Spiritual healing in palliative care with clinical hypnosis: neuroscience and therapy.

THIS PAPER REVIEWS: The neuroscientific features of inner consciousness, including its role in suffering and in accessing states of mind that relieve suffering; details salient meditative and hypnotic approaches appropriate for palliative settings of care; discusses core principles and orientations shared by effective approaches; and proposes early integration of hypnotic training as a coping skill and a platform for spiritual exploration, as desired.

Multiple Mental Health Literacies in a Traditional Temple Site in Kerala: The Intersection Between Beliefs, Spiritual and Healing Regimes.

The notion of 'mental health literacy' has been proposed as a way of improving mental health problem recognition, service utilisation and reducing stigma. Yet, the idea embodies a number of medical-model assumptions which are often at odds with diverse communities' spiritual traditions and local belief systems. Twenty participants were recruited to this study consisting of mental health service users (N = 7), family carers (N = 8) and community members (N = 5) in a temple town in Kerala, South India participated in semi-structured interviews exploring the variety of beliefs and practices relating to mental health. Our findings indicate that the issue may be better understood in terms of multiple mental health literacies which people deploy in different circumstances. Even those sceptical of traditional and spiritual approaches are knowledgeable about them, and the traditional practices themselves often involve detailed regimes of activities aimed at effecting an improvement in the person's mood or condition. Therefore, we argue it is appropriate to consider mental health literacy not as a unitary universal phenomenon but instead as a mosaic of different literacies which may be deployed in different settings and in line with different experiences and which may operate in synergy with each other to enable treatment but also facilitate a sense of meaning and purpose in life.

Traditional Khmer Medicine and its role in wildlife use in modern-day Cambodia.

Individuals across Cambodia depend on the use of natural products in Traditional Khmer Medicine (TKM), a traditional medicine system in Cambodia that has been practiced for hundreds of years. Cambodia is rich in fauna and flora species, many of which have been, and continue to be, traded domestically for traditional medicine use. Combined with other known exploitative practices, such as snaring for wild meat consumption and international trade in wildlife, domestic trade in wildlife medicine threatens populations of regional conservation importance. Here, we provide an updated understanding about how TKM is practiced in modern times; how TKM practices are transmitted and adapted; and roles of wildlife part remedies in TKM historically and presently. We conducted semi-structured interviews with TKM practitioners in Stung Treng, Mondulkiri Province, and at the National Center for Traditional Medicine in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. TKM is generally practiced in the private sector and is mostly informal, without enrollment in any academic training. TKM practitioner roles commonly involve collecting, preparing, selling, and advising on medicine, rather than providing direct treatment. Over half of the interviewed TKM practitioners (57.6%) were still prescribing wildlife parts as medicine over the past 5 years, with 28 species of wild animals reported. Lorises and porcupine were the wildlife products cited as being in highest demand in TKM, primarily prescribed for women's illnesses such as post-partum fatigue (Toas and Sawsaye kchey). However, the supply of wildlife products sourced from the wild was reported to have dropped in the 5 years prior to the survey, which represents an opportunity to reduce prescription of threatened wildlife. We suggest that our results be used to inform tailored demand reduction interventions designed to encourage greater reliance on biomedicine and non-threatened plants, particularly in rural areas where use of biomedicine may still be limited.

Revisiting the Healing Narrative of the Gospel in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In terms of health issues, Christians often refer to the stories of Jesus' healings in the Gospels as an important spiritual resource. However, theological interpretations vary, depending on the hermeneutical method employed and the contextual factors considered. This article explores such approaches to the Gospels' healing narrative and relates them to the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the platform of practical theology, five theological approaches to the healing narrative are identified and then analyzed. The results of this study suggest that each approach has a degree of relevance that is worth developing to produce a theological contribution to ongoing mitigation and healing efforts.

