Applying criteria from the philosophy of science

by Erik W. Baars ^a,b,c,⁎, Helmut Kiene ^d, Gunver S. Kienle ^a,d,e, Peter Heusser ^a,f, Harald J. Hamre ^a,d

1. ESCAMP, Zechenweg 6, D-79111 Freiburg, Germany
2.  Louis Bolk Institute, Kosterijland 3-5, 3981 AJ Bunnik, The Netherlands
3. University of Applied Sciences Leiden, Zernikedreef 11, 2333 CK Leiden, The Netherlands
4. Institute for Applied Epistemology and Medical Methodology at the Witten/Herdecke University, Zechenweg 6, D-79111 Freiburg, Germany
5. Center for Complementary Medicine, Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
6. Witten/Herdecke University, Gerhard-Kienle-Weg 4, D-58313 Herdecke, Germany

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by Barbara MH Stöckigt^a, Florian Bescha, Florian Jesericha^b, Christine Holmberga^c, Claudia M Witta^d and Michael Teut

^aInstitute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics, Charite
Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; ^bCatholic Academy “Die Wolfsburg”, Muelheim, Ruhr, Germany; ^cBerlin School of Public Health, Charite
Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; ^dInstitute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

Contemporary spiritual healers in Germany are a heterogeneous and growing group. While some healing techniques have a long history in Germany, they have become more and more diverse over the last decades (Habermann 1995; Binder and Wolf-Braun 1995).

Today they can be built on religious traditions such as Christianity, from various spiritual practices from different cultures and healing concepts (e.g. chakras, reiki), but also from explanatory concepts in physics (e.g. quantum healing) (Voss 2011). In Germany, current healers have either a background as medical professionals or ‘Heilpraktiker’ or have no medical/CAM background at all.

A German ‘Heilpraktiker’ is a non-medical practitionerswith an education in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Medical and healing activities, which include diagnosis and treatment of specific illnesses, are only allowed to be practised by physicians or ‘Heilpraktiker’. In 2004, the German Federal Constitutional Court made it lawful to practice spiritual healing as non-medical consulting for the purpose of activating patients’ self-healing powers. Spiritual healing does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a physician or by a ‘Heilpraktiker’.

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This bibliography is taken from the booklet "The relevance of intestinal microbiota for prevention and therapy". It is provided by nutrimmun with friendly support.

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Milo A Puhan, Alex Suarez, Christian Lo Cascio, Alfred Zahn, Markus Heitz, Otto Braendli – University of Zurich

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