Don’t think that at the age of sixty-seven you are at the end of your rope. Especially if you have not managed to explore the globe during your active life, you still have a lot of catching up to do. Moreover, in many cases, retirement entails the payment of a series of bonuses by the employer, not to mention medical science, thanks to whom the current “pensioner” at the beginning or during the first years of his last stage of life collects the estate of dad and/or mom. If you also belong to the type that is not particularly interested in investing in real estate, then you have come to the right web address.
Here some trips you might have skipped during your most active years:
One of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the world is Lourdes, a small town in France where millions of people visit every year to drink or bathe in the water that flows from a spring in a grotto. Many of them believe that the water has miraculous healing powers, and some even claim to have been cured of serious illnesses or disabilities after using it. But is there any scientific evidence that Lourdes’ water has any special qualities or effects beyond those of ordinary water?
The short answer is no. Scientists have analyzed the water from Lourdes and compared it with other spring waters, and they have found no significant differences or anomalies. The water is essentially pure, with only trace amounts of minerals and salts, and no signs of contamination or pollution. It is indistinguishable from any other natural spring water in terms of its composition and quality. Some examples of the studies that have been conducted to test the chemical, physical and biological properties of Lourdes’ water are:
– An analysis commissioned by the French politician Anselme Lacadé in 1858, which determined that the water was potable and had a similar composition to other spring waters in the region.
– A geochemical study by researchers from the University of Zaragoza in 2017, which measured the concentrations of trace elements in four springs in Lourdes and found no evidence of any unusual or anomalous values.
– A study by Nobel laureate Luc Montagnier in 2009, which claimed to detect very low frequency electromagnetic waves in Lourdes’ water, but failed to provide any clear explanation or mechanism for how they could affect human health or well-being.
Moreover, there is no convincing evidence that Lourdes’ water has any beneficial effects on human health or well-being. The Catholic Church has officially recognized 70 cases of miraculous healings attributed to Lourdes’ water since 1858, when a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have seen visions of Our Lady of Lourdes in the grotto. However, these cases are based on testimonies and medical records that are often incomplete, inconsistent or unreliable. Many of them involve conditions that are known to have spontaneous remissions or fluctuations, such as multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis or rheumatoid arthritis. Some of them have been challenged by alternative explanations or diagnoses, such as psychosomatic factors, placebo effects or fraud. And some of them have been contradicted by later relapses or complications, such as cancer recurrence or amputation.
In fact, the rate of miraculous healings at Lourdes is extremely low compared to the number of visitors and petitions. According to the official statistics, only one out of every 100,000 pilgrims who go to Lourdes reports a cure, and only one out of every 10 million is recognized as a miracle by the Church. This means that the chances of experiencing a miracle at Lourdes are lower than winning the lottery or being struck by lightning.
Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that there is no scientific evidence that Lourdes’ water has any special qualities or effects beyond those of ordinary water. The belief in its miraculous power is based on faith, not facts. This does not mean that Lourdes’ water is useless or harmful; it may still have psychological, emotional or spiritual benefits for some people who seek comfort, hope or meaning in their lives. But it does mean that we should not expect it to cure our physical ailments or diseases, nor should we rely on it as a substitute for proper medical care and treatment.
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