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“If you don't know how to say no, your body will eventually say no for you. I think there is so much depth to that. And that's why it's so important that we help people begin asking. Is there a message that my body is trying to give me about this illness many times, uh, there's different ways to language this for different situations, but, um, is there a way in which a person is spending so much time, taking care of others or responding to the perceived needs of others instead of taking up space in the world, doing the things that put a light in your own eyes, the things that create authentic wellbeing, it took me years to begin understanding the deeper, sense of what's true here. But I think the truth is, sometimes the illness is really a message that this inauthentic self that we have become that needs to die. And if we can let that death occur, which can be messy and painful and scary, but if we can let that occur and let a more authentic version of who we really are be born well, I'll tell you sometimes that's astonishing, sometimes what then becomes possible,” says Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, physician, psychiatrist, author and speaker who joins us today to discuss his best-selling book, Cured: The Life-Changing Science of Spontaneous Healing. Dr. Rediger, the medical director of McLean and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, has spent over 15 years studying spontaneous healing, exploring and analyzing unexplained, ‘miraculous’ recoveries in cases conventional medicine dismissed as hopeless. A leading voice challenging current healthcare systems and treatment models, in Cured, Dr. Rediger explains the science behind these miracles—digging into the root causes of illness and revealing how to create an environment that sets the stage for healing that beats the odds.  

There is a part of us that knows how to heal, Dr. Rediger tells us, pushing us to explore how we can tap into the curative, regenerative potential of our own bodies rather than engaging in the endless search for external healing solutions. Our minds exert deep control over our physical reality, his research shows, making mental healing as important as, and a tool for, physical healing. Dr. Rediger’s work creates a new paradigm of healing from physical illness—for those with life-altering diagnoses, and for those of us who simply want to live healthier lives. 

Cured: Strengthen Your Immune System and Heal Your Life

A Medicine of Hope and Possibility | Dr. Jeffrey Rediger | TEDxNewBedford

Follow Dr. Rediger on Instagram and Twitter

How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone - Barbara L. Fredrickson, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

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(Edited slightly for clarity.)