1. Sign our petition calling on Cochrane to withdraw their review of Exercise Therapy for CFS here.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Guest, the 'News in Brief' for the week beginning 15th April 2024 is here.
    Dismiss Notice
  3. Welcome! To read the Core Purpose and Values of our forum, click here.
    Dismiss Notice

Distant healing

Discussion in 'Other treatments' started by Sly Saint, Jul 4, 2020.

Tags:
  1. Sly Saint

    Sly Saint Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    9,584
    Location:
    UK
    Blog Edzard Ernst: Prof Walach’s studies of distant healing: do they reveal the difference between a scientist and a pseudoscientist?

    "Amongst all the many bizarre treatments so-called alternative medicine (SCAM) has to offer, distant healing is probably one of the least plausible. Essentially, it involves healers sending healing ‘energy’ to far remote patients. This energy is then supposed to stimulate the patients’ ability to heal themselves."
    full blog
    https://edzardernst.com/2020/07/pro...ce-between-a-scientist-and-a-pseudoscientist/
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 7, 2020
    Sly Saint, Jul 4, 2020
    #1
    Barry, Snowdrop, Invisible Woman and 3 others like this.
  2. wdb

    wdb Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    320
    Location:
    UK
    Yet more proof the combination un-blinded treatment with subjective measures produces misleading data. If distant healing had happened to be a type of therapy that couldn't be blinded then the results might have looked very different.
     
    wdb, Jul 4, 2020
    #2
    Simbindi, lycaena, Invisible Woman and 1 other person like this.
  3. wdb

    wdb Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    320
    Location:
    UK
    I'm disappointed in Edzard's supposed skepticism in this piece two posts earlier. He has no problem with using odourless distilled water as a control in a subjective aromatherapy study. It seems like as is so often the case bad methodology is fine if the results are palatable.

    https://edzardernst.com/2020/07/aromatherapy-improves-pain-intensity-and-anxiety-in-burned-patients/

    At least he later acknowledges it in the comments.

     
    wdb, Jul 5, 2020
    #3
    Invisible Woman, Simbindi, Sean and 2 others like this.
  4. Hoopoe

    Hoopoe Senior Member (Voting Rights)

    Messages:
    5,254
    The essential oils I know have a strong scent. No way distilled water is an adequate control treatment.
     
    Hoopoe, Jul 5, 2020
    #4
    Sisyphus, Invisible Woman, wdb and 4 others like this.
  5. Midnattsol

    Midnattsol Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    3,598
    My thoughts as well. I wonder if fragrance oils could be used instead.
     
    Midnattsol, Jul 5, 2020
    #5
    Invisible Woman, wdb, lunarainbows and 1 other person like this.
  6. Trish

    Trish Moderator Staff Member

    Messages:
    52,285
    Location:
    UK
    A series of different smells to be inhaled in the same way, to test whether it's the particular oil that is significant, or the distraction of a nice smell. And with both the patients and the person administering the smell not having any idea which one is the 'active' smell being tested.
     
    Trish, Jul 5, 2020
    #6
    andypants, Invisible Woman, Midnattsol and 1 other person like this.

Share This Page