Science and faith do not have to be in hostile relations, and they can reach where they started in ancient Egypt, namely to a common knowledge of the world. Ellis's list of 27 categories of human stupidity includes this characteristic, among others: The belief that the scientific method is the only method that advances human knowledge.
Science takes into account only beings that are measurable. It provides data about the material world, partially manages social issues, psychology with misery, and the spiritual plane is captured by a completely new "neurotheology", which tries to objectify some spiritual manifestations and finds, for example, that prayer calms anxious and aggressive centers and reduces activity in the parietal area, where our "I" is stored.
Belief is immeasurable and was here – like other emotions – before science and medicine cannot do without it. The placebo effect is a part of every treatment and it is good if both parties believe in the effect of the treatment, i.e. both patients and doctors.
In 1982, when fentanyl entered the market as a current analgesic miracle, its agents came to a dental clinic with a proposal for a blinded study measuring the analgesic effectiveness of fentanyl in comparison with a placebo and in addition (brutes!) with naloxone, which suppresses the production of endogenous opioids. The result will be assessed on a visual analog scale by patients after the extraction of one of the wisdom teeth, which is usually more complex. The doctors agreed, but before the study began, agents arrived with the sad news that the official schedule had banned such poorly controlled administration of fentanyl, so that only placebo and naloxone remained. Nevertheless, the dentists remained faithful, plucked, administered a blinded preparation and the patients evaluated their pain.
After some time, the agents came with the happy news that the fentanyl was returning and the study continued with the addition of fentanyl for the same amount of time. Then the results were unsealed. Where only naloxone was combined with a placebo, pain continued to increase after the extraction, while it decreased in the other group. The difference was almost six points on a ten-point scale.
It was funny, as my granddaughter says, that only and only placebo was administered in the study. What actually happened there? Where did the information go? And which one? These are the immeasurable effects that affect the treatment, and an experienced doctor knows the danger of the patient's demoralization.
Faith gives hope, and with hope comes love. And she is really warm. Generally speaking, religious people are better off in terms of health and life expectancy than non-believers. Those who practice in addition (go to religious services, pray or meditate) then even better. The interpretation is that a religious person has better self-awareness and thus stronger defense mechanisms, who also practice positive behavioral elements. It is proven that there are also significantly fewer alcoholics, drug addicts and gamblers among these groups.
I am not agitating here for charlatans or anti-vaxxers, not for you at all, I just want to draw attention to an unfairly underestimated part of our lives. The doctor should treat the patient. He has a soul! And a good doctor is not only educated and smart, but also wise. Faith belongs to the forgotten wisdom.
MDr. Radkin Honzák psychiatrist Source, author's blog: https://blog.aktualne.cz/blogy/radkin-honzak.php?itemid=45293