What?! Psychic Surgery? Can It Really Help? Dr Scott M. Taubold Explains
Dr Scott M. Taubold explores Filipino Espiritista healing, the controversial idea of “psychic surgery”, mind-body medicine and what he witnessed during years of research into this remarkable healing tradition.
Key Takeaways
- Filipino Espiritista healing traditions, often historically labeled as 'psychic surgery' by Western observers, combine indigenous shamanic practices, cultural beliefs, and Christianity.
- Dr Scott M Taubold's research reveals that traditional neighborhood healers in the Philippines often operate on a donation-based model, offering an affordable and community-oriented alternative or complement to conventional Western healthcare.
- While modern scientific instruments face limitations in proving or disproving anomalous healing phenomena, the placebo effect and mind-body medicine play significant roles in patient recovery.
- Dr Taubold hopes readers will approach traditional healing practices with an open mind, broadening their worldview regarding the diverse medical and spiritual frameworks utilised across different cultures.
What happens when a centuries-old healing tradition collides with Western ideas of medicine, science and proof?
In this edition of Author Conversations, broadcast journalist Chris Dabbs speaks with Dr Scott M Taubold, author of The System of Healing Used by the Filipino Espiritistas.
He discusses the history of what Western observers came to call “psychic surgery”, the role of trance and spiritual belief and the place traditional healers can occupy alongside conventional medicine.
Originally developed from Dr Taubold’s doctoral research, the book explores the healing practices of Filipino Espiritistas — practitioners whose traditions combine indigenous approaches, spirituality, cultural belief and influences including Christianity.
During the conversation, Dr Taubold explains how his interest began after moving to Hawaii, becoming immersed in Filipino culture and later travelling regularly to the Philippines.
The conversation also examines the difficult boundary between observation, belief and scientific evidence. Dr Taubold describes experiences he says he witnessed personally but acknowledges the challenges involved in scientifically proving or disproving such phenomena.
Chris and Dr Scott discuss:
• Why Filipino Espiritista healing became internationally known as “psychic surgery”
• The influence of indigenous Filipino traditions and Christianity
• Scott’s doctoral research and experiences in the Philippines
• Folk healers and their role within local communities
• The relationship between belief, placebo effects and mind-body medicine
• Claims of unusual healing experiences and the limits of scientific investigation
• Why traditional healing practices can disappear as cultures change
• Whether conventional and complementary approaches to health can coexist
• What Scott hopes readers will take from his research
This conversation explores the subject as a cultural, historical and personal account. Experiences and medical or healing claims discussed by the guest should not be interpreted as medical advice or as a substitute for diagnosis or treatment from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
ABOUT THE GUEST Dr Scott M Taubold is the author of The System of Healing Used by the Filipino Espiritistas, a work developed from his academic research into Filipino healing traditions.
His interest grew through his experience of Filipino culture, family connections to the Philippines and research into complementary, alternative and mind-body approaches to healing.
🌐 Scott Taubold: psychicsurgery.net
ABOUT THE PROGRAMME Author Conversations with Chris Dabbs is a long-form interview programme featuring authors, writers and thinkers discussing the stories, ideas and experiences behind their work.
Hosted by Chris Dabbs, a broadcast journalist, interviewer and university lecturer with experience including BBC Radio and Times Radio, Author Conversations goes beyond the standard book promotion interview to explore the ideas behind the page.
🎥 Watch Author Conversations on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@AuthorConversations
https://youtu.be/RAPbrNJbWWQ?si=zlCPt8AkjqFMbtHV
🌐 Author Conversations:
https://www.author-conversations.com
🎙️ Hosted by Chris Dabbs:
https://www.chrisdabbs.online
- 00:00 – Introduction: Dr Scott M Taubold and Filipino Espiritista healing
- 00:38 – What is “psychic surgery”?
- 01:52 – Charlatans, sleight of hand and the placebo effect
- 03:31 – How Scott first became interested in the subject
- 04:39 – Hawaii, Filipino culture and the beginnings of his research
- 06:40 – Turning the subject into a doctoral dissertation
- 07:03 – Scott’s first trip to the Philippines
- 08:06 – How traditional healing fits into Filipino healthcare
- 10:40 – Indigenous traditions, Catholicism and cultural influence
- 13:22 – What Scott says he witnessed during his research
- 15:08 – Spiritual explanations and the limits of scientific proof
- 16:23 – Scott’s own experience of receiving treatment
- 17:28 – What he hopes readers take from the book
- 18:26 – Alternative medicine and conventional healthcare
- 21:27 – Cultural differences and broadening our view of healing
- 22:19 – Mind-body medicine and psychological factors in recovery
- 24:24 – Final thoughts and where to find the book
- 25:26 – Outro
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/author-conversations-with-chris-dabbs--6905413/support.
