In God's sight, the body and mind as well as the spirit are important.
The body is the temple of God, and the place where the spirit dwells for Jesus said, "The Kingdom of God is within you." From Romans, I hear God saying through Paul that real worship is more than the offering of great prayers. It is more than the offering to God of a ritual, however magnificent. Real worship is the offering of everyday life to God.
Renewing of the mind
The renewing of the mind calls for a change in attitude.
It calls for us to let go of any negative thought because they can be a block to living life to its fullest. God wants us to realize our talents, our abilities, our potential, and with divine guidance to use them for our own good and for the good of others. He leads to look into the heart (subconscious) and mind (conscious) to see our potential and our possibilities rather than our failures and limitations. In the Bible, one can find several references to hypnotic like activities.
For instance, the first written record of the use of hypnosis is recorded in the book of Genesis 2:21-22, "So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh, and the rib which God took from man, he made woman and brought her to him." In this incident, God used hypnosis so that Adam felt no pain during the removal of his rib.
Paul speaks of going into a trance while praying in the temple (Acts 22:17). Peter "feel into a trance" and from that experience came to understand that God loves all people and accepts all people who come to him (Acts 10:1-18). Through the book of Acts, there are a number of references to the apostles looking into the eyes or gazing into the eyes which resulted in the person being healed (Acts 14:9-10). The practice of "laying on of hands" mentioned in the Bible uses some of the techniques of hypnosis (Acts 28:8).
As we thinketh in our hearts...
The writer of Proverbs 23:7 said that as a person thinketh in his heart, so is he. St. Paul wrote, "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap."(Gal. 6:7)
This says to me that what is sown by the conscious mind through thoughts and images into the subconscious mind tends to become a reality. Mental images give the subconscious mind a model to work toward for good or bad. The use of positive imagery improves life and health. Until there is an image in the mind, there can be no reality. The author of Proverbs 29:18 also wrote that were there is no vision, the people perish.
Jesus said, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because... he sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them that are bruised." (Luke 4:18)
Following that guidance and the proper use of hypnosis, we can heal the brokenhearted, bring deliverance to those in captivity to pain, fear, and phobias; give sight to the emotionally and spiritually blind, and set at liberty those who are bound by unwanted habits.
