Stigmata: A Medieval Mystery in a Modern Age

by Ted Harrison

A ten-year-old black girl in California bled from her palms, feet, right side, and the middle of her forehead for nineteen days in 1972, until good Friday, when the bleeding stopped. A Washington, D.C., priest experienced spontaneous bleeding from his writsts, feet, and right side in 1991. Since St. Francis of Assisi in the thirteenth century, ordinary people have suffered spontaneous lesions and bleeding resembling the wounds received by Christ during the crucifixion. Until recently, the occurrences of this religious and medical phenomenon had been limited to European cultures, but more and more cases of stigmata are being reported in Latin America and the United States. Including a startling analysis of the socioeconomic conditions that might give rise to the emergence of stigmatics at the end of another millennium and interviews with a medical expert on stigmata, this intriguing and objective examination is one of the most controversial books about religious phenomena since Embraced by the Light .

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1994

About the author

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Reviews

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The physical manifestation of mysticism is a topic frequently avoided. After being repeatedly told that stigmata (the wounds of Jesus appearing in physical form on believers) are self-inflicted, many simply lose interest. Harrison, however, is willing to look at the phenomenon with clear sight. He is not gullible nor is he cynical. Noting that there are cases that have been clearly not self-inflicted in any physical way, Harrison examines the history of stigmata, the modern day occurrence of it, and possible explanations for what is going on with it.

Focusing on some (for the 1990s) recent cases, Harrison interviews some stigmatics and their spiritual advisors. He reads the medical literature and talks with physicians. He take historical accounts into consideration. Believing there may be some psychosomatic cause, he doesn't dismiss the stigmata, but considers how the mind can influence the body in ways not understood.

This short book on a fascinating and understudied subject is a good introduction to something that we out to be willing to investigate further. It has always been rare, but that makes it no less important as an indication that we know less about the world than we think we do.

I couldn't let this one go without commenting further on my blog: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.

[Kevin de Ataíde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book was trying very hard to be objective, but that's a pretence. First the author presents the story of particular people and he does it from a religious point of view, choosing to place words like Blessed Sacrament in capitals. Then he feels compelled to give a medical, critical point of view, overdoing it. Finally, he concludes, although he doesn't clearly state it, that there is nothing supernatural about it and that the subjects have somehow produced the wounds with their minds. His evidence is that two subjects from the twentieth century have the marks in their wrists (instead of their palms) and the Shroud of Turin changed people's perceptions of this location.

Having made this conclusion, his last chapter tells about forming one's own conclusions, which are these: the stigmata is not from God but is some poorly understood power of the human mind, God is who you want him to be and you should therefore think whatever you want. In one point, Mr. Harrison says that telepathy exists, although it is poorly understood. Anything will do but God, you see.

[Ashley Gilles · Rating 3 out of 5]

An insightful, quick read. This book, while somewhat dated at this point, provided multiple instances of cases of stigmata. It adequately informed of the basics surrounding each case mentioned. It went into slight detail regarding the phenomenon surrounding stigmata and the various reasons it exists; why now, it's origins, increasing numbers, etc. I feel it neither proved nor disproved the "authenticity" of stigmata (as I feel no one can) but approached it's validity with a fair, balanced view but a believers mind. I feel the author is open to the idea that stigmata is genuine, and that openness alone helps them to be able to rationalize better than if someone that were completely opposed to the possibility were to review the same topic. All in all, I enjoyed the read. I appreciated the conciseness of each topic, but do feel that certain things could have been touched a bit more to really hit the points home that the author was trying to make. An interesting read for those religious, curious about religion, supernatural, cultural and historical influence.

[Lora · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the time I described this as "A short book, somewhat redundant, which gave case histories of stigmatists (the first was St. Francis of Assisi in 1224), tried to put them in a social/historical context and theorized on its causes.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. I see that it's about the fact that what we believe and can conceive we achieve.
To paraphrase W. Clement Stone.