Cross Cultural Adaptation and Cognitive Testing of a Psycho-Social-Spiritual Healing Measure, the NIH Healing Experiences in All Life Stressors-NIH-HEALS.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is associated with trauma and stress which impacts the physical, psychological, and spiritual/existential well-being of patients. Psychological/behavioral healing may help alleviate this distress and the associated health-related suffering. Psycho-Social-Spiritual healing outcome measures are thus needed to stimulate service development. The NIH Healing Experiences in All Life Stressors (NIH-HEALS), is a novel 35-item measure of psycho-social-spiritual healing, developed in USA and is yet to be validated and adapted for use in African countries. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the face and content validity of the NIH-HEALS in the population of cancer patients in Uganda and to culturally adapt this measure. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using cognitive interviewing alongside standard piloting. We recruited adult (18 years and above) patients with advanced cancer from Hospice Africa Uganda. Interviews were conducted in two phases, using the think aloud technique and concurrent probing and were audio recorded. Phase 1 was used to identify initial concerns around clarity of the statements, and phase 2 further explored whether the issues of clarity had been addressed, alongside the standard cognitive interview parameters. The transcripts were imported into NVivo-12 analyzed using the content analysis technique and categorized using Tourengeau's information processing model. RESULTS: We recruited thirty-five (35) patients: phase one (n = 5) two (n = 30). The median completion time was 20 minutes. Problems identified included comprehension of some statements, words, and phrases, suggestions to include local examples, highlighting of potentially sensitive statements that lean towards difficult conversations, and some cultural differences in the construction of the "Trust and Acceptance" construct, our sample showed less emphasis on family/friend relations. This feedback was used to adapt the NIH-HEALS for the local context. CONCLUSION: The NIH-HEALS has sufficient face and content validity properties to be used among palliative cancer patients in Uganda. We propose some changes to inform the adaptation of this measure for the local context.

The effect of CAM comprehensive nursing interventions on the improvement of quality of life to patients with breast cancer and gynaecological tumours

Breastcancerin females, which is consideredthe most dreadfuldisease in India andthe worldas compared toother gynaecological cancers,demands extensive care and proper medicationin order to control itsprogressive growth. In addition to the conventional care ofthe patients, Complementary andAlternative Medicine(CAM)is administeredin a controlled way through proper guidance and counselling in orderto attainimprovedphysical andmental health forthe patients.Objective: The aim of the study wasto assess the effectiveness of CAMcomprehensive nursing interventionsand their benefit forpatients who havebreast cancer and gynaecological tumours.Methods: Statistical data was used to map the adult womendiagnosed with breast and gynaecological cancer and who were set to start new chemotherapy treatments. A total of 450 patients from different states of East India were enrolled in the studyover a period of four years. The patients wereselectedbased on their preference for undergoing CAM.The research was conducted usingacross-sectionalanonymous self-administered questionnaireto examine women's perspectivestowards the use of CAM and itseffect on their mental andphysical health.Results:42%of the women preferred theuseofCAM astheir alternative treatment. Breast cancer patients disclosed that 48.1% of them had used CAM and 39% of women with gynaecological cancersstated that they had usedCAM. The results further indicated a less frequent deteriorationin the health of CAM users(38.4%) thantonon-users(55%). In terms of those who utilizedvitamins and nutritional diets,60% of the participants reported using a proper diet, including antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and herbs etc. 37% opted for spiritual healing through yoga, 26% utilized energy healing, 42.4% utilized acupuncture,72% preferred massagesand 23% of patients utilized chiropractic methods.The use of CAM was foundmainlyin the patients with proper education and awareness and those with a family history of cancer who were not receiving the necessary care from their previous primary physician.Conclusion:CAM still requiresextensive research in terms of its applications in dealing with patients and in orderto successfully launch programmes aimed at promoting its useworldwide andto eradicate all the other false notions about it.[Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2022; 36(2):000-000]Keywords: Breast Cancerand gynaecological tumours,Complementary And Alternative Medicine (CAM), Complementary Oncology,Quality Of Life, Nutritional Diet and Spiritual Healing, HRQL (Health-Related Quality Of Life).IntroductionCancer has been the primaryconcern in Indiafrom the onset,resulting in thousands of deaths due to the lack of adequatemedication and therapy.Breast cancer is considered to bea common invasive form of cancer which is responsible for the second highest mortality rate among the primaryfatal conditions of cancer-causing deaths in women. Under the National Cancer Registry Program,the breast, cervix, uteri,and oral cavity(7)are the most common cancer sitesin women. According to statistics, 50-60% of all cancers amongIndian women are commonly found inthe cervix uteri, breast, corpus uteri and ovaries,which are the main organs forcancer invasion. The percentage of women who experience these types of cancer is increases, with more women becoming susceptible to breast cancer, in women up to 3-8% suffer fromovarian cancer,0.5-4.8%have cancer of the corpus uteri, 1-3% have vulva and/or gestational trophoblastic tumours and a staggering75,000 or more women have breast cancer. With the advancements of the disease through time,research programs were also improved in order to enable the improvement of existing measures and/or the development of new measures aimed at combating the diseas and decreasing mortality rates. Apart from the conventional chemotherapy technique,various other programs have been introduced andencorporated into treatment regimes in order to improve the lives of those who are affected by cancer.Complementary andAlternative Medicine (CAM) emphasizesthe methods and practices that are therapeutic and which help diagnose or curethe disease,these methods are intended tocomplement the conventional methods and can be used in place of mainstream medicine. Women with breast cancer and other gynaecological tumoursare increasingly inclined towards the use of CAM. With the increasing number of cancer reports in Indiaand the world,and with the principal amount leading to mortality, women with proper education and awareness are inclined to choosealternative methods rather than the old conventional ones. The side-effects resulting from the chemotherapy are immense and toxic,which is one of the reasons women are inclined to choose.Various research projects and cumulative studies have been conducted in order to review and discoverthe

