History Main / PsychicSurgery

* Pictured above: In ''GreenLantern'', Star Sapphire corps member Miri did this between the hearts of ''two lovers simultaneously'', linking the heart of Soranik to restart Kyle's, who had just died.
* In ''ComicBook/BatmanHush'', Batman asks Franchise/{{Superman}} to use his X-ray vision to confirm something he suspects--that someone has implanted a microchip at the base of his skull. Batman tells Clark to get rid of it, and he uses his heat vision to fry it without damaging the rest of him. Bruce endures, but we can see that it hurts.

* Subverted in ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'', which featured a Filipino con man who pulled the "psychic surgery" scam on his townspeople, pretending to perform miraculous healing while soaking up their money. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Karma eventually caught up]] [[AssholeVictim with him]] [[TooDumbToLive when he tried it on a leper]] [[KarmicDeath from whom he caught the disease.]]...

* In ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'', a Filipino con man pulls the aforementioned "psychic surgery" scam on his townspeople, pretending to perform miraculous healing while soaking up their money. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Karma eventually catches up]] [[AssholeVictim with him]] [[TooDumbToLive when he tries it on a leper]]...

* In ''Series/OnThousandWaysToDie'', a Filipino man pulls the aforementioned "psychic surgery" scam on his townspeople, pretending to perform miraculous healing while soaking up their money. [[HoistByHisOwnPetard Karma eventually catches up]] [[AssholeVictim with him]] when he tries it on a leper...

* In the anime of ''Manga/ShamanKing'', Faust VIII uses this to torture Manta. In the manga? ''He cut him open.''

* In ''GreenLantern'', Star Sapphire corps member Miri did this between the hearts of ''two lovers simultaneously'', linking the heart of Soranik to restart Kyle's, who had just died.

* In ''Literature/OneHundredYearsOfSolitude'', [[spoiler: Fernanda]] mantains contact with a group of supposed "psychic medics" who tell her that they'll telepathically operate on her. At some point, after arranging her room in a specific way and leaning down on her bed, [[spoiler:Fernanda]] feels someone pressing a cold handkerchief to her mouth and passes out. When she wakes up she has a big ass scar on her torso... and there's a letter from the "psychic medics" near her table, saying that they ''did'' operate on her but the only thing they found wrong was a simple uterine problem that could be easily solved by a pessary. Turns out, [[spoiler: Fernanda]] was so prudish while describing her symptoms, she misguided both the psychic medics and herself into believing her illness was something way worse.

* In Franchise/{{Batman}}: Hush, Batman asks Franchise/{{Superman}} to use his X-ray vision to confirm something he suspects--that someone has implanted a microchip at the base of his skull. Batman tells Clark to get rid of it, and he uses his heat vision to fry it without damaging the rest of him. Bruce endures, but we can see that it hurts.

* In ''Literature/OneHundredYearsofSolitude'', [[spoiler: Fernanda]] mantains contact with a group of supposed "psychic medics" who tell her that they'll telepathically operate on her. At some point, after arranging her room in a specific way and leaning down on her bed, [[spoiler:Fernanda]] feels someone pressing a cold handkerchief to her mouth and passes out. When she wakes up she has a big ass scar on her torso... and there's a letter from the "psychic medics" near her table, saying that they ''did'' operate on her but the only thing they found wrong was a simple uterine problem that could be easily solved by a pessary. Turns out, [[spoiler: Fernanda]] was so prudish while describing her symptoms, she misguided both the psychic medics and herself into believing her illness was something way worse.

* Used as both a weapon and a healing technique by [[TheMedic medical ninja]] like Tsunade on ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''.

Rather than open up the patient, the "doctor" sticks his hand into the patient, roots around, and then pulls it out with the problem [[JustForPun well in hand.]] The best part? [[ScarsAreForever No scars]], barely any blood, and a [[HollywoodHealing complete and instant recovery!]] The doctor may be using PsychicPowers (hence the [[TropeNamer trope name]]), [[ClarkesThirdLaw incredibly advanced technology]], a biological ability of his own, or outright magic. Hence the quotations around the word doctor earlier; the healer in question may not have any sort of medical degree, relying entirely on instinct or homeopathic/arcane/psychic training. Which is going to make any medical care when he's BroughtDownToNormal... ''[[RealityEnsues interesting]].''

