Lawrence LeShan Healing Training

Lawrence LeShan, a New York psychotherapist and parapsychological researcher, has developed a systematic approach to training psi healing abilities. LeShan distinguishes between two types of healing, which he categorizes as Type I and Type 2. He described his approach in his popular book The Medium, The Mystic and the Physicist (1974). He differentiates between the two types of healing as follows: "In Type I healing, the healer goes into an altered state of consciousness in which he views himself and the healee as one entity. There is no attempt to ‘do anything' to the healee (in Harry Edwards' words, ‘All sense of "performance" should be abandoned'), but simply to meet him, to be one with him, to unite with him. In Type 2 the healer tries to heal; he wants to and attempts to do so through the ‘healing flow.' In both Type I and Type 2 he must (at least for the moment) care completely, but a fundamental difference is that in Type I he unites with the healee; in Type 2 he tries to cure him." Type I healing is regarded as a prerequisite for Type 2 healing.

LeShan's first seminar training was held in September 1970. Participants were drawn from the annual convention of the Association for Humanistic Psychology. LeShan states that he chose his participants on the basis of several qualifications: strong ego structure, a good ethical approach to life, and his own personal preferences.

The seminars began with a theoretical discussion of healing and psi phenomena. All students were required to read LeShan's monograph on the subject before the seminar began. A series of exercises which are broadly described by LeShan as follows, composed the bulk of the five day program. The exercises were designed to accomplish three purposes: (1) To strengthen the structure of the ego - a sort of personality calisthenics. (2) To loosen the individual's usual concepts of dealing with space, time, the location of self, etc., and to make him emotionally aware that there were alternative ways of conceptualizing in these areas. (3) To move in a step-by-step progression until one arrived at the altered state of consciousness theoretically associated with psychic healing. These seminars have continued since 1970 using the five-day format. LeShan reported his feelings that his students do learn how to use the healing techniques and that many of the healees do seem to have improved from the treatment. LeShan has now trained students to conduct these seminars also. Several doctoral dissertations, and research studies, have been based on the healing seminars (Geddes 1977, Goodrich 1974, Winston 1975). These reported have been based on personal testimony and have not involved controlled scientific study.

Geddes, F. Healing and consciousness training in the church. San Anselmo, Calif., P.O. Box 692, 1977.

Goodrich, J. Psychic healing: A pilot study. Project demonstrating excellence for the Union Graduate School, Yellow Springs, Ohio. 1974.

LeShan, L. The medium, the mystic, and the physicist. New York: Viking, 1974.

LeShan, L. A research project in psychic healing. Spiritual Frontiers, 1974, 7(l), 63-74.

Winston, S. Research in Psychic Healing: A Multivariate Experiment. A project demonstrating excellence for the Ph.D. degree at the Union Graduate School, Yellow Springs, Ohio. 1975.

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