The Santo Family

     As I read each chapter in Opening Skinner's Box I was shocked. I was overwhelmed with just how interested I was and how violent, yet successful many of the experiments were. None of the chapters took me aback more, though, than Quieting the Mind. Just the story of Audrey Santo was unbelievable. So much so that I had a lot of trouble believing any of it. Audrey had almost drown when she was four, leaving her brain dead and stuck on life support. However, her mother kept her alive and surrounded her with figurines of holy people. 
     These figurines began bleeding and oozing oil. It was soon found that the oil had healing principles; it could heal cuts and scrapes on contact.This oil was tested, though it could not be determined just what kind it was. People began coming to the Santo house to see Audrey. It was then realized that she could heal any disease if asked. There were numerous occasions that, after someone left, healed, Audrey had the disease. She would bleed and scream and yell, yet she still healed. To say the least, it was incredible.
     I had a lot of trouble believing everything that was happening in the Santo household. It just seemed too far fetched to me. I was shocked, though, when Lauren Slater saw the oil's abilities first hand. She touched one of the figurines, getting oil on her finger that she then rubbed over a small cut on her leg. She said that the cut immediately healed. She had previously said she was a skeptic, so her admitting to this happening completely took me off guard. I still cannot believe that all of this happened. The story of Audrey Santo is truly remarkable; it is shocking, extremely difficult to believe, and impossible to explain. I still do not know exactly how I feel about the whole situation but with what happened to Slater I have to have some faith.