Cancer healings, open minded skepticism, and the Bengston Method

When I read a convincing excerpted story about mice cured of terminal cancer through through a unique “energy” healing method in a university lab, I started to cry.

All of the mice had a type of cancer that is always fatal in mice. All of them lived.

Amazing results happened again and again in a series of documented studies. If you’re scientifically minded, here’s a published paper on some of this research.

I cried because I was moved with joy and regret at the same time. New hope mixed with sadness that so many beings (like my soul cat) have died of cancer in spite of the fact that such healing might have saved them.

The author of this research is a skeptical gentleman named William Bengston, PhD. He wrote a page-turning book about it.

One thing that makes me trust Dr. Bengston’s word is that he does not make a living through healing work.

Nope, he makes his living as a sociology professor and loves the process of scientific inquiry.

It appears he will only practice healing in a lab research environment at this time. (But keep reading to find out how you might experience the method first hand.)

In other words, he has little self-interest in convincing you of anything.

It’s not about faith

Dr. Bengston doesn’t consider this a spiritual method.

In his research, he insisted on using student volunteers who did not believe in his method. If they laughed in this face, they were hired.

Dr. Bengston says total believers in alternative healing scare him.

But total non-believers in unconventional healing scare him just as much.

A stubbornly rational type by nature, he makes the compelling point that open-minded skepticism is the best way to approach all forms of healing.

Take cancer, for example.

How many people or animal friends have you heard of who followed conventional – even cutting edge – methods of chemotherapy or radiation therapy and yet did not survive?

Usually the doctor predicts death from the beginning, so no one is surprised by the results and the doctor is still praised.

Some animals and people treated for cancer through modern medicine do survive. Some have their life slightly prolonged. But most have their lives significantly shortened, which is why cancer is still such a terrifying word.

How about alternative treatments for cancer? And unexplained complete healing? These things occur too. Sometimes they fail and sometimes they don’t.

The point is it makes no sense to believe 100% in any method. What makes sense is to observe and experience.

Dr. Bengston’s method also resulted in countless healings of humans outside the laboratory setting too, but being a researcher by trade he doesn’t attempt to convince anyone with those cases.

The healing was also found to work at a distance too – very long distances, in fact.

Does it work for other conditions and how do I sign my cat up?

Dr. Bengston’s book documents success stories about a variety of conditions from pain to chronic disease. He reports with irony that it hasn’t worked on warts. Sorry about that.

I have heard him mention that at least one vet has reported good results from learning and applying this Bengston Method, but I have not received any contact information for such a vet. It may be they prefer to keep it on the down low.

A volunteer

UPDATE Feb 5 2012: Vic’s sessions have filled up now. He may offer more free ones in the future. If you’re on my email list, you’ll be notified.

That’s why I was so happy when I was contacted by a kind animal lover named Vic who has self-studied the method and is willing to offer the distance healing method AT NO COST, as an energetic complement to your cat’s professional care.

He is offering this completely as an experimental gift to fellow animal lovers out of kindness, and because it gives him good practice and experience.

If you would like to have him try this harmless distant energy healing method on your cat, just let me know here and I will put you in touch with him so you can get started:

• He will provide 45-minute distance sessions each week, and will continue weekly as long as you ask him to continue.
• All he needs is for you to email him a picture of your cat, ideally one from when he or she was healthy.

Yes, this really is a free, no-strings attached thing!

Vic has nothing for sale, and it doesn’t even require a mailing list signup.

I don’t know how many of these healings he can take on, or how long he can offer them, so better to let me know you are interested sooner than later.

UPDATE Feb 5 2012: Vic’s sessions have filled up now. He may offer more free ones in the future. If you’re on my email list, you’ll be notified.

So why haven’t we heard about these results on the news yet?

Here are my guesses:

First, humans tend to unconsciously “forget” or even automatically dismiss information that doesn’t match reality as they know it.

Secondly, modern cancer treatment (the chemicals and machines) is a very big industry. I do believe people in this industry have good hearts and intentions, but the legal definition of a corporation dictates that the industry put profits first.

Anyone who’s worked deep inside the mind of a corporation knows what I’m talking about here.

In spite of the goodness of the individuals, an industry will attempt to squash anything that could cause them to lose money. They work to manage the “accepted stories” in our culture that affect their bottom line. It’s called marketing, PR,  lobbying, sponsorship. It’s not even a conspiracy – it’s just people doing their jobs.

The book tells stories of academic supporters at times suddenly withdrawing support of Dr. Bengston for no given reason.

Ah, but I have read he is finding ways to work within the cancer treatment industry – ways the industry could profit from –  and this may be his best bet for bringing the cures to the world.

Can I learn it myself?

In theory, yes.

The book teaches you the method. He also created a CD set that is a more comprehensive self-paced course.

However, be warned that it takes real time and commitment to master the method.

I read the book, started practicing the rapid imaging skill it requires, bought the CDs, and yet still haven’t found the time to master it. But then I’ve basically been working two jobs.

The rapidness of the mental images the technique requires seems nearly impossible to me, but I did have the opportunity to ask Dr. Bengston if anyone has reported healing success without being able to “image” that rapidly. He said that – to his surprise – yes, many people have. That was a relief!

If you also try to study this method yourself, I would love to compare notes with you.

And if you have any energy (aka mystery) healing stories, I would love to hear about those as well.

What if healing is more possible than we know?

UPDATE  Sept 2013

It’s been over 1 and a half years since I wrote this article. I recently received an update from the Bengston distance healing pracitioner, Vic, who has volunteered to work with cats, dogs, and humans at varying times over the last year and a half. There have been all kinds of conditions, with cancer probably being the most common one.

Vic is a remarkable fellow – he refuses to take money or donations for his healing work. He also keeps his identity private.

Like Dr. Bengston, Vic approaches the healing practice with an open, skeptical mind. He reports that so far, about 1/3rd of the animals he worked with recovered fully, 1/3rd had some improvement, and with another third no effect was reported. Those are pretty good odds considering that just about every animal “brought” to him was brought because they were not able to be helped by modern medicine. However, he acknowledges that he can’t track other healing factors that are at play, so it’s hard to attribute healing to one cause completely.

He said there have been enough full recoveries in cases where veterinarians gave up hope, that it’s worthwhile for him to keep going just for those.