Tourette Syndrome: Etiology and Recovery

Abstract

Background: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent motor and vocal tics, often accompanied by comorbidities such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Conventional treatments including behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, and deep brain stimulation, are primarily symptomatic and do not address underlying causes. Contemporary science attributes TS to complex interactions among genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors but has yet to explain its heterogeneity, fluctuation, and variable treatment response.

Methods: This paper presents two case reports of children diagnosed with TS who were treated using the Three Golden Buddhist Practices of the Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door: making vows, reciting Buddhist scriptures, and performing life liberation. The primary intervention involved reciting and burning Little Houses—structured combinations of sutras and mantras—intended to repay karmic debts to spirits identified as the underlying causes of the children’s symptoms. In the first case, three spirits were identified as the causes of the patient’s TS: two human spirits and a black bear spirit. In the second case, the mother made vows and recited Little Houses to repay karmic creditors, although the specific creditors were not identified.

Results: Both children experienced significant and sustained improvement. In the first case, the boy’s blinking and throat clearing improved after approximately 100 Little Houses; after an additional 86 Little Houses for the bear spirit, his symptoms resolved, and he became academically successful. In the second case, the boy reported marked improvement after approximately 12 Little Houses. He later excelled academically and, after graduating from a good university, became a teacher.

Conclusion: The reported improvements highlight a spiritual dimension of illness and healing that may not be fully captured by purely biomedical models. These cases suggest that TS may arise from karmic debts and spirit attachment and may be effectively treated through the Three Golden Buddhist Practices. Like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD, neurodevelopment appeared to be normal, challenging the interpretation of TS solely as a neurodevelopmental disorder. Therefore, TS is a karmic and spiritual disease in nature.