Every book has a story beyond its pages.
In Author Conversations, broadcast journalist, presenter and newsreader Chris Dabbs sits down with the writers behind some of today’s most fascinating books to uncover the research, experiences and ideas that never made it onto the printed page.
Featuring bestselling and emerging authors from around the world, each episode goes beyond the blurb to explore the real stories behind the writing.
From untold historical discoveries and groundbreaking scientific research to personal journeys, business insights, faith, true crime and the human experience, every conversation is designed to inform, challenge and inspire.
Drawing on more than two decades of professional interviewing across radio, television and digital journalism,
Chris creates thoughtful, in-depth conversations that give authors the time and space to tell the stories that matter most.
Whether you’re searching for your next great read, fascinated by the creative process or simply enjoy intelligent, long-form conversations, Author Conversations offers a unique opportunity to discover the people, ideas and experiences behind remarkable books.
Real authors. Real stories. Real conversations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Filipino Espiritista healing?
Filipino Espiritista healing is a traditional healing practice that blends indigenous spiritual approaches, cultural beliefs, and Christian influences, historically referred to by Westerners as 'psychic surgery'.
Who is the author of The System of Healing Used by the Filipino Espiritistas?
The book is authored by Dr Scott M Taubold, whose interest in the subject originated from his doctoral research and personal immersion in Filipino culture after moving to Hawaii.
How do traditional Filipino healers charge for their services?
Unlike profit-driven Western medical systems, local folk healers in the Philippines typically perform treatments by donation, often accepting everyday items such as canned food from a patient's pantry.
Where can people find Dr Scott Taubold's book and website?
Dr Taubold's book is available on major platforms like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and he can be reached online through his official website, psychicsurgery.net.
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,880
[Music]
2
00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:10,560
Hi and welcome to Author Conversations. I'm Chris Dabbs and, as usual, you're joining us to listen
3
00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:17,840
to an author talking about their work. Today we're talking to Dr Scott Taubold about
4
00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:23,920
the book The System of Healing Used by the Filipino Espiritistas. For people who
5
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:28,320
don't know anything about this subject — and I have to say I'm probably one of those people —
6
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:32,880
I'm completely fresh to it. What can you tell us about it? What exactly is this healing
7
00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:38,160
tradition, and how is it used and practised by the Filipino Espiritistas? Okay, well,
8
00:00:38,160 --> 00:00:47,120
Espiritista healing was originally called 'psychic surgery' because when
9
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:54,880
Westerners went to the Philippines and observed their healing practices you know they didn't know
10
00:00:54,880 --> 00:01:05,120
what to call it. So this one fellow German came up with psychic surgery. So for a period of time
11
00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:14,240
in the 70s and into the 80s a lot of Westerners went there to experience this form of healing
12
00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:23,920
and they wrote popular books about it. There were a couple of films. Alex Orbito, I believe, came
13
00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:30,000
and met Shirley MacLaine. There were some celebrities who were aware of these
14
00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:40,160
Filipino Espiritistas, and it was kind of a popular fad type of healing thing there in the 70s and 80s,
15
00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:51,440
but you know it's really an amazing effective form of treatment that the Espiritistas do.
16
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,520
That's quite amazing. Now, is this the thing where — I remember back then —
17
00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:03,280
there was lots of hullabaloo about it? I think there were lots of charlatans and lots of fake
18
00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:07,680
people who were practising and pretending to do psychic healing, or pretending to do some
19
00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:11,920
sort of healing without anaesthetic, or surgery without anaesthetic, or something like that. Is that what
20
00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:18,560
people were trying to do? Well, yes, that's true, but, you know, these
21
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:29,520
Espiritistas — I mean, they're only human. I believe on some days their ability to do
22
00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:38,400
this kind of miraculous work may weaken a little, but therapeutic sleight of hand has been an
23
00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:46,640
accepted form of treatment since the shamans. You know, the shamans didn't have a lot of tools
24
00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:56,480
to cure people back in ancient times, but they did have therapeutic sleight of hand as a method of
25
00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:04,080
tricking people into getting well, is how I like to say it. So it's kind of like a placebo kind of
26
00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:09,440
thing going on. Exactly. Yeah, so in other words, the effect of having the treatment, right, or being treated.
