Stigmata

Wednesday, 17 November 2004

Stigmata are wounds believed to duplicate the wounds of Christ's crucifixion that appear on the hands and feet, and sometimes on the side and head, of a person and Dr. Mario Martinez, a clinical psychologist, is one of three people investigating stigmata for the Catholic Church. He is in Ireland to lecture on the psychology of stigmata and how the mind can wound/heal the body.

Stigmata
Mario became interested in stigmata in 1989 and has investigated cases of alleged stigmata for the Catholic Church.  The Church does not recognize stigmata as divine intervention and actually welcomes a scientific interpretation.  Where this is not available it is open to individual interpretation.

In the last eight years, Mario has seen many cases of alleged stigmata.  Some of these have been self-inflicted wounds.  At first sight recognizing cases of real stigmata can be difficult as many people believe they have stigmata.  Often these people are hysterical or over emotional.  And in some cases hysterics can disassociate, wounding themselves in a trance and then completely wiping it from their memory.  Mario says that one way to see if someone has true stigmata is to look at how their wounds heal.

Normal wounds heal in layers, with scab formations, whereas stigmatics wounds do not get infected, a condition Martinez calls a 'superimmunity'.  This occurs, Martinez says because a person's belief is so strong it may change the body's biology.

The mind and what a person knows about Christ are intergral to stigmata, and changes in those beliefs are reflected in its occurrences.  For example, Padre Pio's wounds were in his palms, where traditional belief has held that the nails were driven into Christ's hands.

Newer archaeological research shows that nails were more likely driven into the wrists of the crucified, where the arms' bone structure would better support the weight of the body.  More recent stigmatics have had wounds in their wrists instead of in their hands.

One of the difficulties of working with people with stigmata is they experience a psychospiritual conflict.  Mario worked with a man who had painful wounds, but viewed them as a gift from God.  Mario told the man to focus on God's love and not his suffering as a way to connect with God.  After about six weeks the man's wounds became infected and began healing.

Mario has worked closely with the Catholic Church, presenting lectures to Catholic Bishops and other clergy on how cultural and spiritual beliefs affect the immune system and health.

Mario's Theory on Stigmata
Mario's theory is Biocognition - how cultural beliefs affect the immune system and longevity.  A basic way of describing this is mind over matter.

His research has concentrated on how the mind can wound the body.  In the case of stigmatics, for example it has been long debated that stigmata is a psychosomatic effect brought on by intense prayer. i.e. the more you suffer the closer you are to Christ.  Mario believes that the mind has a very powerful influence over our physical being and vice versa.

From his research Mario will explain how our thoughts and emotions affect our biology.  There are lots of examples of this, i.e. someone who has been diagnosed with cancer.  If a person views cancer as associated with death, they are normally more likely to be negative and this will affect their recovery. 

Another simple example would be monitoring someone watching a feel good movie.  When a person's saliva is measured, their immune system is at an all time high, but when they watch a violent move, the opposite happens.

Mario has done a lot of research into age and culture and how people are expected to behave at different ages.  For example, middle age people are supposed to 'act their age' and we are all expected to die (usually) in their 70s.  But people who have a 'young attitude' to age, usually live longer.  It is case of mind over matter.

Background to Stigmata
. The first recorded case of these wounds was in the year 1222, by a man named Stephen Langton of England.  St. Francis of Assissi, a famous follower of Jesus, experienced wounds in 1224.
. The wounds can be experienced by both men and women.  One of the more famous female stigmatics was St. Catherine of Siena, who experienced invisible wounds on her hands and feet. 
. An interesting fact about stigmata is that it corresponds with the Passion and Death of Christ.  Many wounds appear during the Last Supper, and the holy days of Easter.  They disappear on Easter itself.  Stigmatics reportedly speak to visions of Christ and angels during their trials, and smell strange scents.  There are even reported cases of the blood types not matching between stigmata and wounds.
. Stigmata has been reported everywhere from America to Italy.  There are cases in France, Spain, England, and Germany.  The count of these victims has stopped at 345.  It is believed that there are many more, however.  Among this count are some of the most famous saints, such as St. Frances of Rome, St. Gertrude, St. Collette, St. John of God, and St. Marie of the Incarnation.  They span many religious orders, including Dominican priests, Augustinian monks and the Poor Clare nuns.
. One of the more interesting theories to explain this phenomenon is the idea of "theological placebo effects".  According to this line of thought, stigmatics are so emotionally and physically tied to their belief that they experience a state of mind similar to raptures.  It is a fact that the immune system can be controlled by the waking mind, and in some cases, a heartbeat can be consciously slowed.  It is this belief that leads some to think that the wounds of the stigmata are personally, albeit unconsciously, produced.
. Stigmatics still exist today.  There were a reported 20 in the nineteenth century, and their numbers are diminishing.  One of the most famous current stigmatics is Georgio Bongiavani, who has stigmata on his hands and forehead.  His religious wounds cannot be explained by any sources, and according to several news reports they appear and disappear at will.
. Padre Pio was one of the most famous stigmatics.  He had stigmata for 50 years, bleeding up to a cup of blood a day.  His wounds were open and sore his whole life and he had to wear special gloves.
. Catholics make up 98% cases of Stigmata.
. 70% of all cases are female.

Stigmata can exist in two forms:
. Invisible wounds are those covered by the forces of God for the inner comfort of the sufferer.
. Visible wounds appear on the side, palms, feet and head, and often appear and disappear in the space of a few hours.  They can appear in one area alone, or all areas at once.  Often, intense bleeding accompanies them, and the period before they appear is characterized by depression and weakness.  Some stigmatics report feeling whips across their backs.

Characteristics of Stigmata
. Wounds in the hands, wrists, feet or sides.
. Stigmatics wounds do not get infected, a condition referred to as 'superimmunity'.  Unlike natural wounds of a certain duration, those of stigmatics do not give forth a fetid odour.  Padre Pio's wounds were supposed to smell of roses.
. Physicians do not succeed in curing these wounds with remedies.

Dr. Martinez will be lecturing in Limerick, 20th of November, Greenhills Hotel, 10am - 6pm.  Tickets: €125 (lecture is open to both professionals and general audiences).