French healers’ secrets

There are in France, six thousands men and women who are endowed with some kinds of healing gift that can relieves burns or all kind of other pains. They are known as magnetizers, healers, bone-setters or fire-cutters. The technique for stopping the effects of burns is generally based on a Catholic or Protestant secret prayers or formulas or prayers that have to be repeated with a definite intention. 

Multiple pathologies are supposed to be cured that way, such as warts, muscle strain, sciatic nerve, migraine, eczema, psoriasis, zooster, earache, angina, stress, hemorrhoids, hemorrhages and burns: there is even a free app with direct access to the list of “Secret Healers” in France and nearby Switzerland. I’ve been told that some cancer treatment center use them for alleviating burns on patient undergoing radiation treatments. 

These folks, sometimes known as fire helmsmen, say they have a gift that was inherited or developed. This applies to healing burns and removing the resulting pain. The sessions can be conducting with visiting with the healer or just placing a phone call. These people are quite happy with plying their trade that often gives them a symbolic capital in therapy they enjoy a lot. Add to that, the fact that these are people are sincerely convinced of their ability or of their gift as the enjoy the act of healing for the good of others. 

We’re generally talking about first degree and mild second degree burns that are particularly painful, yet often benign. Those more seriously burned are generally picked up by an ambulance and taken tot the emergency room. Thus, it more people who have mild first-second degree burns who call the healer. It’s also true that for such burns, pain subsides after three-quarters of an hour, with or without healer’s intervention. As far as long-term traces or scars are concerned, people will generally acknowledge: “Yes, I have no more traces of the burned area, so it proves that it works”, but this is not quite correct as first degree and mild second degree burns leave no traces. 

Now, I have my doubts that healers are just able to alleviate burn suffering through only a special prayer. Some studies may suggest that prayer might increase anyone’s ability to resist temptation and increase self-control, but that’s about it. The effectiveness of prayer has been studied since at least 1872, generally through experiments, to determine whether prayer or intercessory prayer has a measurable effect on the health of the person for whom prayer is offered, but this has not led to any discovery of evidence crediting such special powers from praying. 

Studies have made with Burn Centers that have admitted patients suffering traumatic events and are in a deep state of stress, anguish and pain. In these extreme conditions, it is not uncommon for patients and their family to seek assistance outside the boundaries of Western medical care. Compared to the stressful and highly technical ICU context, a form of care given over the phone to a population who has lived immersed in these beliefs is not an obstacle, but contributes to stress reduction. 

This preliminary observation opens the door to future medical investigations regarding the potential and overall use of similar phenomena and experience worldwide. This said, the enthusiasm and popular support enjoyed by these healers is a phenomenon unknown in the United States. Why is it this way ? This could probably be the subject of a future blog… 

To conclude, I might be tempted to lean towards the ability of some healers to channel cosmic or natural forces, not just prayer or formulas, in the quest for helping people, but again, who can convincingly demonstrate this?