Case report of instantaneous resolution of juvenile macular degeneration blindness after proximal intercessory prayer.

An 18-year-old female lost the majority of her central vision over the course of three months in 1959. Medical records from 1960 indicate visual acuities (VA) of less than 20/400 for both eyes corresponding to legal blindness. On fundus examination of the eye there were dense yellowish-white areas of atrophy in each fovea and the individual was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration (JMD). In 1971, another examination recorded her uncorrected VA as finger counting on the right and hand motion on the left. She was diagnosed with macular degeneration (MD) and declared legally blind. In 1972, having been blind for over 12 years, the individual reportedly regained her vision instantaneously after receiving proximal-intercessory-prayer (PIP). Subsequent medical records document repeated substantial improvement; including uncorrected VA of 20/100 in each eye in 1974 and corrected VAs of 20/30 to 20/40 were recorded from 2001 to 2017. To date, her eyesight has remained intact for forty-seven years.

Effect of laying on of hands as a complementary therapy for pain and functioning in older women with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

AIM: To assess the effects of laying on of hands (LooH) as a complementary therapy to kinesiotherapy, on pain, joint stiffness, and functional capacity of older women with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) compared to a control group. METHODS: In this randomized controlled clinical trial, participants were assigned into 3 groups: LooH with a spiritual component ("Spiritist passe" Group - SPG), LooH without a spiritual component (LooH Group - LHG), and a control group receiving no complementary intervention (Control Group - CG). Patients were assessed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 16 weeks. Primary outcomes were joint stiffness and functional capacity (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC]), and pain (WOMAC and visual analog scale). Secondary outcomes were anxiety, depression, mobility, and quality of life. Differences between groups were evaluated using an intention-to-treat approach. RESULTS: A total of 120 women (mean age = 69.2 ± 5.2 years) with KOA were randomized (40 participants per group). At 8 weeks, SPG differed significantly from the LHG for WOMAC Functional Status (between-group difference in the change = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.35 to 1.59, P = .001); Anxiety levels (between-group difference in the change = 1.38; 95% CI: 0.11 to 2.65, P = .027); and also from the CG for all outcomes with exception of WOMAC Stiffness. After 16 weeks, SPG differed significantly from the LHG only for WOMAC Functional Status (between-group difference in the change = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.32 to 1.52, P = .001]) and also from the CG for all outcomes with exception of WOMAC Stiffness and timed up-and-go. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that LooH with a "spiritual component" may promote better long-term functional outcomes than both LooH without a "spiritual component" and a control group without LooH.

