IGIsm and Conventional Medicine

Most physicians recognize the importance of beliefs, attitudes, stress, habits, and mind/body effects in medicine, but very few are well trained to help patients with these types of issues. Imagery and visualization have become increasingly accepted practices with both patients and physicians, and both have deeply penetrated our culture.

Although many conventional medical practitioners continue to be wary about the promulgation of unrealistic expectations, and are rightly concerned that patients with potentially treatable serious diseases do not substitute imagery for more definitive medical or surgical procedures, they are becoming increasingly more open to alternative and complementary approaches to healing.

Responsible mind/body approaches such as guided imagery are now generally quite acceptable to physicians. Several recent studies have shown that almost 60 percent of physicians refer to the top five complementary approaches, with stress reduction, imagery, meditation and hypnosis being the leading modalities. In addition, physicians are utilizing these services even more frequently for themselves and their families.

We believe that IGIsm is a potent form of adjunctive treatment for almost any medical or psychological situation. It is a simple, yet profoundly effective, inexpensive and safe form of care that allows the client/patient to participate in their own process of healing.

This alone is a tremendous benefit, though other significant benefits frequently accrue. Imagery is rarely used as a sole form of treatment for serious illness, yet it is almost always helpful in combination with nearly any other type of treatment.

We encourage you to educate your own physicians about the power of IGIsm by referring them to this website, and particularly to the Research Findings documenting the clinical efficacy and safety of this and related mind/body approaches.

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