Jeffrey D. Millman, M.D.

After giving a talk about the issues discussed in Leap of Faith, I had a woman come up to me and ask, “Did I cause myself to get cancer?
I had used the example of cancer to explain the concept that each of our lives are co-creations. Both our self(our mind and our body) and our Higher self(our soul) influence the formation of any illness. I mentioned that the cause for a malignant tumor to occur is multifactoral, the result of a combination of 1) genetic predisposition, 2) lifestyle choices (harmful chemicals in our food , inadequate exercise to facilitate excretion of toxic substances we ingest, and exposure to potential carcinogens like cigarettes, post-menapausal hormones, excess sunlight, etc.) , as well as 3) negative thinking and feelings that suppress our immune system’s ability to detect cancerous changes early.
This very nice lady understood all this. It was the last factor in the formation of cancer that upset her- – – spirituality. All of us are spiritual beings who have come into physical form that we may have life experiences, all of which are intended to give us the opportunities to learn the lessons necessary for our soul to grow here in earthschool. Growth is essential to life. Our souls desire to evolve towards enlightenment. If our Higher self determines that cancer, or any physical or emotional illness, will challenge us to grow, then at a subconscious soul level our Higher self will influence the development of a cancer. We are not consciously willing this to happen you understand. Experiencing difficulties and pain in our lives presents us with situations that can either break us down, or instead, allow us to choose growth enhancing options. With our free will we can choose fear …. or love. Cancer, therefore, becomes a springboard for spiritual growth…. or not. The choice is ours. Fear and depression are natural reactions to being told we have cancer. Once we get passed the initial shock, however, we can choose a more pro-active approach that is positive, self-loving, and hopeful. It is easy to get caught up in fearful negative thoughts and feelings. Our attitude and the choices we make can propel our soul towards higher vibrational energies that promote soul growth — even if we ultimately die of the cancer. In the overall scheme of things, our body eventually will perish, but our soul lives on, transitioning to the other side. Coping with the many challenges that cancer presents determines whether we achieve growth in this lifetime.
Her response to listening to my explanation as to why illness and pain befall us all was to blame herself for her calamity. She was upset that a part of her, even if it was unconscious, would turn on her to cause such a self-destructive illness to occur. Her fear-driven ego interpreted her situation from a negative perspective. She felt like a victim of circumstance and bad luck. How dare I imply that she may have contributed to the formation of this terrible cancerous illness. She was angry at herself, and of course , me. I felt badly that my spiritual explanation for her plight made her question herself. Until this lady was able to go beyond the physical, to the metaphysical, all she experieced was fear and suffering.
Taking the leap of faith to use our intuitive mind to bypass our fearful thoughts and feelings and instead be open to the healing harmony available to all of us as we deal with life’s challenges, allows us to transform fear into hope and understanding.
Perhaps you or a loved one have had to face this dilema. What has been your experience? Let me know.