Energy Medicine treatments for hand and wrist pain: A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: The term "energy medicine" describes healing modalities that manipulate or channel purported subtle energies associated with the body. The objectives of this pilot study were to determine the feasibility of studying energy medicine for people with carpal tunnel pain and gathering relevant preliminary data. METHODS: Following a prospective, within-participant design, participants were recruited to experience a 30 min treatment from one of 17 energy medicine practitioners. Of 374 adults experiencing carpal tunnel pain who were screened for the study, 190 received an energy medicine treatment. Practitioners delivered treatments at close distance, some with and some without light, stationary touch. Outcome measures were collected before, during, and immediately after the treatment, and three weeks later. The primary outcome measure was self-reported pain. Secondary subjective measures included credibility regarding energy medicine and expectancy regarding the efficacy of treatments, pain interference, sleep quality, well-being, mood, and sense of personal transformation. Physiological measures included median nerve conduction velocity, heart rate variability, heart rate synchrony (between the participant and practitioner), and expression levels of neuroinflammation-related genes. RESULTS: On average, self-reported current pain scores decreased 2.0 points post-session and 1.3 points at three weeks compared to baseline values using a 0-10 point scale with 10 denoting worst pain (F(2, 565) = 3.82 p <0.000005). This effect was not influenced by the participants' level of expectancy or credibility regarding the energy medicine modality. Well-being, negative emotion, and sleep quality scores significantly improved at the follow-up visit. Multiple heart rate variability measures significantly changed reflecting increased parasympathetic activity which may indicate decreased stress. No other secondary outcome showed significant change. DISCUSSION: Studying the administration of energy medicine to people with carpal tunnel pain is feasible, although requiring a documented carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis proved to be prohibitive for recruitment. Our finding of preliminary evidence for positive effects in pain and pain-related outcomes after a single session of energy medicine warrants further controlled investigation.

A case study of extended human capacity perception during Energy Medicine treatments using mixed methods analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Some "energy medicine" modalities, such as Reiki, continue to show evidence for efficacy, but the underlying mechanisms of action are still uncertain. To help illuminate possible mechanisms, this exploratory mixed-method study using qualitative and quantitative analyses investigated: 1) How do energy medicine sessions function from the perspective of a seer, i.e., an individual trained in techniques to enable perception of purported subtle energies, and 2) Do any of these observations correlate with changes in participants' subjective pain? METHOD: One seer reported observations during 30-minute energy medicine sessions delivered by 17 practitioners to participants experiencing chronic hand or wrist pain. Data were coded using an inductive approach, followed by thematic and descriptive analyses. Content analysis was used to assign whether each code was mentioned by the seer for each participant, generating 119 binary variables, one for each code. The relationship between these binary variables and change in participant pain scores after the energy medicine session and three weeks later were explored using linear regression models. RESULTS: The qualitative thematic analysis identified six major themes from the seer's notes: "Experience of the Practitioner," "Experience of the Participant," "Space and Other Beings" (referring to the qualities of the physical space the energy medicine session occurred in and ostensible non-physical beings present during session), "Participant-Practitioner Relationship," "Healing Process," and "Attributes of Energy." The energy medicine methods used varied for each participant, according to the practitioners' perceptions of each individual's needs. The linear regression models yielded significant associations between changes in pain scores and various codes, including energy color, practitioner touch and the presence of ostensible non-physical beings supporting the session, although their significance did not persist after correction for multiple comparisons. DISCUSSION: Future studies investigating the mechanisms of energy medicine may benefit from including perceptions by seers in their outcome measures.

Effects of the laying on of hands on anxiety, stress and autonomic response of employees in a hospital: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Mental and behavioral disorders result in increased absenteeism and abandonment of work. The objective of this study was to evaluate the anxiety, stress, depression, negative and positive affects, and hematological and autonomic responses of employees in a public hospital exposed to laying on of hands with (LHS) or without Spiritual connection (control-LHW). METHODOLOGY: Eighty-four employees with anxiety/stress were enrolled and randomly allocated into two groups of intervention LHS by Spiritist "passe" and control-LHW by volunteers with healing intent. Anxiety, stress and depression were evaluated by Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21). Negative and positive affects by Subjective Well-being Scale (SWS), cardiac autonomic modulation by heart rate variability and cytokines and blood count were assessed by blood sample. RESULTS: Our study showed a significant improvement in the neutrophils (p = 0.041; d = 0.70) and cardiac parasympathetic activity, and reduction in VLF (p < 0.005) in the LHS. There was reduction in erythrocyte parameters and interleukin 10 (p < 0.005) in the control-LHW. In both groups there was a significant reduction in anxiety, stress, depression and negative affects after one session (p < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Laying on of hands with Spiritual connection by Spiritist "passe" appears to be effective in increasing cardiac vagal activity and regulation of immune responses of employees in a public hospital with stress/anxiety.

