Most of us can't bend spoons with our minds, but we may be able to use our brains to live healthier lives. Some doctors are prescribing "mental medicine." In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, it's mind over matter — from the Victorian mesmerists who could amputate the limbs of the entranced, to the modern day brainwashing debate. Also, living with melancholia

Mitchell Gaynor is Director of Oncology and Integrative Medicine at the Stang-Cornell Cancer Prevention Center, and the author of the book and CD "Sounds of Healing: A Physician Reveals the Therapeutic Power of Sound, Voice and Music." Gaynor tells Steve Paulson that using chants and Tibetan singing bowls with his cancer patients has dramatically positive results.

Anti-depressants haven't worked for Jeffrey Smith, author of "Where the Roots Reach for Water: A Personal and Natural History of Melancholia." He tells Steve Paulson why he decided to learn to live with his depression, what difference the medication made, and how he's doing now.

Janja Lalich is Director of the Center for Research on Influence and Control, and author of "Captive Hearts, Captive Minds." She tells Judith Strasser how she defines brainwashing and talks about her own experience as a cult member for over ten years. Also, Caltech historian Alison Winter tells Jim Fleming about the 19th century mesmerists, popular entertainers who established the validity of hypnotism. Winter's book is "Mesmerized: Powers of Mind in Victorian England."

Distribution dates:

• week of 12/03/2000 - hour 1
• week of 10/10/99 - hour 1