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An umbrella term for a considerable range of abilities, Force Healing refers to any technique that can be used to augment or modify a person's natural regeneration, as well as those that are in some way related to a being's physical condition in the sense of health and well-being. These skills are numerous and varied in nature, but the following (though not by any means exhaustive) are those typically trained by members of the Jedi Order who seek to dedicate themselves to the Healing arts. Note that these are not using formal names, but are rather categorised based upon function:
- Heal Self (includes Jedi Hibernation Trance as well as consciously-applied Healing)
- Heal Others (includes placing others in a Hibernation Trance, using Force Healing skills upon another individual directly, or using telepathic techniques to calm psychological pain)
- Retain Consciousness
- Suppress/Control/Reduce Pain
- Detoxify/Neutralise Toxins
- Breath Control (as a means of protecting against toxins, and maintaining proper bodily function in the absence of appropriate atmospheric conditions)
- Tapas (sustaining normal body temperature in adverse conditions)
- Force Sense (another umbrella term. With regards to Healing, refers to extra-sensory perception used to locate and diagnose illness or injury in a patient, enabling the Jedi to direct their energies towards the healing process)
- Telekinesis (applied to reset broken bones, close severed blood vessels etc)
The function of all of these techniques is to enable a Jedi to survive in conditions that might otherwise be hazardous to the well-being or survival of their physical body, to aid others in doing the same, and also to promote/stimulate healing such that they can better recover from any damage they do suffer.
It should however be observed that, contrary to popular belief, very few Jedi Healers are capable of recovering from injuries in a short amount of time - all Force Healing techniques essentially augment existing physical processes, so to seal a wound, a Jedi merely speeds up the coagulation process by appling Force energy to the wound. Although this causes the wound to seal more rapidly than it would do on it's own, ultimately it is restricted in terms of speed by the body itself - there is no direct correlation between application of energy and speed of healing. An equivalent example would be the velocity of your landspeeder: it does not go faster merely because you put more fuel in it.
This is the most fundamental limitation of Force Healing techniques: though the Force itself is an endless supply of energy, the body itself becomes the limiting factor. A body can ultimately only heal so fast, even with extra healing energy applied. A skilled Jedi Healer can direct energy to function in a particular way, to accelerate the healing in a specific manner, but ultimately, the body will only heal at a certain rate. As such, stories of Jedi healing near-fatal wounds in a matter of minutes tend to be apocryphal rather than true - such healing is beyond the scope of even the strongest of Jedi, and would actually be more likely to tax their strength than restore it. It is also worth noting that Jedi very rarely use Force Healing techniques alone unless absolutely necessary - the majority will always combine their skills with conventional treatment methods.
Function
As noted above, the function of Jedi Healing techniques are to augment the body's natural physical healing processes. These can take a considerable number of forms: to bind wounds by enhancing the body's natural clotting processes; to pinch off a severed blood vessel to prevent blood loss and maintain cardiac function, to provide the body with energy needed to regenerate damage cells, to enable the Jedi to stay conscious and alert when they might otherwise lose executive function through shock and trauma. And this is merely the tip of the iceberg: a well-trained Jedi Healer essentially becomes an extension of the Force itself, able to diagnose illness, disorder and injury and apply the appropriate treatment, whether via use of the Force or through conventional medicine.
The first skill, that of diagnosis and assessment, requires the Jedi to be well-trained in Force Sense techniques: the ability to stretch out their mind and envision things outside themselves using the Force. To train as a Jedi Healer, a student must first work on refining their senses: a Jedi's best means of diagnosis is through use of the Force, rather than through the use of medical instrumentation. The Force can detect obstructions, imbalances, imperfections and any abnormalities that can found in a person's body, and thus a Jedi must learn to sense an individual in a deeper way than they can normally, to be able to sense both the effective operation of a healthy body, and any issues that may cause such a person to become unhealthy.
