Healer
From SkepticWiki
Contents |
[edit] Definition
Healer literally means one who cures ailments. It is used as a self-descriptive term by many practitioners of alternative and complementary medicine. The term is most often used by the more New Age type of alternative practitioner. For example, people who claim to cure with crystals invariably describe themselves as "healers", whereas this would be uncommon in a chiropractor. Qualified doctors and surgeons do not normally refer to themselves as healers, possibly because this would sound pretentious.
[edit] History
The etymology of the word "healer" is ancient, related to such other Anglo-Saxon words as "healthy" and "whole". Its recent popularity coincides with the rise of the New Age movement.
[edit] Discussion
The word "healer" has many attractions to those who use it. In the first place, it is usually illegal to describe yourself as a doctor if you are not a doctor: and "practitioner of alternative and/or complementary medicine" is a bit of a mouthful. In the second place, the word implies success: "healer" means one who can in fact heal people. In the third place, the word has the sort of Olde Worlde feel to it which attracts New Age types, and, indeed, their customers.
