709440
Description
Mind Map by chloehathaway, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by chloehathaway
about 10 years ago
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Psychic healing
- What is
it?
- New and alternative form of treatment.
There are two ways to administer
psychic healing 1. the laying on of
hands 2. distant healing.
- New and alternative form of treatment.
There are two ways to administer
psychic healing 1. the laying on of
hands 2. distant healing.
- Approaches
- Therapeutic touch- the
hands of the healer never
touch the patient, reamining
4-6 inches above the skin,
touching and chanin the
area of energy surrounding
the body but not coming
into contact with the body
itself.
- Reki- practioner places
their hands on the
subject
- Shamanism- form of tribal religion
that relies on the accpetance of
an individual as a religious leader,
healer and worker of magic- who
through special powers can
contact and communicate with the
spirit world
- Therapeutic touch- the
hands of the healer never
touch the patient, reamining
4-6 inches above the skin,
touching and chanin the
area of energy surrounding
the body but not coming
into contact with the body
itself.
- Research
- Krieger (2000) – thinks that healers
increase the vitality of their clients. 49
p’s + 29 control. Measured
haemoglobin levels pre ‘healing’ and
post ‘healing’ – higher levels of
haemoglobin in the treated group and
they ‘felt’ better – effects long lasting
(follow up one year later showed
similar results)
- Benor (2000) identified 197 studies
of psychic healing that showed
significantly positive results.
- Keller & Bzdek (1986) A – To ascertain whether Therapeutic touch
actually has a positive effect. P – 60 p’s (age 18-59, mean 30 who
suffered from tension headaches), randomly assigned to a group, TT or
control, ‘blind’, severity of headache measured with the MMPQ (before
and 5 minutes after) Healer by p, assessed the energy field and redirected
areas of tension out of the field, in the control healer focused on
subtracting 7s from 100 – same healer, just different focus. F&C – TT
group – 90% reported lower levels of headache pain after 5 minutes and 4
hours later – p<0.0001 – appears to support idea that there is an effect
from healing. C – no 2 people’s headaches are the same, subjective
assessment on behalf of P & researcher, sample size not large enough to
generalise, volunteer sampling, expectancy effects ruled out by ‘blind’,
psychosomatic effect – placebo effect is very powerful. Some p’s may
have had some apprehension not having experienced healing before.
- Support
- Wirth (1990). In this study, patients
with wounds were treated with
either TT or no treatment. The
patients didn’t know which condition
they were in (with their eyes shut
they didn’t know if they had TT or
not) thud eliminating placebo effect.
Wirth found that patients treated
with TT healed faster.
- Wirth’s research has attracted criticism.
He failed to replicate his own research on
wound healing and researchers who
wished to discuss his research have
failed to be able to contact him.
- Wirth’s research has attracted criticism.
He failed to replicate his own research on
wound healing and researchers who
wished to discuss his research have
failed to be able to contact him.
- Wirth (1990). In this study, patients
with wounds were treated with
either TT or no treatment. The
patients didn’t know which condition
they were in (with their eyes shut
they didn’t know if they had TT or
not) thud eliminating placebo effect.
Wirth found that patients treated
with TT healed faster.
- Rosa et al. (1998) involved 21 TT practitioners. In
this study, a TT practitioner sat on one side of a
screen, placing their hands though two holes in it.
One the other side, an experimenter placed one of
her hands about four inches above the practitioner’s
right or left hand. TT practitioners should be able to
detect the energy field of the hand but in fact their
performance was not even as good as chance –
they were correct only 44% of the time.
- TT supporters have criticised the Rosa et al. study because it was
designed by a nine-year-old girl, though this is not necessarily a
problem, and the article was published in the reputable Journal of the
American Medical Association. Supporters of psychic healing have
also claimed that the study was invalid because the experimenter was
not ill, which might affect their aura. Interestingly, Long et al (1999)
repeated the study using ordinary people instead of TT practitioners
and found that, when the experimenter’s hand was only about three
inches away, the results were better than chance. Long et al
suggested that this was due to the ability to detect heat from the
experimenter’s hand.
- TT supporters have criticised the Rosa et al. study because it was
designed by a nine-year-old girl, though this is not necessarily a
problem, and the article was published in the reputable Journal of the
American Medical Association. Supporters of psychic healing have
also claimed that the study was invalid because the experimenter was
not ill, which might affect their aura. Interestingly, Long et al (1999)
repeated the study using ordinary people instead of TT practitioners
and found that, when the experimenter’s hand was only about three
inches away, the results were better than chance. Long et al
suggested that this was due to the ability to detect heat from the
experimenter’s hand.
- Krieger (2000) – thinks that healers
increase the vitality of their clients. 49
p’s + 29 control. Measured
haemoglobin levels pre ‘healing’ and
post ‘healing’ – higher levels of
haemoglobin in the treated group and
they ‘felt’ better – effects long lasting
(follow up one year later showed
similar results)
- Belief
- Targ (1998) – belief in psychic
healing or its effectiveness is part
of the explanation of its
effectiveness: 1.The healer’s
presence – distracts/relaxes.
