Spiritualist Movement, which attracted millions of Americans. Lilly Dale
prides itself for a century of encouraging the “academic and scientific
research into psychic phenomena”. Chiefly however it will be of interest
to historians and others who delve into the spread of ideas about
Spiritual Healing dating from the 19th century. Links to the
Healing Temple offer a window on the practices there guided certified
“Spiritual Healers”. [MHT]
Quest for Health Unlimited.
Maintained by a woman who claims to be a psychic, Quest for Health Unlimited is
relatively light in concrete information and, despite its health-focused title,
emphasizes telepathic communication with animals. A small section devoted to
alternative health therapies provides definitions for naturopathy, nutraceutical
therapies, and psychic energy healing. Each definition is short but concise, and
although the tone and obvious biases of the site render it unsuitable for
serious research, the definitions may prove useful to those just beginning to
investigate alternative health. The site as a whole is best taken as a window
into current, on-the-ground thought regarding spiritual practice and health. [CPW]
Revolution Health. Revolution Health is one of the many personal health
sites springing up on the web promoting “health and balance.” A reader can
investigate specific illnesses and conditions, find doctors and hospitals, and
research various treatments. The site’s “Prayer, Spirituality and Healing”
section is one of many CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) modalities
that are covered, from acupuncture to yoga. The site is refreshingly honest
about the lack of research on the efficacy of the alternative treatments, and
gives a respectable bibliography for each of them. More helpful than the
articles to most people may be the community forums where individuals share
their stories. [JCD]
Spiritual River. Self-described as
concerned with
overcoming addiction, through the site author’s “core philosophy… that
lasting sobriety can only be achieved through a spiritual experience…
characterized by a complete change in personality.” The site contains prodigious
essays, Q&As and correspondence from the author, Patrick Meninga. There is a
smaller amount of linkage to outside resources. Although heavy on the
spirituality aspect of recovery, this is not AA-lite, and takes a moderate and
consistent approach to the linkage of recovery from alcohol addiction with
spirituality via mainly personal, experiential insights, The author’s
8-years of sobriety is heartening and anyone interested in recovery and
spirituality will find one well-articulated approach to the subject matter. [JC]
Wikipedia: Aryuveda. As with
many wikipedia articles, the page on Ayurveda is a scattershot presentation of
material. The section on the history and structure of Ayurveda is short and
lacking in some very key aspects. The much larger section on the current state
of Ayurveda is more informative, giving the onlooker a wide variety of facts,
figures, and cited studies to assist in one's search for more specific
information. Within this latter section, the article focuses mainly on reception
of Ayurveda and its scientific testing in the Western medical establishment.
Overall, the article is a weak source of detailed information but does have
several references, both online and print, for the more in depth seeker. [ERD]
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Body Mind Spirit Directory.
As its name implies, the holistic approaches promoted by this website seek to
incorporate the various distinctive aspects of the human experience, which can
be generalized into dynamics related to the body, mind, and spirit. Readers are
informed of a variety of holistic approaches to various issues related to well
being. These categories include the more broad areas of dietary, dental,
fitness, and medical issues in addition to more specific concerns, such as age
and gender related topics. It also supplies a list of providers not only in
every state, but also, in many of the larger cities, making localized searches
easy and accessible. [BLT]
Canada's
Association of Spirituality and Mental Health. This website is an
informative portal to the group's local events that offers networking
information for those interested specifically in how mental health
relates to spirituality. For the outside viewer, the site only offers a
handful of resources, such as a couple articles published in public
journals by members, but not much else. Basically, their site is a
springboard for interested parties in the Ottawa area to join monthly
discussion groups on topics ranging from Kriya yogic breathing to
Dawkins' The God Delusion. Those outside Ottawa will only find
use in contacting and networking with scholars in the field. [ERD]
Duke University Medical Center’s
Society for Spirituality, Theology, and Health. The Society for
Spirituality, Theology, and Health is a membership organization of
scholars doing research on spirituality, health, health care, and
religious values. It holds a yearly Annual Meeting, monthly seminars,
and periodic events. While most of the site is closed to non-members,
two features of the few newsletters archived on the site provide for
interesting and enriching reading: first, interviews with prominent
scientists doing work in the field. Second, there are summaries of
current research recently published in various journals. Unfortunately,
access to the 2009 newsletters is restricted, and there are only two
2008 issues. The site is promising but ultimately disappointing. [JCD]
Magnified Healing. This
opens the very pretty, peaceful home page of the official web site of
“Magnified Healing.” Noting that planet earth is approaching “its
mutation into a body of light,” the site deals with humanity’s
opportunity to begin its mutation into “higher vibratory dimensions”
through physical, emotional, mental, etheric and spiritual healing.
Although this site is interesting for casual internet surfers, its
target audience is true-believers. The magnified healing of the God Most
High of the Universe is brought into its form for the spiritual
advancement of mankind through the direct intervention of Lady Master
Kwan Yin and other Magnified healers. They channel a constant flow of
energy from one’s heart to the source of all that is, down to the
diamond at the center of the earth. This “healer focused” ascension
process is available at Magnified Healing’s spas. It would be too easy
to take cheap shots at this site. I’ll leave you to your own counsel.
Root of Healing:
Naturopathic Medicine. “Root of Healing” is a naturopathic clinic in
Bellingham, Washington, and its web site contains information about
integrative mind-body treatments such as homeopathy, hypnotherapy,
CranioSacral therapy, and NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination
Technique). In addition, there are announcements about upcoming clinics
and information sessions with trained practitioners for those interested
in learning more about the types of techniques the clinic employs. The
clinicians, Rebecca Parker and Richard Blake, have extensive experience
with naturopathic medicine, and doubtlessly do a fine job with their
patients. Unless one is in Bellingham, Washington, however, there is
better information to be found elsewhere. [JCD]
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The contributors to these web links are:
[BLT] Benjamin Thompson, a student in the 2009 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[CPW] Connor Wood, a student in the 2009 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[DWY] Du Weiyi (William), a student in the 2009 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[ERD] Eric Dorman, a student in the 2009 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[JC] Jennifer Coleman, a student in the 2009 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[JCD] Joel Daniels, member of the 2009 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[JL] Jenn Lindsay, a student in the 2011 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[KJ] Kile Jones, a student in the 2009 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[LAW] Larry A. Whitney, LC+, a student in the 2011 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[MHT] Mary Hnottavange-Telleen, a student in the 2011 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[SNR] Stephanie N. Riley, a student in the 2011 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.
[TTW] Thurman Willison, a student in the 2009 Spirituality, Medicine, and Health seminar at Boston University.