I think people should be careful doing Reiki

[lottieandmia22]

This post assumes a belief in spirituality so I'm not interested in debating that specifically. If you want to please start your own thread.

From what I can see, reiki is channeling occult energy through people's bodies and is therefore potentially risky. It seems to me that new age practitioners will repeatedly say they don't believe in malevolent entities but I think this is naive.

One of my friends told me that his dad was never the same after he became involved with reiki.

And also nearly everyone I've met who has done it was told by the reiki practitioner that they are 'special' have a 'gift' or could easily become a reiki master.

OP you've still not said what malevolent spirits have to do with reiki.

My family, unlike the OP are deeply religious.

They view any "New Age" or alternative practices as very dangerous. Apparently they provide a gateway for satanic or demonic forces to enter the individual.
They would include Reiki, astrology, yoga, meditation, , palm reading, using crystals, incense and many others in the same catagory.
To be avoided at all costs.

A vicar near me won’t hire his church hall out for yoga classes......

speakout, I recall you talking about your family before

I find it bizarre to think of those things as "new age" - ancient age seems more apt!

If I really thought reiki would introduce me to malevolent spirits, I'd be tempted to go!

In all trials, reiki has been shown to be no more effective than placebo

I will take that as a pinch of salt and it is what is said about anything that is not Standard medicine, including a lot of things that have worked really well for me, my friends and family.

I don't think there have been any decent trials to test Reiki.

I know of one involving only 20 participants. So not accurate.

Do those writing off Reiki also think accupuncture or accupressure is woo?

“I will take that as a pinch of salt and it is what is said about anything that is not Standard medicine, including a lot of things that have worked really well for me, my friends and family.”
No, it’s what is said about anything that is shown not to be effective when properly tested. But nobody is denying the power of the placebo effect.

“Do those writing off Reiki also think accupuncture or accupressure is woo?”

Yes. There have been exhaustive tests on both.

Bertrand my local NHS offers accupuncture and accupressure within the physiotherapy department.
The head of the physiotherapy department is qualified in both, and finds them particularly helpful for pain relief, negating the need to use as much medication. I personally have had accupuncture for painful siatica on the NHS.
I wonder why the NHS are funding these "woo" treatments.

well two people have done reiki on my dog, and both times they were spot on and this meant we were able to help him with his pain problems.
What's wrong with that? I was pretty sceptical before.

“I wonder why the NHS are funding these "woo" treatments.

I wonder that too.

in fact I was VERY sceptical before, I would have scoffed if someone had suggested doing reiki on my dog.

Urm.........it is not possible to "move energy", even assuming that this undefined energy actually exists.

If you are a christian then yes Reiki is dangerous but as a high preistess of wicca I also believe it is dangerous.
Playing with occult forces is dangerous whatever religion you are and it takes years of training to understand how to channel things like this correctly without harm to yourselves and even then the experts can still get it horribly wrong.
My view is don't even go there. Worship your Gods whatever religion you are and avoid spellcraft, reiki (which is done after almost no training at all), study and read but invoke occult forces as little as possible.
They are highly dangerous, I should know. It takes experience to know to leave these things well alone wherever possible.

Reiki does not invoke 'occult forces' - get a grip for goodness sake.

Irritated - for the sake of livening things up, I want these things to be true!

Bertrand, one of my friends is an anaesthetist and she is fine with acupuncture as she sees it as related to massage - whether or not it should be funded on the NHS I don't know, but I can see the logic. Reiki is just waving your hands over people.

If there are really places to get free training in reiki I am tempted to try.

" Reiki is just waving your hands over people." no there is no hand waving. More like holding hands so close to the person/dog/horse that you can feel variations in temperature.

Hold your hand over your forearm. Then rub your hand briskly on your jeans and do it again. You’ll feel a temperature difference.

OP I heard of reiki treatments years ago and must admit I was very sceptical.
However, I had a very serious illness and was beyond myself with fear and worry before the onslaught of tests. My friend said a girl at work was into Reiki treatments so I asked her if she would do this for me I would have paid her but she outrightly and curtly refused. This was probably for the best as I often find her rude and curt on occasion I think her moods are very up and down.
I had a taster session first off a practitioner at a local complementary therapy place fthen went on to have a series of treatments with the same practitioner. She was a lovely person her kindness shone through. I felt very calm after and got what I needed from the treatments and more afterwards it was very soothing.
She asked when I was having surgery for one of the investigations I was most worried about as she said she would do a reiki treatment for me on the morning.
In hospital I forgot about this and I had asked for something to calm me down and in between dozing I felt the colour changing calming sensation of the reiki treatment and I remembered. It was most welcome. She never promised I could be a reiki master or anything like this and I never felt anything untoward was going on.
I think like most things their maybe good and bad practitioners.

I know what you mean BertrandRussell, and nobody could have been more cynical than I was, but I have seen it in action and it did help our dog. If you don't believe me, it's fine, but I do know what I saw. There was no rubbing of hands on jeans btw.

IrritatedUser1960 How do you get to be a "high preistess of wicca"

I wonder if those who are slating alternative therapies have ever actually TRIED them? As for the Vicar's who think they open people to Satanic forces, we aren't living in the Dark Ages. There was a church newsletter doing the rounds several years ago with an article by the Vicar warning parishioners not to touch alternative therapies with a barge pole. Since I am a Reflexologist, Reiki therapist and Hypnotherapist, I was absolutely fuming. it is really very sad that there are such narrow minded people still out there. My mother is a JW and she is not 'allowed' to do yoga as it comes from India and is considered 'pagan'.

"I wonder if those who are slating alternative therapies have ever actually TRIED them?"
No need. There are plenty of people who have tried them on my behalf. And tested them. Repeatedly. Under laboratory conditions.

'As for the Vicar's who think they open people to Satanic forces, we aren't living in the Dark Ages.'

It's an unfortunate thing when people don't believe in evil forces. I actually don't think evil is a myth from the dark ages. But that's just me.

its not dangerous because its not real. It's just silly people doing silly things that don't actually do anything.
So no need to worry about it.