27
00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:17,200
Mind-body medicine, yes. No, I like that. I'm very paranoid when I take drugs because I don't
28
00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:22,080
know whether or not I should be feeling them or not. Anyway, let's not go down that route, but yes.
29
00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,240
Okay, and I don't mean recreational drugs, right? I mean proper prescription drugs.
30
00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:31,840
But enough about me there. What first drew you personally to this world and
31
00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:37,120
ultimately made you think, 'Well, I need to write a book about this'? Was it a dissertation
32
00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:43,440
that you'd done, or was this a book that you just wanted to write? Yes, it's a dissertation, and
33
00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:52,720
and this will take some time to explain but I grew up in a very small community in northern California
34
00:03:52,720 --> 00:04:03,600
and I came from generations back my ancestors were early pioneers to California and I grew up in an
35
00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:12,160
area where they actually speak their own language dialect kind of thing and there's been
36
00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:22,240
area where they actually speak their own language — a dialect kind of thing. There have been
37
00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:29,840
dissertations done on that too. They call it Boontling, in Boonville, California. But anyway, I grew up
38
00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:39,840
differences until about in my mid-30s I went through a career change and I moved to Hawaii to go back
39
00:04:39,840 --> 00:04:50,480
to school well Hawaii is a melting pot of different cultures you know and and all of a sudden I was
40
00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:58,720
exposed to all these different cultures and because I worked and went to school in the area I
41
00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:05,040
learned what right away that I had to be aware of some of these cultural differences you know
42
00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:15,520
and anyway, I moved into a community that was mostly Filipino, and I fell in love with Filipino
43
00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:26,800
culture. By the time I married a Filipina and travelled to the Philippines, I became very
44
00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:34,320
interested in their mind-body medicine that they still practise so much over there, and that was
45
00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:44,560
my initial interest. As I studied Filipino faith healing, I was going to do a dissertation on it,
46
00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:53,360
and I ran into a professor named Stanley Krippner, who had been to the Philippines in the mid-70s
47
00:05:53,360 --> 00:06:01,920
and who had done some participant observation kind of research there and he encouraged me
48
00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:11,760
to do my dissertation on the Espiritista healing and I told him I said you know there's only been
49
00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:18,560
popular books written about it there's not a lot of journal articles scientific journal articles
50
00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:27,200
and he said that's okay he said if just whatever literature there is do a review on that
51
00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:35,520
of course he had contributed to the literature himself but funny that yeah but yeah so that's
52
00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:40,720
So that's kind of how I got started with the project. It's amazing. So you really had a kind of free
53
00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:45,840
rein there. If there wasn't a body of academic literature, you really could
54
00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:49,520
delve into all sorts of different popular culture and things like that. Yes, yes, it was a lot of fun, actually.
55
00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:57,280
Yeah. Right, okay. So then you actually went to the Philippines
56
00:06:57,280 --> 00:07:03,280
and you spent some time yourself observing? Well, yes. Actually, when I was living in
57
00:07:03,280 --> 00:07:10,480
Hawaii, a gentleman approached me. He had lived in Cebu City in the Philippines for a year
58
00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:18,720
and he said, 'There are cheap airfares right now. Why don't we go?' He said, 'You buy my ticket and I'll show
59
00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:26,240
you around. I'll make sure the taxi cab drivers don't rip you off, and I'll introduce you to
60
00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:33,840
some people I know.' So I went with him and he introduced me to Dolores, who was my future wife at that time.
61
00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:42,640
some people I know so I went with him and he introduced me to Dolores who was was my future wife at that time
62
00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:51,440
so I never really resided in the Philippines but I married a woman and we go back every couple of
63
00:07:51,440 --> 00:08:00,320
years to visit her family so I've spent quite a bit of time there and have that connection through
64
00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:06,560
family. So you have that connection through family. It sounds almost as though it's actually part of
65
00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:12,240
Philippine culture. Is it mainstream, or did you discover it's more
66
00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:19,840
fringe but equally powerful within the culture? Yes, it's fringe, but let me talk a little
67
00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:28,160
bit about the healthcare system in the Philippines and how that compares with the US. Now, in the
68
00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:36,400
Philippines like so many other countries in the world if a person starts having symptoms say that
69
00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:44,320
you know they wake up and they feel sick the first thing they do is they get the family
70
00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:54,160
expert you know the family elder person in the family who comes makes a diagnosis and may perform
71
00:08:54,160 --> 00:09:02,960
some small treatment or you know say drink more water or whatever tea different teas and herbal
72
00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:12,160
stuff and if the person doesn't respond well to that there's always a neighborhood healer a
73
00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:22,080
folk healer in and they don't charge a lot of money they do this by donation so you get some
74
00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:28,320
canned food or some stuff out of the pantry, and you go over to the local healer's house and see what
75
00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:37,280
they can do. If all else fails, you may go to the Western medical clinic and see a Western-trained
76
00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:46,640
doctor, and even then you might go back to the Filipino folk healer. But yes, I mean,
77
00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:54,000
it's affordable. That's the thing: you don't have to have insurance, you don't have the AMA.
