Spontaneous Healing: How to Discover and Enhance Your Body's Natural Ability to Maintain and Heal Itself (Paperback)
by Andrew Weil M.D.

A realist, Dr. Weil concedes that life is uncertain and while we don't have control over life and death, we have the ability to understand how the human organism can heal itself and this is reason enough for doctors and patients to be optimistic.


Spotlight Reviews

Reviewer: Nikol Le Vine

I bought Spontaneous Healing to be a companion to my other books by Dr Weil. I had truly enjoyed both 8 Weeks to Optimum Health and Natural Health, Natural Medicine. This is yet another excellent resource on how to integrate "alternative" medical practices with what you already know in order to achieve natural healing and wellness. Much of what he says are things that we already know: exercise is good, we need to eat more vegetables and fiber, get enough rest, and so on. But he also has new ideas presented here, as well as in his other books. I'm especially impressed with the breathing techniques. I was very skeptical that something as simple as breathing could have an impact on how I was feeling. But it really does make a difference! (The "waking up" technique saved me in college when I had no coffee).


Reviewer: James L. Grubb

The idea that your body possesses natural ability to heal and maintain itself is usually not within the realm of believability for many. But this Harvard M.D. presents evidence and explains body mechanisms that can overcome life-threatening illness and pain.

A "how to" book, on the one hand, Dr. Weil also points out shortcomings of our medical system. He calls it "medical pessimism" because the end result is that often nothing more can be done. This comes about, he contends, because modem medical practice is based on the view that human beings are an assemblage of structures that can be neatly programmed. Western medicine, the Chinese, for example, believe the human organism has defensive spheres such as tonsils, adenoids and appendix, which can be stimulated and are components of an immune system. Modem medicine, he believes, also writes off the importance of the mind, looking instead for physical causes of changes in health or illness.

A realist, Dr. Weil concedes that life is uncertain and while we don't have control over life and death, we have the ability to understand how the human organism can heal itself and this is reason enough for doctors and patients to be optimistic.

"My purpose in writing this book," he states, "is to convince more people to rely on our innate potential for maintaining health and overcoming illness but, he goes on to say, "I cannot easily give you a picture this system (I) because there is a lack of organized research (2) the human organism is complex and (3) the ability of the body to repair itself is a complex function."


Reviewer: Atherton

Being a current college student I face various abuses in my life such as alcohol consumption, smoking and stress. I wanted a book that would give me a natural way to repair my body and at the same time change my bad lifestyle. Spontaneous Healing: Discover and Enhance Your Body's Natural Ability To Maintain and Heal Itself by Andrew Weil M.D., provides its readers with vital information to promote healing internally and externally. It is through natural alternatives, methods and remedies that keep the body consistently healthy or eradicating diseases from the body without harming the balance of it. Andrew Weil who exposes the reader to alternative methods that the conventional medical community has diagnosed without success. Everyone should know the various options available to them and the book is a phenomenal guide in exposing its readers to the natural way to a healthy life.


The book has given me an insight to find a center in my life. It has given me tips on ways of dealing with stress and one step at a time guide to gradually having a healthy diet. Cleansing both my internal and mental mind made my body more holistic and healthy. It made me more aware of the various factors that can affect one's body in a negative way like stress and pollutants. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to have a healthy life from now on and in the future.

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