The Reiki Cafe 

In our spirited discussion of Reiki and conventional medicine, a couple folks opined that in Takata's time, medical diagnostics were mostly based on palpation (hands on feeling of the body), and that therefore Hayashi's Reiki practitioners would have had the same techniques available to them for discovering gallstones, appendicitis, etc., as the conventional MDs did.

I just ran across an as-told-to account, where Mrs Takata was quoted as saying she had X-rays done in the Japanese hospital before the surgery that she rejected.

So that does make it appear that the Reiki hands were able to validate in some detail, what the MDs relied on the X-rays to see. And, the Reiki practitioners were not bashful about diagnosing, in a way that would likely get us in hot water these days.

I can put the reference in Resources if anyone wishes. I'm sure many of you have read the book.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Awesome! Thanks for sharing this, Aronaya. Beautiful day to you, beautiful friend.

Aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- yes, depending on the year(s)she was dealing with medical issues, there would have been Xray technology available but comparing that to MRI and PetScan or CTscan is like comparing scalpels and laser surgery

- I remember medical exams in the early 50's (and up until the advent and more common availability of CT scanners) that I went thru and palpation and "where does it hurt?" or "does that hurt" were standard practice irregardless of Xrays

- are there physicians who do palpation that may have some 'sight' via the hands that they rely on but do not mention to others?? Quite probably.

- but as Stevie Nicks once intoned: "I keep my visions to myself" (often a very excellent policy)

>:-}}

- for myself?? With the sophistication of the technology available for seeing inside the body, invasively or otherwise it is irresponsible to try and diagnose with energy practices (manual breast exams excepted) and foolish to ignore the technology

- I would offer that denial will never make a tumor go away and 'visualization' methods will not tell one if a tumor is benign or nasty

- but, we pay our money and take our chances

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Oh, it looks like this did post, after all! I was going to post an addendum but my computer hung up on the Cafe website and I thought it didn't post. Oh well.

I was going to add that, with the diversity of practice standards out in the world, there is plenty of opportunity for energy practitioners to mis-diagnose as well, out of ego or whatever. I have heard as much from clients here in Maine. When energy practitioners make assertions about changes or perceptions that would be verifiable by medical testing, they have an obligation to allow the perceptions to be tested.

It can be an awkward situation, when strong images come forth in a treatment session. How to advise a client to see their doctor, based on an intuition, however clear? At least once, I remember hearing back almost a year later, "yes, you were right, there was something that needed attention by my MD". How many times did I not hear back, because my intuition did not have meaning for the client?

This seems to support Firekeeper's point, that, if you have the technology for reliable imaging of what's truly happening inside the body, then it behooves us to use whatever the best and most consistent, repeatable method is. By the way, FK seems to be rebutting a stance that I did not take -- correct me if I'm wrong -- are you arguing against a position of "Reiki instead of medicine", which I'm not advocating, or against "Reiki before medicine", which is closer to what I'm groping toward? I think I'm really reaching for "what is a protocol that would put non-invasive modalities in the right position in the healing cycle, for the benefit of all in health care?"

Another perspective arises with this recent case in the Midwest U.S., of a 13-year-old boy with Hodgkins lymphoma, declining further chemo after 1 treatment, clearly under strong influence of parents. Based on clinical experience, the oncologist is able to assure the court that the boy's chance of survival is 5% without chemotherapy, and 95% with. In this situation, advocating Reiki or herbs or other alternatives instead of chemotherapy is problematic, and this story does not appear to help the movement to CAM.

All that being said, I'm still left with the feeling that modern Reiki has ceded too much ground to technology, compared to its beginnings in Japan. And, it behooves us all to put some thought into how to strengthen the vital link of healing hands.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Some good points, and some clarifications needed, thank you, FK for engaging:

- no question that new scans are far ahead of Xrays, however we still use Xrays for many things, and not everyone can undergo an MRI. I don't think I was trying to compare Xrays to MRIs anyway, just making the point that the MDs that worked on Takata had more than palpation to go on.

- and, regarding palpation, the "where does it hurt and how much" protocol is still very much an essential part of medicine. EMTs, RNs, and MDs all use this to determine where to focus further attention, whether that's hi-tech or low.

- still, today, clinical medicine has to make cost-risk decisions about who to give and MRI or other scan.

- on 'sight' via hands with palpation for MDs, I suspect physicians are more ready to admit the role of intuition than we think. They just must be able to justify the intuition, or refute it, with clinically verifiable diagnostics.

- I don't know why it should be "foolish" to diagnose with energy practices, as long as an appropriate context was given, and appropriate hand-offs were in place for referral to conventional or technological medicine.

- I do agree it would be "foolish" to ignore the technology, and in fact I am not advocating that we ignore it, just that we consider less invasive and less expensive interventions first, with due regard for medical urgency.

- And certainly, I am not advocating denial as a cure for a tumor, whether benign or malignant. However, I do suspect that there are many practitioners who have a good track record in reading the relative mortality threat of disease or invasive growth.

