As a general fan of the occult, bizarre, and odd, I’ve come across some odd stories in my time. As an amateur fan of all things medical, something I’ve read about a few times has stuck in my mind: Pyschosomatic wounds, or the supposed process of the mind creating physical wounds in the body.
Stigmata comes to mind, but I understand most instances of stigmata anyone has seriously studied, as opposed to credulously accepting as a miracle, have been debunked.
Non-religious psychosomatic wounds include stories of the deeply hypnotized being burned by a cool stick they’ve been convinced is a lit cigarette. I doubt that, too.
So, what’s the Straight Dope? Is it really all in their heads? 
As best I can remember from a minor in psychology: yes, it is really “all in their heads”, but that doesn’t make it any less real. A psychosomatic injury (called Somatoform Disorder in the DSM-IV) is one that has no physical cause; rather, some sort of mental stress, trauma, or anxiety is manifesting itself through the body, like a person with post traumatic stress disorder having excruciating headaches or back pain with no discernable physical cause. The two situations you describe don’t seem to fit the bill, though.
pravnik, so the DSMs only recognize psychosomatic pain? Interesting. Pain is, in fact, a product of the mind and it isn’t surprising that it can be manufactured by a mental illness.
I suppose it’s a rather strong argument against the reality of pyschosomatic wounds.
Ah, I see now what you mean, I think. You mean like actual skin burns and actual blood an observer can see? That, I dunno. Here’s what El Maestro Perfecto has to say about it.
Yes. When I spoke of burns, I meant actual tissue damage and blistering, not merely a burning sensation. Stigmata is bleeding on the palms or wrists and feet in the manner of crucifixion wounds.