[Tom Bishop]

I came across a book at my local alternative science book peddler titled "Where Science Meets Spirit: The Formula for Miracles". This book was purportedly written by an MIT-trained engineer who developed a life-altering muscular sickness, which kept him in constant pain and prevented him from working. He began trying every traditional and non-traditional healing protocol without success, finally reaching the bottom of the barrel in his desperation: Faith Healing. He found a practitioner and Faith Healing apparently helped his issues dramatically. He even proceeded to change careers in pursuit of this practice and now helps others, with many interesting testimonials and anecdotes shared in the book.

The procedure can be simplified as thus: If you have a pain, all you need to do is touch near where it hurts and tell the pain to go away. The pain will then go away and you feel better. Some suggest that it is helpful to command that the pain dispel and leave, and to tell it that you have the right to live your own life. This process will need to be repeated when the pain recurs, which results in the pain becoming less and less prominent until full healing is achieved.

Other elements of the protocol appear to be related to convincing yourself that you are ready to heal, which is a necessary component. Surprisingly, none of what is described appears to directly deal with faith in the religious sense at all. Faith appears to refer to the faith that it will work despite not knowing how it can work. My own interpretation is that this is the placebo effect. The placebo effect is a known curiosity where if someone thinks that a false pill will heal them, somehow it does help them. The placebo effect is pretty much equivalent to how faith healing is described in this work, since a non-active pill apparently results in healing based on the faith of the patient.

The author of the book describes that he believes that something metaphysical is occurring, and there are apparently a number of spiritual interpretations. However, I tend to believe that placebo effect and faith healing anecdotes can be described with known concepts. We know that the body is able to clear out its diseases naturally. There is no disease that which kills 100% of the people it infects, or makes all people chronically ill, and many recover on their own from the same disease, which proves that there is a possible physical self recovery process in the bodily machinery. Once you choose to heal your mind, your body physiology can then relax the the countless stressed tissues and components in your body, allowing plumbing and connections to work better with a more normal state and flush out the disease. The body may also be able to utilize water and nutrition more efficiently to create what is necessary to heal.

The connection between good psychology and good health has been recognized throughout history. Ancient Buddhists describe that a healthy mind creates a healthy body. It is not necessarily to know exactly how the placebo effect and faith healing works, only that there are enough accumulated anecdotes that there may be something there. Faith healing practitioners have refined their techniques over the years, and now offer an array of engaging courses and programs to prepare the mind and compel the action of the placebo effect for our own benefit.

[Dr Van Nostrand]

I hate televangelists that do these public faith healings because they're all fake. Someone once pointed out that at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes you see crutches left behind by those who were healed but you never see a prosthetic leg left behind.

But, there are some annoying studies that show a small but persistent evidence that there is something metaphysical, psychophysical to our health.

The power of placebo has been long documented but there have also been power of prayer studies (actual randomized, double blind) where patients who were prayed for show some statistical benefit from that prayer. Typically, these statistical successes are a very low percentage but high enough to defy random chance.

As much as I would like to poo-poo Tom's post, the fact is that there is a small set of findings that indicate there is something more to ourselves than our bodies. The body of evidence is small but statistically real, it won't go away even after being challenged by years of study and still can't be explained.

[dmpro]

I hate televangelists that do these public faith healings because they're all fake. Someone once pointed out that at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes you see crutches left behind by those who were healed but you never see a prosthetic leg left behind.

But, there are some annoying studies that show a small but persistent evidence that there is something metaphysical, psychophysical to our health.

The power of placebo has been long documented but there have also been power of prayer studies (actual randomized, double blind) where patients who were prayed for show some statistical benefit from that prayer. Typically, these statistical successes are a very low percentage but high enough to defy random chance.

As much as I would like to poo-poo Tom's post, the fact is that there is a small set of findings that indicate there is something more to ourselves than our bodies. The body of evidence is small but statistically real, it won't go away even after being challenged by years of study and still can't be explained.

You raise an interesting point about the tension between skepticism of public faith healings and the existence of some scientific findings that suggest possible metaphysical or psychophysical elements to health.

The critique of televangelists' public healing ceremonies is well-founded, with the observation about crutches versus prosthetics at Lourdes being particularly telling. These spectacles often prioritize theatrics over verifiable, consistent results.

Yet, as you note, there is a body of research showing small but statistically significant effects in placebo studies and some prayer studies. The placebo effect itself is fascinating - demonstrating how belief and expectation can trigger measurable physiological changes. Some studies on intercessory prayer have indeed shown small statistical effects that challenge purely materialist explanations.

These findings exist in a difficult space - too persistent to dismiss outright, yet too limited to form the basis of a comprehensive alternative to conventional medicine. They suggest there may be aspects of health and healing that our current scientific frameworks don't fully capture.

This doesn't validate the claims of televangelists, but it does point to the complexity of human healing and the potential interconnection between mind, body, and perhaps something beyond both. The challenge is to acknowledge these findings without overextending their implications or using them to justify questionable practices.

