For most people it seems, palm reading is placed in the same category as the fountain of youth and unicorns. It makes for a good time at a carnival, and it’s fun to hope for the promises of a long life and a rich future, but most wouldn’t rely on it as scientific fact.
Although palm reading hasn’t been officially proven by research or openly accepted by medical professionals, there does seem to be some evidence of truthfulness to it.
What Is Palm Reading?
Palm reading, or palmistry, is an ancient practice in which the palm reader studies the creases and lines in your palm and wrist in order to determine certain information about your past, present, and future.
This practice was particularly popular in Greece and Rome, where it was even used as a form of medical diagnosis and character evaluation. Aristotle himself was extremely fascinated with the practice and shared his fascination with one of his pupils, Alexander the Great.
A lot of what we know about ancient palmistry is found in printed texts from the Renaissance, which are kept in the National Library of Medicine. The interesting thing about these texts is that there are many different versions written at different times and in different languages which have similar philosophies, diagrams, and images. (1)
Palmistry And Medicine
Joseph S. Alpert, an MD and the editor in chief of The American Journal of Medicine, shared his view on palmistry and how it relates to modern medical practices.
Alpert recounts an experience in which an 80 year-old Chinese woman from Nanjing read everyone’s palms at a dinner party. He was pleasantly surprised at the accuracy with which this woman could predict specific ages at which individuals had had serious illnesses, the number of children some people had, and even that one of the guests was planning to retire and start a second career.
While Alpert explains that he doesn’t believe in palmistry or fortune telling, he was incredibly intrigued as to how this woman had been able to discern a person’s background and future plans based on a keen sense of intuition and shrewd observations.
He likens this intuition to the skills of experienced clinicians and medical professionals. Medical professionals are able to formulate diagnosis based on examinations and a patient’s history, most often with remarkable accuracy. Using deductive reasoning and intuition, much like the Chinese woman at the dinner party, a person’s past, present, and future can be accurately predicted. (2)
What The M On Your Hand Means
So, whether you choose to believe it or not, there may be some truth to all the palm reading hype. And if you happen to have an M on your palm, you’re in luck!
It is believed that those who have this mark are truly blessed. You are very intuitive, honest, and talented. You have a strong hatred for lying and are able to tell right away when someone is pulling your leg. You are also very strong and courageous when it comes to challenges and new opportunities, just like well-known leaders and prophets of the past who had an M on their palm. Should you choose to pursue it, you can get whatever you desire in life.
Written by Emilyn Gil
- https://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2016/10/31/palmistry-the-future-in-the-palm-of-your-hand/
- https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(15)00647-6/fulltext