Second Thought

Looking again at news and commentary

Science 86

From Science 86, April 1986

"... That the mind can influence the body's vulnerability to infection in an insidious but potent way is a perennial theme of folklore and literature. Now even scientists are beginning to take that idea seriously. An alliance of psychiatrists, immunologists, neuroscientists, and microbiologists, specialists who rarely look beyond their own disciplines, are beginning to work together in a field so new that it goes under a variety of names, including behavioral immunology, psychoimmunology, and neuroimmunomodulation.

"Just 10 years ago, most specialists in communicable disease would have scoffed at any suggestion that the mind can influence the body in this way

"Today, that once-conventional wisdom is being revised by scientists around the world.

"In the process, researchers are [asking] what are the corresponding benefits to health of the positive emotions of hope, affection, love, mirth, and joy?"

Editors' comment: It's encouraging to see some rethinking of the nature of disease and its cause. Researchers haven't fully recognized the ultimately mental nature of disease, but new insights are certainly coming to light.

Hope, love, joy—aspects of thought that develop as we glimpse man's spiritual nature—do have a strong relation to health. But more than a piecemeal approach is needed. We want and need more than positive human emotions. We seek the kingdom of God, from which all else follows—especially the hope, love, and joy that have a healing effect.

This column will appear from time to time, offering a second opportunity to think about today's news and commentary—in the context of Christian Science.

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