Abstract

I was a conventional, Western Academic Physician, fully ‘enculturated’ into reductionist scientific medicine, with its belief in nothing more than materialism.

Then I had some spiritual experiences, which changed everything. I started to research healing, initially with the concern that it might be ‘just’ the placebo effect. I found it was so much more than that, and I did research with health care professionals and the general public to explore their understandings of healing.

I found evidence for a lot of metaphysical thinking, spirituality and healing within my profession; although it remains largely hidden, because of concerns about being ridiculed or rejected by the profession. 

About the speaker Dr Paul Dieppe  

I qualified as a doctor in London in 1970, and had a successful early career in rheumatology and health services research, based in Bristol, England.

In 1990 I was held hostage in Kuwait and Iraq for 5 months. That experience allowed me to regain the spirituality that was always a part of me, but had been squeezed out by medical scientism.

I switched my academic interests to placebos and then healing.

I have recently published a book about my experiences and research on these subjects: ‘Healing and Medicine: a Doctor’s Journey Toward their Integration’.