Spiritual healing from Iranian cancer patients' viewpoints: A hybrid concept analysis.

BACKGROUND: Spiritual healing is a complementary and alternative treatment with different meanings in different cultures and religions. However, the concept has not been defined from the cancer patients' points of view. The present study was done with the aim of concept analyses of spiritual healing from Iranian cancer patients' viewpoints. METHODOLOGY: The study was done using a hybrid method at three phases including of theoretical study, field study, and final analysis. In the theoretical study phase and using the keyword "spiritual healing," pertinent articles were searched in main databases. In the field study phase, ten cancer patients were interviewed, and in the final phase, the two other phases were analyzed. After determining features, antecedents, and consequences, a conclusive definition of spiritual healing from Iranian cancer patients' viewpoints was proposed. FINDINGS: Spiritual healing from Iranian cancer patients' viewpoints was featured with four themes, including connection with paranormal forces; effective, noninvasive, inexpensive, and efficient therapeutic method; a way to achieve piece, adaptation, and health and influenced by cultural and religious beliefs. Spiritual healing is a complementary and alternative treatment that helps careseekers to achieve health through paranormal forces and energies. As the findings showed and according to the participants' viewpoints, the source of such forces and energies was divine force and the healers were mediums to transfer the energy. CONCLUSION: The findings supported that religion and faith were the key elements of spiritual healing in the Iranian Islamic context.

A comparative account of the traditional healing practices of healers and non-healers in the Kiudang area of Brunei Darussalam.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In this study, we compare the traditional medicinal knowledge and associated spiritual practices of healers with that of non-healers, to understand the relevance of healers in contemporary times. Given that Brunei Darussalam is well-known for its forest cover, the study also aims to understand the number of species collected from the forests, compared to those from human influenced habitats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of six specialist healers from Belait, Tutong, Dusun and Iban communities, and seven non-healers who had personal experience in self-medication using medicinal plants participated in the study. We identified the specialist healers through purposive sampling, on the basis of their reputation in the locality, while the non-healers were those experienced in self-medication, recommended by the healers. Informants were interviewed at their residences, followed by collection trips to the plant habitats. We classified the total recorded ailments into 15 disease categories. We then compared the medicinal uses cited by healers to those mentioned by non-healers, as well as with prior published records from Brunei Darussalam. We also compare the habitats of species cited by both healers and non-healers to understand the dependency of the local pharmacopoeia on forests and human-influenced habitats. RESULTS: Our study records 175 medicinal plants belonging to 85 families, the majority of which (92) were exotic to Borneo. There were 110 species collected from disturbed, human influenced habitats such as roadsides, agricultural fields, secondary and degraded forests, and homestead lands, while 58 species were collected from the forests surrounding Kiudang. Majority of the plants used by both healers and non-healers were collected from human-influenced habitats, indicating that the local pharmacopoeia could be a disturbance one. Most of the medicinal plants recorded in this study were used to treat chronic, but non-life threatening conditions. Ailments affecting the digestive system were the most targeted group with 67 species used. All medicinal uses with more than one citation were recorded from healers. Medicinal uses cited by healers also had greater correspondence with prior published reports from Brunei Darussalam. Healers believe that combining medicinal plants can produce a synergistic effect. Our study found that traditional knowledge related to healing practices is mostly transmitted vertically from parents to children. We also show that a ritual gift (pikaras) and invocations characteristic of the beliefs of the healers play an important role in facilitating healing. CONCLUSION: Our study adds further evidence to prior studies that the medicinal plants and healing practices in the Kiudang region could be considered as disturbance pharmacopoeia. Healers with their knowledge on both therapeutic and spiritual aspects of healing continue to play an important role in local healthcare.

Promoting Spiritual Healing by Stress Reduction Through Meditation for Employees at a Veterans Hospital: A CDC Framework-Based Program Evaluation.

