Comments on: Alternative Medicine: Faith-healing http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/01/31/alternative-medicine-faith-healing/ like balloons, only with dancing Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:43:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Andrew http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/01/31/alternative-medicine-faith-healing/#comment-3124 Andrew Mon, 22 Jan 2007 23:09:17 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1571#comment-3124 Well put, David. It's perfectly reasonable to come to tentative conclusions based upon available evidence, and it damn well is exciting :-) Well put, David. It’s perfectly reasonable to come to tentative conclusions based upon available evidence, and it damn well is exciting :-)

]]> By: David Colquhoun http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/01/31/alternative-medicine-faith-healing/#comment-3123 David Colquhoun Mon, 22 Jan 2007 21:00:54 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1571#comment-3123 Well, there are no absolute facts about the natural world, but some things are a very great deal more certain than others. The degree of confidence one can have that the earth goes round the sun is so great that it is, for any practical porposes, a fact. The degree of conficence one can have that general anaesthetics work is also very high. In contrast, acupuncture has had 1000s of years to prove itself, and homeopathy has had 200 years. In all that time their advocates have failed to produce convining eveidence (if they had done, we wouldn't be having this discussion). To give equal credence to all hypotheses is irrational, and it is a shocking waste of time. There is nothing drab in finding out what's true. In fact it's quite exciting. Well, there are no absolute facts about the natural world, but some things are a very great deal more certain than others. The degree of confidence one can have that the earth goes round the sun is so great that it is, for any practical porposes, a fact. The degree of conficence one can have that general anaesthetics work is also very high. In contrast, acupuncture has had 1000s of years to prove itself, and homeopathy has had 200 years. In all that time their advocates have failed to produce convining eveidence (if they had done, we wouldn’t be having this discussion). To give equal credence to all hypotheses is irrational, and it is a shocking waste of time. There is nothing drab in finding out what’s true. In fact it’s quite exciting.

]]> By: Ian Bain http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/01/31/alternative-medicine-faith-healing/#comment-3122 Ian Bain Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:10:18 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1571#comment-3122 I've always been wary of turning judgements into absolute facts. It tends to limit curiousity and makes for a rather drab black and white world. I’ve always been wary of turning judgements into absolute facts. It tends to limit curiousity and makes for a rather drab black and white world.

]]> By: David Colquhoun http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/01/31/alternative-medicine-faith-healing/#comment-3121 David Colquhoun Wed, 10 Jan 2007 06:41:45 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1571#comment-3121 Wrong again. Acupuncture is a centuries-old Chinese hoax. The evidence that it works is exceedingly thin, amd the "principles" are pure gobbledygook. Scientists are NOT mystified or baffled, because they are not convinced that there is any mystery to be baffled about The only thing that baffles me is the amount of money people make out of human gullibility. Wrong again. Acupuncture is a centuries-old Chinese hoax. The evidence that it works is exceedingly thin, amd the “principles” are pure gobbledygook. Scientists are NOT mystified or baffled, because they are not convinced that there is any mystery to be baffled about The only thing that baffles me is the amount of money people make out of human gullibility.

]]> By: Elby http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/01/31/alternative-medicine-faith-healing/#comment-3120 Elby Wed, 10 Jan 2007 02:08:41 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1571#comment-3120 Acupuncture is a centuries-old chinese method of healing. Acupuncture is the insertion of really fine needles (sometimes in conjunction with electric current). Acupuncture is something that has mystified and baffled scientists researchers and the public for some time. <a href="http://www.acupunture-training.com" rel="nofollow"> Elby </a> Acupuncture is a centuries-old chinese method of healing. Acupuncture is the insertion of really fine needles (sometimes in conjunction with electric current). Acupuncture is something that has mystified and baffled scientists researchers and the public for some time.

Elby

]]> By: David Colquhoun http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/01/31/alternative-medicine-faith-healing/#comment-3119 David Colquhoun Mon, 24 Apr 2006 17:20:21 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1571#comment-3119 I fear that your respondent missed the point. What Kathy Sykes was saying is that healers are fraudulent (insofar as they have not got the powers that they claim to have and it is all placebo). The producers muddied the message a bit, but that was clearly what she meant. Furthermore there isn't the slighest shred of good evidence that healing works in animals (just a lot of wishful thinking) Finally, it seems entirely possible that non-human animals show a placebo effect -they respond to attention, just as humans do. I fear that your respondent missed the point. What Kathy Sykes was saying is that healers are fraudulent (insofar as they have not got the powers that they claim to have and it is all placebo). The producers muddied the message a bit, but that was clearly what she meant.

Furthermore there isn’t the slighest shred of good evidence that healing works in animals (just a lot of wishful thinking)

Finally, it seems entirely possible that non-human animals show a placebo effect -they respond to attention, just as humans do.

]]> By: Val http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/01/31/alternative-medicine-faith-healing/#comment-3118 Val Thu, 02 Feb 2006 06:55:31 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1571#comment-3118 I am based in England. Having watched Professor Sykes programme on Spiritual Healing I sent an email to her the following day - extracts below, and I also include her very reserved response. "Dear Professor Sykes I have thoroughly enjoyed the two documentaries on Acupuncture and Healing. I watched the programme last night with particular interest, as I have in recent years become a registered healer. Your programme echoed my own thoughts on healing, which is that people CAN heal themselves........ .....I have always believed in the powerful effects of placebo and am strongly in favour of it (though the actual term "placebo" has quite negative connotations nowadays, simply because it's been used almost sneeringly in the past as a kind of sop to patients, without recognising that here is something that has much greater value). Whilst I enjoyed the programme, I was disappointed, that its scope did not allow you to investigate animal healing. There are several extremely successful healers in this country who have apparently had remarkable successes with a wide range of animals, including horses. Animals are not aware of placebo. It would mean nothing to them. Yet the fact is that animals do benefit from the attentions of a healer. This might seem a small point, but I consider it an extremely important one. If placebo is the only reason why humans improve, why do animals also benefit from healing?" Professor Sykes response was received today: "Thanks for your interest. Indeed, looking at animals would have been an interesting addition to the programme." I feel strongly about this vital ommission. Without including this extremely important facet of healing, the programme, as far as I am concerned, possesses far less merit. I am based in England. Having watched Professor Sykes programme on Spiritual Healing I sent an email to her the following day - extracts below, and I also include her very reserved response.

“Dear Professor Sykes

I have thoroughly enjoyed the two documentaries on Acupuncture and Healing. I watched the programme last night with particular interest, as I have in recent years become a registered healer. Your programme echoed my own thoughts on healing, which is that people CAN heal themselves……..

…..I have always believed in the powerful effects of placebo and am strongly in favour of it (though the actual term “placebo” has quite negative connotations nowadays, simply because it’s been used almost sneeringly in the past as a kind of sop to patients, without recognising that here is something that has much greater value).

Whilst I enjoyed the programme, I was disappointed, that its scope did not allow you to investigate animal healing. There are several extremely successful healers in this country who have apparently had remarkable successes with a wide range of animals, including horses.

Animals are not aware of placebo. It would mean nothing to them. Yet the fact is that animals do benefit from the attentions of a healer.

This might seem a small point, but I consider it an extremely important one. If placebo is the only reason why humans improve, why do animals also benefit from healing?”

Professor Sykes response was received today:

“Thanks for your interest.
Indeed, looking at animals would have been an interesting addition to the
programme.”

I feel strongly about this vital ommission. Without including this extremely important facet of healing, the programme, as far as I am concerned, possesses far less merit.

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