Is the Dreamhealer giving false hope?
I was shocked to see Global Television running a three part series on the “DreamHealer”, Adam (evidently, he’s kind of like Cher. No last name on his website or books. It’s McLeod, though, according to Wikipedia). I saw the first part tonight, complete with footage of the guy enjoying a sunny day out on Kits Beach, looking - well, healthy.
“Adam” is giving a sold-out workshop in Vancouver on October 29th, where he will presumably conduct a mass-healing ritual by manipulating people’s auras, as he demonstrated his healing powers on the news program. This is his full time job - conducting healing workshops for hundreds of very open-minded people for $119 per person. This has made him a very, very rich 20-year old ($1.2 million/year). He no longer has to heal people over the Internet, as he did when he was starting out.
Um, manipulating auras? Healing powers? What’s next, Global TV - a special on real-life werewolves? Or that the Harry Potter movies are based on a real story (covered up by the CIA and MI5, of course).
http://www.dreamhealer.com/workshop.php?action=view&workshop_id=16&return_url=d29ya3Nob3AucGhwP19yZXF1ZXN0PVlUb3hPbnR6T2pFeE9pSkVVa1ZCVFVoRlFVeEZVaUk3Y3pvek1qb2lZbVl6T1dNME1EZzFPVGMyWldKbFkySmhNamczWldZM1ptVmhaalUyTURBaU8zMD0=http://www.dreamhealer.com/workshop.php?action=view&workshop_id=16&return_url=d29ya3Nob3AucGhwP19yZXF1ZXN0PVlUb3hPbnR6T2pFeE9pSkVVa1ZCVFVoRlFVeEZVaUk3Y3pvek1qb2lZbVl6T1dNME1EZzFPVGMyWldKbFkySmhNamczWldZM1ptVmhaalUyTURBaU8zMD0=
The third part of the series is supposed to involve scientists (I’m hoping) reminding people that there is absolutely no scientific proof that this fella is able to help your paper cut heal faster, much less pancreatic cancer. Of course, not everyone will see that part - but Adam is likely to get some excellent free (?) publicity from Global TV in the first two parts.
Magic tricks for entertainment purposes are one thing. Giving people false hope that your magical healing powers will help their sons or daughters walk again - or that they can make a tumor disappear - makes me sick.
Just in case you were needing them, here are some quick links to articles on the DreamHealer, pseudo-science and faith healing. Enjoy.
Wow. That may be the longest URL I’ve ever seen. (Maybe he should start with healing his own SEO.)
Why don’t you talk about the doctors who are giving cancer patients false hope when they give them chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy results in substantial remission for only 3 per cent of cancers - mainly blood-based ones like Hodgkin’s disease, leukaemia and Burkitt’s lymphoma. Also successfully treated are testicular and ovarian cancers.
However, even for these, there may be serious short- and long-term side-effects. Many chemo drugs cause cancer later in life. Up to 8 per cent of children treated for leukaemia go on to develop cancers of the bone, thyroid and breast (J Natl Cancer Inst, 2001; 93: 618- 29). Chemo for ovarian cancer is linked with a high incidence of later leukaemia (Prog Clin Biol Res, 1992; 374: 167-74).
But most of today’s common cancers are solid tumours, against which chemotherapy is inherently less suitable. These include cancers of the breast, colon, lung, stomach, liver, pancreas and prostate, against which chemo has essentially no benefit.
As New York cancer expert Dr Albert Braverman observed, ‘Trainee doctors should be taught that chemotherapy is not part of the management of every cancer patient. Many cancer physicians recommend chemotherapy for virtually any tumour, with a hopefulness undiscouraged by almost invariable failure’ (Lancet, 1991; 337: 901-2).
Before anyone listens to Polevoy (aka Jonathon Narvey) they should check out some of the websites on this character who has managed to irritate many people:
http://www.taxtyranny.ca/images/HTML/Dr-Terry-Polevoy/
ROB: Why don’t I talk about the doctors? Well, you’ve done that eloquently enough. But why not stick to the point: The DreamHealer gives people false hope that he can cure them with a supernatural force. At least medical scientists can rely on facts and figures (that ordinary people like John can then quote) to prove or disprove the validity of their methods - and if they aren’t valid, change them. That’s the scientific method at work.
MIKO: Who the heck is Dr. Terry Polevoy? Did I manage to obtain a medical degree and a second identity without my knowledge? Cool!
I just read the wikipedia article on Adam out of interest (having heard 2 interviews with him on CBC radio previously), and I found out who Dr. Polevoy is. Guess you didn’t read it.
I don’t like when I read this blog and see a definite bias like this; I for one am inclined to believe in Adam’s powers, because I don’t need scientific proof to believe in everything, and I don’t think Western medicine is the be-all and end-all.
LYDIA: Oh my God! Bias… in a blog! What was I thinking? My apologies.
By the way, I have heat vision, super strength and the ability to fly. I don’t like to show off, though. I’m glad you’ll take my word for it.
Adam, poor stalkee of CrazyTerry Polevoy. The irony in all of this should a fraud, liar, charlatan and molester, like Polevoy suggest that Adam is bogus, you can bet it’s not!
This is getting interesting… I’ve now been accused by two people of being a Dr. Terry Polevoy… who I’d never even heard of, prior to writing about this DreamHealer. I’m still not sure if this is a real person, or some demonized fantasy person the DreamHealer’s defenders have made up. Evidently, this DreamHealer has a group of brainwashed followers who scour websites to claim that anyone who criticizes Adam must be this Polevoy person. How bizarre.
The real scam is Dr. Polevoy pretending to be concerned about people’s health when all he is concerned about is supporting the pharmaceutical industry. he is solidly in their pockets. This man has no morals.