Essentially, it said, if there is a powerful mechanism for the body to prepare for action (the flight or fight response) then there must be an equal and opposite reaction for calming the body down (the relaxation response).
The book proposes a modern form of something called Transcendental Meditation and presents it in a way that's less alien to people of western culture. Dr Benson shows through scientific theory that this ancient technique can be used extremely effectively in our stress filled modern world. He even showed that this form of relaxation can illicit results similar to blood pressure medication, in fact as a natural form of relaxation it's actually better for many people than taking medication.
A 1986 survey showed that this book was the number one self-help book given by clinical-psychologists to their clients.
Dr Benson didn't present any new information to be sure, he said, "We claim no innovation but simply a scientific validation of age-old wisdom."
His genius was seeing a natural human reaction and then realizing it must have an equally powerful opposite, and striving to find exactly what that was and what it would look like.
The action response, known as "fight or flight" had been around for years. Actually it was discovered and named in the 1920's (also at Harvard).
So then, for over fifty years, no one thought to see if the fight or flight reaction could be countered or combated in any way. They just thought they had to deal with it.
There's a popular phrase thrown around in pop-psychology and Oprah book clubs that goes like this.
Hurt people hurt people.
The phrase is even the title of a book, and it's easy to see why. Emotionally damaged people tend to spread their hurt to other people. Understanding this fact is a huge step toward understanding why a hurting person is doing and saying the things they are. These four words tell us a lot about the human condition don't they?
The question is, does this phrase have an equal and opposite reaction, ie. healed people heal people?
For that answer, turn to Mary Magdalene.
Mary Magdalene is a fascinating character, her name is mentioned more than any other female in the New Testament except Jesus' mother. She is mentioned in every gospel and in the book of Acts. Eight times her name appears in a list of other people, other than the scene at the foot of the cross her name always leads the list.
The beginning of her story though, is how she was healed.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+8&version=NKJV
Notice after she was healed, in the very next verse, she's contributing to the ministry of Jesus.
She was also one of the few people who didn't flee during the crucifiction, and the first to see Jesus after he rose. Mary was so changed by her healing she couldn't help but become part of the movement that brought that healing to others.
Her life illustrates a powerful point.
Just as a person hurting others is a symbol of their own internal pain, someone actively healing others emotional wounds is a sign that they are moving a long way toward their own healing.
An opposite reaction that serves to counter the one we all know.
If this post makes you wonder if you're a "healed" person or a "hurt" person, take a few points to heart.
1. You have, or most certainly will, occupy both categories.
2. Just as a hurt person can't help but hurt others, a healed person can't help but heal others.
3. The healing reaction, though seeming similar, is in fact much more powerful than the hurting reaction. Healing someone has a huge healing effect on yourself.
Healing was always meant to be more powerful and more far reaching than hurting. Just as light drives dark away, healing scatters hurting to the wind.
Are you healed? Then go heal.
