Presentation Summary
Overview
The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the possible use of intention as a unifying concept in the study of mind/body/spirit healing. Broadly defined, intentional healing involves the projection of awareness, with purpose and efficacy, toward the well-being of another.
The concept of intentional healing encompasses a wide spectrum of health promoting or healing-triggering activities. Healing may occur as a secondary effect of a relaxation response triggered by mood change, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, or hypnosis. Healing may occur because of the conscious direction of physiological processes (e.g. directing blood flow away from a tumor or activating the immune system). Or, as recent research suggests, healing may occur because of an essentially non-local mental intention by a patient, a healer working with the patient, or through some kind of alignment with a higher power or the Divine.
This presentation reviews recent basic science and clinical trials in the area of intentional healing-focusing on the complexities of differentiating psychological, psychosocial, and psychic influences. Discussion includes issues of experimenter effect, patient expectation, the relationship between baseline psychological factors and medical outcomes, as well as experimental design questions such as choice of healers, structure and duration of intervention, and constructing appropriate blinds.
Learning Objectives
Participants will be invited to evaluate their own assumptions and beliefs regarding that role of consciousness in healing and consider the implications of these assumptions for a transformed model of medicine.
Participants will consider a variety of cultural perspectives on intentional healing.
Participants will be able to critique the research design and potential implications of various research approaches related to basic science and clinical trials in intentional healing.
Biosketch
Marilyn Schlitz, Ph.D., is the Vice President for Science and Education at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and is Senior Scientist at the Complementary Medicine Research Institute at the California Pacific Medical Center. She has published more than 150 articles in the areas of psi research, psychophysiology, cross cultural healing, consciousness studies, and creativity. She is a frequent lecturer at Trinity University, Stanford University, and Harvard Medical School and currently serves on the editorial board of Alternative Therapies and Advances in Mind Body Medicine.
References
Astin, J. A., Harkness, E., & Ernst, E. (2000). The efficacy of "distant healing": a systematic review of randomized trials. Ann Intern Med, 132(11), 903-910.
Byrd, R. C. (1988). Positive therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer in a coronary care unit population. Southern Med J, 81(7), 826-829.
Dossey, L. (1993). Healing words: The power of prayer and the practice of medicine. San Francisco: Harper.
Harris, W. S., Gowda, M., Kolb, J. W., Strachacz, C. P., Vacek, J. L., Jones, P. G., Forker, A., O'Keefe, J. H., & McCallister, B. D. (1999). A randomized, controlled trial of the effects of remote intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients admitted to the coronary care unit., 159(19), 2273-2278.
Krucoff, M., & al, e. (2001). Integrative noetic therapies as adjuncts to percutaneous intervention during unstable coronary syndromes: Monitoring and Actualization of Noetic Trianing (MANTRA) feasibility pilot. American Heart Journal, 142(5), 760-767.
Krucoff, M. W. (2000). Growing the path to the patient: an editorial outlook for Alternative therapies. Altern Ther Health Med, 6(4), 36-37.
Kwang, Y., & al, e. (2001). Does Prayer Influence the Success of in Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer? The Journal of Reproductive Medicine, 46(9), 1-8.
Schlitz, M., Braud W. (1997). Distant Intentionality and Healing: Assessing the Evidence. Alternative Therapies, 3(6), 62-73.
Schlitz, M., & Harman, W. (in press). The implications of alternative and complementary medicine for science and the scientific process. In J. Levin & W. Jonas (Eds.), Textbook of complementary and alternative medicine. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
Schlitz, M., Harman W. (In press). The implications of complementary and alternative medicine for science and the scientific process. In W. Jonas & J. Levin (Eds.), Textbook of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins.
Schlitz, M., Lewis N. (1996). The Healing Powers of Prayer. Noetic Sciences Review, Summer 1996, 29-33.
Schlitz, M., Taylor, E., & Lewis, N. (1998, Winter). Toward a noetic model of medicine. Noetic Sciences Review(47), 45-52.
Schlitz, M. J. (1995). Intentionality in healing: Mapping the integration of body, mind, and spirit. Alternative Therapies, 1(5), 119-120.
Schlitz, M. J. (1996). Intentionality and intuition and their clinical implications: A challenge for science and medicine. Advances, 12(2), 58-66.
Schlitz, M. J., & Braud, W. G. (1997). Distant intentionality and healing: Assessing the evidence. Alternative Therapies, 3(6), 62-73.
Snel, F. W., & van der Sijde, P. C. (1994). Information-processing styles of paranormal healers. Psychol Rep, 74(2), 363-366.
Targ, E. (1997). Evaluating distant healing: a research review. Altern Ther Health Med, 3(6), 74-78.
Targ, E. (2002). Research methodology for studies of prayer and distant healing. Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery, 8(1), 29-41.
Wirth, D. P. (1995). Complementary healing intervention and dermal wound reepithelialization: an overview. Int J Psychosom, 42(1-4), 48-53.