Chapter 1 The Miracle and Mystery of Healing Wounds are universal. We all experience wounds--to our bodies, our psyches, our spirits, and our relationships. In fact, wounding is such a common experience that we take it for granted as a normal part of life. How many times in a day do you say 'ouch'? Each 'ouch' is evidence of a wound. Wounding unites all life. Even molecules can be wounded. The DNA that carries our genetic code is constantly being wounded by cosmic energy and other forces that cut its strands in two, tear off a molecule or two, or destroy whole segments. Luckily for us, our cells have sophisticated emergency systems that recognize the problem and repair the damage.

Without this healing, life would not exist. Yet wounding is every bit as essential to life as healing. In fact, the two work together in an immensely intricate biological dance that permeates all of nature. The processes of evolution and natural selection are all about wounding and healing. The organism that heals most effectively survives to reproduce. We even wound ourselves for our own benefit. We do this every time we exercise. Our muscles are made up of cells, as well as tiny blood vessels called capillaries.

These capillaries carry nutrients to all our cells, and carry away waste products from those cells. When we're at rest, the amount of blood flowing through our capillaries easily provides for every cell's needs. But when we exercise, our muscle cells require many more nutrients to support their increased workload. They also produce more waste that needs to be carried away. At first our body responds by increasing our heart rate. The arteries that supply blood to our muscles expand, and the microscopic valves that regulate blood flow to our capillaries open wide. But if we keep exercising, we'll feel our muscles burning. This is because each muscle cell's need for nutrients has outstripped our body's ability to supply it with nourishment through the capillary system.

Deprived of sufficient oxygen, the muscle cells become wounded. In response, these muscle cells produce signals that tell the body to grow more capillaries in order to provide more nutrients the next time you exercise. The muscle cells also grow a little larger so they can produce more energy. In short, exercise is a matter of regularly wounding your muscles and letting them heal. Strange as it sounds, wounding yourself helps you stay fit. Wounds and Memory Now for an even stranger truth: wounds are a form of memory. They enable your body to store information about where danger lies and when you need to be careful. Think of the earliest physical cut, scratch, puncture, break, or burn that you can remember.

Then mentally relive that incident from beginning to end. Replay the events, the smells, the sights, and the sounds. Even though this wounding happened many years ago, you probably still have vivid physical and emotional memories of the incident. This is because your mind stored this information in capital letters and flashing neon, so that if a similar situation occurs again, you'll act differently--and, ideally, avoid being wounded again. A wound may be memorialized in another form as well: a scar. Each scar is a visible--and visceral--reminder from our body, telling us, 'Don't do this again!' On my right index finger is a scar from a deep cut I got from a tin can lid fifty years ago. I was eight years old. I will never forget being cut; bleeding and screaming; my parents washing out the wound; and my father holding me down while my mother poured iodine into the wound.

When I think about this almost ancient occurrence, my heart starts to beat faster; I get a visceral ache in the pit of my belly; and anger and fear rise up. Even though this happened over fifty years ago, I can vividly relive the incident.