Reader Question- Touch Healing

I would love to hear your opinions on touch healing. Personally I don't buy in to it but I've had friends and relatives who've been very sick, and a couple who were terminally ill who went and sought out help from a touch healer. I also have a friend who is "certified" as a touch healer.I'm wondering what you think about it, as a man of faith. -Ruby

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Thanks for writing in, Ruby. And for the question! I went backwards and forwards on this WAAAAY more than I initially thought I would when I first read your question.

I'm actually coming to this from three places. The cynic, the end of life care provider, and the spiritual leader.

I'm going to let the cynic in me speak first, primarily because I don't like giving him the last word. There are a lot of people who do touch healing whom I would qualify as "quacks." They have a "certification" but you can print those out online, they say a lot of new age mumbo-jumbo, touch you while making a Jedi Pooping face, and then talk about what your spirit needs. If you plan on going to a touch healer, and leave the experience feeling like "well, my time just got wasted" it's good to remember than in a field where literally anyone can claim to be an expert after a google search, you are going to get some of those.

What my inner cynic sometimes forgets, though, is that while there are plenty of people who are doing the above, there ARE cases of touch healers (and people who go to them) who will swear by it. Touch disciplines such as Reiki are old and well attested culturally, if not necessarily by the medical community. So there IS something to it. But what?

When I was working as a Hospice Chaplain, the power of touch was undeniable. In a phase of life where people are hardly ever touched, we were trained to constantly hold hands, shoulders, etc., in such a way that wouldn't cause pain (and with consent, of course), and patients would swear all day about how much better they would feel afterwards.

I'm not a psychologist, and so I am not qualified to talk about the psychological effects of touch on the human psyche. It is possible that the good effects of touch healing can be completely explained by that sort of means. Maybe someone who HAS studied it will chime in. If so, I'd be fascinated to hear about it. Touch healers often use mystic language, but just because something is spiritual doesn't mean science won't see it as well, so who knows?

As a spiritual leader, I am aware that many of my counterparts warn against such things. I have even heard of it referred to as "New Age Devil Worship." I don't buy that.

While my inner cynic will always wonder if the touch healer is running a scam, I have zero fear for the souls of those who participate in it. People in chronic pain, near the end of life, or just looking for something to make them feel better, can all turn to touch healing. Some will leave disappointed, others will swear by it. The evidence in favor of touch healing is, to my knowledge, near entirely anecdotal.

So while I don't suspect that Doctors will be prescribing touch healing sessions any time soon, so long as people aren't being bilked for a lot of money (or told to avoid getting actual medical treatment), I wouldn't go out of my way to dissuade them. Because if it does work... even in bringing some peace to a traumatic time, then it is a positive thing. It won't HURT you, anyway.

So I'm cynical, but hopeful. Which probably isn't very helpful, but that's where I am at. I honestly don't have much experience with it.

(As a clarification, I am distinguishing Touch Healing from Faith Healing, here. Allow me also to say that if a touch healer you go to tells you to use touch healing exclusively, or to ignore medical advice given by Doctors, then place them safely in the quack category. Touch Healing is complimentary to normal scientific methods... and a "real" touch healer will tell you that.)