Overcoming Cancer

Many people diagnosed with cancer get well again. Those who have written about their journey to full recovery include Louise Hay (vaginal cancer), Petrea King (leukemia) and Ian Gawler (bone cancer). Doctors have documented many cases of remission and total recovery - books written by Bernie Siegel, Deepak Chopra and Ainslie Meares have had an enormous impact on the way we view and treat cancer today.

The message that comes through loud and clear is that we are capable of healing any illness, any disease, by using the power of the mind. Please understand that I fully support traditional medicine's approach to cancer and other life threatening illnesses. That said, I also believe that the use of a person's inner strength and mind power can, at the very least, supplement any orthodox treatment. However, there are cases reported where people have used their inner strength to overcome physical conditions that had not been cured by traditional means.

I encourage you to open your mind to the possibility that you can actively help in your healing by using your mind. The link between mind and body has been researched for many years, beginning with Charles Darwin. I'm sure you've had the experience of waking from a frightening dream. Your heart was probably pounding, you were breathing hard, and you might have even been perspiring. Then your conscious mind kicks in and you realise it was only a dream. But for a few seconds, your body thought it was real, and responded with real physical symptoms! The origin of the fear, however, was in the mind.

Research into the mind's influence on healing has created a new science called Psycho-Neuro-Immunology (PNI). It studies the link between thoughts and emotions, and between the brain, the nervous system and the immune system. Practitioners encourage their cancer patients to form positive images of their bodies being well again. Positive images of a healthy body stimulate the immune system to copy what is in the person's mind. A link has been shown to exist between levels of T-cells in healthy patients and their positive, or negative, state of mind.

What Can We Do To Help Heal Ourselves?

In my experience, there are several components of the healing process. We need to make sure our self talk is positive. Changing disempowering habits, beliefs and attitudes to positive ones is an important part. As well as this, I advocate a practise of active meditation in which you direct your mind to form healthy images of your body and give it a positive blueprint to move towards.

In the meditation process you can also work with healing emotions, and the past, and with creating a more empowering future. Bernie Siegel believes we should view any illness as a 'reset' button, as an opportunity to redirect our lives. In meditation we can work with forgiveness, letting go of anger and resentment, overcoming fear and anxiety, and we can improve our relationships and build self worth and confidence. All of these assist the healing of the body.

In the Life Skills Seminar we teach you how to consciously direct the body's subconscious healing ability, and to reprogram subconscious beliefs, attitudes and habits through simple mind/body exercises, including meditation. Participants learn and practise the following skills:
  1. The ability to relax and release the stress caused by illness.
  2. The ability to develop focused concentration for active meditation and visualisation.
  3. The ability to consciously develop your power of intention for healing.
  4. The ability to develop mind/body exercises to promote healing.
  5. Proof - you know through the use of biofeedback that you can perform these skills.

Graduates of the seminar have also used these techniques to overcome a variety of health related challenges.

For more information on these subjects

I have written separate articles on all of these subjects (including testimonials from some graduates) explaining in further detail how the Life Skills Seminar approaches these challenges. They are available on request.

How Effective Is What I Teach?

Let me remind you of what has been established by the science of psycho-neuro-immunology:
  1. The mind and body are connected.
  2. Visualisation assists the healing process.
  3. Meditation assists the healing process.
To illustrate the power of this, let me tell you a story:

A friend of mine was diagnosed as having cancer and started to have chemotherapy which created extreme nausea and sickness for 10 days after the treatment. There was nothing for it but to stay in bed for the entire 10 days. Then my friend started to use my guided imagery tape, PP No. 4 Healing Yourself, and reduced that sick time in bed after the chemotherapy from 10 to 3 days.

The way she visualised the cancer was as a bunch of grapes which were dirty, withered, old, dry grapes. Then the visualisation moved to picking off the old, dry grapes, and as the grapes were picked off each day, one day she noticed something different in her visualisation. She rang me quite excitedly and said "Hey I saw new shoots today!" A short while later there was nothing to be seen at all. She went to the doctor soon afterwards and was told "It's gone - it's officially in remission."