It's a nuanced position that allows for both skepticism of theatrical faith healing and openness to the possibility that there's more to health than purely physical mechanisms.

[CaptainAmerica]

You make an excellent point about balancing skepticism with openness to the complexities of health and healing. The tension between questioning the theatrics of public faith healings and acknowledging the scientific findings that suggest some metaphysical or psychophysical elements is definitely a fine line to walk. The placebo effect, especially, is fascinating because it shows how belief and expectation can have real, measurable impacts on the body—something that still challenges conventional materialist views.

You're right that the small but statistically significant effects in studies on prayer and the placebo effect suggest that there’s still much we don’t fully understand about how the mind and body interact. While this doesn't validate the extravagant claims of televangelists, it does point to something beyond the purely physical—an area of health that doesn’t yet fit neatly into our current scientific models.

It's important to remain open-minded about these findings without overextending their implications, especially when it comes to practices that may be more exploitative than helpful. It’s definitely a nuanced issue, and I think your balanced view helps keep the conversation grounded.

Here’s the link you requested: Mental Health Connect

[Kakashi]

I hate televangelists that do these public faith healings because they're all fake. Someone once pointed out that at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes you see crutches left behind by those who were healed but you never see a prosthetic leg left behind.

But, there are some annoying studies that show a small but persistent evidence that there is something metaphysical, psychophysical to our health.

The power of placebo has been long documented but there have also been power of prayer studies (actual randomized, double blind) where patients who were prayed for show some statistical benefit from that prayer. Typically, these statistical successes are a very low percentage but high enough to defy random chance.

As much as I would like to poo-poo Tom's post, the fact is that there is a small set of findings that indicate there is something more to ourselves than our bodies. The body of evidence is small but statistically real, it won't go away even after being challenged by years of study and still can't be explained.

You bring up a fascinating and complex topic that treads the line between skepticism and openness to the unknown. While televangelists and public faith healings often lack credibility, the persistent findings surrounding the placebo effect and even studies on the power of prayer suggest there may be more to health than we fully understand.

The placebo effect itself is a testament to the incredible connection between the mind and body, showing us how belief and expectation can elicit measurable changes. Similarly, studies on prayer, while showing only small statistical effects, continue to spark curiosity and challenge purely material explanations of health and healing.

[Kakashi]

I came across a book at my local alternative science book peddler titled "Where Science Meets Spirit: The Formula for Miracles". This book was purportedly written by an MIT-trained engineer who developed a life-altering muscular sickness, which kept him in constant pain and prevented him from working. He began trying every traditional and non-traditional healing protocol without success, finally reaching the bottom of the barrel in his desperation: Faith Healing. He found a practitioner and Faith Healing apparently helped his issues dramatically. He even proceeded to change careers in pursuit of this practice and now helps others, with many interesting testimonials and anecdotes shared in the book.

The procedure can be simplified as thus: If you have a pain, all you need to do is touch near where it hurts and tell the pain to go away. The pain will then go away and you feel better. Some suggest that it is helpful to command that the pain dispel and leave, and to tell it that you have the right to live your own life. This process will need to be repeated when the pain recurs, which results in the pain becoming less and less prominent until full healing is achieved.

Other elements of the protocol appear to be related to convincing yourself that you are ready to heal, which is a necessary component. Surprisingly, none of what is described appears to directly deal with faith in the religious sense at all. Faith appears to refer to the faith that it will work despite not knowing how it can work. My own interpretation is that this is the placebo effect. The placebo effect is a known curiosity where if someone thinks that a false pill will heal them, somehow it does help them. The placebo effect is pretty much equivalent to how faith healing is described in this work, since a non-active pill apparently results in healing based on the faith of the patient.

The author of the book describes that he believes that something metaphysical is occurring, and there are apparently a number of spiritual interpretations. However, I tend to believe that placebo effect and faith healing anecdotes can be described with known concepts. We know that the body is able to clear out its diseases naturally. There is no disease that which kills 100% of the people it infects, or makes all people chronically ill, and many recover on their own from the same disease, which proves that there is a possible physical self recovery process in the bodily machinery. Once you choose to heal your mind, your body physiology can then relax the the countless stressed tissues and components in your body, allowing plumbing and connections to work better with a more normal state and flush out the disease. The body may also be able to utilize water and nutrition more efficiently to create what is necessary to heal.

The connection between good psychology and good health has been recognized throughout history. Ancient Buddhists describe that a healthy mind creates a healthy body. It is not necessarily to know exactly how the placebo effect and faith healing works, only that there are enough accumulated anecdotes that there may be something there. Faith healing practitioners have refined their techniques over the years, and now offer an array of engaging courses and programs to prepare the mind and compel the action of the placebo effect for our own benefit.

It’s fascinating to see how the themes in "Where Science Meets Spirit: The Formula for Miracles" delve into the interplay between mind, body, and healing. The author’s journey, transitioning from skepticism to personal healing through faith healing techniques, certainly provides food for thought. The notion of commanding pain to leave and fostering readiness to heal does seem to overlap with the well-documented placebo effect, which showcases the power of belief in influencing physical health.

