Faith healing
"Spiritual healing" redirects here. You may be looking for the album entitled Spiritual Healing by Death.Faith healing, or
divine healing, is the use of
spiritual means in treating
disease, sometimes accompanied (in extreme instances) with the refusal of modern
medical techniques. Another term for this is
spiritual healing. Faith healing is a form of
alternative medicine.
The term is sometimes used in reference to the belief of some
Christians who hold that
God heals people through the power of the
Holy Spirit, often involving the "
laying on of hands". Those who hold to this belief do not usually use the term "faith healing" in reference to the practice; that expression is more often used descriptively by commentators outside of the faith movement in reference to the belief and practice.
Faith healing is often reported by
Catholics as the result of
intercessory prayer of a
saint or a person with the gift of healing. A famous example of a person with the gift of healing is
Blessed Brother Andre Besette, CSC, a
Holy Cross Brother known as the "Miracle Man of Montreal".
The Catholic Church requires one or two
miracles for the
canonization of a saint, depending on the case. These are most often cases of faith healing reported as resulting from that person's intercession.
Many people who resort to faith healing do so in cases of otherwise incurable
disease. However, there are groups that believe in faith healing as the primary (if not sole) remedy for any health problem.
The predominant view among supporters of faith healing is that medical treatment should be sought whenever necessary, and that the two are not incompatible (believing that God can heal
both supernaturally
and through modern medical practice). However, there is an extreme view that teaches seeking medical treatment constitutes a "lack of faith" in supernatural healing.
The term "faith healing" is occasionally used in connection with
Christian Science, though its adherents maintain its practice of healing is methodical and does not rest on faith alone, but also on an intimate understanding of God's law.
Some practitioners such as
William Baldwin and
Ken Page incorporated methods that were Christian in origin with Shamanic tools for work on clients regardless of their spiritual beliefs or backgrounds. Many consider
Richard Rossi one of the most credible examples of faith healing because of his willingness to subject all healings to medical verification.
Some argue that faith healing may have a basis in
sociobiology where
evolution conferred survival advantage over the several million years of human
pre-history to those tribes that had
shamans who were thought to possess powers of healing by virtue of having undergone a
neurological transformation whose symptoms are similar to
kundalini. The argument posits that humans have an innate capacity to respond to shamanistic type ministrations, perhaps entirely via the
placebo response, or perhaps via other as yet unknown physiological processes.
In the UK and British Commonwealth countries, "spiritual healing" is used generically to designate healing by prayer, mental intent and/or the laying-on of hands, both within religious practitioner frameworks and in the secular community - where spiritual healing could include healing as taught and practiced by the National Federation of Spiritual Healers (UK), Reiki,
IRECA method, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, and dozens of other related practices.
Faith healing has not scientifically been proven effective. What few controlled studies have been performed have evidenced no beneficial effect. Its practitioners can only cite
anecdotal evidence of cases where it has been successful, ignoring the far more numerous cases where the patient dies despite the efforts of faith healing. Doctors often ascribe any success to the
placebo effect or to
spontaneous remission: some people will heal with or without treatment, and it is generally natural to credit the most recent treatment for the cure (this logical fallacy is called
post hoc ergo propter hoc).
Prominent 1980's-era faith healer and
televangelist Peter Popoff was publicly exposed by noted
skeptic James Randi working together with popular TV host
Johnny Carson, when it was discovered that the apparent healing miracles and prophetic acts performed by Popoff were in fact part of an elaborately stage-managed setup including planting of audience members and broadcasts to an in-ear
radio receiver. Other faith healers such as
Benny Hinn (who was videotaped by hidden cameras and profiled on an episode CBC's The Fifth Estae]] have also been hit by allegations of fraudulent activity.
Faith healing can pose serious ethical problems for medical professionals when parents decline or refuse traditional medical care for their children. In some countries, parents argue that constitutional guarantees of religious freedom include the right to rely on alternative healing to the exclusion of medical care. Advocates of conventional medicine argue studies have shown faith healing no more effective than a placebo, making it unethical to rely on, though advocates of spiritual healing argue there exist methodical and bias issues. Doctors as a rule consider it their duty to do everything that they can in the interests of the patient. In consequence, where they judge medical treatment necessary to save an individual's life or health, and balancing the question with legal and privacy concerns, they may act contrary to the patient's or parental preference. In
2000, a UK government ruling allowed a child to be treated by doctors against the parents' wishes.
There have been, however, instances which seem to indicate the legitimacy of divine healing. A TIME magazine article on healing described the healing of a brain tumor of a young girl after the parents and other persons performed the biblical practice of "anointing with oil" and praying for the sick girl. It is not possible to categorically state that faith healing does or does not occur.
*
Richard Rossi Faith healer based in Hollywood, California. He has been profiled on Inside Edition, A Current Affair, Hard Copy, LA Times, CNN, USA Today, Christianity Today, and Charisma Magazine.
*
Carnivàle*
:category: Faith Healers*
James Randi - Offers one million dollars for anyone who can prove faith healing.
*
Homeopathy*
Muraqaba*
Psychic surgery*
Reiki*
IRECA method*
Scientology*
Shamanism*
Therapeutic Touch*
Christian Science*
Exorcism*
Articles on spiritual healing*
Spiritual Healing of mind and body*
National Federation of Spiritual Healers (United Kingdom)*
The Harry Edwards Spiritual Healing Sanctuary Healing Sanctuary that was founded in 1946 by Harry Edwards, the well-known spiritual healer (also co-founder of the National Federation of Spiritual Healers, above). Located in Shere, Surrey, UK.
*
Proofs of Healing Power*
Spiritual Health- a Scriptural perspective of faith and divine healing
*
Christian Science healing*
William Baldwin's Spirit Releasement Therapy*
Ken Page's Multidimensional Cellular Healing*
proposed legislation to limit the activities of faith healers*
The Association of Former Pentecostals a non-profit organization uniting former Pentecostals and Charismatics, many who believe that promises of "instant miracles" are a form of psychological or
spiritual abuse.
*
Article: Faith Healing -- Is a Christian permitted to seek medical assistance and to use medicine? *
Matthew Manning - Psychic Healer*
Self-Healing through Meditation of Colors