To do this on a living being takes considerable practice as well as anatomical knowledge: ultimately a Jedi will only be able to sense what is wrong with a person if they are able to perceive those same functions in their normal state. For example, if you pressed your hand against someone's chest to detect an irregular heartbeat, you would first need to know what a regular heartbeat felt like. This is true for Jedi using their Force Senses: they must have knowledge of how the body operates under normal conditions before they can be expected to diagnose illness or injury. Furthermore, they must have a fair understanding of the potential issues that can affect a sentient's body: illnesses, injuries, traumas, disorders and conditions. Absence of this could easily lead the Jedi to simply attempt to treat the symptom rather than the underlying condition causing it, leading them to believe that the patient in their care is cured when they are far from it, or to misdiagnose them entirely and provide an inappropriate form of care. As such, no Jedi should attempt to use Force Healing techniques without underlying knowledge in Anatomy, Physiology and their associated pathologies and trauma.
Mechanism of Effect
Put simply, Force Healing in the direct sense is the application of Force energy to the site of an injury or wound with the express intent of augmenting the healing process. This can actually be fairly straightforward: the Jedi simply serves as a conduit for this energy, shaping it into a nourishing, cleansing form of energy that the body can use to enhance it's own healing. This does require some considerable practice, however, since channelling energy for long periods of time can take a large toll upon the Jedi directly (since the body is not meant to channel Force energy for sustained periods of time beyond a certain point), so many Healers tend to suffer from exhaustion for hours or days following a treatment. This naturally becomes less of an issue as the Healer becomes more experienced and therefore accustomed to channelling that level of energy.
That noted, this limitation only applies to Force Healing when applied to others: a very time-consuming and exhausting process that can take hours or even days to complete. The Jedi themselves are often unaware of the passage of time once fully immersed on the healing process, since their thoughts must be entirely focused upon the conversion of the Force energy they draw upon into the healing energy needed to heal the wound, as well as upon the specific form of healing this must take (e.g. to knit bone or to regenerate burned flesh into whole, healthy flesh). If this concentration is absent, the healing will fail.
Each technique has it's own different mechanism of effect, however, and is applied according to the manner in which it acts, as well as the means the Jedi is employing to perform the technique. These are as follows:
Pain Suppression/Control
A fairly common technique used among the Order, this skill enables a Jedi to shut off the pain receptors of their body and to ignore any feelings of pain that might cloud their judgement or distract them at a crucial moment. This is usually taught as an aid to those Jedi wishing to develop further Healing techniques, since it enables them to apply other skills even when injured themselves, since they can clear their minds of the pain and thus be able to concentrate sufficiently to continue using the Force. This is a vital component of all Force Healing: the inability to concentrate compromises the Jedi's ability to channel Force energy for healing purposes, so to control the pain sensation allows them to deal with the causes of this pain.
The skill can be applied in two ways: either applying a psychic block on the Jedi's perception/awareness of pain, such that they experience the pain itself but are numb to it's effects, essentially rendering themselves pain-free, or by suppressing the function of the individual's pain receptors, such that they can be physically in pain but unaware of it because the signals that would make them aware of this are simply not being transmitted to the brain. In either case, it is worth noting that the injury or damage causing the pain is still present - the absence of the pain itself does not mean that the injury is similarly gone. As such, a Jedi should take care to remain aware of these injuries - for example, being unable to feel the pain of a broken leg would mean that the Jedi could cause more damage to it were they to attempt walking.
This technique is primarily used as an introduction to those studying Healing techniques, mostly because it can be applied to others through use of Projective Telepathy: a Jedi applying this skill to themselves may induce the same in another by projecting their active focus on suppression to the patient, enabling them to reduce the individual's sensitivity to the pain they are experiencing. It can also allow the Jedi to calm the patient sufficiently to enhance their treatment using Force Healing techniques.
Jedi Hibernation Trance
When healing oneself, Jedi will generally apply a Hibernation Trance, a trance that places the Jedi in a state of unconsciousness, healing energy being applied naturally through the Jedi's own connection to the Force. This state allows their body's to focus their entire energy upon the healing process, speeding it by some considerable time, though most Jedi ultimately spend hours or days locked in this state while healing, particularly from severe injury. A hibernation trance can last from an hour or two for a lesser wound, and up to days or even a week for a more severe one. It should also be noted that Jedi do not preserve their own internal energies through the trance: they will still need nourishment and their bodies continue to obey conditions of natural survival. In the absence of food, water or oxygen, the Jedi will die if the trance does not end before these conditions are not met. As such, if possible, most Jedi will seek medical assistance and be given intravenous fluids and nutrients to ensure their survival during the trance. However, most will find themselves having lost weight and be both hungry and thirsty when emerging from a Hibernation trance - this should not be considered unusual or problematic!
