TruthBook Religious News Blog

Some Catholics say the treatment is helpful and positive

By Mary Garrigan, Journal staff | Sunday, April 05, 2009

Defenders of Reiki expressed dismay and disappointment over criticism of the alternative health therapy by U.S. Catholic bishops, who recently called it "unscientific and inappropriate for Catholic institutions."

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued guidelines March 24 that said Reiki's medical benefits are unproven by science and inappropriate for Christians because of the spiritual dangers posed. Rapid City Reiki teacher Cynthia Dumdey said she was surprised by those comments, which she called uninformed and unfortunate.

Reiki is usually described as a holistic healing technique, a form of therapeutic touch or a type of "energy medicine" in which a practitioner places hands on the body in certain positions in order to facilitate and manipulate the flow of energy. Reiki teaches that illness is caused by imbalances or disruptions of energy in a person's body.

But in its "Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy," the USCCB argued that "To use Reiki one would have to accept ... elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science. Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science."

Teresa Withee, a Reiki practitioner and baptized Catholic, said she "very much respects the religion" but disagrees with the bishops' characterization of Reiki as anti-religious or superstitious.

Dumdey is a Reiki master and clinical psychologist who has trained at least 100 people in the three levels of Reiki in the past 19 years. She also routinely gets patient referrals from medical doctors, including Mayo Clinic physicians.

"So they think it's got some medical benefits," she said. "Reiki is an option in many hospitals and hospices around the country. There's a whole field of healing called energy medicine, and a lot of doctors know that if they don't start acknowledging it, they are doing a huge disservice to their patients," she said.

The USCCB said Reiki lacks scientific credibility.

"Reputable scientific studies attesting to the efficacy of Reiki are lacking, as is a plausible scientific explanation as to how it could possibly be efficacious," they state.

Dumdey and Sister Susan Pohl, a Benedictine nun and longtime hospital chaplain, both say the field of quantum physics suggests that Reiki may be much more scientific than anyone knows right now.

"I've been at conferences with quantum physicists who are on the same page as Reiki when it comes to new theories about energy and matter," Dumdey said.

"I think we have to continue exploring quantum physics regarding how the divine can be viewed as an essential part of the mind-body-spirit connection," Pohl said. "Reiki therapy may be one of many avenues to travel in this regard."

Those connections were highlighted by last month's announcement that French physicist Bernard d'Espagnat was awarded the 2009 Templeton Prize, a coveted religion award honoring someone who has made exceptional contributions to affirming life's spiritual dimension through insight, discovery or practical works. D'Espagnat has theorized that quantum physics could provide insights into alternate spiritual realities and has been quoted as saying that recent discoveries may be "signs providing us with some perhaps not entirely misleading glimpses of a higher reality and, therefore, that higher forms of spirituality are fully compatible with what seems to emerge from contemporary physics."

Reiki is frequently described as a form of spiritual healing, and American bishops assert there is a radical difference between Reiki therapy and the healing by divine power in which Christians believe.

Withee, owner of Divine Kneads in Rapid City, said the patient, not the practitioner, is the "healer" in Reiki. "We're just providing the space for that energy work," she said.

For Chantelle Emond, a Reiki practitioner at Integrity Massage in Rapid City, the universal energy of Reiki and the divine energy of God are the same.

"For me, Reiki is just another part of God. My experience of Reiki only amplified my experience of God," she said.

Emond considers Reiki healing and the power of prayer closely related phenomena and believes both can be sent long distances. She was amused by criticism of it as unscientific.

"Can the power of prayer be proven? Please scientifically prove God to me," she said.

Pohl has no formal training in Reiki, but she respects the therapy as a form of stress reduction and a means to enhance overall health and well-being. She's seen it offer relief from the unpleasant side effects of medical treatments. "One Catholic sister I worked with was assigned a special room in her Motherhouse to provide this type of therapy to any who wished to seek some alternative pain remedy. I think Reiki, along with yoga, tai chi, meditation and other energy therapies, have a definite place in the continuing research into the mind-body-spirit connection," Pohl said.

Reiki therapists say the best way to learn about Reiki is to experience it.

"In my experience and in my life, I have received positive benefits from Reiki," said Emond. "But just like any medical therapy, some things work for some people and not for others."

Labels: Catholicism, Mary Garrigan, quantum physics, Reiki

Permalink | Link to External Source Article

Monthly Archives - Previous Articles
03/01/2003 - 04/01/2003 04/01/2003 - 05/01/2003 05/01/2003 - 06/01/2003 06/01/2003 - 07/01/2003 07/01/2003 - 08/01/2003 08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003 09/01/2003 - 10/01/2003 10/01/2003 - 11/01/2003 11/01/2003 - 12/01/2003 12/01/2003 - 01/01/2004 01/01/2004 - 02/01/2004 02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004 03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004 04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004 06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004 07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004 08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004 09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004 10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004 11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004 12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005 01/01/2005 - 02/01/2005 02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005 04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005 05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005 06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005 07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005 09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005 10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005 11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005 12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006 01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006 04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006 05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006 06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006 07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006 08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006 10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006 11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006 12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007 01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007 03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007 04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007 05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007 06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007 07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007 08/01/2007 - 09/01/2007 09/01/2007 - 10/01/2007 10/01/2007 - 11/01/2007 11/01/2007 - 12/01/2007 12/01/2007 - 01/01/2008 01/01/2008 - 02/01/2008 02/01/2008 - 03/01/2008 03/01/2008 - 04/01/2008 04/01/2008 - 05/01/2008 05/01/2008 - 06/01/2008 06/01/2008 - 07/01/2008 07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008 08/01/2008 - 09/01/2008 09/01/2008 - 10/01/2008 10/01/2008 - 11/01/2008 11/01/2008 - 12/01/2008 12/01/2008 - 01/01/2009 01/01/2009 - 02/01/2009 02/01/2009 - 03/01/2009 03/01/2009 - 04/01/2009 04/01/2009 - 05/01/2009 05/01/2009 - 06/01/2009 06/01/2009 - 07/01/2009 07/01/2009 - 08/01/2009

News Archives Predating March 2003

RSS Feed

Blogroll Me!

Blogarama
The Urantia Book : Pictures of Jesus : Angel Pictures: Inspirational Quotes : Life After Death : Story of Jesus : Truthbook.com : Urantia : The Urantia Book