Iván Figueroa-Otero is a holistic therapist specializing in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Having originally trained as a general surgeon, Figueroa-Otero moved towards more alternative therapies to embrace his idea that “healing is a process of facilitation by the therapist and empowerment by the patient.” To this end he has authored a series of books in his “Spirituality” series, his own “school of life” for healers. SPIRITUALITY 201 (Discovering The Inner Healer) is the latest in this series, so it builds on material previously published and sets up future volumes. As such it is designed to be read as part of a cumulative curriculum, rather than a stand-alone manual.
The essence of this volume, the step up to level two in Figueroa-Otero’s teaching, is a focus on reaching synchronicity between the healer’s intention and the patient’s perception. On his terms, “holographic healing” relates to an interdependency of cause and effect. With this three-dimensional approach the therapist is able to maximize the potential of the placebo effect, utilizing the patient’s faith and commitment to therapy. This is referred to as the FAITH principle, which is broken down into the following acronym: F—Fully, A—Allowing, I—Inner Wisdom, T—To, H—Heal You.
Much of Figueroa-Otero’s writing may be confusing for the first-time reader. There is often a lack of clarity in the text, with clumsy sub-headings (ex: “The purity of the energy source determines the extent of the inflammatory expenditure to rebalance the holographic toxicity”) breaking up paragraphs of obfuscation and new-age verbiage. Fortunately the prose is more succinct in the reflective passages, which end each chapter to provide a recap on areas covered and questions (as well as prompts) for further contemplation.
There has been much recent research on the way that mental stressors can manifest as physical illness, most notably a focus on the gut/brain axis. SPIRITUALITY 201 touches on this subject, but somewhat frustratingly fails to properly reference the scientific studies that back up the author’s proposals. Though this is not a traditional textbook, the provision of a mere four external references seems somewhat lacking. Indeed, there are many peer-reviewed studies that suggest the placebo effect can be a legitimate source of healing (a subject recently explored in a book by David R. Hamilton), but SPIRITUALITY 201 does not include a single reference to any of this published research.
Regular pupils of Iván Figueroa-Otero’s “school of life” will find much to enjoy in this well-designed volume. Its sometimes-challenging style and lack of external references make SPIRITUALITY 201 (Discovering The Inner Healer) more a book for the already-committed than the casually-curious.
~Kent Lane for IndieReader