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Dr. Ronald Peters has 30 years of research and experience in holistic medicine. He has studied with enlightened spiritual teachers, leading to a detailed understanding of the formative power of the conscious and unconscious mind, which he summarized in his ground-breaking book, Edgework, Exploring the Psychology of Disease. He empowers people to restore the wisdom of the body using nutritional therapies and then helps them understand the governing influence of consciousness. In this manner, disease becomes a messenger offering greater levels of health both physically and psychologically. Since the publication of Edgework, several popular books have restated this paradigm shifting truth: consciousness creates reality. These include The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle, and Ask and It is Given, by Esther Hicks, to mention a few. Edgework applies this timeless truth to the world of medicine and healing. Since 2003, many patients have appreciated the life changing guidance that comes from the concepts and exercises in Edgework, thereby heeding the message of disease and creating greater health in their lives.
From the Introduction to Edgework:
The mind controls the body. We have heard about this paradigm-shifting notion time and time again in the last half of the twentieth century. Research in immunology has contributed to dozens of books telling us about improved immunity based on positive states of mind and, conversely, reduced immune function due to negative states of consciousness. Physicians and psychologists have told us about the hostile aspects of Type A behavior and the epidemic of heart disease that plagues our society. Many other researchers have spoken, a bit more cautiously, about features of the cancer prone personality. Anxiety and depression contribute to numerous other illnesses and continue to afflict up to one quarter of the American population. Books have been written on the psychosomatic aspects of common diseases like asthma, hypertension, ulcerative colitis, peptic ulcers, and diabetes, just to mention a few. Yet none have stated the essence of the mind/body issue as succinctly as the great psychoanalyst Dr. Franz Alexander, when he wrote: “The fact that the mind rules the body is, in spite of its neglect by biology and medicine, the most fundamental fact which we know about the process of life…”
But in spite of this outpouring of information on the mind/body relationship, little has changed in the doctor’s office to reflect this new understanding. Doctors still devote most of their time trying to find out what is wrong with the body, and patients still try to get rid of their symptoms with the latest offerings from the drug industry. Many of us take vitamins and minerals, try to exercise and relax more, perhaps meditate occasionally, but really little has changed, and the problems in health care continue on. Indeed, paradigms shift slowly as they bear the weight of institutional, social and personal belief systems.
Based on my twenty years of holistic family practice, I too have learned that the origins of most physical disease are within consciousness – the body is the messenger of the conflicts, sustained fears, suppressed emotional traumas, disturbed patterns of thinking, and other imbalances that lie within the conscious and unconscious mind. I have learned this by listening to thousands of patients tell the stories that preceded the onset of their illness. I have heard again and again of childhood patterns of neglect, smothering control, abandonment, and emotional, physical and sexual abuse. I have heard of the failed relationships, years of marital conflict, and the pain of loneliness. I have heard about decades of unfulfilling employment, foiled personal creativity and the quiet desperation of a slowly dying spirit. I have heard about relentless anxiety, depression, denied emotions, destructive beliefs, hopelessness, helplessness, “giving up”, and an endless variety of recurrent stresses.
Most importantly, I have seen patient after patient backtrack into consciousness and find the dis-ease within the mind that precipitated the dis-ease in the body. The answers may not come quickly as many issues are hidden in the shadow, or unconscious mind, but they do come and the results of such personal in-depth healing are transformational. I have seen cancer, multiple sclerosis, colitis, hepatitis, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and all types of chronic and often “incurable” diseases go into remission or quiescence. These are the reasons I have written Edgework.
Edgework refers to the edge between what you know about yourself and what you do not know. Dis-ease of any kind is the body’s way of getting your attention and inviting this self-exploration, thereby offering true healing. The path maybe scary, as change itself is scary for most of us. It is easy to understand what the noted English poet W. H. Auden meant when he wrote: “We would rather be ruined than changed; we would rather die in our dread than climb the cross of the moment and let our illusions die.”
