Well the RSA have just produced this video summary in their Animate series from Dan Pink which summarises some of the other problems about paying bonuses, including a study at M.I.T. sponsored apparently by the USA Federal Reserve Bank.

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(adapted from an article “The Science of Healing and the Healing of Science” published in Resource Magazine September 2005, Author: Barry Mapp)

We don’t realise how much our existing theories and beliefs prevent us from seeing new things clearly.

How the Scientist’s beliefs stop them seeing clearly

A principle of science is that ‘what actually happens’ comes before ‘how do things happen’. Thus the first stage of science comes from observation and experience. Then comes a hypothesis (a preliminary belief), then come experiments to see if the hypothesis holds water. What many scientists actually practice is not ’science’ but ’scientism’ which is the opposite of science – where the belief (the need to know how things happen) comes first and observation (what happens) comes second.

Thus when practicing scientism, if the observations don’t fit the belief held, then the observations are either (1) ignored (2) attacked as being false or some ‘magic trick’ (3) manipulated to fit the belief.

Because ‘hands-on healing’ (or distance healing or other types of healing) doesn’t fit comfortably with the Newtonian Model of Science, doctors practicing scientism defend their theory (using methods 1,2,or 3) and don’t properly observe and investigate the potential phenomenon. Most doctors will say ‘there isn’t any evidence that healing works’.

However any doctor who can suspend judgement about healers and healing long enough to search the world’s literature, will find plenty of published material (but not in the Lancet or the British Medical Journal) demonstrating that healing has “medical” effects worthy of further investigation. So we have to assume that most doctors practice scientism.

How the Healer’s beliefs stop them seeing clearly

Equally “healers” are often unaware how their theories and beliefs prevent them from seeing things clearly and they too must be prepared to change their beliefs if they want to move healing forward.

Scientists and healers suffer from the same problem. They both use outdated concepts or “out-of-context” theories to explain how things happen. (see more about unhelpful ways of thinking here). Healers are often using theories and explanations which go back thousands of years, whilst openly criticising the scientists who cling to Newton’s ideas that are much more recent. We need a pragmatic view of theory. No explanation or model is ever complete or “true”. What is important therefore, is not to argue over who or what is “right”, but to find explanations or metaphors that are useful, that most people can accept, and that allows predictions to be made and theory to be tested.

For example, some healers say that the cause of illness is “evil spirits”. A few hundred years ago or more this may have been a reasonable theory. However today this metaphor is outdated. Other healers invoke their religion, reincarnation, or their “spirit guides” as integral to their healing but none of these are essential to what they do. These beleifs simply provides a stream of potential red herrings (and an uncomfortable feeling) for the scientist. If healers want their form of healing to become mainstream, and thus part of everyday medical practice, they have to conceive explanations that are aligned with present day context and knowledge (even if some of that knowledge is “wrong”). As Newton’s Thinking is still predominant in science, the healer must speak with metaphors that the scientist understands (rather than jumping on the Quantum Theory bandwagon as most are doing – a bandwagon that has yet to starting rolling in the corridors of power)

Coming next: Lessons for science from the Mesmer experience

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