How Do Psychosomatic Healings Differ from Supernatural Miracles?

Oct 26, 20248 min read

The concept of healing through faith, belief, and psychological influence is a topic that has garnered attention both within Christian circles and across various religions. However, a critical distinction must be made between what is termed "psychosomatic healing"—healings influenced by the mind—and genuine supernatural miracles. This distinction is essential for understanding the apologetic value of true biblical miracles.

In this analysis, we will explore the nature of psychosomatic healings, the incredible influence the mind can exert on the body, and why these types of healings are natural rather than supernatural. We will also address how supernatural miracles, as demonstrated in Scripture, stand apart from the psychosomatic and provide evidence of divine intervention.

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What is a Psychosomatic Healing?

Psychosomatic healings refer to those conditions where the mind exerts influence over the body to produce either sickness or healing. These are not simply imagined illnesses; rather, they are genuine physical conditions that arise from mental or emotional causes. For instance, stress can lead to conditions such as ulcers, headaches, and digestive issues, while emotional distress can affect various bodily functions. Proverbs 17:22 illustrates this well: "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." This verse highlights the biblical recognition that the state of mind has a profound effect on physical health.

Psychosomatic illnesses, because of their mental or emotional basis, can often be healed through mental processes, such as suggestion, faith, or a change in attitude. It is these types of conditions that often give rise to claims of healing in religious and secular contexts alike, but these healings are entirely natural phenomena. They do not suspend the laws of nature; rather, they occur through the body’s own God-given capacities for self-healing, as triggered by the mind.

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How Does the Mind Affect the Body?

The connection between mind and body is powerful, and this connection has been demonstrated in various medical and psychological studies. People have experienced both sickness and healing simply through suggestion or belief. For example, individuals have become ill when those around them repeatedly suggested they were sick, only to recover when they were told they looked better. Such occurrences illustrate the power of belief and expectation on the body, but these are not supernatural healings—they are mind-induced bodily responses.

Physician and Christian apologist Paul Brand offers examples of how the mind can affect the body in powerful ways. For instance, through the placebo effect, people can experience real relief from symptoms when given a simple sugar pill that they believe is medicine. The mind, believing it has received a cure, stimulates the body to respond accordingly. This placebo effect has been observed in various medical conditions, including pain relief and even in terminal illnesses such as cancer. The placebo effect, however, is a natural process and does not involve any suspension of natural laws.

Further, through techniques such as biofeedback, individuals can learn to consciously control bodily functions that were previously thought to be entirely involuntary, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and brain waves. This demonstrates the extraordinary capacity God has given the human mind to influence the body. However, these abilities remain within the realm of the natural and should not be confused with true supernatural miracles.

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What Are the Limits of Psychosomatic Healing?

While the mind can exert an incredible influence over the body, it is essential to understand that there are clear limits to what psychosomatic healing can achieve. Psychosomatic healings are typically limited to conditions that have a mental or emotional cause, and they often do not affect physical conditions that are organic or structural in nature.

For instance, no amount of faith or positive thinking can restore sight to a person who has lost their eyes, regrow a limb that has been amputated, or heal a spinal cord injury that has resulted in paralysis. Dr. William Nolen, in his critique of faith healers, points out that while healers may claim dramatic successes with psychosomatic illnesses, they have never been able to heal conditions such as paralyzing spinal cord injuries. Nolen observes, “Neurotics and hysterics will frequently be relieved of their symptoms by the suggestions and ministrations of charismatic healers,” but these cures are not miraculous—they are psychological (Nolen, 287).

Joni Eareckson Tada, who suffered a spinal cord injury that left her a quadriplegic, offers a biblical perspective on healing. Despite fervent prayers for healing and her own strong faith, she has not experienced physical restoration. However, she affirms that God is sovereign in choosing when and how to heal, noting that while God can and does perform miracles, He does not promise to heal everyone who has faith. She wisely concludes, “The Bible does not teach that He will always heal those who come to Him in faith. He sovereignly reserves the right to heal or not to heal as He sees fit” (Tada, 132).

