Mind-body medicine: a conceptual (re)synthesis?

The aim of this paper is to review the literature on mind-body medicine (MBM) in a narrative manner. A coherent construct is explored and developed that includes a conceptual synthesis of existing theories that is grounded in qualitative paradigms. Theoretical reflections on MBM are addressed in order to overview its practical implications. The logic and underlying principles of MBM are highlighted with regard to the benefits that this modality is reputed to produce. Its therapeutic and preventive values, as well as strategies for its development and promotion, are also considered. The paper proposes several recommendations for future healthcare practices. These include the need to build a complex, multidimensional model of MBM and the integral practical implications. The core information regarding the essence of MBM is discussed in relation to the existing literature and, in particular, quantum physics.