Devotees defend faith healer

Press, 7 October 1987, Page 8

Devotees defend faith healer

A Sumner mad’s assertion that he has psychic healing powers has drawn a Warning from the medical authorities but plaudits from his “patients.” Mr Wim Mentink described his philosophy in a pamphlet delivered to houses in several Christchurch areas last week. The chairman of the New. Zealand branch of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, Dr Les Ding, Who is mentioned in the pamphlet, , warned people against being misled by the ; psychic’s claims. “I Can’t understand his theory, / and’.l doubt, whether anybody of profession would be Able to,” said Dr Ding, After. reading the pamphlet He said he had no information about how faith healing worked, although he acknowledged patients often felt Improved and responded to treatment better if their morale was lifted. The chairman of the Cdmmittee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of ,the Paranormal, Dr Denis Dutton, has issued a challenge to- Mr Mentink to have his, claims tested scientifically.. Although -the psychic healer says ini bis pamphlet that he would wejl-

come serious .investigation, he has rejected the challenge. . He said he would offer a. demonstration of his powers by treating three or four people with certain complaints, and everybody could observe the effects. He would not say when the demonstration. would be, or what kind of afflict, tions Ae would treat. Dr Dutton said it was' recognised from ancient Greek times that the laying- on Of, hands* by a physician was Animport-; ’ant part of. treating pt;/ . least symptoms. : • _ ,-^‘Any 5 doctor who treats , people will tell you, you use your hands and touth the afflicted area. It is a . > psychological phenomenon, but that does not make it any less important,” he said. However, he regards Mr Mentink’s circular as “three pages of waffle,” “His claims are not un- . usual, but it is unusual to have a fairly massive circular drop.” he said. ; Mr Mentink will not sayhow big an area was covered, or how many circulars were sent out He says he did it topromote discussion, of his. y ideas, rather than to at- ■ tract business. I. .. \ He believes; treatment by ; doctors and psychia-

trists is; often ineffective. “If people knew how little doctors really knew, they would not trust them With their lives,’* he said. ■ He believes repressed anger and tension is the cause of much mental and physical illness, including the psychiatric condition Of Peter Joseph Holdem, who was convicted of the, murder of a Christchurch 5 r child, aged sbriin a frial; at Dunedin Iri July. * For him toft treat Holdem now, after, so many years of treatment by psychiatrists, Would-be diffi- ; cult, he Admits. u „ Among the conditions Mr Mentink claims to. be able to treqt are skin complaints such as psoriasis, recurrent arthritis, . deteriorating, sight, and heart problems that would require, bypass surgery. . He says he has treated hundreds of people in his eight years of psychic healing in New Zealand. People pay $2O for an hour-long session once a • . week, and he believes the payment is an important, test of his effectiveness. , “I ddn’t work for nothing,” he said. “I want 1 ' people to pave to think* about whether/they want ’ to come here.” He says that in the right conditions it is possible to see? light homing from Ills

hands as he warks. it was not obvious,' dnd he would dot show it to a repdrter, he said. '■ • 7 •. ; Three of Mr Mentink’s patients were approached by “The Press.” None of them had seen any light, nor dnV strange* occurrences during treatment However, they did say they felt a coldness as Mr Mentink’s hands moved round their bodies without touching them. They could feel this sensation even through their • clothes. ; ’ Two of the three shid ’they were sure 1 Mr Mentink’s treatment ‘ had improved their condition after other medical treat- , ment had failed. A 1 third; ;

a man, aged 64 at; the . time* of treatment said it appeared to stop the gradual worsening of his arthritis for a time “I . have to put it down to him, because I can’t think of anything else,” that man said. .-.v : All three patients asked not .be named, although their names are known to “The 'Press.’*; ?.. ■ . i;.* • A woman,' aged 23, has been treated fcrr. psoriasis for nine months. - Treatfit by ; genSfcli'piictiera, a. W; specialist, naturopath no . < Syccehs over fthe brevious - two years, she sajd. She has been taking no ■other treatment ';flmce , „ January, frttoi, Mr Mentink's < sesflons, »and had not known the tibn to clear up by ttrelf before;. ' The condition; Was now . much improved. Patches of the disease; oh elbows and knees were now down to only traces, and she was confident they would disappear... A St Martins num, aged 35, suffering froth: backache, said ?the treatment had; brought , Imprdvements oyer three months. 4 *Wim doesn’t strike me as being overly mystical, or weird In any way,” the man said, “He is a very caring person.” *