Abstract

Biofield therapies, such as the laying on of hands by Spiritist healers together with the Spirits, defined as the Spiritist “passe”, have been widely used in several clinical situations. The study aimed to identify clinical characteristics, methodology and effects on the health of patients exposed to the “passe”. A total of 73 clinical cases were included, and clinical characteristics, application methods and health effects were assessed, with non-healthrelated outcomes being excluded. The indications were physical dysfunctions or diseases (52.9%), mental imbalances or disorders (20.6), obsession/ possession (14.7%) and mental and physical disorders (11.8%). The technique of “laying on of hands” is associated with beneficial effects on mental and physical health (p=0.016). The knowledge of the applicability and effects of the laying on of hands by the Spiritist “passe” provides information to physicians and health professionals so they can decide whether a patient will benefit or not from this therapy, as well as to future researchers, since this is an open field for future studies.

Keywords: Complementary therapies; Laying on of hands; Spiritual healing; Energy therapies