But when it comes to imaginary illness, the most effective medicine is to give it no importance. The more importance is given to it, the more it grows and swells. If it is disregarded, it lessens and disperses. The more bees are upset the more they swarm around a person’s head, but they disperse if no attention is paid to them. Similarly, the more importance one pays to a piece of string waving in front of one’s eyes in the darkness and to the apprehension it causes one, the more it grows and makes one flee like a madman. While if one pays it no importance, one sees that it is an ordinary bit of string and not a snake, and  laughs at one’s fright and anxiety.

If hypochondria is chronic, it is transformed into reality. It is a serious illness afflicting the nervous and those given to imaginings; such people make mountains out of molehills  and  their morale  is  destroyed.  Then  if they encounter unkind  ‘half’ doctors or unfair doctors, it further provokes their hypochondria. If they are rich, they lose their wealth, or they lose their wits, or their health.

TWENTY-FIRST REMEDY

My sick brother! Your illness is accompanied by physical pain. However, you are surrounded by a significant spiritual pleasure that will remove its effect. For if your father, mother, and relations are with you, their most pleasurable compassion which you have  forgotten since childhood will be reawakened and you will see again the kind looks you  received in childhood. In addition, friendships envelop you that had remained  secret  and  hidden;  these  too  look  towards  you  with  love  through  the attraction  of  illness.  In  the   face  of  these,   your  physical  pain  is  reduced  to insignificance. Also, you have become a master of the masters since those whom you used to serve proudly now serve you kindly at the decree of illness. Moreover, you have attracted towards yourself the fellow-feeling and human kindness in people, and so have found numerous helpful friends and kind companions. And again, you have received the order from your illness to rest from many taxing duties and are taking a rest. For sure, in the face of these immaterial pleasures, your minor pain should drive you to thanks, not complaint.

TWENTY-SECOND REMEDY

My brother who suffers from a severe illness like apoplexy! Firstly I give you the good news that for believers apoplexy is considered blessed. A long time ago I used to hear this  from holy men and I did not know the reason. Now, one reason for it occurs to me, as follows:

In order to attain union with Almighty God, be saved from the spiritual perils of

this world, and to win eternal happiness, the people of God have chosen to follow two principles: