Available online 10 July 2022

The use of traditional folk healers still exists in north-eastern Poland

Every fourth paramedic student from Podlasie knows about the whisperer practice within 20 km from the parents’ place of residence

Every second paramedic student from Podlasie has friends who have used a whisperer

So far, the phenomenon of folk healers in Podlasie (eastern Poland) has not attracted the interest of medical professionals. There are no statistics describing the scale of the phenomenon. The study aimed to find out whether young adults undertaking studies and those around them use the help of whisperers.

43 student paramedics took part in the study. Parents of all participants lived in Podlasie or adjacent counties. They answered the survey questions and participated in the discussion on alternative methods of treatment.

Every fourth student paramedic reported that a whisperer was active within a radius of 20 km from his/her parents' residence. 60.5% of student paramedics have personal/family experience or friends using a whisperer.

Using the help of whisperers seems to have the features of a lifestyle element among educated young people from Podlasie. Non-disappearance of the tradition of healing by whispering and obligatory transfer of heritage to younger people before the expected loss of physical strength or death of a whisperer makes it possible to plan interesting biomedical research on healing and healers' predispositions.

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.