An article based on Dr. Norm Shealy’s new autobiography, Conversations with G: A Physician’s Encounter with Heaven

During medical school, my intuition got me into trouble. I made a diagnosis I was supposed to be unable to make, doing just a physical exam. The professor severely criticized me and accused me of cheating. Interestingly, two years later he apologized and urged me to intern in internal medicine, even though everyone knew I wanted to be a neurosurgeon.

I also made a diagnosis of sarcoidosis of the pituitary gland, which the professor exclaimed I could not do as I was only a student. He and I co-authored a definitive paper on the subject! But it was in my neurosurgery residency that I became most amazed at the inadequacy and indeed barbarian way of treating pain — a cordotomy, cutting the front half of the spinal cord with a broken-off piece of a single-edged razor blade! I also was shocked at the use of drugs for pain and mood problems — they never worked well long-term and created far more problems.

Thus, when I finished training, I spent three years doing basic animal research and came up with two major improvements — spinal cord stimulation and TENS, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, both still used worldwide!

But I soon learned that 94 percent of the chronic pain patients had been so damaged by multiple surgeries, Valium® and Percodan® that they were not candidates for either of my discoveries. Thus in 1971, I made a life-changing decision to quit a busy neurosurgical practice and open a pain clinic. By then, I already had been introduced to electroacupuncture — use of electrical stimulation of acupuncture needles instead of twirling them by hand.

Knowing nothing about psychology or and despising psychiatry, I began with behavioral modification, but soon added Past Life Therapy, biofeedback, autogenic training, and massage therapy, as well as facet rhizotomy, safe denervation of the facet joints.

In 1974 I entered Saybrook University to complete a Ph.D. in humanistic psychology, which resulted in my Biogenics program for retraining the brain. By 1978, I was enthusiastic about Holism and founded the American Holistic Medical Association. Conventional medicine is good for acute illness. Holistic Medicine is far superior for chronic problems.

Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. is the father of holistic medicine. He recommends autogenic focus (the basis of the Biogenics System) as part of your overall commitment to self-health.