Now would seem to be an excellent time for all those energy healers who profess to practice Reiki, curing people at a distance by transmitting healing energy, to get together and provide some primary medical care for the people suffering in Haiti. This would be one of the very best ways to show by practical evidence that they have something to offer.
On the other hand, apart from wringing their hands in sympathy, I bet they will contribute absolutely nothing.
One estimate claims that there are over 1,000,000 people worldwide who claim to be Reiki Masters and another 4 million who claim to be practitioners. If there is even one ounce of genuine therapeutic healing value in anything they claim, then surely they should be able to demonstrate some real evidence in Haiti.
I doubt they'll be queuing up to help.
Comments (4)
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Personally I have given money, written articles about Haiti, detailed the hypocrisy of debt relief that actually costs more in interest, and I've supported others doing the same. We do what we can.
What I found quite disingenuous is the call to Reiki practitioners to send "energy" when all of them really know that it means absolutely nothing at all. It's just a cheap publicity stunt designed to make them feel better about themselves. Healing energy doesn't exist and it really doesn't matter that some people think it does. If it does exist, there would be some evidence, and there isn't.
Jeannie, you say: "In this day and age, when we are all dropping like flies, in the pollution and absolute toxic waste left behind, by all of these greedy industries, I cry."
The fact is that we are not all dropping like flies but you are absolutely right that there is massive pollution and toxic waste caused by chemical industries. Of course we should all oppose that. Corporate greed is responsible for many human tragedies.
But you also said: "It really puts the thought of natural-anything down." This is not really fair. There are very many natural things that are valuable and should be defended. The environment is an obvious example. But not all natural things are good. Smallpox and cholera are natural too.
And just because something is "natural" doesn't automatically make it better than something "artificial". For example, insulin is a natural hormone which these days is manufactured from chemical components and saves the lives of countless diabetics.
Some "natural" products are actually dangerous. Many herbal remedies, though thoroughly natural, can contain dangerous chemicals. A recent case in the UK led to the prosecution of a Chinese Herbal Medicine practitioner who prescribed preparations that caused kidney failure and cancer. Many herbal preparations contain dangerous chemicals which are "naturally" present.
As for Reiki, it's a scam. There is no healing energy, and talk of chakras and auras is nothing more than marketing hype. It's a profitable business selling the placebo effect.
There's nothing wrong with natural medicine, if it works. But in all the clinical trials data I've seen, the evidence is quite simply that it doesn't. Once it's proven to work, it stops being alternative medicine and just joins the other techniques of medicine. Unfortunately there's a huge market exploiting the gullible and those who understandably distrust the drug companies.
I too distrust the drug companies. They have no commercial reason to cure anything because it is far more profitable to manage a chronic illness. But clinical medicine is based on sound scientific principles which allow us to improve our knowledge and effectiveness. Reiki doesn't offer anything at all except nice words.
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Corporate greed is responsible for a great deal of human misery. The drug companies have a vested interest in maintaining illness rather than curing it because it is more profitable. But clinical science itself enables us to understand how to cure.
Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it is better. Cholera and smallpox are natural, and many plant remedies contain poisons. The recent case of a Chinese Medicine practitioner highlighted the dangers: a patient had kidney failure and cancer because of a dangerous ingredient that was prescribed for her by someone who didn't know what they were doing.
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In the case of Reiki, the talk of "natural" is just marketing hype. "Healing energy" just doesn't exist. If it did, there would be some evidence and there is none. Chakras, auras, channels, and the like are all talk and no substance. No-one can detect any of it, they just say they can. In tests, they all think they detect something different even on the same patient.
We need a rational approach to these claims because Reiki and other scams are taking money off people who understandably distrust the drug corporates, but they don't offer any real alternative. They just take the money.
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Bob Lloyd has studied in four universities and has degrees in Biochemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science. After a long career in publishing, teaching, and software engineering, he is now retired and lives in Andalucia in the South of Spain with his wife and rather ancient cat.
Mr. LLOYD,
I must say, " I think you might have a motive for your article, It really puts the thought of natural-anything down." This to me, is very sad.
In this day and age, when we are all dropping like flies, in the pollution and absolute toxic waste left behind, by all of these greedy industries, I cry.
"Let me ask you?" "What are you doing for the people of Haiti?"
You may call me, Jeannie.