individuals had negative effects on plant growth
after they had been asked to “treat” or hold onto
bottles of saline solution used to water the plants.
In studies in the 1960s on the true nature of hands-
on healing practices, that is, studies to determine
whether results occurred because of psychological
factors such as belief or faith or because of an
actual transfer of physical energy from the healer
to an individual, Dr. Bernard Grad, a gerontologist
at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, used
plants as the “healees” to eliminate the possibility
of faith or personal belief in the healing process.
Grad engaged a local healer to treat barley plants
watered and grown in the normal fashion and bar-
ley plants he had deliberately watered with saline
solution to inhibit their growth. The healer was not
told which plants had been watered with saline
solution; the healer-treated plants were reported to
be taller and more robust and to have higher levels
of chlorophyll than the control group of normal
plants. On days when the healer was not feeling
well physically or emotionally, Grad determined
that the healing energy was “off.”
See also VIBRATIONAL MEDICINE.
depurgative A substance or agent that cleanses
the blood, such as echinacea and colostrums.
detoxification Any process, internal and exter-
nal, geared toward purifying the body, that is, rid-
ding it of foreign or toxic substances and wastes.
Detoxificants or detoxifiers include many varieties
of herbs as well as vitamin C and other nutrients.
See also AAMA; CHELATION THERAPY; COLONICS.
dhatus In Ayurvedic medicine, the body’s seven
essential components: (1) rasa, or plasma; (2) rakta,
or the blood tissue or red blood cells; (3) mamsa, or
muscle tissue; (4) meda, or adipose tissue; (5) asthi, or
bone tissue; (6) majja, or nerve tissue and bone mar-
row; and (7) shukra, semen and reproductive tissue.
See also AYURVEDA.
diets, specific See MACROBIOTIC DIET; NUTRITION.
digestive Any substance or agent that aids the
normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and
the process of digestion.
dina chariya A regimen geared toward healthful
daily living set forth in Ayurvedic medicine.
See also AYURVEDA.distant healing Any method or technique such as
Reiki, prayer, or meditation, that may be per-
formed by an individual despite a physical distance
between the healer and the recipient of healing
energy.
See also CAYCE, EDGAR; DOSSEY, LARRY; PRAYER;
REIKI.doshas Also known as the tridoshas, the three
fundamental body types categorized in Ayurvedic
medicine—pitta, vata,and kapha—considered the
foundation of all biological, emotional, and physio-
logical aspects of a person. Although the three dis-
tinct doshas provide the basis for body types,
combinations of doshasare recognized as more the
rule than the exception and demonstrate charac-
teristics in common. Ayurvedic practitioners
believe that when the doshasare out of balance, ill-
ness may occur.
See also AYURVEDA.Dossey, Larry American medical doctor who has
studied the power of prayer as it relates to the prac-
tice of medicine. He is the author of several books,
including Healing Words: The Power of Prayer
(HarperSanFrancisco, 1993); Prayer Is Good Medi-
cine; Meaning of Medicine(New York: Bantam, 1991);
and Recovering the Soul (Bantam, 1989). Dossey doc-
uments evidence gathered by control-group exper-
imentation on the therapeutic effects of prayer,
including prayers of people at great distances from
the persons being prayed for and for those with
catastrophic illnesses. He also theorizes that healing
is linked to a “nonlocal mind” that accesses various
phenomena such as remote viewing, distant clair-
voyant observations, and other forms of “focused
consciousness” different and distinct from faith
healing or a placebo effect.
See also NONLOCAL MIND.douche, herbal A lavage or administration of
water on or into a body cavity performed to cleanse
and to restore normal functioning and balance.
Medicinal or nutritive herbs may be added to the34 depurgative