Reiki

I am not well versed on, but am increasingly interested in Reiki. I am considering studying it but and not sure if it's a worthwhile investment of time and energy.

What is your view/understanding/experience of reiki and how it relates to our faith - especially the force?

I believe it to be nonsense and pseudo-science which only works via the placebo effect.

Reserved Sanity wrote: I am not well versed on, but am increasingly interested in Reiki. I am considering studying it but and not sure if it's a worthwhile investment of time and energy.

What is your view/understanding/experience of reiki and how it relates to our faith - especially the force?

Reiki, as taught, is hogwash. That said, it functions based on a foundation that is not. Essentially, Reiki is what happens when people figure out energy work but don't have anyone to teach them why things work the way they do, so they make s**t up to explain it, and then charge people $100-600 for "attunements" to teach them the nonsense they just made up.

If you want to learn reiki, learn reiki. However, I'd suggest you not pay (at all, if you can help it, or very very little if you can't) to do so. There are scads of people floating around the Temple that know at least a smidge of it, and I'm sure we've got quite a few certified Reiki Masters who might be willing to impart some knowledge. Take everything you learn about reiki with a grain of salt, because none of its origin stories make any sense and because it teaches some things about generic energywork that don't really make sense, either, but it's a good foundation if you want to dip your toe in and see if that sort of thing is for you.

Ion Eldor wrote: I believe it to be nonsense and pseudo-science which only works via the placebo effect.

I would agree with you if I hadn't seen it work in both skeptics and people who were unaware they had been treated with reiki.

steamboat28 wrote:

Ion Eldor wrote: I believe it to be nonsense and pseudo-science which only works via the placebo effect.

I would agree with you if I hadn't seen it work in both skeptics and people who were unaware they had been treated with reiki.

I thought you had to ask the person if they wanted healing? Or is that only a shamanism etiquette?

Sorry Steam, no inquisition intended but I'd be interested to know how you deemed the skeptic's scepticism wasn't only surface level, or how the evidence you saw in people who didn't know they were receiving it wasn't confirmation bias.

Personally I've seen no compelling evidence to believe in Reiki, and I have a problem with people spending money on woo because they're desperate for help. There are a number of other dubious things about it, but in the rare instance people aren't using it to take advantage of other people... to each their own

In terms of how it impacts my belief in the Force... I believe the Force teaches we are all one, and should therefore show compassion wherever possible. Reiki seems to me primarily a mechanism for gaining money from the vulnerability of others whilst delivering no measurable benefits, hence the opposite of compassion. Therefore, for me, Reiki is counter to my belief in the Force.

Kamizu wrote:

steamboat28 wrote:

Ion Eldor wrote: I believe it to be nonsense and pseudo-science which only works via the placebo effect.

I would agree with you if I hadn't seen it work in both skeptics and people who were unaware they had been treated with reiki.

I thought you had to ask the person if they wanted healing? Or is that only a shamanism etiquette?

I've seen it work on people who were unaware. They had received healing previously so they were open to it, but they hadn't specifically requested it or been told it would happen at that moment. It also happened from across a room. The Reiki healer saw the person was in discomfort and she raised her hands (out of view of the recipient) and the recipient visibly relaxed, then turned and thanked her.

As with all things there are good teachers and bad teachers so be careful there. I fully believe in Reiki, having experienced it for myself. It might be note worthy that when I received my first Reiki treatment I was a skeptical teenager who thought all spirituality and energy related things were "mumbo-jumbo." Reiki was really my first experience with spirituality and energy.

Steam, I don't know how you managed to be both skeptical and a believer, but I like it. :laugh:

Meh, dont spend your money on it , the way it has been taught here is nothing more than a way to meditate en wish well, you can do that when you are connected to the Force , i dont see the benefits of Reiki over normal prayer

Goken wrote:

Kamizu wrote:

steamboat28 wrote:

Ion Eldor wrote: I believe it to be nonsense and pseudo-science which only works via the placebo effect.

I would agree with you if I hadn't seen it work in both skeptics and people who were unaware they had been treated with reiki.

I thought you had to ask the person if they wanted healing? Or is that only a shamanism etiquette?

I've seen it work on people who were unaware. They had received healing previously so they were open to it, but they hadn't specifically requested it or been told it would happen at that moment. It also happened from across a room. The Reiki healer saw the person was in discomfort and she raised her hands (out of view of the recipient) and the recipient visibly relaxed, then turned and thanked her.

It's not a matter of working or not, it's a matter of etiquette. Perhaps a person doesn't want to be healed. Or maybe doesn't trust the person doing it not to mess them up more.

For example, I'm required to ask a person if I can do something on their behalf. The only time I've been permitted information on a person who I didn't ask permission from was my infant daughter. But this is shamanic work so I was wondering if the etiquette for Reiki was different.

i havent been active with reiki for the last fifteen so years, but its not just placebo

my experience would echo that many reiki people are new age space cadets on a harry potter trip

that being said, my particular teacher was awesome

i recieved first and second level attunements from her and in the time i spent in her shop i confirmed the validity of reiki as a legitimate energy healing "modality"

which is not to say that i dont laugh when people use expressions such as "healling modality"

reiki is legit, but not all reiki practitioners are equal

i believe the attunement process makes a difference - the heat that i, and those i treated felt in the reiki energy was intense

usually the person recieving the treatment fell asleep -this is very common and if you havent experienced it you might just decide that its because they were laying down for 20 or 30 minutes

but if youd experienced it you would understand that reiki energy has a powerfully sedative effect, both on the client and the practitioner

sometimes they would sleep and report vivd dreams when they woke up

mostly they would just sleep very deeply and wake up feeling refreshed

i was almost always in a trance state by the time i finished the treatment, and it was during my time as an active reiki practitioner that i had the most and fastest progression in trance induction in general, and also lucid dreaming, telepathic and empathic sensitivity, and deep, deep meditative experiences

reiki is legit, but you have to find someone who actually lives a healthy, strong lifestyle, and who is less focused on how glorious they are as a reiki "master" lol and more focused on just being a good person and promoting health and happiness

as an energetic system, these sorts of thing are very important
if you gunk yourself up with garbage nutrition and garbage attitude, youre going to pass some junk along when you touch people
and if youre getting treatments or attunements from such people, they will pass a lot of their garbage along to you as well

at least, thats been my experience

@Kamizu
my teacher told me that reiki cannot be imposed upon anyone, and a person who just doesnt want the energy wont receive it, and that we have to be given consent first

also she told me that one of the core tenants of reiki energy is that it can do no harm: its entirely a loving and healing energy

This disappointed me to hear this. I will admit there is alot of deceptive material on Reiki and you need an actual Reiki Master to teach you no someone who is a Novice. I encourage you to find someone who can do it for free in your area or, on this Temple. Back in the day Master Mark Aunjuu taught me a little but, I haven't seen him in some time now.

Now, I will admit Reiki that I have performed is not like making the dead raise, the lame walk, the blind see, ect. But the successes I have seen is arthritis in a few where they feel better but, it requires more visits and one being bad burns on the skin. I don't charge for what I know because It was given freely.