Reiki Healing In A Handful Of Dust

By Helen Hughes


Human bodies are small, frail things. Human psyches can be even worse than their physical counterparts. Evolution is funny like that. It created a mind perfect for conquering the planet and subjugating bigger, stronger animal species, but is also made that mind extremely vulnerable to trauma, and it made the body that housed that mind pretty pathetic, especially when compared to other great ape species. Now, using that perfect mind, humankind was able to think in the abstract, to see the world and wonder if there was more to it. Then it went out and saw that there was. But the universe is vast and it is cold and it is unfeeling. Of course, there are those who seek to find some measure of truth in its infinite vastness. Some believe that universe has an energy that can be harnessed by human hands, which leads to the practice of reiki healing.

The belief in the existence of universal energy and the belief in the ability to manipulate it is not new. Whether called enlightenment or magic, it has existed in some form or another through various human cultures and religions. But there is a belief to heal with it, that a person can channel chi or universal energy through their hands in order to encourage healing, whether in the physical or the emotional sense.

A lot of people choose alternative medical practices for a reason. Some people turn to it as a last resort, after all the treatment options, experimental or otherwise, have already been attempted. Others were born into a culture in which such practices have a long, deep tradition of belief. Some people just mistrust western medicine.

Unlike conventional medicine, there is no equipment involved. Aside from the caregiver and the receiver, there is nothing involved. Some people may use candles and beads, but those are purely for aesthetic purposes.

Anyone can become a reiki master. This is because unlike conventional medicines, there is no governing board or sanctioning body of any kind. All that is involved is belief and human hands. In fact, training can be as little as reading a book or watching a video. There may be some schools in the discipline, but learning without instruction can be just as effective as formal schooling.

It should be noted that some people can feel a marked improvement after a session. Some people find that their emotional traumas weigh on them less after a session or a few. It should also be noted that there is no conclusive evidence that such practices consistently yield results.

Reiki is a pseudoscience. There is no evidence for its healing abilities other than a few flawed studies and isolated cases that can be explained by the placebo effect. But just because a person feels better does not necessarily mean that they are better.

While the placebo effect is all well and good for some emotional scars, it is by no means a substitute for actual physical maladies. In the event of serious illness, an actual doctor should always be the first option. Not the second, not the last, but the first. There is no proof that energy healing works at all. There is however a proven track record for actual medicine.

In a world that can sometimes seem cruel while living a life that can seem meaningless, a shred of significance is sought. Many will spend huge portions of their lives just to see a glimmer of something more. But that search should never supersede common sense.




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