78
00:09:54,000 --> 00:10:03,200
You have neighbourhood people who heal for the sake of healing and accept donations as payment.
79
00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:08,960
Well, exactly. That's what I was going to say, actually. You go to the Western medical
80
00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:14,160
world and then it costs money, right? But this way, I mean, you're talking
81
00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:19,280
about hundreds of years, and this is the way that we lived as human beings. We're going back
82
00:10:19,280 --> 00:10:24,000
— not backwards — but we're going back to how we used to be. In that case, I mean, I thought about
83
00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:28,960
you: if you grew up in rural Northern California, you probably had a similar system, right, where
84
00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:34,960
maybe you had a doctor nearby, but you probably went to someone — an elder who knew more
85
00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:39,120
about things than you did — in your past. That gives you that parallel to draw, perhaps.
86
00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:46,400
Yes. As far as the Espiritistas are concerned, how much of this healing tradition — I mean, we've
87
00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:51,840
skated over it very, very quickly — how much of this is specifically Filipino? I mean, in
88
00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:57,200
other words, how much has the country's history — because there's this Spanish history
89
00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:02,800
and all sorts of other history — and religion and culture added to
90
00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:09,760
this to create it, or was it there beforehand? Well, yes, and that's a good question because, you know,
91
00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:16,880
the indigenous people in the Philippines would go into trance oftentimes when they were doing
92
00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:24,560
healings it's kind of a shamanic tradition right and so the local healers you know they healed
93
00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:32,880
pretty well before we the westerners came but you know the Philippines it was interesting because
94
00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:41,600
they were they were under Spanish rule for 400 years you know I believe it was four centuries
95
00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:50,720
and and us too we we took over the Philippines during the Spanish-American war we liberated them
96
00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:57,760
from the Spanish and then again after World War II we liberated them from the Japanese but at
97
00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:06,720
any rate all this Catholic influence in the Philippines created well and in Brazil where you have
98
00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:16,400
the Catholic Church and indigenous populations they both South America Brazil and the Philippines came
99
00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:28,160
came up with these psychic surgeries, as Western people have deemed them. But, you know, they have
100
00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:35,920
spiritual, shamanic-trained healers who are then doing Christian Spiritism in the Philippines and
101
00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:44,800
secular Spiritism in Brazil, so that they could be more accepted. But even so, you know, the Catholic
102
00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:53,200
Church was resistant to the mediumship and the trance stuff, so they were still on the fringe, and
103
00:12:53,200 --> 00:13:02,480
my concern is that this practice will cease to exist if it's not encouraged
104
00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:11,040
but discouraged by Western culture. Well, okay. I think Western culture can endanger indigenous culture, really.
105
00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:16,960
There's a massive history of it, as you say — 400 years of colonising the Philippines. Obviously we're not here to
106
00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:22,800
debunk or prove it right now; we're having a conversation about your book. So, yes, I think
107
00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:28,240
it's quite an interesting thing. What did you witness or discover during your research
108
00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,960
that really surprised you and swayed you one way or another? I assume
109
00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:37,920
you went in there with some sort of idea. Did you prove your thesis or did you
110
00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:42,560
disprove it, or what happened? Well, the dissertation is what they call a descriptive dissertation,
111
00:13:42,560 --> 00:13:52,320
disprove it or what happened well the the dissertation is what they call a descriptive dissertation
112
00:13:52,320 --> 00:14:00,720
so I just described The System of Healing Used by the Filipino Espiritistas — that's the
113
00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:10,320
title but describing it you know it doesn't really get into what I have seen I've seen things that
114
00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:22,960
just cannot be explained through you know hard science what you have to say that at one point
115
00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:31,840
a healer had created a space where looking into it the only way I could describe it was as if looking
116
00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:42,080
into another dimension. It's funny because the first observers of psychic surgery, Ron Ormond and Ormond McGill,
117
00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:49,840
went back in the 50s to the Philippines and filmed a healer. That was the way they described it.
