Speedy Recovery

Rupert Sheldrake, best known for his theory of morphic resonance, was stabbed in the left thigh with a dagger after his talk at the April 2nd International Science and Consciousness Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is recovering quickly with the help of surgery, prayer and healing techniques like Reiki and Healing Touch. His assailant, a Japanese man who spoke with Sheldrake earlier that week, was tackled in front of the stage and is now awaiting arraignment in the Santa Fe jail.

Sheldrake tells of his first encounter with the man at the conference:

"My attacker was Japanese, and had arrived from Japan only a few days beforehand. He had spoken to me the day before my lecture, telling me he was hearing voices. He was obviously in distress. I later learned that he had told several other people about the voices, and some had tried to help him. But no one anticipated that he would turn violent, and neither I, nor anyone else I know of, had any premonition of it. Although the report in USA Today said that he was "disturbed" by my lecture, which was on the extended mind, this was misleading; he was disturbed anyway. In any case, his English was probably too poor to understand much of what I said. The fact that I was speaking in the final session of the conference may have had more to do with it - if he was going to do something spectacular, this was his last chance. After stabbing me, he was rapidly brought to the floor by an Australian rugby player, and was held down by several men until the police led him away in handcuffs. While on the ground, he apparently said that the voices had told him to attack me. He is now in Santa Fe jail awaiting trial. I feel no anger towards him, but am pleased that he is locked away and unable to harm anyone else."

His recovery is going remarakably well and has revealed a sense of community and solidarity among supporters:

"I was carried along by a great surge of love and well-wishing, with messages pouring in from around the world conveyed to me via [my wife] Jill and via Larry and Barbara Dossey. I learned that at the conference itself, immediately after the stabbing, dozens of people formed a circle to pray for me. Other chanted in a nearby church. My family and many friends around the world were praying for me. Several of my visitors gave me various forms of healing, including Reiki, and one of the nursing staff, who was also a practitioner of Healing Touch, visited me at nights just before I went to sleep, leaving me feeling as if I were floating like a feather."

He is walking again and even doing speaking engagments due in part to everyone's prayers and opsitive thoughts:

"I am very grateful to all those people who have helped me here in Santa Fe, and to all those at home and around the world who have been praying for me and sending me their love and support. It has made all the difference."

Creative Commons Image: "Ruper Sheldrake" by Nautis on Flickr