The hibernation trance itself resembles an individual sleeping or unconscious for a long period of time. Under a medical scanner, they appear to have decreased metabolic function and brain activity, and cannot be roused by conventional means. If a Jedi has placed themselves within the trance, they have the option to set a trigger phrase by which they could be woken, if another was in possession of this phrase. This would normally be something simple, like a word or sentence, but something specific to the individual, so that it could not accidentally be spoken by anyone around them and rouse them from the trance before they were ready. Alternatively, a Jedi could simply remain within the trance until the healing process was complete, in which case they would wake naturally.
It is possible for a Jedi to place another within a Hibernation Trance, but to do so, the Jedi must either have the consent of the person being placed into the trance, or sufficient willpower to overcome that of the individual in question - in essence, a person cannot be forced into a trance against their will, but can be placed there consensually, or if the patient has insufficient ability to prevent it. So, a semi-conscious individual needing treatment could be placed into a trance, because they would have insufficient mental resources to prevent it, but a fully-conscious individual could not, unless they consented to do so. It is unknown why this is the case, but Jedi ethics would prevent any attempt to force a Hibernation Trance in any case. Again, a Jedi may set a trigger phrase if they wish, and should monitor the patient throughout the trance in case of any problems arising.
Neutralise Toxin/Poison
Jedi have the remarkable ability to neutralise toxins and poisons within their bloodstream, provided they are aware of their presence and can effectively identify them. This latter part is vital: identification of a poison means that the Jedi can correctly identify the consequential effects and treat them. As such, a Jedi intending to use this technique must study many different chemicals and compounds and have an awareness both of their smell, texture, taste and the effects that result from these. Although it is possible for a Jedi to neutralise a toxin they are unfamiliar with, this will usually be incomplete and require further treatment to ensure full eradication of the toxin from their system - as such, this will only ever be a stopgap measure.
There are several ways to detoxify a poison - the traditional method is simply to apply healing energy directly to the bloodstream itself, both to encourage an immune system response from the body (and accelerate it as normal with Force Healing) and to augment the natural ability of the body's Liver in removal of toxins. This will not result in any overt expelling of the toxin - this simply neutralises the toxin so that it can be broken down into constituent components that are ultimately harmless to the body. Alternatively, Force energy can be channelled to those areas of the body that will be affected by the toxin, essentially shoring up their own regenerative abilities so that they can fight off the toxin through natural processes - this is generally done through a Jedi Hibernation Trance.
It should be noted that this technique works on a wide variety of toxins and foreign substances: everything from recreational drugs such as Alcohol or Glitterstim, to poisons, gaseous toxins and even certain allergens. However, it cannot be used to overcome or reverse physical addiction (for which alternative treatment must be sought), and, again, the Jedi must have some awareness of the toxin in order to reverse or treat the effects on their system. If unaware of a toxin, it is impossible for them to effectively treat the damage itself, and thus, this skill becomes useless. As with other techniques, it can however be used by another Jedi to treat the toxin provided they recognise it - this is the more likely course of action, taken by a fully-qualified Jedi Healer.
Retain Consciousness
Combining Force energy with Jedi mental disciplines, it is possible for a Jedi to retain consciousness under certain conditions where they might otherwise be knocked unconscious. This is, however, conditional: counteracting an anaesthetic or sedative requires that they use Neutralise/Detoxify Poison, which will enable them to remain conscious (though under those conditions, it is perhaps best to feign unconsciousness!). In the case of trauma to the head, the Jedi must be aware of the risk and prepare themselves mentally beforehand, specifically focusing on remaining conscious when they would otherwise lapse. This mental preparation requires a few seconds, and is done to the exclusion of all else.
