Healing by touch [Archive]

17th February 2003, 12:19 AM

I have a friend whom I have known since elementary school. She is very bright and has a PhD in Public Health. Yet she is engaged in what amounts to pure hokum: healing by laying on of hands. I felt totally stunned when she first told me about this. I am fond of her and I know that she is completely honest, but completely mistaken. I do not want to offend her by pointing out the total absurdity of her notion.

Any insights?

David F Mayer

Jon_in_london

17th February 2003, 12:23 AM

For a powerfull purgative of all things quacky, goto:

quakwatch (http://www.quackwatch.com)

Ove

17th February 2003, 12:58 AM

Try suggesting her the very simple test thought out by an 11 year old scoolgirl. Take a large piece off cardboard, large enough to block her wiew, make two holes big enough for her to put her hands through then place the contraption on a table and ask her to stick her hands through the holes. Then put one of your hands under one of her hands and ask her to tell you under which of her hands your hand is.

This girl tested a number of "terapeutic touch healers" who all was firm believers (none of them did it for a living, most was nurses who offered it as an extra treatment).

They ALL failed miserably. Sadly enough though none of them believed they was wrong afterwards they still kept on "healing".:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Jeff Corey

17th February 2003, 06:47 AM

Do a google search for Emily Rosa.

DrMatt

17th February 2003, 07:33 AM

Originally posted by Jeff Corey
Do a google search for Emily Rosa.

If she's really pretty, maybe she *could* effect some sort of... errr.. cure... by a laying on of hands....

Not a medical cure, though.

CurtC

18th February 2003, 08:33 PM

The Emily Rosa test won't necessarily work for your friend, because she hasn't claimed that she can actuall sense the "human energy field," which is what the therapeutic touch people did claim. Emily proved that they can't.

Ask more about your friend's claimed ability - what can she actually do? Then figure out how to measure it if it exists. If she says that laying on of hands comforts some people, and that people who are not upset may heal faster, she could conceivably be right.