Within each patient is a wisdom that can be accessed to facilitate the healing process. In the first part of this two part program Dr. O. Carl Simonton discusses in a very moving way his own personal struggle with the illness and death of his father. He suggests the need to distinguish when it is appropriate to prepare for death and when we should fight to live. He discusses the difference between healthy and unhealthy belief systems.

In part two, Dr. Simonton suggests that no patient should be asked to face this issue before they are willing and ready. Then he leads a guided meditation exercise designed to visualize the dying process. He points out that the purpose of facing death is not to die, but to live more fully. Then he leads another guided meditation exercise designed to access the natural healing wisdom within each of us.

The late O. Carl Simonton, M.D., an oncologist, was director of the Simonton Cancer Center. He was a pioneer in the use of mental imagery with cancer patients, and was co-author of Getting Well Again and The Healing Journey.