This technique cannot be performed on others, since a Jedi cannot be responsible for the consciousness of another being. They can however use Force energy to help a being regain consciousness, provided they are not unconscious due to severe trauma or some internal condition (such as in the event of a Cardiac Arrest - in this circumstance, standard resuscitation techniques would be required), in essence using the Force as a psychological stimulant, shocking the body into consciousness.
Breath Control
This technique is a combination - a skill that reduces the body's need for Oxygen combined with Detoxify Poison, reducing or negating any damage caused by inhalation of noxious gases by the lungs. Since the body rarely expels all the oxygen during exhalation, the Healer can encourage their lungs to use this residual oxygen when deprived, or use the Force to prevent the body's cells from experiencing trauma due to oxygen deprivation. This is only possible for short periods of time, however, and long-term exposure will increase the Jedi's chance of internal damage. If the Jedi is required to be immobile during this time, it is recommended that the use a Hibernation Trance instead, since this will reduce their oxygen consumption needs to a considerable extent. This technique, however, cannot be used on another, and should be considered an ability only for personal use.
Tapas
Though technically an independent skill, Tapas is the ability to use the Force to maintain your body temperature at stable levels, particularly in inhospitable environments. As a Healing technique, this is more preventative than as a form of treatment, though some Jedi have successfully used it to treat Shock and Fever brought on by trauma or illness, since it is necessary to maintain a stable body temperature at such times.
Tapas can be used through multiple different techniques: generating a telekinetic shield that is impermeable to heat, thereby retaining body heat rather than losing it to thermal diffusion; manipulating the air particles around yourself to generate warmth by increasing the movement of these particles (a means of generating heat energy), or by increasing the rate of bodily metabolism, releasing heat as a byproduct of cellular respiration - this, though, is a very dangerous approach, since it depletes the body's natural energy reserves rather quickly, and thus should only be used as a last resort.
This technique can be used to protect others from changes in temperature, simply by extending a telekinetic shield around another individual and allowing that to maintain their temperature, or by exciting air particles around them. This can however be quite taxing on a Jedi, and thus, will require considerable concentration on their part. It is recommended that Tapas not be used in this manner unless there is absolutely no alternative means of maintaining their body temperature, since this concentration will detract from the Healer's ability to monitor their patient's holistic medical status.
- Heal Self (includes Jedi Hibernation Trance as well as consciously-applied Healing)
- Heal Others (includes placing others in a Hibernation Trance, using Force Healing skills upon another individual directly, or using telepathic techniques to calm psychological pain)
- Retain Consciousness
- Suppress/Control/Reduce Pain
- Detoxify/Neutralise Toxins
- Breath Control (as a means of protecting against toxins, and maintaining proper bodily function in the absence of appropriate atmospheric conditions)
- Tapas (sustaining normal body temperature in adverse conditions)
- Force Sense (another umbrella term. With regards to Healing, refers to extra-sensory perception used to locate and diagnose illness or injury in a patient, enabling the Jedi to direct their energies towards the healing process)
- Telekinesis (applied to reset broken bones, close severed blood vessels etc)
The function of all of these techniques is to enable a Jedi to survive in conditions that might otherwise be hazardous to the well-being or survival of their physical body, to aid others in doing the same, and also to promote/stimulate healing such that they can better recover from any damage they do suffer.
It should however be observed that, contrary to popular belief, very few Jedi Healers are capable of recovering from injuries in a short amount of time - all Force Healing techniques essentially augment existing physical processes, so to seal a wound, a Jedi merely speeds up the coagulation process by appling Force energy to the wound. Although this causes the wound to seal more rapidly than it would do on it's own, ultimately it is restricted in terms of speed by the body itself - there is no direct correlation between application of energy and speed of healing. An equivalent example would be the velocity of your landspeeder: it does not go faster merely because you put more fuel in it.
