The Spirit of Healing: Venture Into the Wilderness to Rediscover the Healing Force [Paperback]

David Cumes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 1999

Travel to distant lands where healing is practiced in a different way: the Kalahari desert, the icy mountains of Tibet, the jungles of the Amazon, and the frozen peaks of Peru. David Cumes, M.D., leads you through primitive cultures and the natural world toward the ultimate discovery -- that we cannot separate modern medical practice from inner healing techniques without a negative impact on our health.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Cumes, M.D., has a private medical practice in California. He was born and raised in South Africa, where he lived for a time with the Kalahari Bushmen. Dr. Cumes was trained as a wilderness guide and has traveled extensively in the wild, leading groups on healing journeys to Peru, South Africa and the Sinai desert.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; First Edition first Printing edition (December 8, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567181961
• ISBN-13: 978-1567181968
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,341,932 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Spirit of Healing, August 31, 2002

By 

Cassandra Barnes "Cassandra" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Spirit of Healing: Venture Into the Wilderness to Rediscover the Healing Force (Paperback)

The Spirit of Healing: Venture Into the Wilderness to Rediscover the Healing Force, is about how the "Inner Healer" works in people, rather a book of remedies for specific illnesses. The second book by David Cumes, M.D., it blends science and shamanistic traditions with the intention of helping readers "gain a greater understanding of the elements of health." Balancing body and spirit is essential for true healing, according to Dr. Cumes.

Trained as a surgeon, he has taught at Stanford Medical Center as well as maintained a private practice. But that's only one facet: Dr. Cumes is also a wilderness traveler. He founded Inward Bound and leads people on healing journeys through primitive areas. He has studied the healing practices of indigenous people all over the world, and discovered what he calls a core belief of all healing techniques. He says "this core belief of balancing the opposites to achieve equilibrium has been known for ages" and warns against putting it aside in favor of technology.

Dr. Cumes says that "all healing involves four factors: the healer, the patient, the place where healing occurs, and the presence of a universal Field that embraces both healer and patient." He discusses each of these factors in detail, delving into such areas as the wounded physician, archetypal forces, shamanism, and the search for Self.

He links the four factors to the traditional Tree of Life, and from that, developed what he calls the "Tree of Health" to help guide patients and their physicians in centering or balancing themselves. Dr. Cumes says that "balance and equilibrium result in inner peace and harmony and support the Inner Healer," adding that "ultimately, health is about balance and inner harmony."

Dr. Cumes says his book "is a personal journey taken in an attempt to better understand different healing mechanisms and traditions." Readers will find that The Spirit of Healing also provides an essential roadmap in their own journey in search of their Inner Healer.