Faith healing?

[MrNiceGuy]

Ive had an interesting thought recently. Can faith healings be explained as such; The emotional release during a faith healing brings the relief of someone's pain, not for any supernatural reason, but simply because the emotions brought out in the open are enough to at least temporarily relieve their pain. The person healed was never physically disabled, but in actuality was suffering from TMS.

Any thoughts?

 

[riverrat]

I think you could be right. I think the mind can be very powerful and faith in anything can heal if one believes enough.

 

[BeWell]

Yes MrNiceGuy, you may be on to something, but you never really know. Probably you are right, the afflictions are released in the moment, when the mind is overwhelmed with counter elation. Are there follow up interviews of the faith healings?

Perhaps not. However, Dr. Sarno's clinical records success do exist. I hope the records are kept for future examination. Perhaps the records of Doctor Sarno are the equivalent of medicine's Rosetta Stone.

 

[JanAtheCPA]

Great question and great responses. I believe that there have been studies which have found that pretty much any form of "laying on of hands" has a positive effect on the person who is suffering, whether physically or emotionally. And that this is why so many people find at least temporary relief after massage, PT, chiro, acupuncture, cranio-sacral, Reiki, Feldenkrais, etc etc etc..... as well as the various forms of emotional therapy.

The key word being temporary. I used to go to chiro and PT all the time, but dropped it all cold turkey, thanks to Dr. Sarno, and never looked back. The money I used to spend on that now goes to a personal trainer, who has pushed me beyond what I ever imagined myself doing.

I think the mind can be very powerful and faith in anything can heal if one believes enough.

My go-to books on this subject are The Anatomy of Hope by Dr. Jerome Groopman, MD and of course the extraordinary When The Body Says No by Dr. Gabor Mate, MD, which is #3 on my TMS booklist, after The Divided Mind and Hope and Help for Your Nerves.