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Unbekoming's avatar

Author's Note

Bohdan's grandfather story cuts to the heart of it. A man dealing with illness, continuing to live—until the word "cancer" was spoken. Two weeks from diagnosis to death. The pronouncement did what the condition had not.

George and Ingrid both describe something similar from the opposite direction: refusing the authority of the prognosis. George's ankle healed without the predicted limp. Ingrid's healed faster when she ignored the prescription. The body responded to what they believed, not what they were told.

Paul's framing of diagnosis as "negative magic"—"negative incantations"—isn't metaphor. The nocebo research confirms it. Words spoken by authority figures produce physiological changes. The ritual matters. The white coat matters. The clinical setting matters. These are the conditions under which the curse takes hold.

Eileen's reflection on her dog deserves attention. After two years of illness and multiple experts, her question: "Why do you act as if your dog is sick?" The answer revealed how much energy she was feeding into the expectation. The hologram, as she puts it, that she herself was creating. This applies to humans too. How much of "living with a condition" is actually maintaining it?

Danu's parallel case is instructive. Same diagnosis—incidental adenoma. She declined intervention; seven years later, no problem. Her friend accepted surgery, then hormone medication, then kidney cancer. Two paths from the same starting point. The intervention itself became the trajectory.

Ati raises the hardest problem: diagnosis shock leaves people unable to think. They're in a daze—and who do they reach for? The doctor who just cursed them. The system that created the panic offers itself as the only solution. Breaking that loop requires reaching people before the diagnosis, not after.

Several of you mentioned COVID as a mass demonstration of these principles. Cousin Clem's description of the 24/7 case count tickers, the death sentence framing—this was nocebo at scale. George walked through it untouched because he refused the story.

On Mendelsohn's death at 61—I don't know. But the pattern of early deaths and destroyed careers among those who challenge medical orthodoxy is documented. McCully's treatment after the homocysteine discovery is one example among many.

Thank you for reading.

George Bredestege's avatar

I tell people all the time that I don’t get sick because I refuse to. 30 years on my job, never called in sick. After a broken ankle (went to work with a cast on against Dr instructions) I was told that without physical therapy I would walk with a limp. I told them I wouldn’t because I KNEW I wouldn’t. Physical therapist cannot know my body better than I do.

When I heard about this new virus killing people in China, I told my brother I would gladly be exposed and prove it was nothing: COVID-19 came and went, I took no precautions and obviously never fell ill.

Health is body, mind, and spirit. Believe in yourself, believe in your body, and believe in God. “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.”

INGRID C DURDEN's avatar

makes me think of my sprained ankle many years ago, falling on ice. Doc put a very tight bandage on it, hurt like hell, and told me to keep it warm. Soon as he left, I took it off, and did what a website told me: cold and warm baths. 2 weeks later doc came back and marvelled how quickly my ankle had healed, A few days later I went back to work (but not at the same icy place LOL). Have not had the deadly virus, either, and no injections.

Cousin Clem's avatar

Yes, think of the 24/7 newspaper/radio/TV coverage of Covid19--always with the narrative that it was a death sentence, that you need to be tested by the authorities(to know you were sick?), you needed to be injected to be protected and protect grandma. Case count tickers running under the talking heads....is there any doubt they convinced healthy people that they had one foot in the grave?

pobrecollie's avatar

I am more or less the same, though I still manage to catch maybe one cold a year, despite trying not to.

Not had a day off of work for years.

Brandon is not your bro's avatar

Wisdom . Proverbs 12:18

“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” – Proverbs 12:18

Bohdan R Douglas's avatar

This is so very true. My grandfather was diagnosed with cancer that had begun in his pancreas and had spread to his bones (or at least this is what the doctor's said). This information was kept from him and he knew he wasn't well, but he just continued on dealing with it. He wasn't going to stop just because he didn't fell well. He went on and kept living his life, right up until his 2nd daughter made the mistake of telling he had cancer. That was the mortal blow. He rapidly deteriorated and within 2 weeks he was bedridden in the hospital and quickly died. He had GIVEN UP simply because he found out that he had cancer, and to old world Eastern Europeans that was the death knell. He simply quit. It was incredible how quickly he went down when he learned about the cancer.

Terje M's avatar

Dr. Mendelsohn died prematurely in 1988, aged 61. There was a rumour that his death was unexpected and not natural.

INGRID C DURDEN's avatar

I would not be surprised at all. It happened to several docs that tried to heal people - either they died early or they were scolded, chased, threatened...

