The application of this idea to healing can open up a whole new paradigm for understanding healing in terms of information flow.

Information is Real

In the early days of physics matter and energy were seen as discreet entities. Einstein unified matter and energy with his famous equation (E=mc2). Einstein saw matter and energy as a unified whole.

Later in the 1960's physicist Rolf Landauer discovered that energy and information were related much in the same way. Matter, energy and information are now seen as manifestations of the same thing. Information is not an ethereal substance but is as real as matter and energy.

Recently biologists have come to the understanding that one of the most important characteristics of life is its ability to capture and integrate information from the environment. Life evolved from less complex bacteria and cells to more complex animals and humans. This can only happen with the infusion of information.

Life receives information from the environment in the form of light, heat and molecules of food. Some leading edge biologists like Rupert Sheldrake think that life emerges from a kind of field he calls a morphogenetic field. Life may emerge from an information field.

Healing Information

Healing and living are essentially the same process and this process relies on the constant flow of information. Think of how your body heals a cut. Certain blood cells sense the damaged blood vessels and communicate with a number of molecules that form a clot to stop the bleeding. There is a complex communication of information required in order to heal the cut. Your body consists of trillions of cells that communicate by sending information to one another. Your body is a vast information network.

There are many sources of healing information. Food, vitamins, minerals, herbals and drugs are all sources of molecular information. Molecular information flows through the bloodstream and communicates with cells. Light, heat, and force are all examples of information in the form of energy.

Your mind is an influential source of healing information as evidenced by the discipline of mind-body healing. Lastly, information may flow from a field of pure information that permeates the universe. Phenomena like healing prayer and intention may somehow form a connection with this field causing the flow of healing information.

The best way to begin to heal by using information flow is to connect with sources of healing information. You can begin to do this by using intention. Having a healing intention solidifies your purpose to heal and directs your actions so that you make stronger connections to information sources. Many people experience the attraction of positive people and events once they have a strong intention to heal.

Next you need to get in touch with negative thoughts and feelings that may be interfering with your healing. Your mind can be a powerful source of healing information. There are many techniques such as meditation and guided imagery that can help.

You also need to see food, nutritional supplements and drugs as sources of information that can either help or hinder your healing. Many times people reduce the amount of medication once they improve their nutritional intake or sources of molecular information.

What is important to realize is that it may not be one source of information that is needed to heal. Using multiple sources such as molecules, energy, mind and intention have a synergistic effect. If we exist as mind, body and spirit then it follows that each level of existence should be supported with the flow of positive information.

Applying information theory to healing is still in the early stages of development but in the future it may serve as a way to connect mainstream and alternative systems of healing. Science has already accepted that information is at the source of all matter and energy. The healing arts will soon follow.