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dreamweaverThe science of voodoo: When mind attacks body
A lot of people believe that words can't hurt you. I beg to differ. Words, written or spoken, are powerful. They can do a lot of damage. Words can lift people up or bring people low. Words inspire faith, or fear, contentment or misery. Every time I hear that stupid rhyme "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me". I grit my teeth against the tirade of scathing disgust that wants to pour out against the ignorant person who used it.
Sticks and stones may break your bones. Bones heal relatively quickly. Words stick in the heart, mind and spirit, for a very long time, sometimes a lifetime. This is why I hate school bullies, and hateful authority figures, and the people that don't see the harm and refuse to do anything about it. That stuff can scar a person for life.
Yes, words are very powerful medicine, they can heal or poison.
A lot of people believe that words can't hurt you. I beg to differ. Words, written or spoken, are powerful. They can do a lot of damage. Words can lift people up or bring people low. Words inspire faith, or fear, contentment or misery. Every time I hear that stupid rhyme "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me". I grit my teeth against the tirade of scathing disgust that wants to pour out against the ignorant person who used it.
Sticks and stones may break your bones. Bones heal relatively quickly. Words stick in the heart, mind and spirit, for a very long time, sometimes a lifetime. This is why I hate school bullies, and hateful authority figures, and the people that don't see the harm and refuse to do anything about it. That stuff can scar a person for life.
Yes, words are very powerful medicine, they can heal or poison.
(no subject)
Date: May 20th, 2009 03:53 am (UTC)While someone was deep in hypnosis, they were told a hot poker was going to be touched to their arm, but really touched wiht ordinary ice. The spot blistered.
Another was someone who was hypnotised and told that their warts were going to fall off on one sideof their body -- and they did. The ones on the other side stayed.
The third was a man seriously ill with cancer who was told that he was being given an experiment drug that early trials had shown was a wonder drug. His tumors shrunk dramatically. then the dr told him it had really been water, and he didn't know why they'd shrunk. They grew back. The dr told him he'd gotten the real drug, and they shrunk again, but when he found out it was really a wokring drug they grew again and he died.