Faith
Healing
Faith
healing is a cooperative form of magical thinking involving a
healer and a patient in which (a) both healer and patient believe
in the healing power of spirits or other mysterious healing mechanisms;
(b) the healer consciously or unconsciously manipulates the patient
into believing he or she has cured the patient's ailment by prayer,
hand movements (to unblock, remove, restore, etc. some intangible
"energy"), or by some other unconventional ritual or product;
and (c) the patient validates the healing by giving signs that
the healing has worked, such as walking without a brace for a
short period, breathing freely, feeling relief from pain, or simply
thanking the healer for the "miraculous cure." Furthermore, faith
healing can occur at a distance. There is no need for the patient
and healer to meet, as the processes that occur are said to transcend
the usual limitations of space and time
Some alleged cures have involved mistaken diagnoses that required
no cure at all, much less a miraculous one. Some may have involved
the post hoc fallacy: a healing, for whatever reason, is credited
to the faith healer when the only evidence provided is that the
healing took place after the session with the healer. Most cases
of faith healing need no cure, since most patients will get better
even if they receive no treatment at all (Hines 2003). Some serious
ailments like cancer and multiple sclerosis abate for months or
years for reasons we don't understand (Nickell 1993: 134). There
is an "impressive variety of ... ailments, ranging from back pains
to hysterical blindness, [that] are known to be highly responsive
to the power of suggestion." The "main requisite for curative
effects" is "the patient's belief in the practitioner's assurances."
And, having a positive attitude seems to enhance the body's healing
capacities
