Book Review

A Healer Among Us

A Healer Among Us:
The Story of Douglas Johnson
by Jon Stevens
Cameo Art Publishing, Sherman Oaks, CA
Hardcover, 1994, 357 pp.

Review by Tom Csere, Fate Magazine

American psychic healer Douglas Johnson was first introduced to the American reading public by Jess Stearn a quarter century ago in his bestselling book The Miracle Workers: America's Psychic Consultants (1972).

Now, author Jon Stevens has written Johnson's definitive biography, A Healer Among Us. It provides not only an update of Johnson's life and his growth as a healer, but also a detailed account of Johnson's early life and the circumstances that led up to his becoming a healer—something omitted from the earlier Stearn book.

Johnson was born with a congenital heart condition inherited from his mother (who died from the condition when Douglas was nine). He suffered his first heart attack at age 14, and later, in his mid-twenties, underwent extensive testing by physicians at the famed Mayo Clinic. Their prognosis was not good—"two more years" is what they told him—and, indeed, just three weeks after the testing he suffered yet another heart attack.

Then, in 1954, came his life-transforming move to Hollywood, California. There he became acquainted with Spiritualist teachings and practices and began developing his own latent psychic abilities. Most important, he experienced a miraculous healing of his heart condition.

Johnson did not become a psychic healer until his late forties, after having worked for about 15 years as a psychic consultant. Johnson's very first healing is described at length in the book, along with other memorable healings. Johnson heals simply by laying his hands over—not on—a patient's body. This technique has proven to be successful in thousands of cases.

The consensus on Johnson seems to be that he is not only one of America's best healers but also one of the most compassionate and approachable—Johnson's home phone number is given in the book and, yes, he even answers his own phone! Actress Susan Strasberg, perhaps representative of many who have known Johnson over the years, declares in the book: "I must say that of all the people I've met in the metaphysical field, the thing that's impressed me about Doug is that with him I sense less ego involvement than with so many of the other people. With him, I never felt any of that."

—Tom Csere

Copyright © Fate Magazine, posted with permission.