Background: Employees in the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital experience psychological stress from caring for vulnerable veteran populations. Evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation decreases stress in health care employees and military personnel. The purpose of this worksite program was to explore the acceptability of a mindfulness meditation program among VA workers. Methods: Chaplain residents developed the "Promoting Spiritual Healing by Stress Reduction Through Meditation" (Spiritual Meditation) program for employees in a VA hospital. To evaluate acceptability, a 13-multiple-choice-item survey with an open-ended question was administered after the intervention. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis were performed. Findings: In 29 participants, 70% to 100% agreed with positive statements for the personal learning experience, program components, teacher quality, time to practice, and place to practice. Two categories emerged from qualitative responses: "positive practical experience of Spiritual Meditation" and "perceived values from Spiritual Meditation." Conclusion/Application to Practice: Occupational health nurses are uniquely positioned to lead and collaborate with chaplains to deliver Spiritual Meditation in their workplace setting.

Dang-Ki healing: An embodied relational healing practice in Singapore.

This article explores the processes of transformation of the self in dang-ki healing, a form of Chinese spirit mediumship in Singapore, drawing on more than a decade of ethnographic research. In dang-ki healing, it is believed that a deity possesses a human, who is called a dang-ki, to help clients (i.e., devotees). Through the dang-ki, clients can interact with powerful deities in ways that help them feel hopeful and supported. The dang-kis themselves may also benefit therapeutically from their participation as mediums. Many dang-kis suffer from personal conflicts and distress before becoming a medium and they express and transform their distress through the idiom of spirit possession. Since deities represent traits and moral values promoted in Chinese culture, possession by a deity allows the dang-ki to embody an ideal self and to acquire spiritual knowledge by engaging in ritual practices involving cleansing, self-mortification, stereotyped movements, and altered consciousness. At the same time, junior possessing deities must undergo training under the guidance of senior deities to achieve a higher level of spiritual existence by helping clients through the dang-ki's body. Thus, in dang-ki healing, practitioners, clients and possessing deities are transformed in parallel ways. The dynamics of this reciprocal and interdependent healing process differ from the individualistic approaches in Western psychotherapy and shed light on the links between healing processes, cultural ontologies, and concepts of personhood.

Effect of Spiritist "Passe" on Preoperative Anxiety of Surgical Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Double-Blind.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the preoperative anxiety of hospitalized patients exposed to Spiritist "passe," laying on of hand with the intention of healing (Sham) and without laying on of hand. Other variables as depression, pain, physiological parameters, muscle tension, and well-being were assessed. Patients in the Spiritist "passe" intervention group showed greater reductions in anxiety (p < 0.05) and muscle tension (p < 0.01) and increases in well-being (p < 0.01). More marked reductions in preoperative anxiety and muscle tension and improvement in well-being were observed in patients exposed to Spiritist "passe" compared to Sham or standard medical care.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03356691.

Use of traditional and complementary medicine among Norwegian cancer patients in the seventh survey of the Tromsø study.

BACKGROUND: Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) is commonly used by cancer patients in Northern Norway, in particular spiritual forms like traditional healing. T&CM is mainly used complementary to conventional cancer treatment and is rarely discussed with conventional health care providers, increasing the risk of negative interaction with conventional cancer care. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of T&CM among cancer patients in Tromsø, and to investigate the differences in T&CM use between people living with cancer, people with cancer previously, and people without a history of cancer. METHOD: Data was drawn from the seventh survey of the Tromsø study conducted in 2015-2016. All inhabitants of Tromsø aged 40 and above were invited to participate (n = 32,591) of whom n = 21,083 accepted the invitation (response rate 65%). Data was collected thorough three self-administered questionnaires and a comprehensive clinical examination. Pearson chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests and one-way ANOVA tests were used to describe differences between the groups while binary logistic regressions were used for adjusted values. RESULTS: Eight percent of the participants (n = 1636) reported to have (n = 404) or have had (n = 1232) cancer. Of the participants with cancer at present 33.4% reported use of T&CM within the last year, 13.6% had consulted a T&CM provider, 17.9% had used herbal medicine/natural remedies and 6.4% had practiced self-help techniques. The participants with cancer at present were more likely to have visited a T&CM provider than participants with cancer previously (13.6% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.020). Among the participants with cancer at present, 6.4% reported to have consulted a TM provider, 5.8% had consulted an acupuncturist, while 4.7% had consulted other CM providers. Women were significantly more likely than men to have used acupuncture and self-help techniques. No significant gender differences were found regarding visits to other CM providers, TM providers nor use of herbal medicine/natural remedies. CONCLUSION: The findings are in line with previous research suggesting that both men and women use TM complementary to other CM modalities outside the official health care system. As herbal medicine might interact with conventional cancer treatment, health care providers need to discuss such use with their patients.

