Faith Healers in the Philippines

Fülszöveg

Thousands of sick people from all over the world go to the Philippines each year to be treated by the faith healers. Some of them are healed, others experience a definite improvement, but most of them return home with as little hope of recovery as before. For years the practice of faith healing has been the subject of bitter controversy centering mainly around the so-called 'bloody operations' -condemned by our medical doctors as a complete hoax and defended by the healers as a genuine phenomenon. Both parties, however, tend to forget the fact that the 'operation' is only one method among many and that the role it plays in the process of healing is a relatively small one. Many Filipino scientists argue that the first operations were performed because it was necessary to convince the healers' Western audience who were unable to beUeve in the power of magnetic healing or any of the other traditional methods. It was the blood and the tissue the healer produced from inside his... Tovább

Fülszöveg

Thousands of sick people from all over the world go to the Philippines each year to be treated by the faith healers. Some of them are healed, others experience a definite improvement, but most of them return home with as little hope of recovery as before. For years the practice of faith healing has been the subject of bitter controversy centering mainly around the so-called 'bloody operations' -condemned by our medical doctors as a complete hoax and defended by the healers as a genuine phenomenon. Both parties, however, tend to forget the fact that the 'operation' is only one method among many and that the role it plays in the process of healing is a relatively small one. Many Filipino scientists argue that the first operations were performed because it was necessary to convince the healers' Western audience who were unable to beUeve in the power of magnetic healing or any of the other traditional methods. It was the blood and the tissue the healer produced from inside his patient's body that established his authority, and this was necessary as the process of healing could only be sparked off if the relationship between patient and healer was one of mutual trust. These 'openings' have remained a mystery to this day. The healers cannot prove beyond a doubt that they actually occur, and the sceptics are equally unable to prove that they are nothing but sleight of hand. A patient's complete recovery could be regarded as evidence in the healer's favour, but what is actually responsible for the recovery will always remain a point of debate. The healers are individualists and they all have their own methods. By combining these methods they are able to achieve startling results, results for which science has no explanation. In this book, the author has endeavoured to illustrate these methods. The book will give the reader pause for reflection, at the same time challenging him to overcome his prejudices and plunge into the new dimension that will open itself up in front of him.
Gert Chesi undertook his first expedition through Africa in 1961. He then worked as a writer and free-lance journalist for various magazines and the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation. In 1964 he visited Albert Schweitzer in Lambarene where he stayed for eight months. It was during this period that he first became interested in the African peoples and their traditions. He has written numerous articles on Africa and brought out an LP of African folk music. In 1977 'The Last Africans' appeared, his most comprising pubhca-tion on Africa until then. This was followed by two further illustrated volumes, 'Voodoo-Africa's Secret Power' and 'A Life with • the Gods'.
It was the obvious parallels between faith heahng in the Philippines, shamanism and various archaic beliefs that first intrigued the author, inciting him to create this book basing his research on his knowledge and experience in regard to the paranormal reUgious phenomena prevalent among the peoples of Africa. As in all his other books, the author has subtly endeavoured to give the reader an understanding of a misunderstood minority. When he is not travelling, Gert Chesi Uves in Schwaz in the Tyrol. Vissza