The Witch in the Waiting Room A Physician Investigates Paranormal Phenomena in Medicine

by Bobrow, Robert S.

• ISBN13: 9781560258148
• ISBN10: 1560258144
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-05-29
• Publisher: Balance

Summary

Telepathy, reincarnation, voodoo, and witchcraft are just a few examples of phenomena now defined as paranormal activity. But just because these marvels lie beyond the reach of current scientific explanation does not mean that future developments will not bring understanding. For instance, some scientists now believe that the mysterious symptoms, such as hallucinations and spasms, of the accused witches in Salem may actually have been reactions to a type of poison. And a hundred years ago, who would have thought that acupuncture could be scientifically explained, let alone covered by most mainstream insurance companies? Citing case studies and analyses from respected medical journals, Dr. Robert Bobrow an accomplished physician and clinical associate professor at Stony Brook University investigates numerous instances that do not fit into the normal lexicon of medical diagnoses. He argues that by simply dismissing unexplainable phenomena we may be missing valuable opportunities to advance science. Although The Witch in the Waiting Room provides enough data and research to satisfy the scientific community, Dr. Bobrow's fluid writing style and straightforward analyses will engage the raft of curious lay readers who will be drawn to this book.

Author Biography

Dr. Robert Bobrow has practiced general medicine for over thirty years and is currently a clinical associate professor at Stony Brook University. Dr. Bobrow’s articles have been published in numerous journals such as American Family Physician, New York State Journal of Medicine, New England Journal of Medicine, and Psychology Today. He is the recipient of numerous teaching awards including Family Medicine Faculty Teacher of the Year 2003.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
How This Book Came to be Written	xiii
What Is In the Book?	xvii
Part 1
Chapter One Perspective I: The World We Live In	3	(4)
Chapter Two I Put a Spell on You: Witchcraft, Voodoo, and Zombies	7	(12)
Chapter Three Seeing Through the Mind's Eye: Psychics, Remote Viewing, and Telepathy	19	(12)
Chapter Four Answered Prayers: Distant Healing and Therapeutic Touch	31	(12)
Chapter Five Auditory Hallucinations: The Voices that Knew What They Were Talking About	43	(10)
Chapter Six Animal House: Lycanthropy, or the Delusion of Being an Animal	53	(10)
Chapter Seven Intimate Demons: Cacodemonomania, or Sex with the Devil; Ghost Possession	63	(12)
Chapter Eight Dying Right on Time: Self-Predicted Death	75	(14)
Chapter Nine Moving Toward the Light: Near-Death Experiences	89	(16)
Chapter Ten I Remember It Well: The Collective Unconscious and the Nature of Memory	105	(12)
Chapter Eleven Partying with the Devil: Satanic Ritual Abuse	117	(16)
Chapter Twelve Dream On: The Meaning of Dreaming	133	(8)
Chapter Thirteen When I Snap My Fingers...Hypnosis	141	(18)
Chapter Fourteen Xenoglossy: Speaking in Tongues, Coherently	159	(12)
Chapter Fifteen Déjà Vu All Over Again: Children Who Remember Past Lives	171	(20)
Part 2
Chapter Sixteen One Person's Paranormal Is Another Person's Science: Acupuncture	191	(14)
Chapter Seventeen Life as a Hologram	205	(6)
Chapter Eighteen The Orthopedist and the Body Electric: Life's Electromagnetic Template	211	(14)
Chapter Nineteen The God Helmet and the Temporal Lobes: The Work of Michael A. Persinger	225	(16)
Chapter Twenty Perspective II: Witches in the Waiting Room, and Everywhere	241	(16)
References	257	(22)
Index	279