This is the most fundamental limitation of Force Healing techniques: though the Force itself is an endless supply of energy, the body itself becomes the limiting factor. A body can ultimately only heal so fast, even with extra healing energy applied. A skilled Jedi Healer can direct energy to function in a particular way, to accelerate the healing in a specific manner, but ultimately, the body will only heal at a certain rate. As such, stories of Jedi healing near-fatal wounds in a matter of minutes tend to be apocryphal rather than true - such healing is beyond the scope of even the strongest of Jedi, and would actually be more likely to tax their strength than restore it. It is also worth noting that Jedi very rarely use Force Healing techniques alone unless absolutely necessary - the majority will always combine their skills with conventional treatment methods.
Function
As noted above, the function of Jedi Healing techniques are to augment the body's natural physical healing processes. These can take a considerable number of forms: to bind wounds by enhancing the body's natural clotting processes; to pinch off a severed blood vessel to prevent blood loss and maintain cardiac function, to provide the body with energy needed to regenerate damage cells, to enable the Jedi to stay conscious and alert when they might otherwise lose executive function through shock and trauma. And this is merely the tip of the iceberg: a well-trained Jedi Healer essentially becomes an extension of the Force itself, able to diagnose illness, disorder and injury and apply the appropriate treatment, whether via use of the Force or through conventional medicine.
The first skill, that of diagnosis and assessment, requires the Jedi to be well-trained in Force Sense techniques: the ability to stretch out their mind and envision things outside themselves using the Force. To train as a Jedi Healer, a student must first work on refining their senses: a Jedi's best means of diagnosis is through use of the Force, rather than through the use of medical instrumentation. The Force can detect obstructions, imbalances, imperfections and any abnormalities that can found in a person's body, and thus a Jedi must learn to sense an individual in a deeper way than they can normally, to be able to sense both the effective operation of a healthy body, and any issues that may cause such a person to become unhealthy.
To do this on a living being takes considerable practice as well as anatomical knowledge: ultimately a Jedi will only be able to sense what is wrong with a person if they are able to perceive those same functions in their normal state. For example, if you pressed your hand against someone's chest to detect an irregular heartbeat, you would first need to know what a regular heartbeat felt like. This is true for Jedi using their Force Senses: they must have knowledge of how the body operates under normal conditions before they can be expected to diagnose illness or injury. Furthermore, they must have a fair understanding of the potential issues that can affect a sentient's body: illnesses, injuries, traumas, disorders and conditions. Absence of this could easily lead the Jedi to simply attempt to treat the symptom rather than the underlying condition causing it, leading them to believe that the patient in their care is cured when they are far from it, or to misdiagnose them entirely and provide an inappropriate form of care. As such, no Jedi should attempt to use Force Healing techniques without underlying knowledge in Anatomy, Physiology and their associated pathologies and trauma.
Mechanism of Effect
Put simply, Force Healing in the direct sense is the application of Force energy to the site of an injury or wound with the express intent of augmenting the healing process. This can actually be fairly straightforward: the Jedi simply serves as a conduit for this energy, shaping it into a nourishing, cleansing form of energy that the body can use to enhance it's own healing. This does require some considerable practice, however, since channelling energy for long periods of time can take a large toll upon the Jedi directly (since the body is not meant to channel Force energy for sustained periods of time beyond a certain point), so many Healers tend to suffer from exhaustion for hours or days following a treatment. This naturally becomes less of an issue as the Healer becomes more experienced and therefore accustomed to channelling that level of energy.
That noted, this limitation only applies to Force Healing when applied to others: a very time-consuming and exhausting process that can take hours or even days to complete. The Jedi themselves are often unaware of the passage of time once fully immersed on the healing process, since their thoughts must be entirely focused upon the conversion of the Force energy they draw upon into the healing energy needed to heal the wound, as well as upon the specific form of healing this must take (e.g. to knit bone or to regenerate burned flesh into whole, healthy flesh). If this concentration is absent, the healing will fail.
Each technique has it's own different mechanism of effect, however, and is applied according to the manner in which it acts, as well as the means the Jedi is employing to perform the technique. These are as follows:
Pain Suppression/Control
A fairly common technique used among the Order, this skill enables a Jedi to shut off the pain receptors of their body and to ignore any feelings of pain that might cloud their judgement or distract them at a crucial moment. This is usually taught as an aid to those Jedi wishing to develop further Healing techniques, since it enables them to apply other skills even when injured themselves, since they can clear their minds of the pain and thus be able to concentrate sufficiently to continue using the Force. This is a vital component of all Force Healing: the inability to concentrate compromises the Jedi's ability to channel Force energy for healing purposes, so to control the pain sensation allows them to deal with the causes of this pain.
