coopstah (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

the problem is not that reiki provides subjective pain relief to the customer, but that the practitioner is claiming that reiki 'heals'. There is straight-up NO good evidence that this is true! Conventional medical treatments (in my country at least) require evidence of efficacy beyond a mere placebo effect. This is why doctors can't merely prescribe sugar pills or lie to their patients and also why I think reiki and other unproven therapies like this are at least disingenuous or even harmful.

coopstah (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I'm glad you take measures to reduce stress in your life to manage your chronic illness, Nancy. It is very important. But my point is simply... if it is simply stress that reiki alleviates, why not go to the spa, chill out and get a massage instead? Or take a vacation? As for martial artists, I question their claims to chi as much as reiki's claims to ki. In both cases there is no evidence of a life-energy. We don't need ki since we can explain the function of living things without it. Thanks.

ProjectBluebird (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I just use what works. Do martial artists know how exactly chi works? It does tho somehow. I may have chronic illness all my life, but I find the relief of the stress and pain can help me heal better in the long run. Stress tends to break the body down. I don't reject conventional medicine tho. I also don't think a marble in the navel would help me somehow hmmm. Maybe if it was amethyst heh

coopstah (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

the article at physorg is called "Researchers Demonstrate How Placebo Effect Works in the Brain"

coopstah (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Oops, I posted the above first instead of second. The first part went something like this: I came accross an article at physorgdotcom which says that the Placebo Effect is caused in the brain that when someone believes a treatment works, the brain produces opiates to reduce the pain. This could well be what happens in reiki. This means it may not be the reiki working but the brains belief that it does. Continue above...

coopstah (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

However, since the placebo could be anything - even something ridiculous like placing a marble in your navel - so long as the patient believes it is treatment it could potentially provoke a pain-relief response. But then why all the hocus-pocus about 'energy' or 'ki' that no one can detect? And why make the claims of healing diseases when at best you're getting the effect of a painkiller. Why the hocus-pocus and misleading claims? I don't get it... maybe someone can explain it to me? Thanks!

ProjectBluebird (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

well I like an integrative approach, I use both conventional and alternative methods. I take a pragmatic approach with reiki. It may not have a scientific explanation yet but it works. peace, nancy

ProjectBluebird (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I found this very helpful thank you. I have a lot of chronic illness that is not helped much by regular medicine and I need alternatives. Some say I have been healing to others but I am not so good at it with my self. I appreciate it. Peace, Nancy

TheMerlinOfAR (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

My shadow sneaks up behind me and chokes me! And its my own shadow thats whats so awful. Its always behind me looking to choke me. Can Reiki help me out with this?

gwildar200 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

So basically you are saying it is the placebo effect, and anything that makes you believe you are feeling better will cause you to feel better, since you believe in it.