One of the most dramatic examples of the power of the mind is the following report made by Dr. Bruno Klopfer regarding one of his patients in this report from 1957.
"Psychologist Bruno Klopfer was treating a man named Wright who had advanced cancer of the lymph nodes. All standard treatments had been exhausted, and Wright appeared to have little time left. His neck, armpits, chest, abdomen, and groin were filled with tumors the size of oranges, and his spleen and liver were so enlarged that two quarts of milky fluid had to be drained out of his chest every day. But Wright did not want to die.
He had heard about an exciting new drug called Krebiozen, and he begged his doctor to let him try it. At first his doctor refused because the drug was only being tried on people with a life expectancy of at least three months. Wright was not expected to live that long. Finally the doctor gave in and gave Wright an injection of Krebiozen on Friday, but in his heart of hearts he did not expect Wright to last the weekend.
To his surprise, on the following Monday he found Wright out of bed and walking around. Klopfer reported that his tumors had 'melted like snowballs on a hot stove' and were half their original size. This was a far more rapid decrease in size than even the strongest X-ray treatments could have accomplished. Ten days after Wright's first Krebiozen treatment, he left the hospital and was, as far as doctors could tell by their tests, cancer free. When he entered the hospital he had needed an oxygen mask to breathe, but when he left he as well enough to fly his own plane at 12,000 feet with no discomfort.
Wright remained well for about two months, but then articles began to appear asserting the Krebiozen actually had no effect on cancer of the lymph nodes. Wright, who was rigidly logical and scientific in his thinking, became depressed, suffered a relapse, and he was readmitted to the hospital. The tumors had literally returned all over his body.
This time his physician decided to try an experiment. He told Wright that Krebiozen was every bit as effective as it had seemed, but that some of the initial supplies of the drug had deteriorated during shipping. He explained, however, that he had a new highly concentrated version of the drug and could treat Wright with this. The physician used only plain water and went though an elaborate procedure before injecting Wright with the placebo.
Again the results were dramatic. Tumor masses melted, chest fluid vanished, and Wright was quickly back on his feet and feeling great. He remained symptom-free for another two months, but then the AMA announced that a nationwide study of Krebiozen had found the drug worthless in the treatment of cancer. This time Wright's faith was completely shattered. His cancer blossomed anew and he died TWO DAYS LATER."
Remarkably, Dr. Klopfer would later discover that the original medication that he had received was only a placebo and not the Krebiozen. Some medical professionals have discounted this story because it was ‘all in Wright’s mind.’ Isn’t that the intriguing part of this experience? Isn’t it enlightening that some tumors the size of oranges and others the size of walnuts appeared and disappeared so quickly due to his thoughts? To inspire and empower.
For more info on the case study, please see Bruno Klopfer, "Psychological Variables in Human Cancer," Journal of Prospective Techniques 31 (1957), pp. 331-40.
He had heard about an exciting new drug called Krebiozen, and he begged his doctor to let him try it. At first his doctor refused because the drug was only being tried on people with a life expectancy of at least three months. Wright was not expected to live that long. Finally the doctor gave in and gave Wright an injection of Krebiozen on Friday, but in his heart of hearts he did not expect Wright to last the weekend.
To his surprise, on the following Monday he found Wright out of bed and walking around. Klopfer reported that his tumors had 'melted like snowballs on a hot stove' and were half their original size. This was a far more rapid decrease in size than even the strongest X-ray treatments could have accomplished. Ten days after Wright's first Krebiozen treatment, he left the hospital and was, as far as doctors could tell by their tests, cancer free. When he entered the hospital he had needed an oxygen mask to breathe, but when he left he as well enough to fly his own plane at 12,000 feet with no discomfort.
Wright remained well for about two months, but then articles began to appear asserting the Krebiozen actually had no effect on cancer of the lymph nodes. Wright, who was rigidly logical and scientific in his thinking, became depressed, suffered a relapse, and he was readmitted to the hospital. The tumors had literally returned all over his body.
This time his physician decided to try an experiment. He told Wright that Krebiozen was every bit as effective as it had seemed, but that some of the initial supplies of the drug had deteriorated during shipping. He explained, however, that he had a new highly concentrated version of the drug and could treat Wright with this. The physician used only plain water and went though an elaborate procedure before injecting Wright with the placebo.
Again the results were dramatic. Tumor masses melted, chest fluid vanished, and Wright was quickly back on his feet and feeling great. He remained symptom-free for another two months, but then the AMA announced that a nationwide study of Krebiozen had found the drug worthless in the treatment of cancer. This time Wright's faith was completely shattered. His cancer blossomed anew and he died TWO DAYS LATER."
Remarkably, Dr. Klopfer would later discover that the original medication that he had received was only a placebo and not the Krebiozen. Some medical professionals have discounted this story because it was ‘all in Wright’s mind.’ Isn’t that the intriguing part of this experience? Isn’t it enlightening that some tumors the size of oranges and others the size of walnuts appeared and disappeared so quickly due to his thoughts? To inspire and empower.
For more info on the case study, please see Bruno Klopfer, "Psychological Variables in Human Cancer," Journal of Prospective Techniques 31 (1957), pp. 331-40.
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