Faith no more

[nessus@mit.edu (Douglas Alan)]

In article <2ghidg$n9v@triton.unm.edu>
lazlo%ariel.unm.edu@triton.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble) writes:

>   <rjc@cogsci.edinburgh.ac.uk> wrote:

   >> [ BTW: Faith healing works. Certified, well attested scientific
   >>        fact. Hence the need for double blind trials. ]

>   Dog vomit.  Either give cites, clarify your statement, or withdraw it.

I think it is widely accepted by the scientific and medical
communities that if someone strongly believes that their health will
improve, then their health will on average fare significantly better
than another person in the same physical condition with the same
problem who has a negative attitude about their health.  The cause of
this is not supernatural, but merely part of the very significant
effect that the brain can have on the rest of the body.  This *is*,
however, strong evidence that faith healing can have a very beneficial
effect -- *if* the patient believes in faith healing.  Faith healing
is unlikely to have any effect on the skeptic.  A skeptic can
presumably end up doing as well as the devout faith healing patient by
believing the scientific evidence that a positive attitude will help
them and letting this knowledge guide their attitude.  Some sort of
psychotherapy would probably be useful for this.

Unfortunately, this whole topic is rather off charter.  Let's not
discuss this any more.

|>oug