The Second Pair of Hands

March 2020

Michael J Shea, PhD

… There was a long pause, which represented my unknowing. This pause, this kind of emptiness, remained for a considerable period of time… I found myself just waiting and breathing; there was only the movement of air and time passing. Slowly, the emptiness became complete. There was absolutely no afferent activity in the perceptual fields of the patient’s nervous system. It was still, very still. There was the presence of integrity; my eyes closed. Slowly, it seemed that something was happening. I perceived a vague movement in the patient’s body. I was aware only of this motion, and then, as if from nowhere, like a ship appearing out of the fog, another pair of hands appeared in contact with the patient’s body… If this had been a singular event, I would say so, but it has happened on a regular basis and is becoming more common place… Jim Jealous DO

This quote from Jim Jealous DO was from an article called The Other Pair of Hands published in Alternative Therapies Magazine. I mention this because everything mentioned in that article is occurring in my clinical practice and has been for the past couple of years. Since we are now in a pandemic upsetting the world, we must increase our spiritual capacities. These instructions I offer to you. This is the manner in which what I call the second pair of hands manifests in my practice and my everyday life.

The context of the practice is “Be still and Know“ according to Jealous. It is the felt sense of stillness permeating the room.
There is no afferent activity in your hands from the client while in contact. My body also enters a stillpoint.
I usually wait until the last 10 minutes of the session, usually at my favorite endpoint such as the feet.
Upon feeling the stillness in the room I nonverbally invite a “benevolent second pair of hands“ into the room. Sometimes they are there already and sometimes an invitation is necessary.
I allow my mind to enter an active imagination around the appearance of a benevolent figure. A spiritual figure alive or dead may arrive or a family member that we do not recognize but is nonetheless benevolent. Or a complete stranger may show up. If the figure does not appear to be benevolent send them away until your heart feels benevolence towards the second pair of hands.
I wait for this “benevolent other“ to place their hands where he or she deems appropriate. There is no need to suggest, invite or direct the second pair of hands. They will go where necessary. Just observe their process of choosing their fulcrum. Be still and know.
Your hands will immediately sense this benevolent fulcrum and its activity at any number of sensory levels including the visual. You might witness the benevolent other’s hands dispensing a form of grace that is visually apparent in some form or another. There is no need to engage or assist this process as it is rather quick, maybe a minute or two. The two sets of hands become connected through the client’s body.
I make nonverbal mental contact with the benevolent other as an acknowledgment of being in an equal partnership rather than submitting to a higher authority. This is still your session over which you have sovereignty. The second pair of hands arises from your own enlightened heart activity and the spiritual healing power of Primary Respiration.
Maintain awareness and then the second pair of hands of the benevolent figure will fade away. This whole interaction does not take long and the therapeutic fulcrum will shift. Grace does flow in the body and can be felt. I then wait several minutes before ending the session.

The few clients I have verbalized this to (family members only) have all recognized and felt the potency of the health from this benevolent interaction. Since many of us are not able to see clients, this can also be done over the phone.