Several years ago I came across articles talking about Reiki in a holistic/therapeutic sense. As for any "scientific" studies, probably not much at all unless there are recent ones I am not aware of. But I think this would be normal because Reiki falls into the zone of immeasurable phenomenon; and along with things like out of body experiences.
I doubt the placebo effect though although its what rationalists (not you specifically Snoop ) often jump to. True that the placebo effect is strong and has potential for changing the perception of the subject, but with genuine Reiki users it is recognized as a real thing. And real perceived changes in the person being healed as well. Granted not every healing session brings about profound changes but I have seen enough of it to recognize that there is more than just a placebo effect that is happening. What helps to confirm this is that there can be variances in the way Reiki is approached and that it does not rely upon the beliefs of someone else for it to work. I think this kind of thinking can apply to ESP across the board because if these are real phenomena (and I am assuming that they are) then they will function independently of belief systems and have universal qualities common that transcend our cultural domains.
Back to Reiki though, this is speaking from personal experience, and I think that personal experience is the most important kind of experience in these fields. This isn't a religion though, so whether or not scientists and rationalists believe in Reiki, experimentally test it, or whatever, doesn't matter to me. It already has a footholding in the holistic health and wellness area as it is common for massage therapists to learn Reiki as well. So in a realistic and applicable sense it appears that the potentials of Reiki are there and in the beginning stages of being realized. Really, I also think that Reiki is just one way of doing energy healing, and it just happens to be the one worth talking about because it does appear to really work and already has found its way into modern day wellness practices, albeit still marginalized.
So again, if its just placebo (and I don't believe this) then its a very strong one because it appears to affect someone emotionally, physically, and regardless of location. Because Reiki, like "spiritual" energy itself, can affect people over any distance and again affirms to me that it is a metaphysical force and not just placebo. Even when people are not aware that they were being healed, they still report changes in themselves. So I think there's a lot to counter the placebo argument, but also a lot for the placebo argument if someone knows a lot about the mind and psychology. Still though, regardless of money making schemes, I am betting on Reiki in itself as a way to help heal ourselves, others, and our planet. Basically search around the internet and see what you can find, it'd be interesting to see what you come up with!
And again reiterating what others have said, the whole money thing really does suck with it. Some people probably are fakes, while others are trying to help make ends meet. But here's also why I think Reiki works. I see healing practices as being integrated into our existence. We have our spirit, our energy body and physical body intertwined, as well as metaphysically interacting with our whole environment. Reality really can be thought of as a bunch of layers, and our physical and energy bodies would be synonymous. It was explained to me by my Reiki teacher that illnesses manifest from the outside in. That is, they start to manifest in our energy bodies before they manifest themselves in our physical bodies. So it could be like saying that an imbalance of energy on the outer area of the aura moves in closer, until it gains enough momentum where it cascades down into the body. I usually can sense energy by literally feeling it. Others can sense it in different ways, some people are more color prone or no sensations at all in some cases. For me I can feel warmth, hot, cool, and cold and feel "smooth", "uneven", "dips", and "rough" parts in someone's aura. So at the very least I can do what's known as scanning the aura, which is essentially sensing and analyzing someone's aura. I do this by steady sweeping motions of my hands around someone's aura and can tell current problem areas, good areas, or areas where there were past injuries. And I can gain this info without prior knowledge of it. So again, affirms to me that something real is going on, as well as the universality of it. Not really a scientific answer but something to think about!
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