#50: Miracles in Medicine? What We Can Learn About the Science of Spontaneous Remission with Dr Jeffrey Rediger
28th Apr 2020
In today’s podcast I speak with Dr Jeffrey Rediger where we talk about spontaneous remissions or ‘medical miracles’ that he has been studying for over 15 years.
Dr Jeffrey Rediger is an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Medical Director for the McLean SouthEast Adult Psychiatric Programs.
He has a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary and publishes in the fields of medicine, psychiatry and spirituality.
He has now released his first book - Cured - the remarkable science and stories of spontaneous healing and recovery.
Conventionally ignored by the scientific literature as outliers, anomalies or likely a result of misdiagnosis, Dr Jeffrey decided to dedicate a large part of his career studying these cases in the hope of trying to find out if there is anything we could learn from them. What he revealed is a fascinating collection of stories that has changed his thinking on medicine and how we practice.
It could be the revolution in medicine many patients and doctors are crying out for. Rather than adding legitimacy to those trying to exploit people’s hope and belief, Dr Jeffrey sees a new way of examining unusual cases of remission through the lens of science.
On our talk today we cover the following:
- The placebo effect
- How belief plays into remission
- Putting the body into a “Healing Mode”
- Why love, compassion and kindness are key to health and longevity
- Negativity bias
- The accidents of biology and how they lead to the secrets of health
- Flexing your Vagus Nerve
- The 4 pillars of healing - Immunity, Stress, Identity, Nutrition
Please do be sure to check out Jeff Rediger’s book - Cured (Penguin, 2020) - released this year and available through most good bookstores or online booksellers.
Episode guests
Jeffrey Rediger, MD, MDiv, is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, the Medical Director of McLean SE Adult Psychiatry and Community Affairs at McLean Hospital, and the Chief of Behavioral Medicine at Good Samaritan Medical Center.
A licensed physician and board-certified psychiatrist, he also has a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary. His research with remarkable individuals who have recovered from illnesses considered incurable has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Oz Shows, among others.
He has been nominated for the National Bravewell Leadership Award, and has received numerous awards related to leadership and patient care.
He has an Amish background.Cured is his first book.nYou can view Dr Redigers TEDx talk by clicking on the link here Reference Links:nThe Pursuit of Happiness
