Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

I have no problem with deliberate and targetted intolerance to charlatans who are ripping off the deluded (or people without any medical hope). It is admirable to be intolerant to such situations. I had a very close relative who was dying of advanced oral and throat cancers which had destroyed her jawbones and rendered her unable to chew or swallow. It was diagnosed at an inoperable stage and she had a few very difficult, uncomfortable months withering before her inevitable death. A neighbour of hers suggested her son, a homeopathist and herbal healer (probably did crystals too but he didn't get that far... ahem...) could possibly help her. He was round that night offering treatment ie. hope to the hopeless and trying to sell his snake oil to the doomed. Luckily we arrived the following morning and kicked the charlatan out the door when he arrived for his next "consultation" with his pretendy forms and healing charts.

I have always found Dawkins incredibly tolerant in the face of religious, herbal medicine, crystal healing, homeopathy and spiritual fascists (who seem to only scream "You will believe because I tell you to and anyone who asks me a reasonable question is "intolerant"). For a scientist to ask a self proclaimed "healer" to prove their claims that a crystal healed a migraine rather than the table the patient lay on, or the cry of a bird which flew by or whether it rained that day or not, is fairly reasonable. If "healers" cannot show what evidence they have for such claims then that is all they are - the claims of an individual and the hopes of a needy patient who might like the healer's attention. "Healers" are also not subject to the BMA's strict rules regarding pressurising patients into treatment and emotional blackmail. I doubt if Dawkins would try to deny any individual the right to lay a chunk of quartz on their stomach, meditate and get into their planetary groove. He certainly never attacked such individuals who enjoy such meditations, he merely questioned the basis of a quasi-health service of self proclaimed healers who are selling this mince as proven factual healing and quasi-science without any evidence.

As for plants resonding to "musical wave vibrations" (I call it sound) so does metal, stone, water and human eardrums. So does everything - it is a physical response to a sound wave. You tell us "animals respond to healing energy as well as humans eg. Reiki". I'm afraid Reiki (invented in 1922) is another example of doubtful healing "energy" and a systemized review of randomized clinical trials in 2008 showed "the evidence is insufficient to suggest that reiki is an effective treatment for any condition. Therefore the value of reiki remains unproven".

Yes there are many thing we don't know. I enjoy a half hour's meditation in the morning. My mrs does yoga. My mate got his wife up the duff after they walked up to a particular stone which is meant to assist this process. They both reckon it was the long walk up, pelvic stretching and general strenuous leg lifting en route which was responsible! But if it works for you...

Sail your cosmic barge good sea cat and fair weather for your journey.