And here's an inspiring story of a seminar graduate who only wants me to use her first name:

Cathy attended the seminar and told me that she had not come for herself but had come totally for her mother who was so ill that she was unable to attend herself. At the end of the seminar I asked her how things were and she told me she didn't care what happened to her, even if a truck ran over her on the way home. She told me she had clinical depression and she was stuck with it. She had come here only to see what she could do for her mother. When she got home she started to teach her mother what to do and what she had learnt.

Very soon after that Catherine had to have a mammogram and the result wasn't good. She was told she had a big lump in her left breast and had to go into hospital in three days time.

She asked if it would hurt because she had a low pain tolerance and feared pain. They said it would. She would have to have a wire inserted into the breast, to the lump, without anaesthetic so that the doctor could follow it to the lump. The wire had to penetrate about three inches. Once the lump was located Cathy would receive an anaesthetic. She thought she may as well try the Peaceful Place method - even though she didn't believe it would work for her. She had nothing to lose.

For the next few days, a hundred times each day, she visualised that the wire was inserted easily and painlessly, just like a spoon into yoghurt and affirmed "this feels great". She imagined the lump was cut out painlessly, with a successful outcome. After she had done the visualisation for about a day she thought, "I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to put all my sadness, pain, injustice, anger and bitterness that led to my depression, into this lump and as the lump gets cut out it's going to free me of all my depression and I'm going to feel absolutely fantastic."

So it all happened as she visualised. It was not, however, until the wire was painlessly inserted did Catherine actually believe. BUT, before that moment, she pretended really well. When the wire was inserted it didn't hurt at all and the lump turned out to be benign.

Not only that, but she came to another one of my seminars recently. She is a different woman, glowing, happy, the depression completely gone! She said, "I've been diagnosed as having clinical depression for years, but now it's worked so well for me. I know how powerful it is and I'm working with the Peaceful Place techniques all the time. It's just a question of attitude and how you talk to yourself."

Cathy has been an inspiration to many people. She's really willing to help individuals by talking to them and sharing her experiences.Thanks Cathy for letting me share your inner strength

Now here are the words of some of my seminar participants.

Firstly, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you for enabling me to attend your two day seminar recently in Adelaide. It was without a doubt the best I have attended and as I have owned Piece of Mind for some years, it was great for me to have these ideas reinforced by practise.

On Thursday of the same week my life took a dramatic turn, as I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. I'm now at home recuperating from an operation and awaiting radiotherapy. I wouldn't be honest if I said that I wasn't shocked. However, while I went through 4¼ hours of grueling tests to confirm the diagnosis, I thought of the anecdote that you told us about the woman who had needle biopsies.

When I was subjected to the needle biopsy, with the "cast of thousands" in the room with me, I thought "Well, here you go Christine, use your PP." I closed my eyes, even though I was invited to watch the screen. I took some deep breaths and went to my PP. I could hear people telling me that it would be painful, but I hardly felt a thing. Afterwards, the woman who performed the biopsy said "Were you off on a desert island?". I explained a little and she replied she could tell.

Before I underwent the bone scans, blood test and X-rays I used my PP. I continued to teach for 4 days, and my colleagues were shocked, and remarked on my really positive outlook. I kept telling myself that I couldn't afford a negative thought and that I would cross a bridge only if I had to.

I continued to go to my PP and into a 'Healing room" and use your Healing Tape. On the day after the operation the surgeon said to me "You should have the biggest smile on your face. The tumor was 0.85cm, not 1.2cm as the ultrasound showed. The lymph nodes are clear."

Of course I have some down moments, but I am fairly at peace with myself. The tapes have been so helpful. Sandy, I am so grateful that I could be at the seminar. If my journey so far would encourage anyone else, please use it, just as I used the story of the woman and the needle biopsy. Again, my sincere thanks and appreciation.

