When the Sun's Healing Properties Come to Light

It’s time to revive our knowledge of the sun’s healing properties and integrate it into modern medicine.

Dr. Niels Finsen, born in 1860, was a Danish physician and researcher who graduated in medicine from the University of Copenhagen.

Finsen suffered from Niemann-Pick disease, also known as acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD), a group of rare genetic diseases. His condition inspired him to sunbathe and to study the effects of light on living beings. As a result, Finsen developed a theory of phototherapy (healing with light), which holds that certain wavelengths of light affect health.

His most important writings were “On the Effects of Light on the Skin”, published in 1893, and “The Use of Concentrated Light Rays in Medicine,” published in 1896.

He won the Nobel Prize in 1903 in recognition of his contribution to the treatment of diseases with concentrated light radiation, especially lupus vulgaris (LUPUS), thereby opening a new path for medical science.

Finsen fell ill with Pick's disease in his 20s. In 1903 he described how the disease influenced his scientific development:

“The disease was responsible for my beginning research on light: I suffered from anemia and fatigue, and since I lived in a house facing north, I began to believe that I might get more sun. So I spent as much time as possible in its rays. As an enthusiastic medical man, of course, I was interested in knowing what benefit the sun really gives. I considered it from a physiological point of view but got no answer. I drew the conclusion that I was right and physiology was wrong... My intention even then (about 15 years ago) was to use the beneficial effects of the sun in the form of sunbathing or artificial light baths, but I realized it would not be proper to put this into practice unless the theory was built on scientific research and definite facts... Over the last few years, however, I have become convinced that it is no use waiting until I find the answer I am looking for in the laboratory, but that it is justified to work with clinical trials as well. Thus both approaches can be carried out at the same time in an effort to reach the final goal.”

He understood that actual results outweigh the inability to explain them, and that is the advantage of the clinician over the theoretician.

Dr. Niels Finsen, who won the Nobel Prize for using sunlight to heal patients, was almost erased from history. His groundbreaking work in phototherapy showed that sunlight can be used to treat serious diseases such as tuberculosis and lupus, and his treatments were considered revolutionary at the time. His achievements were overshadowed when chemical drug treatments began to take priority.

Finsen's story highlights how natural healing methods, once considered groundbreaking, can disappear or even be forgotten in favor of synthetic drug solutions. The natural world has always offered remedies for many diseases, but these approaches are often overshadowed by treatments that are more profitable for corporations and giant companies.

It’s time to revive our knowledge of how to use nature’s healing properties, including sunlight, and integrate it into modern medicine. By rediscovering these natural methods, we can create a more holistic approach to health and quality of life.

To days of light and radiant knowing.

With love,

Ran ❤️

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