Adv Mind Body Med. 2021;35(2):4-13.
The purpose of this article is to enhance our understanding of prayer healing by studying a case which was described as a 'remarkable healing' by a medical assessment team at the Amsterdam University Medical Centre (UMC) in the Netherlands.
This retrospective, case-based study of prayer healing investigated numerous reported healings using both medical files and patient narratives. A medical assessment team evaluated the associated medical files, as well as any experiential data. The instances of healing could be classified as 'remarkable' or 'unexplained.' Experiential data were obtained by qualitative, in-depth interviews. The study was transdisciplinary in nature, involving medical, psychological, theological, and philosophical perspectives. The object was to understand such healings within the broader framework of the science-religion debate.
We present the case of a female patient, born in 1959, with Parkinson disease who experienced instantaneous, nearly complete healing in 2012 after intercessory prayer. At that point the disease was at an advanced stage, rapidly progressive, with major debilitating symptoms. High doses of oral medication were required. Following this healing there was no recurrence of her former symptoms, while the remaining symptoms continued to improve. She regained all of her capacities at work, as well as in daily life. The medical assessment team described her recovery as 'remarkable.' The patient reported that she had always 'lived with God,' and that at a point when she had given up hope, 'life was given back to her.' This recovery did not make her immune to other illnesses and suffering, but it did strengthen her belief that God cares about human beings.
This remarkable healing and its context astonished the patient, her family, and her doctors. The clinical course was extraordinary, contradicting data from imaging studies, as well as the common understanding of this disease. This case also raised questions about medical assumptions. Any attempt to investigate such healings requires the involvement of other disciplines. A transdisciplinary approach that includes experiential knowledge would be helpful. Against the background of the science-religion debate, we feel that the most helpful approach would be one of complementarity and dialogue, rather than stoking controversy.
本文旨在通过研究一个案例来增强我们对祈祷治疗的理解，该案例被荷兰阿姆斯特丹大学医学中心（UMC）的一个医学评估小组描述为“显著治愈”。
这项基于案例的回顾性祈祷治疗研究使用病历和患者叙述调查了许多报告的治愈案例。医学评估小组评估了相关的病历以及任何经验数据。治愈的情况可以分为“显著”或“无法解释”。经验数据是通过定性的深入访谈获得的。这项研究具有跨学科性质，涉及医学、心理学、神学和哲学视角。目的是在科学与宗教辩论的更广泛框架内理解这些治疗方法。
我们介绍了一位 1959 年出生的女性患者的案例，她患有帕金森病，在 2012 年接受代祷后立即几乎完全治愈。当时，疾病处于晚期，快速进展，伴有严重的使人虚弱的症状。需要服用高剂量的口服药物。治愈后，她以前的症状没有复发，而其余的症状继续改善。她在工作和日常生活中恢复了所有能力。医学评估小组将她的康复描述为“显著”。患者报告说，她一直“与上帝同在”，在她失去希望的那一刻，“生命又回到了她身边”。这种康复并没有使她免受其他疾病和痛苦的影响，但它确实增强了她对上帝关心人类的信念。
这种显著的治愈及其背景让患者、她的家人和她的医生感到惊讶。临床过程非常特殊，与影像学研究数据以及对这种疾病的普遍理解相矛盾。这个案例还引发了对医学假设的质疑。任何调查这种治疗方法的尝试都需要其他学科的参与。一个包括经验知识的跨学科方法将是有帮助的。在科学与宗教辩论的背景下，我们认为最有用的方法是互补和对话，而不是挑起争议。