The skill can be applied in two ways: either applying a psychic block on the Jedi's perception/awareness of pain, such that they experience the pain itself but are numb to it's effects, essentially rendering themselves pain-free, or by suppressing the function of the individual's pain receptors, such that they can be physically in pain but unaware of it because the signals that would make them aware of this are simply not being transmitted to the brain. In either case, it is worth noting that the injury or damage causing the pain is still present - the absence of the pain itself does not mean that the injury is similarly gone. As such, a Jedi should take care to remain aware of these injuries - for example, being unable to feel the pain of a broken leg would mean that the Jedi could cause more damage to it were they to attempt walking.
This technique is primarily used as an introduction to those studying Healing techniques, mostly because it can be applied to others through use of Projective Telepathy: a Jedi applying this skill to themselves may induce the same in another by projecting their active focus on suppression to the patient, enabling them to reduce the individual's sensitivity to the pain they are experiencing. It can also allow the Jedi to calm the patient sufficiently to enhance their treatment using Force Healing techniques.
Jedi Hibernation Trance
When healing oneself, Jedi will generally apply a Hibernation Trance, a trance that places the Jedi in a state of unconsciousness, healing energy being applied naturally through the Jedi's own connection to the Force. This state allows their body's to focus their entire energy upon the healing process, speeding it by some considerable time, though most Jedi ultimately spend hours or days locked in this state while healing, particularly from severe injury. A hibernation trance can last from an hour or two for a lesser wound, and up to days or even a week for a more severe one. It should also be noted that Jedi do not preserve their own internal energies through the trance: they will still need nourishment and their bodies continue to obey conditions of natural survival. In the absence of food, water or oxygen, the Jedi will die if the trance does not end before these conditions are not met. As such, if possible, most Jedi will seek medical assistance and be given intravenous fluids and nutrients to ensure their survival during the trance. However, most will find themselves having lost weight and be both hungry and thirsty when emerging from a Hibernation trance - this should not be considered unusual or problematic!
The hibernation trance itself resembles an individual sleeping or unconscious for a long period of time. Under a medical scanner, they appear to have decreased metabolic function and brain activity, and cannot be roused by conventional means. If a Jedi has placed themselves within the trance, they have the option to set a trigger phrase by which they could be woken, if another was in possession of this phrase. This would normally be something simple, like a word or sentence, but something specific to the individual, so that it could not accidentally be spoken by anyone around them and rouse them from the trance before they were ready. Alternatively, a Jedi could simply remain within the trance until the healing process was complete, in which case they would wake naturally.
It is possible for a Jedi to place another within a Hibernation Trance, but to do so, the Jedi must either have the consent of the person being placed into the trance, or sufficient willpower to overcome that of the individual in question - in essence, a person cannot be forced into a trance against their will, but can be placed there consensually, or if the patient has insufficient ability to prevent it. So, a semi-conscious individual needing treatment could be placed into a trance, because they would have insufficient mental resources to prevent it, but a fully-conscious individual could not, unless they consented to do so. It is unknown why this is the case, but Jedi ethics would prevent any attempt to force a Hibernation Trance in any case. Again, a Jedi may set a trigger phrase if they wish, and should monitor the patient throughout the trance in case of any problems arising.
Neutralise Toxin/Poison
Jedi have the remarkable ability to neutralise toxins and poisons within their bloodstream, provided they are aware of their presence and can effectively identify them. This latter part is vital: identification of a poison means that the Jedi can correctly identify the consequential effects and treat them. As such, a Jedi intending to use this technique must study many different chemicals and compounds and have an awareness both of their smell, texture, taste and the effects that result from these. Although it is possible for a Jedi to neutralise a toxin they are unfamiliar with, this will usually be incomplete and require further treatment to ensure full eradication of the toxin from their system - as such, this will only ever be a stopgap measure.
