Along with the progress of modern science and medical treatment, the medical technology in the modern world has been improving. However, as a doctor with twenty years of experience, I have thought deeply about this issue and I have a concern.

Logically speaking, along with the progress of modern science, medical treatment, and the medical technology in today's world, human beings should be more and more healthy and have less pain. As a matter of fact, as we can see, nowadays human beings are not only less healthy, but more diseases are being detected. We refer to them to as “Modern Diseases.”

What are these “Modern Diseases”? They are actually the diseases from our mind. According to the Statistics of the World Health Organization, there are more than 50 million people who have psychological disorders. Around the world, the health of one fifth of the adults is threatened by the high pressures of daily life. The number of psychiatric-disorder patients has been increasing in Mainland China. This does not include those “third state” (semi- ill) people which account for 50 percent of the world population. This is why it is said that the most important health topic of this century is Insight Psychotherapy.

Insight Psychotherapy aims at achieving a long, healthy life by having a good spiritual state. Through continuous experiments scientists have confirmed the idea that there is a very close relationship between one’s mind and the function of one’s body. When a man has a happy mind, his body functions to the best extent; when one has an anxious and worried mind, the function of his body declines, accumulating disease over a period of time. Furthermore, a bad mental state can cause illness and a good mood can help people to fight illnesses. I have seen several cancer patients who demonstrated the incredible force of life through applying a "mental attitude" treatment. Besides using the appropriate amount of medication, they kept a positive view towards life. They were open-minded and maintained a happy mood and the miracle of self-curing was able to take place. The ensuing relief and encouragement, which follows their success, makes people happier and more relaxed. When people have a cheerful attitude their immune system becomes stronger, and they don’t get ill easily.

During the study scientists found out that when a person is always in a tense, sad and fearful environment, his immune system becomes weak. Diseases will come to the body easily, and some old symptoms will come back or enforce the illness. Especially for cancer patients, as cancer is usually known as the incurable disease, patients are usually desperate. A treatment addressing the mental outlook is to focus on the patients’ psychological state, to eliminate fear, sadness or depression, and to evoke confidence within the patient in his ability to fight diseases. It also stimulates the patient’s will, raising him from depression and letting him feel hope for his life, thus recovering the immune function of the body and decreasing or even curing the disorders.

In addition, scientists found that people who don’t have excessive interest in promoting themselves or gaining fame are healthier than those who do. They don’t follow the trends of society and don’t force themselves to acquire possessions or accomplishments; they keep calm and tranquil so they are always in a state of peace. People who are broad-minded are healthier than people who are narrow-minded, because they don’t care about the tiny matters and the past. They have a peaceful mind. They don’t worry and they don’t have anxiety.

People who like to read books or poems, sing, paint or do gardening are also healthier, because they put their energy into literature, art and nature. They have a good way to let their emotions out, and therefore they have a more peaceful state of mind.

In ancient China, health specialists said: “anger is bad for the liver, worry is bad for the spleen, sadness is bad for the lungs, fear is bad for the kidneys. This is based on the correct knowledge of the relationship between our emotions and our health. So the ancient Chinese health specialists encourage us to combine “Jing, Qi, Shen” and to achieve a pleasant and peaceful state of mind. This is the natural way to keep healthy.