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Scientists and Healers need Open Minds

Barry Mapp — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:02:45 +0000

On the need for scientists and healers to have an open mind(adapted from an article “The Science of Healing and the Healing of Science” published in Resource Magazine September 2005, Author: Barry Mapp)We don’t realise how much our existing theories and beliefs prevent us from seeing new things clearly.How the Scientist’s beliefs stop them seeing clearlyA principle of science is that ‘what actually happens’ comes before ‘how do things happen’. Thus the first stage of science comes from observation and experience. Then comes a hypothesis (a preliminary belief), then come experiments to see if the hypothesis holds water. What many scientists actually practice is not ‘science’ but ‘scientism’ which is the opposite of science – where the belief (the need to know how things happen) comes first and observation (what happens) comes second. Thus when practicing scientism, if the observations don’t fit the belief held, then the observations are either (1) ignored (2) attacked as being false or some ‘magic trick’ (3) manipulated to fit the belief. Because ‘hands-on healing’ (or distance healing or other types of healing) doesn’t fit comfortably with the Newtonian Model of Science, doctors practicing scientism defend their theory (using methods 1,2,or 3) and don’t properly observe and investigate the potential phenomenon. Most doctors will say ‘there isn’t any evidence that healing works’.However any doctor who can suspend judgement about healers and healing long enough to search the world’s literature, will find plenty of published material (but not in the Lancet or the British Medical Journal) demonstrating that healing has “medical” effects worthy of further investigation. So we have to assume that most doctors practice scientism.How the Healer’s beliefs stop them seeing clearlyEqually “healers” are often unaware how their theories and beliefs prevent them from seeing things clearly and they too must be prepared to change their beliefs if they want to move healing forward. Scientists and healers suffer from the same problem. They both use outdated concepts or “out-of-context” theories to explain how things happen. (see more about unhelpful ways of thinking here). Healers are often using theories and explanations which go back thousands of years, whilst openly criticising the scientists who cling to Newton’s ideas that are much more recent. We need a pragmatic view of theory. No explanation or model is ever complete or “true”. What is important therefore, is not to argue over who or what is “right”, but to find explanations or metaphors that are useful, that most people can accept, and that allows predictions to be made and theory to be tested. For example, some healers say that the cause of illness is “evil spirits”. A few hundred years ago or more this may have been a reasonable theory. However today this metaphor is outdated. Other healers invoke their religion, reincarnation, or their “spirit guides” as integral to their healing but none of these are essential to what they do. These beleifs simply provides a stream of potential red herrings (and an uncomfortable feeling) for the scientist. If healers want their form of healing to become mainstream, and thus part of everyday medical practice, they have to conceive explanations that are aligned with present day context and knowledge (even if some of that knowledge is “wrong”). As Newton’s Thinking is still predominant in science, the healer must speak with metaphors that the scientist understands (rather than jumping on the Quantum Theory bandwagon as most are doing – a bandwagon that has yet to starting rolling in the corridors of power)Coming next: Lessons for science from the Mesmer experience

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On the need for scientists and healers to have an open mind

Barry Mapp — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:43:00 +0000

On the need for scientists and healers to have an open mind(adapted from an article “The Science of Healing and the Healing of Science” published in Resource Magazine September 2005, Author: Barry Mapp) Continuing to set the scene on Science and HealingWe don’t realise how much existing theories and beliefs prevent us from seeing new things clearly.A doctor who can suspend existing judgement about healers long enough to search the world’s literature will find plenty of published material (but not in the Lancet or the British Medical Journal) demonstrating that healing has “medical” effects worthy of further investigation.Equally “healers” are often unaware how their own theories and beliefs can prevent them from seeing things clearly and they too must be prepared to change their pet theories if they want to be accepted by the scientific community .So scientists and healers suffer from the same problem. They both use outdated concepts or “out-of-context” theories to explain how things happen. Healers are often using theories and explanations which go back thousands of years, whilst openly criticising the scientists who cling to Newton’s ideas that are much more recent.We need a pragmatic view of theory. No explanation or model is ever complete or “true” (see here). What is important therefore, is not to argue over who or what is “right”, but to find explanations or metaphors that are useful, that most people can accept, and that allows predictions to be made and theory to be tested.For example, some healers say that the cause of illness is “evil spirits”. A few hundred years ago or more this may have been a reasonable theory. However today this metaphor is outdated.Other healers invoke their religion, reincarnation, or their “spirit guides” as integral to their healing but none of these are essential to what they do. Such theories simply provide a stream of potential red herrings (and an uncomfortable feeling) for the scientist. If healers want their form of healing to become mainstream, and thus part of everyday medical practice, they have to conceive explanations that are aligned with present day context and knowledge (even if some of that present day knowledge is “wrong”).As Newton’s Thinking is still predominant in science, the healer must speak with metaphors that the scientist understands (rather than jumping on the Quantum Theory bandwagon as most are doing – a bandwagon that has yet to starting rolling in the corridors of power). In a later blog I will be sharing a Newtonian metaphor for healing.

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On Science and Healing (2)

Barry Mapp — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:05:02 +0000

On Science and Healing (2)(adapted from an article “The Science of Healing and the Healing of Science” published in Resource Magazine September 2005, Author: Barry Mapp)Most people would agree that science has rarely taken healing and healers seriously. Therefore science has never properly researched or investigated the phenomena that may be at work.Science therefore has a major “blind-spot” in its knowledge base, possibly ignorant of a whole range of naturally occurring subtle phenomena that happen within and between living things. Coincidently, science appears “stuck” between two apparently conflicting paradigms.On the one hand the science writers tell us how Quantum Ideas have long replaced Newtonian Thinking. On the other hand, at the cultural and grass roots level of scientific research and practice (particularly the biological sciences), we see that this “old” paradigm is still predominant. Little has changed since the 1700’s when healers were often labelled as witches or charlatans. At the start of the 21^st century we appear a little more accepting of healing though not because of scientific understanding or study, but rather through positive patient experiences and “word of mouth” testimonial.So today we can see healers at work in Hospice or Cancer Care Units, but rarely in medical and surgical wards, where the healers could potentially save the NHS millions, if not billions, of pounds a year.

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On Science and Healing

Barry Mapp — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:46:22 +0000

On Science and Healing(taken from an article “The Science of Healing and the Healing of Science” published in Resource Magazine September 2005, Author: Barry Mapp)Science today is in need of healing and healing is in need of science. Without the “appliance of science” to the modality called (hands-on) healing, then ‘treatments’ like Reiki will continue to remain marginalised at the periphery of health care in Hospice and Cancer Units. Equally without the healing (making whole) of science, so much profound knowledge that could be useful to mankind, will remain hidden, whilst the number of meaningless, costly, and environmentally unfriendly “scientific” ventures continue to escalate. When science eventually uncovers the knowledge within the healing domain, it will be a very humbling experience for many. The very nature of science may change forever.

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