There are several ways to detoxify a poison - the traditional method is simply to apply healing energy directly to the bloodstream itself, both to encourage an immune system response from the body (and accelerate it as normal with Force Healing) and to augment the natural ability of the body's Liver in removal of toxins. This will not result in any overt expelling of the toxin - this simply neutralises the toxin so that it can be broken down into constituent components that are ultimately harmless to the body. Alternatively, Force energy can be channelled to those areas of the body that will be affected by the toxin, essentially shoring up their own regenerative abilities so that they can fight off the toxin through natural processes - this is generally done through a Jedi Hibernation Trance.
It should be noted that this technique works on a wide variety of toxins and foreign substances: everything from recreational drugs such as Alcohol or Glitterstim, to poisons, gaseous toxins and even certain allergens. However, it cannot be used to overcome or reverse physical addiction (for which alternative treatment must be sought), and, again, the Jedi must have some awareness of the toxin in order to reverse or treat the effects on their system. If unaware of a toxin, it is impossible for them to effectively treat the damage itself, and thus, this skill becomes useless. As with other techniques, it can however be used by another Jedi to treat the toxin provided they recognise it - this is the more likely course of action, taken by a fully-qualified Jedi Healer.
Retain Consciousness
Combining Force energy with Jedi mental disciplines, it is possible for a Jedi to retain consciousness under certain conditions where they might otherwise be knocked unconscious. This is, however, conditional: counteracting an anaesthetic or sedative requires that they use Neutralise/Detoxify Poison, which will enable them to remain conscious (though under those conditions, it is perhaps best to feign unconsciousness!). In the case of trauma to the head, the Jedi must be aware of the risk and prepare themselves mentally beforehand, specifically focusing on remaining conscious when they would otherwise lapse. This mental preparation requires a few seconds, and is done to the exclusion of all else.
This technique cannot be performed on others, since a Jedi cannot be responsible for the consciousness of another being. They can however use Force energy to help a being regain consciousness, provided they are not unconscious due to severe trauma or some internal condition (such as in the event of a Cardiac Arrest - in this circumstance, standard resuscitation techniques would be required), in essence using the Force as a psychological stimulant, shocking the body into consciousness.
Breath Control
This technique is a combination - a skill that reduces the body's need for Oxygen combined with Detoxify Poison, reducing or negating any damage caused by inhalation of noxious gases by the lungs. Since the body rarely expels all the oxygen during exhalation, the Healer can encourage their lungs to use this residual oxygen when deprived, or use the Force to prevent the body's cells from experiencing trauma due to oxygen deprivation. This is only possible for short periods of time, however, and long-term exposure will increase the Jedi's chance of internal damage. If the Jedi is required to be immobile during this time, it is recommended that the use a Hibernation Trance instead, since this will reduce their oxygen consumption needs to a considerable extent. This technique, however, cannot be used on another, and should be considered an ability only for personal use.
Tapas
Though technically an independent skill, Tapas is the ability to use the Force to maintain your body temperature at stable levels, particularly in inhospitable environments. As a Healing technique, this is more preventative than as a form of treatment, though some Jedi have successfully used it to treat Shock and Fever brought on by trauma or illness, since it is necessary to maintain a stable body temperature at such times.
Tapas can be used through multiple different techniques: generating a telekinetic shield that is impermeable to heat, thereby retaining body heat rather than losing it to thermal diffusion; manipulating the air particles around yourself to generate warmth by increasing the movement of these particles (a means of generating heat energy), or by increasing the rate of bodily metabolism, releasing heat as a byproduct of cellular respiration - this, though, is a very dangerous approach, since it depletes the body's natural energy reserves rather quickly, and thus should only be used as a last resort.
This technique can be used to protect others from changes in temperature, simply by extending a telekinetic shield around another individual and allowing that to maintain their temperature, or by exciting air particles around them. This can however be quite taxing on a Jedi, and thus, will require considerable concentration on their part. It is recommended that Tapas not be used in this manner unless there is absolutely no alternative means of maintaining their body temperature, since this concentration will detract from the Healer's ability to monitor their patient's holistic medical status.