Laying on of hands, our health 

In the book, Laying on of Hands, Eastwood Anaba explained that the laying on of hands is a spiritual process by which hands are laid on people for the transfer of spiritual virtue, gifts, and blessings.

The practice of the laying on of the hands is an ancient tradition that began in the Old Testament, continued in the ministry of Christ and the New Testament Church, and is in practice in the church today. This practice is one of the most treasured abilities God has given the church. 

In the medical sector, laying on of hands is becoming popular, setting the concept beyond the church.

Science

Grad (1961, 1965, 1976) is the pioneer of healing work in experimental animals. In the first controlled experiments, Grad studied the Hungarian healer Oskar Estebany’s ability to accelerate the healing rate of mice with one-half by one-inch wounds. 

Estebany held the cages of mice twice daily for 15 minutes. The treated group healed significantly more rapidly than the untreated group (Grad, 1961). 
Grad also induced goiters in mice by feeding them an iodine-deficient diet (Grad, 1976). 

The thyroid glands of mice treated by a healer twice daily for 15 months grew significantly more slowly than those of the control mice. This effect was also obtained when Estebany did not treat the mice directly with his hands, but instead held in his hands cotton cuttings, which were placed in contact with the mice in the cages.

In the area of cancer in live animals, Onetto and Elguin (1966) experimented with inhibiting tumour growth in mice that had been injected subcutaneously with a tumoral suspension. 

They found the area, weight, and volume of tumour growth in one group of 30 tumorigenic mice significantly less than that of 30 untreated control mice. Interestingly, a second group of 30 mice was treated in an attempt to increase tumour growth, but these mice did not differ from the control mice. 

Null (1981) also gave 50 healers two mice each to screen for their ability to prolong the lives of mice injected with cancer cells. Only one healer produced total tumour regression in one of his mice, and the other survived longer than predicted. 

The one successful healer was then asked to replicate the healing on 10 mice. The healer was able to extend the average survival of the treated mice to a statistically significant number of days beyond that of the control group (Grad, 1976).

A recent study by Bengston & Krinsley(2000) titled The Effect of the Laying On of Hands on Transplanted Breast Cancer in Mice published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration found a positive response with the cancer cells after the preacher laid hands. In this study, Bengston treated these mice for an hour daily for one month. 

The tumours developed a “blackened area,” then they ulcerated, imploded, and closed, and the mice lived their normal lifespans. This demonstrated the effect of anointing by laying hands on breast cancer cells. 

Quality life care

A study by Pohl et al., (2007) determined whether the impact of "laying on of hands" on the well-being of patients with advanced cancer is more efficient when performed by a person with self-declared "healing powers" as compared to an actor mimicking the healer in close detail.

A total of 80 patients were registered to participate in a randomised, single-blind phase III trial to evaluate the difference in efficacy of "laying on of hands" by either a "healer" or an actor. 

Each group consisted of 40 patients, scheduled to receive treatment for five minutes, three times a week. The effect of treatment was measured using a "Well-Being scale", with the difference of the average score of the "Well-Being scale" on day 10 being defined as primary and that on day five as the secondary endpoint.

The study found that "Laying on of hands" resulted in a significant improvement in cancer- or cancer-therapy-associated symptoms. 

The magnitude of improvement obtained was similar whether on a self-declared-healer- or an actor-provided "treatment".

Take home

Laying on hands was practised in the biblical days. It is effective right from biblical days and is still effective in the modern era based on science. Laying on of hands in the modern days in the healthcare sector is practised by drugless or alternative medicine healers.

For ministers of the Gospel, Paul admonishes them in 1 Timothy 5:22. “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”

For the congregants, it is not any pastor that you should allow to lay their hands on you. Finally, laying on of hands is being practised in health care as well. 

The writer is a Professor of Naturopathic Health Care, a medical journalist, an author, and a science writer. E. mail: professor40naturopathy@gmail.com.