The importance of spirituality in supportive care

Abstract

Background:It has been shown that the pineal gland plays a fundamental role in mediating either the spiritual perception or the anticancer immunity by stimulating the endogenous production of anticancer cytokine interleukin (IL)-2.Objective:The present study was performed to evaluate the impact of a spiritual approach consisting of Kriya Yoga program alone or in association with melatonin (MLT) or low-dose IL-2 plus MLT on the survival time in a group of metastatic cancer patients with life expectancy less than 1 year.Materials and Methods:A case-control study was carried out in 240 patients (M/F: 146/94; median age: 62 years, range: 34-71, suffering from non-small-cell lung cancer or gastrointestinal tumors) who were subdivided into 6 groups of 40 patients, treated with supportive care alone as a control group, supportive care plus Yoga, MLT alone, MLT plus Yoga, inteleukin-2 plus MLT, or IL-2 plus MLT plus Yoga.Results:The best results in terms of increased survival time were obtained by the association between neuroimmunotherapy with MLT plus IL-2 and Yoga program (2 years), which was significantly longer with respect to that achieved by supportive care alone, Yoga alone, or IL-2 plus MLT alone (1 year).Conclusions:This study would suggest that a spiritual therapeutic approach may improve the survival time of untreatable metastatic solid tumor patients.

Unconscious Agendas in the Etiology of Refractory Obesity and the Role of Hypnosis in Their Identification and Resolution:A New Paradigm for Weight-Management Programs or a Paradigm Revisited?

“…Clinical hypnotherapy is alive and well, as Lynn et al (2000), Barabasz & Perez (2007), Mende (2009), Brann, Owens & Williamson (2012), Heap (2012 and Lynn et al (2012) have all demonstrated, even if, as Heap (2011Heap ( , 2012Heap ( , 2013 has suggested, the clinical application of hypnosis has continued doggedly to follow the historical traditions of Erickson and Hartland, In addition to weight loss, other, physiological benefits, may accrue from this hypnosis approach such as improvements in lipid and glucose metabolism, reducing medication needs for type-1 and type-2 diabetics (Xu & Cardeña, 2007), and the modulation of appetite and satiation associated peptides and hormones levels (Dimsdale & Herd, 1982). Such changes may arise indirectly from the reduction in body weight and adipose tissue, but may also be generated more directly through psychoneuroimmuno-and psychoneuroendocrinemechanisms in ways implied in publications by Hildebrandt et al (2000), Barber (2008), Hall, Stanton & Schultheiss (2010, Messina et al (2011), Pence et al (2012), and Fang et al (2012. Independently of any such physical and biochemical parameters of response to hypnosis (or even to non-hypnosis behavioural) mediated changes, are the emotional and psychological benefits that have been reported, even in the absence of substantial formal weight loss (Jupp et al, 1983;Friedman et al, 2002;Prag, 2007;Appleton, 2012;Wright et al, 2012).…”

Yoga as an Alternative and Complementary Treatment for Cancer: A Systematic Review

“…[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] Six of the studies used a randomized controlled design. 1,2,5,9,11,12 This type of study is considered the most rigorous because it enlists pre-and post-tests, randomly assigns participants to a control and an experimental group, and minimizes threats to internal and external validity. One such randomized controlled trial reported that the physical component scores of a quality-of-life questionnaire (scale, 0-100) increased by 10.7 points for the yoga group, whereas the wait-list group scores decreased by 4.4; this difference was both statistically and clinically significant.…”

“…Program durations ranged from a one-time inpatient 45-minute yoga session 6 to a 2-year yoga program taught for 2 hours at 5-day intervals, with home practice twice daily encouraged. 9 Durations in the other studies included 1 week, 9 3 weeks, 1 4 weeks, 4,8,13 6 weeks, 2,4,10 8 weeks, 5 12 weeks, 4,8,14 and 6 months. 12 One study did not specify duration of the yoga program.…”

Retinal Ganglion Cell and Epiphysis (Pineal Gland, Third Eye)

“…Metastatik solid tümörlü hastalarda, verilen tedaviye "Kriya yoga programı" ilave edildiğinde, epifiz bezinin antikanserojen etki-sinin arttığı ve hayatta kalma süresinin ruhsal terapötik yaklaşımla uzadığı bildirilmiştir. 23 Çakra, Hindu geleneklerine göre, tekerlek ya da dönüş (girdap) şeklinde dönen enerji alanları anlamındadır. Vücudumuzda 7 (Taç, 3. göz, boğaz, kalp, solar pleksus, sakral, kök çakrası) çakra bulunur.…”