Instant healing is an abnormally swift recovery from a medical condition. As opposed to other types of healing, the recovery period in these conditions occurs in hours or even minutes. Some individuals claim that such cases are examples of miracles that stem from a variety of religious traditions. Skeptics, however, are quick to point out that practitioners of instant healing are often frauds who prey on the vulnerable. Still others claim that instant healing has a purely medical explanation, such as individuals' enhanced immune systems or radical new medical treatments.
Time becomes the most common differentiator in an instant healing claim. While traditional medicine can treat many conditions, recovery can be a slow process that can take as long as months or years to complete. In some conditions, like cancer, a healthy patient is always vulnerable to relapse as well. And yet, a large percentage of instant healing cases claim that diseased body organs or tissues are cleansed and restored almost instantaneously. Further, such claims are often accompanied by an implication of permanent healing.
Numerous types of conditions have been associated with instant healing. Cancer elimination remains a common claim, as does the restoration of impaired body abilities such as seeing, hearing, and walking. Thus, a case of true instant healing may eliminate cancer cells or repair broken bones, nerves, or blood vessels. Some individuals even claim that they have been saved from a terminal, near-death diagnosis.
Faith healing is one of the most common examples of spontaneous healing. Some leaders of religious sects promote their abilities to heal individuals through the power of touch, sometimes called laying hands. In this method, the healers may claim that a higher spiritual being's restorative energy or power is being transmitted to the afflicted through the contact. Faith healing is viewed primarily as a way to promote faith, and to bring people to spiritual awakening.
For example, healings play a large role in the story of Jesus of Nazareth. The authors of the Christian Bible recount dozens of cases of miraculous healing. As with the faith healers of modern times, the proposed primary purpose of these healings was to treat people both physically and spiritually.
Another example of faith healing resides in a form of spiritual practice known as shamanism. Practitioners of certain types of shamanism explain the healing process as first converting body parts like bones into a thick, liquid-like substance. Following this step, the healer then molds the substance into healthy tissue through an electrical life force found in all living things. As with other types of faith healing, spiritual cleansing and belief are touted as vital components of a successful outcome. Similar spontaneous healing methods can be found in spiritual beliefs across the globe.
Instant rapid healing faces criticism from opponents who doubt its veracity. Critics contend that many alleged faith healers take advantage of vulnerable individuals for fame or financial gain. Documented records often demonstrate that a supposedly healed individual frequently falls victim to the ailment once again after a period of time has passed. Fraudulent claims are commonplace as well. One should also consider that medical treatment may have facilitated true instant healing cases, skeptics say.
Religion and spirituality perhaps play a prominent role in many documented cases of instant healing, but some incidents may also have a more medical foundation. Many healing techniques emphasize factors like proper breathing, sound communication and imagery exercises, and massage methods. These same practices have found a valid footing in both mental health and physical health organizations. Further, numerous medical cases around the world seemingly validate the existence of instant healing. For such cases, medical explanations have ranged from an individual’s enhanced immune system to the effectiveness of a revolutionary new medical drug or procedure.
