Faith healing and psychic surgery in the Philippines / edited by Jesus B. Lava, Antonio S. Araneta.

The Central theme of this book revolves around Dr. Jesus Lava's scientific investigation of paranormal healing and "surgery" in the Philippines, from the point of view primarily of a physician, a doctor of medicine. Dr. Lava however, has not relied completely on scientific facts alone in his effort to explain the various manifestations of psychic or paranormal phenomena, particularly in psi healing. Where the limitations of science ends, Dr. Lava has delved deeper into the possible explanations of the various aspects of psychic phenomena that materialist science cannot now fully explain. This is the first time that a noted Filipino doctor has undertaken such a serious research on spiritual or psi healers in the Philippines, with a view of finding the interrelationship between traditional medicine and paranormal healing. The book is divided into three sections: SectionI consists of Dr.Lava's scientific investigation of paranormal healing and its relationship to conventional medicine. This is the scientific-materialist approach. SectionII is devoted to a personal search for the deeper meaning of life as manifested in psychic phenomena. The approach is that of a pragmatic academician and materialist in search of the psychic and spiritual as manifested in paranormal phenomena. The essay include a personal account of an odyssey in the world of psychic phenomena from 1973 to 1981. Included in SectionII of the book are some essays on healing and psychic surgery, an account of the discovery of an ancient billfish fossil on Tambac Island, paranormal events that took place in Bolinao and on the island itself, and my active involvement with the Union Espiritista Cristiana. Photographs of Pacific Farms have been included insofar as these are relevant to the essays and help to convey the message to the readers. In SectionIII historical notes on the Union Espiritista Cristiana de Filipinas, Inc. is published for the first time. This historical section was translated in English from the old Spanish texts by Prof.Guadalupe Estrada. Silverio Alarcio, on the ohter hand, translated into English the original texts written in the Pangasinan dialect by Juan Alvear, founder of the Union Espiritista in the north and first Governor of Pangasinan. Significant portions of Alvear's historical notes are quoted in an account of my involvement with the Espiritistas. --Preface of the book.