Paramahansa Yogananda on Healing

A genuine smile distributes the cosmic current, prana, to every body cell. The happy man is less subject to disease, for happiness actually attracts into the body a greater supply of the universal life energy.

Disease is generally considered a result of external material causes. Few people realize that it comes through the inaction of the Life Force within. Medicine, massage and electricity merely help to stimulate the cells in such a way that the Life Energy is induced to return and resume its work of maintenance and repair.

All methods of healing are really indirect ways of rousing the life energy, which is the true and direct healer of all diseases.

Absolute, unquestioning faith in God is the greatest method of instantaneous healing.

To know God is the most important way to heal all disease--physical, mental, spiritual. As darkness cannot remain where light is, so also the darkness of disease is driven away by the light of God's perfect presence when it enters the body.

When modern science will discover how to go deep into the subtle electromagnetic constitution of man, it will be able to correct almost any medical condition in ways that would seem almost miraculous today. In the future, healing will be effected more and more by use of various types of light rays. Light is what we are made of—not gross physical light, but the finer spiritualized light of prana, intelligent life energy. That light is the real essence of everything. This earth is not "earth" as you see it; it is light. But you cannot perceive that until you know the underlying astral world.

There are three kinds of sickness: physical, mental, and spiritual. Physical sickness is due to different forms of toxic conditions, infectious diseases, and accidents. Mental sickness is caused by fear, worry, anger, and similar emotional inharmonies. Soul sickness is due to man's ignorance of his true relationship with God.

Ignorance is the supreme disease. When one banishes ignorance he has also banished the causes of all physical, mental, and spiritual disease.

Never allow your mind to entertain thoughts of illness or limitation; you will see your body change for the better. Remember that mind is the power that is creating this body and if the mind is weak, the body becomes weak. Don't grieve or worry about anything. (s)

Obedience to God's physical laws is the method for avoiding bodily ills.

Do not overeat. Most persons die as a result of greediness and of ignorance of right dietary habits. Obey God's laws of hygiene. The hygiene of keeping the mind pure is superior to physical hygiene. ...

Prevent hardening of the arteries by proper diet.

Save the heart from overwork; fear and anger overtax it. Give rest to the heart by the Self-Realization method, and cultivate a peaceful attitude of mind.