[ExI] Capitalizing on "Life Extension"

[Damien Broderick]

At 04:52 PM 11/2/2008 -0700, John Grigg wrote:

>Damien, being that you believe on some level psi actually does exist,

On some level? That would be on the level where I've published two 
books providing evidence that it does.

>do you think at least a few of these faith healers may have a 
>psionic ability (however weak) to heal others?

I don't know, but there's a vast literature in nursing and medicine 
on what's called (ugh) "therapeutic touch" or "therapeutic intent" 
that does seem to suggest this; double- or triple-blinded tests that 
appear to show effects going beyond placebo or self-induced immunity 
augmentation, etc. At least one recent study claimed that patients 
prayed for *did statistically worse* than controls. Bad stats? Let's hope so...

[See e.g. "Therapeutic Intent/Healing
Bibliography of Research"
Compiled by Larry Dossey, M.D., and Stephan A. Schwartz

linked at Paprs & Reports

http://www.stephanaschwartz.com/home.htm

I make no representations for the soundness of any of these papers, 
just their existence]

But look--if psi is accepted as a batch of real phenomena that have 
evolved in conjunction with senses, effectors, metabolism, behavioral 
biases, etc, you'd certainly expect it to help optimize health. 
People respond physiologically when a cat comes to visit; why not (if 
psi is real) when someone distant is wishing them well?

Lie down, John Clark, and place a cold compress over your forehead 
until the impulse passes.

Damien Broderick