- Yes, we do pay our money and take our chances, and ultimately, for competent adults, it is the client's and patient's decision whether to accept any given healing modality. I humbly submit that it is our duty to work towards transparency, being clear about the risks and benefits of our interventions, so that our clients may make the best decision for their own health and wellbeing, regardless of the effect on our wallets or self-esteem. In the process, don't sell ourselves short -- explore the limits and challenge ourselves to become excellent healers with the highest standards of integrity and ethics.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Got to get to bed soon, just one more thought, where all this is coming from, at least one major influence for me.

Some years ago, I was watching the book channel on C-Span, and a historian whose name I unfortunately forget, was talking about his broad theories of history. At the end of responding to the last question, he said, and I paraphrase:

'In the years to come, we'll all be called upon to answer the question: are we creatures, or are we machines? I know what my answer is, you decide yours.'

We put a lot of trust in our ever-more intelligent machines these days. By and large, they fulfill that trust. The cost, however, is another story.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- Reiki before medicine? If you mean Reiki before Ibuprofen or aspirin or antihistamines then at times I do just that with decent success

- I have tried Reiki before antibiotics but with only limited success - most times if I need an antibiotic I end up with one (and am always glad for the good results)

- but I don't think that is what you mean

- for myself?? As general rule I have not and would not put Reiki ahead of a medical consultation when such seems to be indicated or it is obvious that it is indicated

- this holds for dental issues as well

- for myself, Reiki is one of several things I do regularly for myself, prophelaxis if you will, so that I enhance my immune system and physical and emotional and spiritual well-Being

- and, if I am being treated medicially then most certainly Reiki is an everyday part of that

>:-}}

- there are, of course, also economic advantages to being healthy and doing what one may to stay healthy - fewer claims against one's health insurance which may help keep those costs from rising faster than they already do, fewer out-of-pocket health expenses, etc

- take care

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

I haven't used a painkiller since learning Reiki, with the exception of one time with a toothache, where self-Reiki couldn't cut through the inner child yowling in pain. The ibuprofen was useless, so I went back to ice chips and suffering until the nerve died.

Then, declined novacaine for the root canal, because I've found Reiki more effective as an anesthetic. Go figure! I think the inner child panic was not knowing how long the pain would last.

Haven't done antibiotics in years, either. Use Reiki and peroxide to mitigate the occasional ear infection. Can't afford even a doctor visit without insurance.

Certainly, I'm making a virtue of necessity, and do look forward to the day when I can get conventional medical attention as well as traditional (Reiki) preventive work. I don't need Reiki intuition to tell me my cholesterol's very likely too high, nor would I need a doctor's advice to lower it with diet and exercise.

As far as "before" goes, before I learned Reiki, I would have totally agreed with you - medical consult first. Now, with any specific health concern, I would certainly do whatever I could to secure the advisable medical attention -- as an EMT, I have some awareness of relative urgency of symptoms -- but would also secure hands-on or at least distance Reiki from trusted sources before making the appointment, or perhaps after calling 911(!).

Thank you for debating this, Firekeeper, it's very helpful to clarify thinking. I feel there's more behind this, will mull it over some more.

Blessings,
Aronaya

Aronaya,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- I too enjoy our discussions

- the 'no insurance' issue certainly colors one's decisions so obviously I would say that my comments are directed primarily at those with coverage (and I encourage those who are able to pay for medical insurance to do so)

- as for cholesterol and diet?

- there are some pretty good and sound ideas on the web for diet and exercise regimens that may, over time, help keep cholesterol and BP in line (this is my approach as long as I am able to keep up the vigorous routine)

- however, there are genetic components to high cholesterol for some folks so medical consultation for meds certainly would be in order when other approaches do not succeed

- I too trust a time will come when you will have medical insurance - certainly Medicare at age 65 in the US

- take care,

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

I forgot to count x-rays as a step up from thumping. Even thou you had mentioned them before.

I have to wonder if MRI didn't evolve from CAM, because energy diagnoses with little magnets came first; perhaps it inspired the MRI--which is much safer now than it used oto be.

Donna Eden's methods are very entrenched in the use of magnets to diagnose the field.

come to think of it, MRI is a sort of hologram produced by the magnetic resonance of the body--of course, it is greatly amplified by the applied magnetic energy.

Dear Ponderings,
Do you never have an opinion on anything?
Peace,
Prosperity

DEAR PROSPERITY,
PONDERINGS 'LISTENS' A LOT TO WHAT PEOPLE SAY ON HERE.....
"""""THAT'S WHEN IT'S 'WORTH' LISTENING TO!!!""""

HEY! IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING 'NICE'TO ANYONE,....DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL......
....:)>-
WENDY OZ XXX

WendyOz,

Thanks for saying this.

Finality

Dear Aronaya,
More like here the practitioners are whipped not necessarily bashful IMHO. Thanks for those comments.
Peace,
Prosperity