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Visualization exercises, in the form of guided meditations, have received a lot of attention over the past decade or so. I have found most of the visualization exercises, usually originating in American publications, to be at best militaristic and at worst androcentric and violent. Even the religious stuff is replete with this imagery. I think that being a Canadian woman might have something to do with the degree of offense I felt at trying to implement these scenarios in my head. Trying to imagine little soldiers battling the cancer cells as I received chemotherapy just made me think that my body was much like the planet -- sick and getting sicker all the time because of all that fighting. Some imagery exercises involve thinking about light coming into one's body and dissolving or destroying the cancer cells. This didn't help either. I just had trouble with the whole concept. It was not because I disbelieved in the efficacy of using imagery; intuitively I felt that it could help. The trouble I found myself in was having to do battle with my own body. Women have enough trouble in this North American culture, trying to come to some type of peaceable acceptance of their bodies, without trying to kill parts of it off in their heads. I understood the cancer cells in my body to be errant and misguided. If I comprehend current cancer theories correctly, some kind of natural inborn switch refused to turn off in some of the cells. The cancer cells are normally picked up and escorted out of the body by its natural immune system. A long time ago something in my immune system missed some errant cells in my breast. It seemed to make more sense to me to forgive the little beggars and imagine them being switched off and escorted to my bowel, where they could be disposed of each morning after I ingested my daily bucket of coffee. So that is what I did. I made peace with the cells of my body. I didn't have the energy to participate in any more warfare than I had to. It always makes me cringe a little when I read an obituary that states someone died after a courageous battle with cancer. I know their loved ones are saying they are proud of the pluck the deceased person had in just living with the disease for as long as he or she did. Somehow, though, it always seems to me to be participating in a metaphor that just contributes to more suffering and the delay of healing - that of battle waging. Battle always indicates an absence of peace; an absence of peace makes it more difficult to connect with the Divine. From You are welcome to share this © article with friends, but do not forget to include the author name and web address. permission needed to use articles on commercial and non commercial websites. thank you. Cancerlynx is committed to Web Site Accessibility. We took every effort in writing code for this website to ensure the visually impaired, will feel welcome here. Print any page by clicking on the print button of your browser. The night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light What do you think? |
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