The Rejuvenating Effects of Sunlight
(excerpted from Visionary Medicine: Real Hope for Total Healing by Simone Gabbay)
On planet Earth, in our corner of the universe, we depend on one single source of light for our survival: the sun. We know that without light from the sun, there would be no life on this planet. Sunlight sustains plants, animals, humans, and even the Earth itself.
Yet in recent years, we've been inundated with information about the dangers of sunlight, and we have become conditioned to think that must avoid the sun. By shunning sunlight and living a lifestyle that is primarily indoor-oriented, however, we miss out on all of the sun's wonderful life-giving properties. And subconsciously, we seem to have a growing awareness of our need for more sunlight. Who has not noticed the increasing popularity of decorative images of the sun and its ambassador, the sunflower, in recent years? Sunflowers have popped up on hats, T-shirts, oven mitts, coffee mugs, and tea towels; and their handcrafted counterparts pour sunny smiles from countless vases in malls and store windows.
As a universal symbol of the sun, the sunflower, and its recent ubiquitous appearance, may perhaps reflect a next step in humanity's awakening, on both a physical and a spiritual level. Deeply rooted in the earth, but always adjusting its angle to face the sun, the sunflower portrays the interconnectedness between life on earth and the light of the sun. Seen from a metaphysical perspective, the arts are a reflection of our collective unconscious, our common dreams seeking expression in the symbols and objects with which we surround ourselves. As the symbols of a dream are instrumental in conveying messages from the subconscious realms to our consciousness, so our current love affair with images of the sun may reflect a deeper knowledge stirring beneath the layers of our consciousness, and pointing to an aspect of our collective behavior requiring attention. Perhaps, by surrounding ourselves with arty renditions of the sun, we give expression to our yearning for its life-giving energy. Maybe it's time to put our acquired fear of the sun in its proper perspective.
Throughout history, the sun has been respected for its healing powers. In ancient Greece , physicians employed symptom-specific techniques of solar therapy by placing patients in specially constructed healing temples in the "sun city" of Heliopolis . Early in the twentieth century, prior to the discovery of antibiotic drugs, European physicians sent their tuberculosis patients to hospitals in the Swiss and Austrian Alps, where therapy consisted mainly of extended hours of sunbathing in the open air. The Cayce readings, too, suggested sunlight for TB and other ailments ranging from general debilitation to anemia and arthritis. Although one TB patient was told that "a good sunburn all over would be well for the body!" (5554-2), the readings usually recommended sunshine in moderation, and warned against becoming overheated.
But who would dare go out in the sun these days? Reports of rapidly expanding holes in the Earth's ozone layer are frightening enough to chase even the most committed of sun worshippers off the beach and into the "safe" fortresses of indoor swimming pools. While concern over the environmental practices that promote the destruction of the ozone layer is certainly warranted, we must not be misled into thinking that the sun is our enemy. Sunlight is not a killer. It is only when we lose touch with the natural instincts that guide us in our awareness of how to best interact with sun energy that we risk damage by excessive direct exposure, especially to the strong, midday sun, whose rays are particularly potent.
Enjoyed in moderation, and preferably during the early morning and mid- to late-afternoon hours, sunlight energizes, rejuvenates, and strengthens the body. Sunlight promotes good immune function and helps to fight infection, stimulate metabolism, and relieve insomnia and depression. In its physiological effects, sunlight is much like a nutrient which the body depends on for the smooth functioning of its glandular and metabolic systems. The Cayce readings acknowledge sunlight's role as an important co-factor in the proper activity of vitamins in the body. Reading 142-5 says: "Keep the body under sunlight, either directly or artificially, as much as possible. This for the strengthening of the blood supply and for the activity of the chrysalis, or of the forces as will build calcium in the system."
Although excesses of ultraviolet radiation are potentially damaging, a certain amount of it is necessary for good health. Reading 566-2 says, "It would be well for the body to be in the sunshine and air as much as possible through the seasons when the body may take on a great deal of the ultraviolet from the sun's rays." UV rays, when absorbed by the skin, interact with chemicals in subcutaneous fatty tissue to produce vitamin D, which is necessary for the proper assimilation of calcium and other minerals from the diet. Research has shown that vitamin D synthesized from sunlight is physiologically superior to the form of the vitamin that is found in fortified foods and nutritional supplements.
Residents of northern latitudes frequently suffer from vitamin D deficiency, especially in the winter. Those who regularly use sunscreens are also at risk. Commercial sunscreens are promoted as the best protection against sun damage, next to complete sunlight avoidance. We are told to lather on sunscreen lotions with a high sun protection factor ( SPF ) whenever we venture outdoors. However, a growing number of scientists are concerned that sunscreens promote a false sense of security because they protect against sunburn but not against skin cancer. In fact, sunscreen use has been linked to higher skin cancer rates!
Most sunscreens work by blocking out ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which cause reddening of sun-exposed skin and ultimately sunburn. Yet sunburn is the body's built-in alarm system — it tells us when we've had too much sun. When we turn off the alarm with a chemical sunscreen, our skin doesn't burn, but it still receives the longer ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, which are more dangerous. These rays are absorbed in the deep layers of the skin by melanocytes, which are involved in melanoma formation. They also depress the immune system and contribute to premature aging of skin.
UVB rays, on the other hand, help the skin make vitamin D. Preventing the skin from receiving UVB rays by applying sunscreen increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Older people are especially susceptible to this condition. An article in the April 28, 1998 issue of Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter warns: "People over 50 should not apply sunscreen as soon as they go outside — but wait 10 to 15 minutes," in addition to taking supplemental vitamin D. Low blood levels of vitamin D have also been associated with higher risk of breast and colon cancer and may accelerate the growth of melanoma.