2.Connection with the healer
promotes self-healing. 3.ESP –
psychokinesis. A belief in these
three things has positive effect
- Lyvers et al recurited 20 volunteers who were all suffering from
chronic back pain. During the experiment all p's were told that
the psychic healing was focusing on them. Although the psychic
only focused on the treatment group.No overall reduction in pain
was recorded in either the treatment or control groups. However,
there was a correlation between belief and final score. All p's
completed a pre-treatment questionnaire about belief in psychic
healing and this correlated positively with the extent to which
pain was reduced irrespective of the group that they were in.
This suggests that beleif plays a central role in the success of
psychic healing
- Lyvers et al recurited 20 volunteers who were all suffering from
chronic back pain. During the experiment all p's were told that
the psychic healing was focusing on them. Although the psychic
only focused on the treatment group.No overall reduction in pain
was recorded in either the treatment or control groups. However,
there was a correlation between belief and final score. All p's
completed a pre-treatment questionnaire about belief in psychic
healing and this correlated positively with the extent to which
pain was reduced irrespective of the group that they were in.
This suggests that beleif plays a central role in the success of
psychic healing
- Lyvers, Barling & Harding-Clark (2006) Conducted a
study on a psychic who claimed that he could heal by
looking at, and manipulating a photograph – double
blind study – belief in a psychic’s abilities is enough to
alleviate pain. Psychic’s claims proved false. Lyvers et
al noted that beleif in, rather than the actual abilities
of, a psychic is central to effectiveness of psychic
healing, since the beleif would seem to temporaily
allevaite pain maybe by using one owns interanl pain
response systems.
- Sheep-Goat effect- the study by Lyvers et
al suggests that belief in psychic healing
may explain at least some of its success.
Belief creates positive expectations, acting
like a placebo
- Sheep-Goat effect- the study by Lyvers et
al suggests that belief in psychic healing
may explain at least some of its success.
Belief creates positive expectations, acting
like a placebo
- The Catholic church
concluded that psychic healing
cannot be supported on the
basis of an extensive review of
relevant scientific research.
- Targ (1998) – belief in psychic
healing or its effectiveness is part
of the explanation of its
effectiveness: 1.The healer’s
presence – distracts/relaxes.
2.Connection with the healer
promotes self-healing. 3.ESP –
psychokinesis. A belief in these
three things has positive effect
- Placebo effect
- Success may also be due
to the placebo effect, real
measurable improvements
that occur as a result of
beleiving that an effective
treatment has been
recieived.
- Lack of support- Benson et al 2006
studied patients recovering from two
cardiac surgery. One group of
pateints acted as a control and the
other two groups were told prayers
were being said for them. In fact the
only group to suffer more
complications were those who were
prayed for- there was actually a
negative effect.
- Lack of support- Benson et al 2006
studied patients recovering from two
cardiac surgery. One group of
pateints acted as a control and the
other two groups were told prayers
were being said for them. In fact the
only group to suffer more
complications were those who were
prayed for- there was actually a
negative effect.
- Success may also be due
to the placebo effect, real
measurable improvements
that occur as a result of
beleiving that an effective
treatment has been
recieived.
- Anxiety reduction-
- Psychic healing might be explained in terms of the beneficial effects of contact with a
sympathetic person. Kiecolt-Glaser et al found that social support is know to reduce
stress and anxiety, and enhance the effectiveness of the immune system
- Psychic healing might be explained in terms of the beneficial effects of contact with a
sympathetic person. Kiecolt-Glaser et al found that social support is know to reduce
stress and anxiety, and enhance the effectiveness of the immune system
- Issues
- Case studies; There is a lot of evidence in the form of case studies. In order to provide
valid evidence, it must meet certain criteria standards. Randi (1987) proposed the
following criteria; 1. The disease must not normally go away without treatment;
otherwise it could have gone on its own. 2. Recovery must be complete 3. No
medical intervention should be involved. A medical opinion must confirm the presence of
the condition before healing and the absence of it afterwards.
- Most case studies of psychic healing fail to meet all these criteria. As
with other psi phenomena, there are notable cases of fraud. James
Randi demonstrated fraudulent techniques used by ‘psychic
surgeons’ in the Philippines. He also uncovered the fraudulent faith
healings by Peter Popoff.
- Most case studies of psychic healing fail to meet all these criteria. As
with other psi phenomena, there are notable cases of fraud. James
Randi demonstrated fraudulent techniques used by ‘psychic
surgeons’ in the Philippines. He also uncovered the fraudulent faith
healings by Peter Popoff.
- Case studies; There is a lot of evidence in the form of case studies. In order to provide
valid evidence, it must meet certain criteria standards. Randi (1987) proposed the
following criteria; 1. The disease must not normally go away without treatment;
otherwise it could have gone on its own. 2. Recovery must be complete 3. No
medical intervention should be involved. A medical opinion must confirm the presence of
the condition before healing and the absence of it afterwards.
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