Prof. Bill Bengston discussed his research into anomalous healing and the laying of hands technique as well as his role in the Society for Scientific Exploration, a professional organization of scientists and scholars who study unusual and unexplained phenomena. The Society, which has over 1,000 members, was founded in 1982 by a group of elite scientists who were tired of censorship in such areas as ESP, reincarnation, UFOs, and energy healing. One of the founders of the Society, astrophysicist Peter Sturrock, recently published his memoir of A Tale of Two Sciences, which features both his conventional and unconventional research.

After having his chronic back pain healed by (the late) Bennett Mayrick, in a laying of hands technique, Bengston set off to investigate this form of anomalous or energy healing. He arranged for clinical experiments at City University of New York in which mice that had cancerous tumors were treated by skeptical students and teachers-- they simply placed their hands in front of the cages of the sick mice. The mice all recovered completely after a number of these healing sessions-- formerly the cancerous mice had 100% fatality. The experiment was reproduced a number of times with the same positive benefits, he reported.

While these healing effects are mysterious, Bengston doesn't view them as supernatural, but rather natural processes that just haven't been fully understood. The transfer of information and energy may play a part in the healing, he speculated, and he's recently found linkages in EEG (brain) readings between the healer and healee.

Remembering Laurence Gardner

First hour guest William Henry recalled the life of fellow researcher Laurence Gardner, who recently passed away after suffering from a rare neurological disorder for a number of years. The author of such controversial bestsellers as Bloodline of the Holy Grail, Gardner was a "master communicator" and a "true magician with the written language," said Henry, who added that he viewed him as an ancient soul who had great insights.