118
00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:57,600
They said, 'This guy is a fourth-dimensional surgeon.' I thought that was interesting, that they
119
00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:04,880
and I, many years apart, came up with the same description of what we saw.
120
00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,000
Explain that to me, because you're not talking about some sort of science-fiction time
121
00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:15,040
portal opening up and all that stuff, I think. Because then maybe we wouldn't need to debunk it or not,
122
00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:19,840
because it would be real, right, or something we could see and measure. So explain
123
00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:26,080
what you mean by that dimensional side of it. Well, yes, I mean, they explain it in
124
00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:32,880
in terms of a spiritual body you know the spiritual realm where they
125
00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:43,200
communicate with these discarnate entities Christian entities usually the Holy Spirit they say
126
00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:50,880
the Holy Spirit is doing the healing but you know we don't have the tools scientifically to
127
00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:57,520
prove or disprove anything, you know, and that's what makes this kind of
128
00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:05,680
area of interest so difficult because you know you can't really prove anything you can only
129
00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:15,120
describe, observe and do some calculations, but it's pretty limited as far as the scientific
130
00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:23,360
means to investigate this stuff. In terms of actually being the recipient of it,
131
00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:27,920
did you see anybody who had tangible benefits, and did any
132
00:16:27,920 --> 00:16:35,040
case studies reveal that for you? Yes, yes. I received treatment myself and had improved
133
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:44,080
liver function show up on an MRI or ultrasound. You know, I mean, there is that,
134
00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:54,560
but there's a lot of conflicting evidence, with explanations for how it could happen. Yeah, it's
135
00:16:54,560 --> 00:17:02,720
just very difficult to really monitor. But, you know, I can tell you what I saw with my own
136
00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:12,000
eyes, my own observations, and that's good enough for me. And I hope the book is convincing about a lot
137
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:17,520
of things too. Well, it sounds like it is. I mean, it sounds fascinating. Obviously,
138
00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:23,120
as someone who's used to thinking in terms of Western medicine, I tend to think
139
00:17:23,120 --> 00:17:28,080
almost entirely through this conventional lens. What do you hope
140
00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:32,960
the book encourages people to do? To think differently about, possibly, their
141
00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:39,040
own healing journeys? Without asking them basically to accept every single
142
00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:46,400
claim in your book, what do you want them to think? Well, yes, I'm hoping people will be more
143
00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:53,040
open to this type of healing. There are a lot of different healing methods all over the world,
144
00:17:53,040 --> 00:18:02,640
and I think one needs to be open-minded about what those are. And, of course, if you go to a
145
00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:09,280
Western-trained doctor, they'll tell you all the reasons why you shouldn't take herbal medication
146
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:18,240
and all these alternatives, you know, but they're just a profit-generated system
147
00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:26,720
in a capitalist country. So, yeah. Yeah, which is really difficult. I'll give an example of this over here.
148
00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,440
I'm in the UK and I'm in London right now, and we have what we call the National Health Service.
149
00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:36,560
Treatment for those who qualify is pretty much free at the point of delivery.
150
00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:42,560
Okay, so what happens there is that, as far
151
00:18:42,560 --> 00:18:49,280
as the NHS is concerned, they do sometimes look at alternative remedies — for instance, acupuncture.
152
00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:53,600
We all kind of know acupuncture, don't we? Someone sticking needles in you,
153
00:18:53,600 --> 00:18:59,760
and it's supposed to work on nerve pathways and things. I'm no expert, but again, Chinese, right?
154
00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:08,720
Now, in the UK, where this NHS system works, they're not allowed to prescribe acupuncture because it
155
00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:18,080
costs too much, so they call it needling. Is that about right? And, you know, my wife had cancer and then
156
00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:22,880
was prescribed this needling, and she went in and said, 'This is acupuncture.' And the person said,
157
00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:28,080
'Yeah, but we can't call it that.' So, yes, this is what I'm really standing up for, as you say.
158
00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:33,600
I've already been talking about being profit-driven, really. I mean, it's a shame because maybe these things
159
00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:40,960
would help people. So have you seen health tourists, perhaps, who have benefited or gone
160
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:50,480
over to try and benefit from Espiritista healing? Yes. I forgot you were located in the UK —
161
00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:57,680
the AMA being the American Medical Association — but it really isn't what I'm curious about all over the world.