Christine Adams, SA


Wendy BurburyAt first I only practised the techniques occasionally but after being diagnosed with an over active thyroid early in 1995, I became much more serious about it. My GP was constantly surprised that I was so well in spite of my serious condition. He acknowledged that the meditation must have been the reason.

At the same time as I was given iodine to stabilise my thyroid, I reported a lump in my breast.

My meditation helped me to approach the diagnostic surgery very calmly. Even so it was a great shock when my surgeon told me it was cancer. He explained two different possible operations and it was to be MY decision which option to take. This put a very great pressure on me. (I believe this is partly to protect the surgeon.) I decided I would make my decision in meditation.

On the Sunday afternoon we had returned home from a very enjoyable BBQ with friends. I put on a warm coat and took a long slow walk around my large garden. I felt I wanted to enjoy the beauty of the many trees and shrubs that I have grown. Then I went to the spot that I have chosen for my Peaceful Place and sat on a rock.

That late afternoon it was truly a "Magic Place". The rays of light that I usually visualise were actually shining through the broken clouds and the leaves of the two tall eucalyptus nearby. My meditation was very deep and the big decision was easy - I would have a full mastectomy and hopefully no need for follow up radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

After this meditation experience, I felt incredibly happy, relaxed, and at peace with myself and those around me. My cancer was giving me some sort of celebration of my life - like a new awakening. I had a wonderful new energy flowing which was to help me through my operation.

Wendy Burbury, TAS


Glenda KirkbyI attended a CALM Seminar in Perth and found it very helpful - not that I had to endure anything big time, just the usual stresses. So I received a shock when my latest pap smear was irregular. A small biopsy showed pre-cancerous cells and I was booked in for surgery in six weeks. This gave me time to start on meditating with Sandy's Healing Tape. I knew I could remove this thing from my body and during my meditations I could see the doctor visiting me after the operation and telling me that he had not had to do anything because "it" was all gone.

When the day came the anesthetist was surprised at my good slow pulse and no need for the pre-op calming drug. Imagine my surprise when I recovered from the anaesthetise to find no congratulatory doctor and no mention of the "spot" having disappeared because I just knew it had. Later at the standard post-op check I sensed that the specialist was uncomfortable. His unease increased when I asked him how big the "spot" was when he operated. Shifting in his chair he said "Well actually the area had spontaneously healed itself and there was no evidence of the irregular cells. However just to be sure I incised the area anyway."

Restraining myself from leaning across the man's desk and throttling him, I instead went for a few moments to my Peaceful Place. Twelve months later I'm still all clear and of course will remain so!

Glenda Kirkby, WA


Mid 1994 I was diagnosed as having lung cancer, the position and type of tumor precluded both surgery and chemotherapy, leaving only radio therapy as an option. I received radical therapy and was given 3 months to 3 years to live. While I was receiving treatment I heard Sandy on the radio and bought Piece of Mind and 4 tapes: PP1 and PP2, PP5 Meditation and PP4 Healing Yourself. I practised and practised and during the Healing meditation when it is mentioned that there might be a gift, I located one. It was a cylinder and yes it was full of endless love, with which I could attack my illness. I did the exercise as often as I could.

About three weeks ago I was fast asleep and during the night I was woken by the sound of a large explosion in my chest. It was accompanied by a sense of pain although it really didn't hurt. My first thought was that I was about to die, but I quickly realised that in fact not only was I alive but I had the sense of achieving something quite different. I had the thought that I was cured or on the way to remission. I returned to the hospital for the follow-up when an x-ray was taken. The radiotherapist was very pleased to see that the tumor had shrunk and that the radiotherapy would continue to act for another couple of months. I told her what I had been doing and she encouraged me to continue.

RL, Queensland

So What is the Next Action Step that You Can Take?

CALM makes suggestions on how you can develop your skills in dealing with Overcoming Cancer using Sandy MacGregor's low cost Tapes, Books, CDs, Videos and Seminars which have been utilised by thousands of people successfully since 1990. [click here]