Reiki

[Fanatic]

Has anyone tried Reiki? Could you tell me a little bit about it?

yes seeker, I could be indiscreet but that says more about your expectations than my behaviour.

entropy, heavyweight scientists that I've come across are more ambivalent about their tools and don't behave like a overkeen undergrad puppy.

I'm pleased that you've resorted to your usual behaviour because that clearly demonstrates the pointlessness of responding further to your rampages.

Well it certainly is a pointless debate when the facts exist to demonstrate which side is right. So I support your decision to bow out.

Ah, the old "well, I could tell you wonderful things, but I'm bound by confidentiality" schtick.

yes but they would be irrelevant wonderful things even if they were true.

I don't think we are missing much.

Have just asked the Prof next door if I come across as an overkeen undergrad puppy...apparently not so much. He said if anyone was going to appear overkeen to the undergrads he wanted it to be him. It's possible that he missed the point. He also objected to being called heavyweight but that's a separate matter.

Pity the debate is heading to it's close. From a scientist's POV, I think we come across as particularly zealot-like on these threads, but in our defense, it's because in RL it's the woo-people who are so much more common place and hold sway.

Entropygirl is lucky to have stayed within the walls of a university. After bailing out, I'm now surrounded by woo-worshippers. Friends who recommend a magnet healer for my back, another a bone-cruncher, yet another has a cupboard full of crystals and don't get me started on religion. I've never come across these people before. Their views need challenging, but I'm too much of a woss polite to do so in RL. So do it on here instead

It is interseting as I have never been a ousewife, never been with mindless women taken in by rubbish, always worked with very clever professional women so not been amongst those with belief in this kind of non proven stuff, that I have never found myself surrounded by people who believe in this kind of stuff. I would assume most people know it doesn't work, isn't proven and is for those with more money than sense. I suppose the average IQ in teh UK is only 100 so what do you expect?

Yeah, right, Xenia- it's all us "mindless housewives" who believe this stuff- not "clever professional women'".

What a completely outrageous statement that is!

LeBFG I think you are right about it being a different world inside the university. I actually don't know anybody in RL that would push alternative medicine! And as for what would happen if someone professionally started saying their beliefs about their hypothesis were more important than what the data show, well it would be firing's and paper retractions and utter astonishment all round.

It is just very very strange to find out that 300 years after Newton gave birth to the idea of scientific rigour there are people wandering around with the attitude that everyone is entitled to their own opinion on whether waving your hands over someone can cure their depression through mystical vibrations.

xenia the average IQ of the UK is only 100.

well duh...the average IQ is set to be 100 for whatever age group you are looking at. The SD is 15. So other pointless things you could say are that 95% or the UK population have an IQ between 70 and 130.

I think we will add all housewives believe in woo to all scientist should go outdoors more mentioned earlier....both sides have sinned....

What rot xenia. I have a degree and a postgrad qualification. It might surprise you how many intelligent people believe in reiki.

Entrpygirl you are a physics fascist. Of course everyone can have their own opinion. Can you proove reiki doesnt work or fairies dont exist

worldgonecrazy - re "During my recovery I used the associated smell to help me relax and promote healing thoughts. The doctors told me I would need 6 weeks off work, I was back at work within 2 weeks"

After my elCS, I was told that it would take me at least two weeks to feel OK and at least a month to drive. I felt fine in two days and was driving after the first week. (And I didn't smell pretty smells nor promote healing thoughts)

What do you think that means?

"I'd say if you stick to talking down to children, it'd be better all round "

Why, don't you get sand in your ears with your head buried for so long?

As you know, angelicstar- you can't actually prove a negative. However, when every single properly controlled trial shows that something doesn't work, when even believers can't tell whether they are in the hands of a practitioner or an actor then it seems reasonable to assume that it doesn't.

I've had many sessions of reiki.

Did eff all, but it was nice to lie down and sleep for an hour during the day in someone elses premises.

"How can quantaum mechanics be abused? Is it not just a hypothesis? "

No, it is how sub-atomic particles move/work.

As opposed to Newtonian Mechanics which is how planets move/work (replaced largely by relativity these days, but I'm simplifying here for the audience), and regular Mechanics which is how objects move/work.

"physics fascist"

This sounds like a compliment

angelicstar - I have rarely seen someone as resistant to learning as you. Here, have a [medal]

Yes, some people do think fascism is a good thing.

They burn books by people who disagree with them. And close down debate.

Well, I've been a "housewife" for a couple of years now and can't agree that housewifery = idiocy. For one, I have managed to continue being as resistant to woo as when I was in asset management.

comfort - As I said before, there is no debate on this thread. I wish there were.

What we have here is an actual live physicist explaining how quantum physics works, and others claiming Reiki works by some QP magic sticking fingers in their ears and going "LA LA LA LA!".

Debate involves one side saying something and the other countering it. I see no counter argument here except "We still want to believe our nonsense, and you're a fascist for telling us the facts!".

We could debate fascism. That would be interesting.

Start another thread?

I actually think there should be no platform for fascists on MN or anywhere else.