162
00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:08,480
So no problem there. Yes, but anyway, in Germany and what we call Eastern Europe, I
163
00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:16,960
guess they're more open to these alternative forms of healing, such as psychic surgery.
164
00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:25,120
In fact, some doctors in Germany tell people who are in terminal stages of cancer,
165
00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:14,480
But some people are more accepting of it than others, right? So that's interesting.
166
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:19,520
I wonder, is that more of a private kind of thing? I guess it is, isn't it? It's not state-
167
00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:27,680
funded medical treatment, right? Yeah, yeah. Okay, so what else is there, then, really, that people
168
00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:32,880
can glean from your book? What are you hoping they'll walk away with — maybe thinking about
169
00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:41,440
things more, or perhaps changing their lives? Yes, well, you know, it's the whole cultural
170
00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:49,600
differences thing. Human beings have capacities to do things that would
171
00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:58,160
amaze most of us, I think, but we need to be open to it. We need to be aware that these
172
00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:06,720
practices exist, that a lot of people are saying they're effective. It broadens
173
00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:12,800
our worldview in general. And, of course, if it helps us at the same time, then it's not
174
00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:18,960
just about understanding the world, I guess. Yeah. Well, complementary and alternative medicine —
175
00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:26,880
the systems-of-healing framework, social medicine — has become more acceptable here in recent decades,
176
00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:35,520
and new research will expand knowledge regarding the human condition, particularly the role
177
00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:43,840
of psychological factors in illness and healing. A lot of the research that I did
178
00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:52,880
was Torrey — the Torrey model — and Frank and Frank, where they came up with these different
179
00:22:52,880 --> 00:23:02,160
models of mind-body medicine. I think in the West doctors don't use
180
00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:11,680
it enough. I mean, they could boost their numbers for healing if they considered the psychological
181
00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:21,760
factors — that when someone comes in for a healing, they're seeking a cure — just to provide that
182
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:30,080
and not be a stuffed-shirt kind of doctor figure, the expert figure. I mean,
183
00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:37,040
it's not so great. Yeah, it's like taking your car into the shop, isn't it? If the mechanic fixes it, that's all.
184
00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:43,120
That's how we'll see you, too. Yeah, yeah. But obviously you can't make your fuel-injection system
185
00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:50,320
think positively, as it were. But I get that. I think that's quite interesting.
186
00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:55,840
Being able to push your mind towards
187
00:23:55,840 --> 00:24:02,720
at least accepting it, would you agree? Yes, definitely. Yeah, so that's one of the things that annoys me.
188
00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:07,600
People say, 'Think positive, think positive.' I'm sure a lot of people who are very ill think that too,
189
00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,760
right? But they are. It's so annoying. But then they know they have to be positive about it. Maybe
190
00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:17,360
that's where self-help groups come in. Yeah, well, self-help groups are very effective, I'm sure,
191
00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:24,240
in various ways. Okay, well, listen, it's been brilliant talking to you
192
00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:28,560
Scott, about that and about the book. I think that, at the end of the day, it's something that people
193
00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:33,760
should listen to and should open their minds to, because, from my point of view,
194
00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:39,280
you never know. But for the Filipino Espiritistas, they kind of already do know, don't they?
195
00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:46,400
Yes, right. So, I mean, I'm saying it's worth reading Dr Scott's book. Take it for granted
196
00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:51,120
that for hundreds of years the whole culture has revolved around this kind of medicine,
197
00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:55,280
and it's probably worthwhile to see whether there's something there that can help you.
198
00:24:55,280 --> 00:25:02,320
Is your book out right now? Yes, it's available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble and all the
199
00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:06,640
regular places. And if people want to get in touch with you, what's the best way to do that? Do you have
200
00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:13,520
a website? It's psychicsurgery.net. Listen, viewers, make sure you check that out if you're
201
00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:18,560
interested in this, because I think it's worth looking at, definitely worth looking at. And also,
202
00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,840
I guess they can find you on social media. I'll leave you to the rest of your day.
203
00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:26,320
Thank you very much for joining me. As I said, I hope we will speak again soon for your next
204
00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:36,640
follow-up. Thank you, Chris. If you enjoyed this conversation, you can watch more Author Conversations here.
205
00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:44,480
[Music]
206
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:54,480
[Music]
iHeartRadio
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Amazon Music
Deezer
Podchaser
Spreaker
Castbox
YouTube