CLASSIC: What is "Laying On Hands"?

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know

iHeartPodcasts

Society & Culture

4.2 • 11K Ratings

🗓️ 30 December 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the ancient days, when medicine and spirituality were inseparable, people often used rituals and invocations to elicit help from divine sources. This practice continues today, through a number of techniques collectively known as faith healing. But what is it, exactly? How does it work? Could mere physical touch from the right person heal otherwise incurable medical conditions? Join Ben, Matt and Noel as they dive into fact and fiction of faith healing.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, you guys know how, you guys know how religion is still pretty popular?
0:09.6	I heard tell.
0:11.1	Yeah, I've heard tail, too.
0:12.2	I like a Tennessee reference there.
0:13.9	The big tent.
0:15.2	That's a Georgia reference, baby.
0:17.1	I hear tell.
0:17.9	Oh, I'll amend it.
0:19.1	I like a Southern Americana reference. There you go. Oh, I'll amend it. I like a Southern Americana reference.
0:21.8	There you go.
0:22.7	Oh, for sure.
0:23.3	It's kind of a big deal.
0:24.3	Religion.
0:26.0	Mm-hmm.
0:26.6	Yes.
0:27.1	Then as now, in the ancient days, medicine and spirituality were intertwined, right?
0:33.5	And inextricable and inseparable.
0:37.0	And so people would use rituals and vacations, attempting to ask for help, right, on the physical plane from divine sources.
0:46.8	And back in 2020, we got super into exploring the concept of laying on of hands.
0:55.3	Yeah, put your fingers against the screen.
0:59.3	Put your hands against your ears.
1:02.8	Oh, no.
	...

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