Faith-Healing

Interesting post and discussion at Uncle Saugoree blog.

"Faith healing (regardless of the type of faith) is not uncommon and I am going to relate a story of a practitioner in Pakistan whom I know very well. A woman appeared in his office with acute breast abcess (very painful condition indeed) He told her, it will have to be incised. She got scared, went to a 'faith-healer' and came back on third day without fever or pain though abcess still there and said "Doctor saheb cheera lagaa dain ab." (Go ahead doc, give your incision now)."

"Is it all psychological? - what you think?" (My querry)

"Good question.

I think many of these "healings" (other than planned and fake in the TV programs of these Televangelists--that is what I think I infer from the man putting his hand on the forehead of the "patient" and the patient falling backward held by the assistants of the preacher) may be explained on psychological basis, but I am sure there are definite healings that do occur as "miracles" (and not just because they cannot be explained in scientific terms).

I clearly remember one experience, that I shall have to describe with some brevity. My chief (the late prof. C. D. Aring) belonged to the "older" group of neurologists when Neurology was more intimately connected with Psychiatry) During my residency I had one young woman admitted in our ward with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) with paraparesis with upgoing toes, along with other signs (Definite Dx. of MS) and had some deformity of feet. One morning I came and she was out of bed standing and wanted to dance around with me. I was told, a faith healer had visited.Her deformity of feet was gone, still had upgoing toes but was walking very much improved with very little stiffness of legs".

Read full post and comments here