If prolonged direct sun exposure is unavoidable, use a physical sunscreen which contains inert minerals such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or talc. In contrast to chemical sunscreens, which absorb UVB rays, physical sunscreens reflect both types of ultraviolet rays away from the skin. Wearing light-colored clothing made from natural fiber will also reflect sunlight and help you stay cool.
It is often said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. Pioneering research by photobiologist John N. Ott, Sc.D. (Hon.), has shown that they are also the doors through which light enters the body. A twist of fate that shattered the pair of glasses that Ott was wearing caused him to recognize the link between the sudden improvement in his arthritic condition and the natural sunlight that his eyes were able to absorb during the time he did not wear his glasses. From subsequent research findings, he concluded that the human body is a photosynthetic organism which depends on natural light for optimal health. Ott documented his findings in several excellent books, including Health and Light: The Effects of Natural and Artificial Light on Man and Other Living Things , and Light, Radiation, and You: How to Stay Healthy .
Light signals entering the eye serve a dual function: Some are utilized by photoreceptors on the retina for the process of vision, while others travel to the brain, where they are interpreted by the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus regulates the function of the autonomic nervous system and also initiates various hormonal activities via the pituitary gland. It controls the release of the hormone melatonin by the pineal gland in response to environmental darkness, and therefore is also involved in regulating the body's sleep/wake cycle. Disruptions of this cycle have been shown to be implicated in a number of health problems. For instance, a study conducted in 2001 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle , Washington , showed that women who are persistently exposed to light at night — whether because they work the nightshift, suffer from insomnia, or are exposed to light in their bedrooms — have an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers speculate that the reason may be that when normal melatonin cycles are interrupted, the production of estrogen from the ovaries is higher, and this may contribute to the women's higher breast cancer risk.
Similarly, a sustained shortage of natural full-spectrum light waves during the day results in imbalances of the nervous and endocrine systems, producing symptoms which range from reduced metabolism and sleep disturbances to immune deficiencies. Residents of the northern latitudes are all too familiar with the winter blues, manifesting as fatigue, lethargy, irritability, or downright depression. In extreme cases, individuals suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) become severely dysfunctional and even suicidal. An effective therapy for people afflicted with SAD is stimulation of the eyes with full-spectrum light, including ultraviolet.
But what about the various reports of UV radiation causing cataracts and skin cancer? In Light: Medicine of the Future , optometrist Jacob Liberman explains that much of the concern over ultraviolet rays is based on experiments on monkeys. Strong light containing high levels of UV radiation was beamed into the tranquilized animals' forcibly opened eyes for sixteen minutes. Dr. Liberman says that such concentrated exposure would never happen in real life, since the monkey's pupils and eyelids would contract and close to protect the eye. The retinal damage that these monkeys sustained is often cited in claiming that UV light also causes cataracts.
According to findings by John Ott, some low-level UV radiation is essential for the maintenance of good vision, as it promotes mitosis of the pigment epithelial tissue, located just behind the retina. On a bright, sunny day, most people experience an improvement in visual acuity. Other beneficial effects of UV light include improvement of heart function, reduction of cholesterol levels, and lowering of blood pressure.
Cayce reading 349-22 also points to the importance of absorbing some UV light: "Also we would have rest periods, and keep in the sunshine as much as practical; that there may be the absorption of the ultra-violet activities through the system itself. These are better gained or attained from the exercises in the sunshine than in any other form."
As with everything in life, moderation is the key. Even before the destruction of the ozone layer became a concern, common sense was called for when going out in the sun. Sunbathing is best enjoyed during the early morning and late afternoon hours, and it is best to remain in the shade on a hot summer day. The full spectrum of beneficial light rays can reach the body even in the shade. Dr. Liberman recommends spending at least half an hour outdoors daily, preferably in the early morning. Since most contact and prescription lenses, as well as dark sunglasses, block out a portion of the light spectrum, he suggests removing them during that time to improve vision and general health.
Meir Schneider, Ph.D., is author and co-author respectively of two books on self-healing and founder of the School for Self-Healing in San Francisco , CA . He cured himself of congenital blindness through the intensive and consistent application of vision exercises. Schneider recommends a technique called "sunning" for vision improvement. With your eyes closed, stand erect, facing the sun, and slowly turn the head from side to side several times. This allows sunlight to alternately stimulate different photoreceptors on the surface of the retina. It is important to never look directly at the sun. A wide-brimmed hat to protect the eyes and face from direct sunlight is preferable to sunglasses.
With sunlight as with all things, moderation is the key. Cayce's advice that "Sunshine is always beneficial to a body, if it is not overdone." (2072-9) could well serve as a good guideline in helping us to know when and how to interact with the sun for optimal health and well-being. Our mental, emotional, and spiritual health is inextricably connected with the health of our bodies, as long as we dwell in them. As we seek to awaken spiritually, we must open ourselves to the physical manifestation of Spirit in the earth plane: light energy. We are beings of light, and as such, we cannot separate ourselves from the source that fuels our bodies, the sun.
Even as the great healing potential of sunlight goes largely unrecognized in medical circles today, there were those who doubted it in Cayce's time. However, the readings say that it will ultimately become evident on its own strength: "...there is the tendency of individuals in the profession that belittle the value of light or sunlight; yet...the effectiveness of the light will demonstrate in itself its value, even as common sense shows the valuation of sunlight to every form of vegetation, from the lowest to the highest." (165-12)
[The above is excerpted from Simone Gabbay's book Visionary Medicine: Real Hope for Total Healing,
A.R.E. Press, 2003.]