Sean Kavanagh's avatar

Great article. Thanks!

Ati Petrov's avatar

By the way, the way I discovered German New Medicine of Dr. Hamer, was by reading a Spiegel article about him and his view that scary diagnoses are the cause of spin off problems for the patient, including with fatal ending. I dug deeper, learned more and it makes so much more sense. Plus it offers a way out for those who don't want to be massacred in the name of corporate greed and medical dogma.

One big problem with diagnosis shock is that the person is now in shock, actually, in a panic, unable to think clearly or absorb new ideas. So it is really difficult to reach such a person and explain how they can perhaps take different measures and avoid the devastation of mainstream treatments that is about to hit them. They are in a daze. So are their families. And who do we reach to for help when in a crisis? The doctor... and he or she is right there to hold our hand, with concern and compassion on their face, guiding the patient step by step through an endless maze or pain and suffering and deterioration. I don't know if the fact that some of those doctors and nurses mean well is even more macabre or just as tragic as the fate of their doomed patients...

If you remove the push of big Pharma, of the whole cancer and pharmaceutical industry out of the equation and if you drive the state out of the medical field, we might get some decent medicine. These useless drugs and harmful treatments will immediately end because everyone knows they are not effective and never have been for the past 100+ years. A search will begin for really new ideas and methods. You will even get decent nutritious food in hospitals, I bet, and regular foot massage... all of this is possible right now. What stands in the way is big money poured into keeping it from happening and the state that pickets a lot of it and mandates poisons for its citizens...

Kaylene Emery's avatar

Blessings and appreciation from Sydney Australia.

Paul Vonharnish's avatar

The article and supporting articles are Extremely well presented. Thank you very much.

In my opinion, diagnosis of illness yields or augments the resultant illness. I consider most medical diagnosis as negative magic. From notes years ago:

“Regarding ritual incantation: My observation is the medical profession are repeating negative incantations. Though the prayers may be diverse, they are indeed negative magic. Reality delivers that which was ordered from the potential... My deepest wish is that humanity sobers up and ultimately realizes the lesson to be learned.” - Paul Vonharnish - (11/1/2023)

Notsothoreau's avatar

Last doctor visit, I had a DEXA scan. I already knew I had osteopenia. It found osteopenia. First thing they wanted was to put me on fosamax. I've read the insert on that, as a doctor tried to give me that before. It can cause you to break your thigh bone! Why would anyone take that? And Medicare won't pay to test your vitamin D levels, unless you are deficient. No way to tell if you are deficient without testing. It's crazy.

eileen's avatar

Experts are created by those who wish to put you into a box. What is a conservative? What is a liberal? Those questions put certain things in your mind-opinions framed by OTHER people whose agenda may not have been 100% unbiased. Experts are placed there to frame a narrative and keep you from thinking for yourself and developing discernment-the enemy of the expert class or the gatekeepers of the establishment.

Your brain creates a hologram you call reality. It is why two people in the same room can have different experiences and we know from a series like Star Trek that holograms are programmed. By whom? You, which means you can change the rules or the program. And now whose programs do we use? Social media or online support groups. Also used to frame narratives and keep us from thinking for ourselves.

This happened to me not too long ago. My dog was ill for two years and lost half of his fur. I ditched the conventional veterinarian, but replaced him with what? Another 'holistic' type vet. So what's next? Oh testing where she reads them at $400 a pop. Not just one, but several. All I did was replace one expert with another. Then I joined an herbalist (canine, no less), but she also required a label, because she made herbal medicine based upon the diagnosis. This was a step in the right direction. However, after my dog grew back all his fur, my spirit came to me and asked "Why do you act as if your dog is sick?" I answered because he limps.

Then my spirit (a she) answered, if you think your dog is sick, then he is. Then I thought about my behavior and realized how much energy I was putting in to feed that expectation - in other words, making the hologram I created because my dog lost all his fur even stronger. I am not suggesting that the limping is a figment of my imagination, but what is is how serious is it really? I didn't have an answer to that and that is when I realized that IF I was going to put energy into something, make sure I was gathering facts from experiential experts and not credentialed ones who are only there to prey on my ignorance and take my money.

eileen's avatar

In other words, gathering facts from the right sources, even experts, but do it with intent and make up your own mind based upon intuition or discernment and not because some expert said that the label means this and only this. Labels do describe a pattern, sometimes quite accurately. However, I the end only you can apply the pattern to your case, not the expert and we must develop the courage to tell social media influencers (most are paid, by the way, by even big pharma) to shove it and go your own way once you are sure you have enough facts.

