PHYSICAL MEDIUMSHIP, HEALING AND PSYCHIC SURGERY.

This paper takes a case-collective approach to examine healing phenomena claimed to be produced by physical mediums operating within the spiritualist traditions of Europe, the Philippines and Brazil. In Part I, articles and books that were written about the eight "best-case" examples of physical mediums spanning from the mid-1800s to the present day were searched to discover whether healing had been reported and to discover relevant themes. While all cases of physical mediumship included at least one mention of physical healing, only three of the eight physical mediums had as their primary focus the intention to perform physical healings. Findings suggest that most cases of healings in conjunction with physical mediumship are thought to be carried out by spirit doctors, some who may have been doctors while alive, and some who may work with other spirit doctors to produce healing effects. "Healing lights" and partial or full materializations that interact with the bodies of those who later reported alleviations of long-term suffering, disease, blindness and deafness have been reported. Part II covers some of the best-case examples of the psychic surgeons of Brazil and the Philippines. Included here are results of qualitative studies, paradoxical findings from laboratory tests on materials extracted during healing sessions, and a sharing of the present author's own direct observations and experiences of several Filipino healers spanning a year's independent study with them. Recommendations for further research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]