Amazon Customer Reviews
Edgework: Exploring the Psychology of Disease: A Manual for Healing Beyond Diet and Fitness (Paperback)
A Mind/Body/Spirit Connect for Healing, May 17, 2014 By Joanne Irwin
When my father was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1984, my journey into the field of psychoneuroimmunology began. Little did I realize how vitally important the knowledge would be when my then husband was diagnosed three years later with one of the rarest cancers, called carcinoid syndrome. In the 1980’s one of the leading writers and proponents of Mind/Body medicine was Dr. Carl Simonton. Dr. Bernie Siegel stated in his many books that the way he practiced medicine was dramatically changed by Simonton’s book, “Getting Well”. Dr. Ronald Peters, has emerged as one of the leaders in that field today. He continues and expands the work that Simonton began. “Edgework” is moving and inspiring. Dr. Peters is not only brilliant, but humble and real, as well. His personal transformation and growth are engagingly shared. His experience with patients healing from chronic diseases is moving. If only the medical community would embrace, even some of his practices, we would see an evolution in medical practice and healing. How many physicians ask their patients about stress or early childhood trauma? I would guess hardly any. I highly recommend “Edgework” not only for folks dealing with chronic illness, but for folks who want to maintain their health and wellness. We are body, mind, and spirit. To focus one aspect while ignoring the other components sets us up for dis-ease and sickness. Taking time to tend to what makes us truly human and alive is vitally important for health and healing.
Healing Cancer, April 28, 2014 By George H. Hollidge
If you considering alternative practices for dealing with cancer, this is one of many books you should read. Begin with Andrew Weil
Your tissues hold issues, May 5, 2013 By T. Murphy
I enjoyed this book because it reinforces my beliefs about our emotions and how we use them to cause our illnesses that begin with dis-eases. If we are able to acknowledge how our emotions influence us, we can change our lives. I plan on beginning the exercises included at the end of the book.
A Groundbreaking Book, May 5, 2008 By Joanne
This book is one of the most enlightening books on the psychology of disease. Yes, underneath disease is an emotional counterpart. Dr. Peters lays out an outstanding case for the theory that stress clearly plays a major role in illness. Unless we express our feelings…our feelings will affect us physically. His writing flows and is clear and concise. His exercises help the reader deal with emotions so that they don’t lead to disease. A must read for all. An exceptionally accessible and concise overview of the research on the mind/body interconnection August 7, 2005 By Midwest Book Review Edgework: Exploring The Psychology Of Disease by family medicine and holistic medicine practitioner Ronald L. Peters provides the reader with an exceptionally accessible and concise overview of the research on the mind/body interconnection, summarizing the essence of healing at the level of the conscious mind, and guiding the reader through the process with detailed exercises that will make the abstract concepts a tangible and personal reality. Dr. Peters utilizes an approach that will provide his readers with a framework for inner healing while encouraging the use of suggested techniques day to day, either to assist in the treatment of an existing illness, or to prevent a disease from every taking hold. Informed and informative reading, Edgework is especially recommended to the attention of those with an interest in alternative medicine and the psychological impact of the mind upon the body as part of the process for insuring and/or restoring physical health.
Helped Me To Understand My Wellness Path, February 23, 2004 By Raleigh Pinskey
Not wanting to be sick in my later years, I set out on a journey to read all I could about helping myself to reverse the ravages of time. A search for the right mind and critical knowledge that would put me on a path of wellness. Dr. Peters’ book was exactly what I was looking for. His approach to getting the message across is soft and easy to digest. Exploring the Psychology of Disease was a rude awakening to those in the medical profession who have treated me up to now. I had a great awakening from the information in the book. Disease is an end product of years of emotional distress. What a concept. His information is illuminating. So much so that he is now my primary care physician, and I am well on my path to wellness.
Ignite your own healing, September 14, 2003 By David R. MD
Dr. Peters presents a thorough foundation for his message – healing is accomplished by individuals who wish to heal. He anchors this in solid research and shares clinical experiences to add depth and meaning to his thesis. After laying the foundation he focuses in more detail on cancer and heart disease as specific examples of illnesses that can be successfully tamed using his combination of conventional treatment and emotional awareness. He includes specific exercises to put his approach into action. This book will be valuable to all who seek wellness, everyone from the apparently healthy to the “terminally” ill.
If you are interested in purchasing Edgework please contact our clinic at 480-607-7999