Danu's Irish Herb Garden's avatar

Excellent article, thanks for all the research. I was diagnosed with an incidental adenoma on my adrenal gland. I asked what it was and was told it was a little growth but benign, that incidental just meant it just happened to be there but was not doing anything. They offered hormone tests, (which sounded dangerous, too much messing with a very delicately balanced system) and offered to remove it. I said no thanks, I hadn't known it was there as it was having no effect on my health. Thst was 7 years ago. Around the same time a friend was given the same diagnosis and eventually had surgery, ended up taking synthetic hormone medication and ended up with kidney cancer. It's not funny how things go from bad to worse once we submit our sovereign authority to "experts" who diagnose.

Neil Pryke's avatar

A Project to Be...for anyone interested...

From almost nowhere, and on YouTube, a nostrum to combat "toxic parasites in the pancreas causing Type 2 diabetes"...In less than a month, this mythology has proliferated, like the "candle-and-Coke-can to heat your whole home for nothing" scam, to fleece people of money, or just cram up the internet with AI garbage...

The parasite one contravenes all trades description legislation...but Mohan of YouTube is a surly

character with about as much regard for truth as a rat...

Paul Vonharnish's avatar

Yup. The advertising on YouTube *inspires* profits. Persons who believe in medical nonsense and AI generated dialog are dupes in the first degree.

“Many people are gullible, and we can expect this to continue.” - Phineas Taylor Barnum - (July 5, 1810 - April 7, 1891)

Jan's avatar

All those YouTube come ons—like “3 foods from your kitchen can cure your blah blah”. I listened to the end of one and not one kitchen food item was mentioned—only the supplement that costs lots of bucks for a months supply. I expect those gelatin and something can make you drop 25 lbs in 2 weeks the same malarkey. It’s tiresome to have to click skip all the time. Excellent advice in the above post. So much AI now.

INGRID C DURDEN's avatar

years ago a friend told me to stop eating bread because it is a new food! she said we should eat protein powder instead. when asked how long that had been a food item she was speechless. Who told her this? a dietician from a popular TV program. Who sells it? that dietician... aha.

Jan's avatar

There is an UNBEKOMING post today positing that how do we know that vitamins are what they say they are since isolating them requires so much industrial process. Are vitamins what ends up? Definitely reading that. Perhaps all that money on supplements is useless and whole food just has what we need inherently but invisible to our human knowledge. Have a great year, Ingrid.

Angelena's avatar

Many years ago a dear friend told me about applied kinesiology also known as muscle testing. I've never looked back. I use it anytime I'm told something about my body and what I "should" do about it . If my body agrees, I do it. If not, I don't.

A cardiologist told me 30 years ago I would die young if I did not take meds for elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and anxiety induced angina. The only one that tested yes was anxiety induced angina for which I use a nitro spray when meditation and self talk doesn't work. I refused all other meds much to his disgust. I'm now 85 yrs old . Guess he was wrong.

Elephile's avatar

I see people here saying that they don't get sick because they don't expect to: they refuse it.

This is a fairly new experience of mine. I was literally disabled for a few years: my hands and arms became very weak and painful; the doctor could feel the inflammation. I took long-term sick leave and then my employer provided speech-control software so I could do my job.

A couple of years later, on vacation, my feet and ankles started to fail, too. All this time, my husband filled in and looked after me. But the feet... I'd had the hand problem before, but this was new. I'd started hand exercises, but I looked on the internet for home foot therapy.

That's when the miracle happened. A YouTube video popped up about the Dr. Sarno method of almost instantly becoming completely pain-free. As a back surgeon, he would encourage his patients to identify hurt and rage that their unconscious had hidden from them, to protect them. Not wallow in it, just bring it to light, because once that happened, the body couldn't bury it under pain anymore.

Often Sarno would introduce them to this when they scheduled back surgery, and then they would cancel the surgery because the pain had gone and they could now move freely.

Well, this works for other things, and I started a short home course based on this. I never needed to finish it: 16 days in, and I was doing normal activities, talking back to the pain, telling it I didn't need it anymore. Within a few months, I was confident and consistently pain-free.

But here's the strange part: when I start to tell anyone about this, the pain tries to come back, as it is trying to do now. I won't have it, I don't need it, and it will go away again.