This points to a key theological understanding: true miracles are not dependent on human will or mental capacity. Instead, they are acts of God, performed according to His will and purposes.

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How Are Supernatural Miracles Distinguished from Psychosomatic Healings?

The biblical accounts of Jesus’ miracles provide a clear distinction between psychosomatic healings and true supernatural miracles. Psychosomatic healings rely on natural processes and mental influence, while supernatural miracles suspend natural laws and demonstrate divine power. Jesus’ miracles were immediate, often involved organic conditions that were incurable by natural means, and did not require the faith of the recipient in every instance.

For example, Jesus healed a man with leprosy, and the healing was instantaneous: "Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed" (Mark 1:42). This was not a psychosomatic healing, as leprosy is a physical condition affecting the skin and nerves. The healing could not have been the result of positive thinking or mental influence; it was a direct act of divine power.

Similarly, Jesus performed many other miracles that involved organic conditions. He restored sight to a man born blind (John 9), healed a man who had been lame from birth (John 5:1-9), and raised people from the dead, such as Lazarus (John 11). These miracles were instantaneous, complete, and involved conditions that could not be healed by any natural means. Such acts stand in stark contrast to the types of healings that can be attributed to psychosomatic processes.

Moreover, in many of Jesus' miracles, faith was not a prerequisite for healing. In the case of Lazarus, for example, Lazarus was dead and could not exercise faith in Jesus' ability to raise him. Yet Jesus called Lazarus from the tomb, and Lazarus came forth (John 11:43-44). Similarly, when Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples were filled with fear and doubt, yet Jesus performed the miracle regardless of their lack of faith (Mark 4:40). These accounts demonstrate that true miracles are not dependent on the recipient’s mental state or belief; they are acts of God that transcend human capability.

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Why Do Miracles Have Apologetic Value?

From an apologetic perspective, the distinction between psychosomatic healing and supernatural miracles is crucial. While psychosomatic healings occur in many religious traditions and even in secular contexts, they do not serve as evidence of divine intervention because they are natural phenomena. True miracles, however, provide compelling evidence of God's power and are a key component in defending the truth of Christianity.

The biblical record is filled with miraculous events that serve to authenticate the message of God and His messengers. When Jesus performed miracles, they validated His claim to be the Son of God and the promised Messiah. In John 5:36, Jesus says, “The works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.” The miracles Jesus performed were signs that pointed to His divine authority and identity.

The apostles also performed miracles, not as psychosomatic healings but as divine acts that confirmed the truth of the gospel. In Acts 3, Peter and John healed a man who had been lame from birth, and the healing was immediate and complete. The people who witnessed this miracle were astonished, and Peter used the opportunity to proclaim the gospel, stating, “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see” (Acts 3:16).

The apologetic value of true miracles lies in their ability to point beyond the natural world to the supernatural. They serve as signs that authenticate the message of God's Word and the authority of His messengers. In contrast, psychosomatic healings, while impressive, do not serve as evidence of divine intervention since they can be explained through natural processes.

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How Does Scripture Differentiate Between the Natural and the Supernatural?

The Bible provides clear examples of both natural and supernatural healing, and it distinguishes between the two. While God has designed the human body with remarkable capacities for self-healing and has created the mind with the ability to influence physical health, these natural processes are distinct from the supernatural acts of God that we refer to as miracles.

Natural healing processes are part of God’s providential care for His creation. For example, Proverbs 17:22 acknowledges the power of a cheerful heart to bring healing, and Psalm 103:3 speaks of God "who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases." This points to the understanding that God is ultimately the source of all healing, whether through natural means or supernatural intervention.

However, supernatural miracles are extraordinary acts of God that suspend or transcend natural processes. A prime example is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is the ultimate miracle and the foundation of the Christian faith. The resurrection was not a natural event or a psychosomatic healing; it was a direct act of God, reversing death and affirming Jesus' victory over sin and the grave. As Paul writes in Romans 6:9, "We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him."

About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).