* A self-healing version of this is used by the villainess Lucifer in ''AngelCop''. She reaches inside her own body to set some broken bones; she's also seen plunging her fingers straight into an enemy's head.

* Seen in an episode of ''TheOuterLimits''.

* Used several times in ''DominicDeegan'', particularly when Azula had a stone of concentrated evil in her stomach removed by another orc who plunged his hand straight into her, leaving her unharmed.

* In ''Literature/OneHundredYearsofSolitude'', [[spoiler: Fernanda]] mantains contact with a group of supposed "psychic medics" who tell her that they'll telepathically operate on her. At some point, after arranging her room in a specific way and leaning down on her bed, [[spoiler:Fernanda]] feels someone pressing a cold handkerchief to her mouth and passes out. When she wakes up she has a big ass scar on her torso... and there's a letter from the "psychic medics" near her table, saying that they ''did'' operate on her but couldn't find anything wrong within her body.
** To be fair, they ''did'' found something wrong... only that the thing they found wrong was a simple uterine problem that could be easily solved by a pessary. Turns out, [[spoiler: Fernanda]] was so prudish while describing her symptoms, she misguided both the psychic medics and herself into believing her illness was something way worse.

* In ''VampireTheRequiem'' the vampires brainwashed by the VII covenant have the ability of "Psychic Surgery", which allows them to heal injuries in themselves and others by phasing their hands through flesh... or cause minor brain lesions to help brainwash other vampires into their covenant.

* Powers of this name existed in the 2nd and 3rd editions of DungeonsAndDragons. They couldn't heal hit point damage, but could fix auras, trauma, curses, implanted compulsions, and so forth.
* A skill associated with [[MindOverMatter Blue mana]] in MagicTheGathering, including a [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=214347 card with that name exactly]].

Rather than open up the patient, the "doctor" sticks his hand into the patient, roots around, and then pulls it out with the problem [[JustForPun well in hand.]] The best part? [[ScarsAreForever No scars]], barely any blood, and a [[HollywoodHealing complete and instant recovery!]] The doctor may be using PsychicPowers (hence the [[TropeNamer trope name]]), [[ClarkesThirdLaw incredibly advanced technology]], a biological ability of his own, or outright magic. Hence the quotations around the word doctor earlier; the healer in question may not have any sort of medical degree, relying entirely on instinct or homeopathic/arcane/psychic training. Which is going to make any medical care when he's BroughtDownToNormal... ''[[OhCrap interesting]].''

* ''Film/TheMatrix: Reloaded'' ends with [[spoiler:Neo removing the bullet from Trinity this way, and then restarts her heart by directly squeezing it.]]

* At the end of ''Film/ManOnTheMoon'', Creator/AndyKaufman (Creator/JimCarrey) travels to the Philippines to have his inoperable lung cancer treated by a man claiming this ability. He starts laughing hysterically when the "surgery" starts, apparently realizing it's just a trick. It doesn't work, clearly, as the next scene is of his funeral. Sadly TruthInTelevision-many people in [[TheSeventies the '70s]] and [[TheEighties '80s]], often, like Kaufman, with terminal diseases, were defrauded by such con men in the Philippines. Many, like Kaufman, had terminal diseases.

* In ''Series/Riget'', this is how will Dr. Bondo lose his precious tumor.

* In Elfquest, the [[HealingHands healers' powers]]. The negative use is also shown, with corrupted former healer Winnowill, who [[BodyHorror creates twisted monsters]] [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting through shaping them against their will]]. Others, like Tyldak, who she gives wings, [[VoluntaryShapeshifting asked her to do it though]].

** To be fair, they ''did'' something wrong... only that the thing they found wrong was a simple uterine problem that could be easily solved by a pessary. Turns out, [[spoiler: Fernanda]] was so prudish while describing her symptoms, she misguided both the psychic medics and herself into believing her illness was something way worse.