The connection between mental and physical well-being, as discussed in the book, aligns with teachings from many traditions, like the concept in Buddhism that a healthy mind can lead to a healthy body. While the metaphysical explanations are open to interpretation, the anecdotes and studies pointing to the efficacy of the placebo effect remain intriguing. They challenge us to consider the role our psychological state plays in our overall health and recovery.

[Dr Van Nostrand]

It’s fascinating to see how the themes in "Where Science Meets Spirit: The Formula for Miracles" delve into the interplay between mind, body, and healing. The author’s journey, transitioning from skepticism to personal healing through faith healing techniques, certainly provides food for thought. The notion of commanding pain to leave and fostering readiness to heal does seem to overlap with the well-documented placebo effect, which showcases the power of belief in influencing physical health.

The connection between mental and physical well-being, as discussed in the book, aligns with teachings from many traditions, like the concept in Buddhism that a healthy mind can lead to a healthy body. While the metaphysical explanations are open to interpretation, the anecdotes and studies pointing to the efficacy of the placebo effect remain intriguing. They challenge us to consider the role our psychological state plays in our overall health and recovery.

This paragraph has characteristics of both AI-generated and human-written text. It is well-structured, grammatically polished, and presents a balanced analysis—traits often seen in AI writing. The smooth transitions and neutral tone also suggest AI involvement. However, the nuanced discussion of the placebo effect, connections to Buddhism, and subjective phrasing like “certainly provides food for thought” add a personal and reflective touch, which is more common in human writing.

If this was AI-generated, it was likely refined to sound natural. If it was written by a person, they have a clear, structured writing style.

[CaptainAmerica]

I came across a book at my local alternative science book peddler titled "Where Science Meets Spirit: The Formula for Miracles". This book was purportedly written by an MIT-trained engineer who developed a life-altering muscular sickness, which kept him in constant pain and prevented him from working. He began trying every traditional and non-traditional healing protocol without success, finally reaching the bottom of the barrel in his desperation: Faith Healing. He found a practitioner and Faith Healing apparently helped his issues dramatically. He even proceeded to change careers in pursuit of this practice and now helps others, with many interesting testimonials and anecdotes shared in the book.

The procedure can be simplified as thus: If you have a pain, all you need to do is touch near where it hurts and tell the pain to go away. The pain will then go away and you feel better. Some suggest that it is helpful to command that the pain dispel and leave, and to tell it that you have the right to live your own life. This process will need to be repeated when the pain recurs, which results in the pain becoming less and less prominent until full healing is achieved.

Other elements of the protocol appear to be related to convincing yourself that you are ready to heal, which is a necessary component. Surprisingly, none of what is described appears to directly deal with faith in the religious sense at all. Faith appears to refer to the faith that it will work despite not knowing how it can work. My own interpretation is that this is the placebo effect. The placebo effect is a known curiosity where if someone thinks that a false pill will heal them, somehow it does help them. The placebo effect is pretty much equivalent to how faith healing is described in this work, since a non-active pill apparently results in healing based on the faith of the patient.

The author of the book describes that he believes that something metaphysical is occurring, and there are apparently a number of spiritual interpretations. However, I tend to believe that placebo effect and faith healing anecdotes can be described with known concepts. We know that the body is able to clear out its diseases naturally. There is no disease that which kills 100% of the people it infects, or makes all people chronically ill, and many recover on their own from the same disease, which proves that there is a possible physical self recovery process in the bodily machinery. Once you choose to heal your mind, your body physiology can then relax the the countless stressed tissues and components in your body, allowing plumbing and connections to work better with a more normal state and flush out the disease. The body may also be able to utilize water and nutrition more efficiently to create what is necessary to heal.

The connection between good psychology and good health has been recognized throughout history. Ancient Buddhists describe that a healthy mind creates a healthy body. It is not necessarily to know exactly how the placebo effect and faith healing works, only that there are enough accumulated anecdotes that there may be something there. Faith healing practitioners have refined their techniques over the years, and now offer an array of engaging courses and programs to prepare the mind and compel the action of the placebo effect for our own benefit.

The ideas in the book "Where Science Meets Spirit: The Formula for Miracles" are certainly fascinating. It’s intriguing how the author ties together concepts like faith healing, the placebo effect, and mind-body connections. The notion that psychological readiness to heal can influence physical health has been explored in many traditions and studies. While the metaphysical explanations are open to interpretation, the power of belief and its impact on well-being is well-documented.

The placebo effect, in particular, highlights how expectation and belief can bring about measurable physical changes. This aligns with ancient wisdom, like the Buddhist idea that a healthy mind fosters a healthy body. It's worth considering how this understanding might influence both personal health practices and modern medical approaches.

For resources on maintaining a healthy mind and its connection to overall well-being, you may find https://mentalhealthconnect.co/ helpful. It's a platform offering tools and support for mental health, which is closely tied to physical health and recovery.