Hi-I've been posting on esophageal cancer board for awhile since that is the cancer my husband has battled for over two years. He has been through radiation, chemos and surgeries. We have used a form of energy healing called tongren healing for over a year, and although we have been faced with recurrences, it has really made a huge difference in quality of life issues and the strength of his immune system, which of course we need to be strong if we have any shot at beating the cancer. The basis for tongren is that we are tapping into the power of the collective unconscious in order to heal. It is a blend of eastern and western medicine, as the points we use are acupuncture points but the diagnostics are western. We use acupuncture dolls as a focus point for the energy, so that in tapping the doll with a magnetic hammer we are working with a persons energy. The points for treatment have been developed through years of bodywork and observation by Tom Tam, who developed this system. He observed people with similar diseases had the same blockages in parts of their bodies, so we are unblocking these areas so the chi can move freely and we are able to maintain a state of health as we were meant to. We are fortunate to live in the area where this method was developed (Boston), and there are many practitioners who gather regularly to offer their service in what is called "guinea pig class". A preliminary study has been done by Harvard Medical School and Dana Farber, with the data currently being studied and the possibility of further research. They are also considering studies on it's effects for diabetes and weight loss (which would have more easily measurable results since I've seen quite a few diabetics have substantial positive changes with tongren in a very short time, leaving doctors scratching their heads). There are also conference calls for people who do not have tongren available in their areas, or who are too ill to attend a class. I know it sounds crazy, but lets face it-what have we got to lose at this point? I have seen amazing things with this group-there is a PBS special this month which includes a clip about it. To those of you who aren't afraid of something a little different, I highly recommend this. You can locate info online by searching tongren healing. There are good explanations about what it is, and how to reach conference call line with a current schedule for calls, or what areas have groups who meet.