Clients of UK healers: A mixed methods survey of their demography, health problems, and experiences of healing.

BACKGROUND: Healing has not been well researched, and very little is known about who goes to healers, and what they experience. METHODS: A survey of UK-based healers was undertaken with the help of The Confederation of Healing Organisations, asking healers to report on up to 20 consultations. Forms asked about the demography of healer and client, reasons for the consultation, type of healing, and outcomes. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analysed. RESULTS: 278 returned forms from 39 healers (average age 58) were analysed. Healing was described as Spiritual (69%), Reiki (15%) or Energy (10%). The clients had an average age of 57, and 76% were women. The most common reasons for consulting were mental health problems and pain. 93% of the clients reported experiencing immediate benefits. Relaxation, improved wellbeing and relief of pain were often reported. In addition, 76 (27%) had some unusual sensory experiences during the session, such as feelings of warmth, seeing coloured lights, or tingling sensations. The majority of general comments about the experience were positive, and 68% made another appointment. CONCLUSIONS: Older people, particularly older women, are the main recipients of healing in the UK, and they go for help with many problems, particularly mental health issues and pain. The majority have a positive experience, and come back for more. In addition to relief of symptoms, many have sensory experiences which could indicate that some special type of interaction was taking place between healer and healee.

Perceived Outcomes of Spiritual Healing: Results from a Prospective Case Series.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this pilot study were to observe perceived outcomes of spiritual healing in Germany. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this prospective case study, we performed qualitative interviews with clients and healers about perceived outcomes of spiritual healing treatments. A directed qualitative content analysis was used. In addition, we applied questionnaires (WHOQOL-BREF, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Sense of Coherence 13, SpREUK-15, intensity of complaints on visual analogue scale) at baseline and after week 1, month 2 and month 6 which were analysed descriptively. RESULTS: Seven healers and 7 clients participated, 42 interviews were analysed. In the interviews, the clients described positive body sensations, greater relaxation and well-being as short-term effects of healing treatments. Perceived longer-term effects were related to making significant life changes, creating new meanings, activating resources and improving social relationships. Patients in pain described a reduction of pain intensity. In the questionnaires, the clients reported improvements in quality of life and self-efficacy, to a smaller extent improvements of intensity of complaints and sense of coherence. CONCLUSION: The results from this pilot study could be useful to choose outcomes of future prospective studies with a larger sample: qualitative assessments combined with global and broad quantitative outcomes such as quality of life, self-efficacy and intensity of complaints could be applied.

Self-Reported Effects of Energy Healing: A Prospective Observational Study With Pre-Post Design.

INTRODUCTION: Healing is reported to be used by 16.8% of the population, however utilization may be considerably higher in selected patient groups. The aim of this study was to map the symptoms the participants reported when visiting a healer for the first time, and to evaluate the subjectively experienced benefits and risks from the healing sessions. METHOD: Data were obtained from the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP) questionnaire. One-hundred adults who, for the first time, referred themselves to a healer in southern Norway between January 2016 and January 2017 were included in the study. Eligible for analyses were 92 participants who fulfilled their treatment plan and returned both the baseline (pre) and post-treatment questionnaire. The occurring symptoms were grouped according to their nature into four symptom groups: pain, psychological problems, fatigue and other. With regard to the observational character of the study, all results were described and interpreted descriptively and exact p-values were given and interpreted as measures of effect. RESULTS: The participants who visited the healers in this study were mainly women (80%) with chronic disease (82%), with pain, fatigue and/or psychological problems as main complaints. They experienced an improvement of symptoms, well-being and improved activity level of approximately 50% regardless of the nature of the complaints. Women reported more improvement than men did. The pre-post changes was found after an average of 4.1 treatments. Forty percent of the participants reported adverse effects, which occurred directly after the healing session, generally lasting for less than one day. CONCLUSION: The study participants reported substantial improvement of, and major reduction of the burden of symptoms, improved well-being and activity level after healing sessions. Due to the observational nature of the study, no interpretations about specificity of the descriptive results or the mechanisms of effect can be made.