Is Energy Healing a Placebo?

One of the questions that comes up often is whether people need to believe in healing for it to have a positive effect. If that were the case, it would be very easy to classify Energy Healing as a placebo. The answer is no, but it helps if they are willing to consider the possibility that it might work. It's hard to heal someone who outright rejects it. 

Skeptical clients give the healer just enough leeway. A client has to be willing to accept healing, whether or not they believe it actually works. On some level they will benefit, even if it's not apparent in the first instance. The healing might not be physical, so its important to be clear about expectations. 

The goal of healing is not to cure physical symptoms. I recently read a few posts on a science blog called Science Based Medicine. It was created by a group of doctors who spend their time debunking complementary therapies like healing, acupuncture and natural remedies. The often use phrases like "an elaborate placebo" when they talk about energy healing. I think the disconnect lies with the outcome we each want to achieve. Doctors work with the physical body and their main objective is to manage symptoms and treat diseases. Their work requires extensive skill and expertise, though it can be one dimensional if we think of the mind-body-spirit as three aspects in an individual's life. 

Energy Healing is said to work on four levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. There isn't a priority when it comes to energy healing, so the change may happen on any of these. One of the things I like about energy healing, is that it can involve asking what the illness means symbolically. What can they learn from the illness? The physical symptom will give us a clue about what that lesson is. 

Let's illustrate the point with the example of diabetes in a client. The healer's goal is not to cure or manage diabetes, they should be seeing a doctor for this. The energy healer will think about what diabetes means in the client's life. How are  the pancreas and the heart affected on an emotional level? They might have trouble balancing their career ambitions with their personal life. When we have a loving personal relationships, life is sweet. If that natural sweetness is consistently denied, a person might overcompensate with sugary foods that push their insulin level through the roof. Energy Healing addresses that internal clash between happiness, and ego driven ambition. Through the healing, the client might see their life in a new light. This facilitates the healing process, though it may not have an effect on the body. People who want to classify energy healing as a placebo are only looking at one aspect of human existence: the physical level. 

I am not sure how you would even go about measuring mental, emotional or spiritual healing. Psychologists have practice with the mental and emotional side. Would it be possible to quantify the effect on the energy body; for example, how would you document an aura or a chakra clearing? And if you capture the energy flow on film, say with photography, what does that mean for the person's biology? I find all of this fascinating. Individual clients may report sensations during a healing session, but what actually happens to their energy? 

Update! I'm pleased to share that in 2020 I found  more answers - have a look at this post on The Science Behind Energy Healing. 

Thanks for reading the blog, 

Regina 

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 

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Image: canva.com (added 2023)

My Reiki 1 Attunement

I have been practicing Energy Healing for a couple years, and people always ask me the same thing: Is it like Reiki?!?  To which I reply:  Similar but different! This past weekend I finally signed up for a Reiki 1 class to see what it's all about. The session was interesting, we went through the history of Reiki, the hand positions used during treatment and some of the philosophy. Then the teacher had us meditate for nearly an hour while he went around the room attuning us to the energy, one by one. I had my eyes closed but it felt like he focused on my crown chakra and my palms. It makes sense, as the energy enters through the crown and exits via the palm chakras. When it was over, my hands were buzzing with energy and it felt like I was wearing oven mits. 

Here are some observations on Reiki vs Energy Healing: 

• Reiki is universal life energy. The Reiki Healer channels that energy to their client, and the client self-heals. Interesting! Energy Healers are also channels for universal energy. My guess is the energy comes from the same source in either case. 

• Reiki Teachers attune their students to the energy once, and voila! All you have to do is touch someone with the intent to heal, and it switches on. Hands on, Reiki On.  This is pretty convenient. With Reiki you don't need to attune consciously before each session, as you would with EH. The teacher also suggested that we can give ourselves Reiki in public, just by placing your hands on your hips, back, knees, stomach, etc. I can also do this if I'm in a meeting at work. You need to be conscious in the first instance, but then it will continue to flow even if your mind is in the moment instead of on Reiki. Cool! 

• There is also a Reiki Philosophy that I really like. It's about living in the moment and not being mad, scared, worried or irritable. Sounds pretty fantastic. Its also about being kind and grateful? This is one of the reasons that I signed up for Reiki: 

Just for today, do not worry

Just for today, do not anger

Just for today, honor your parents, teachers and elders

Just for today, earn your living honestly

Just for today, show your gratitude to every living thing

The attunement is the 1st step in a 21 day cleansing period. It takes that long for the body to get used to the new vibrational forces that are going through it. In theory, we're all born attuned to Reiki because without that life force energy it would be hard to get through a day. The attunement opens up our channel to that we can receive and hold more of it, and that process has proven to be exhausting in my case! I wasn't expecting to be this tired. Monday I was really tired all day,  the next two days were OK, and yesterday I started feeling energy-flu in my aura. I went to sleep at 6 and skipped my Angel Readings workshop. There are positive changes too, I'm more grounded in my day-to-day life. I've been drinking water, sleeping and self-healing everyday too. I didn't expect Reiki to have such an impact, but it did!  The biggest change is in the self-healing. I can actually feel it! This is new to me.  

Most of my Energy Healing case studies feel the flow of energy during our sessions. They might feel a current of energy, though some only get hot or cold sensations. Some feel a tingle. When I "Energy Heal" myself I don't feel it so strongly, though I trust it is going on in the background. I usually call on Archangel Raphael to heal me, and I'd just relax. With Reiki I feel my palms tingling and then I feel heat on my skin even when I'm not touching it (weird!). The first few days it was really strong, but now I'm getting used to it. I'm going to focus on self-healing for this month before I start practicing on other people. I wonder if my existing clients will notice a difference between our previous sessions and Reiki. 

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Reiki hugs, Regina 

     

How do you cope with Cancer in the family?

Last week I met with my healing supervisor to discuss my new book on Energy Healing and Cancer. The session was really helpful. Two weeks ago I finally got to the point where I needed a fresh pair of eyes to read it and give me feedback. So far I've sent it to six friends, colleagues and acquaintances. They have varying levels of experience with healing, ranging from full time healers to no knowledge of healing. The feedback has started to drip feed its way back to me, and it's encouraging! I'm pleased with the progress I've made since August, but there is still a lot left to do. The second half of the book needs to be rewritten, as I'd like to include a series of self-healing activities for the whole family. =)

The scope of the project has changed dramatically as well. My 1st thoughts were to write an epic blog post on my family's experience with Cancer, and the sense I've made of it since I started practicing Energy Healing. It's been sixteen years since my dad was diagnosed with Brain Cancer, and things are starting to click.  Some of the things he said and did make sense now that I am aware of his diagnosis (as my parents didn't share it with me at the time).  The threat of a terminal illness puts a lot of emotional and psychological stress on a family. This was certainly the case, even though my parents tried to shield us from the truth. At the end of the day, the only way to heal is to face our fears with love and strength. This healing can be very profound emotionally and psychologically, regardless of the physical outcome. 

So my book is evolving.  I still plan on sharing what I've learned about Energy Healing as a complement to Cancer treatment.  Now I'm starting to think Energy Healing can be a valuable tool for the whole family, especially because of the benefits on an emotional and mental health level. When one member is sick, the whole unit suffers. People cope with the loss of control in different ways, and one of the things I struggled with was wanting to help and not knowing how. Quieting the mind, and keeping your fears in check can also be a massive hurdle. I was only 17 at the time, and I didn't handle it well. The quickest way to take your mind of one problem, is to start obsessing about something else ... 

> Update: In 2013 I published an energy healing guide for families who are coping with cancer. Follow this link for A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer and Love. The tools in the book are complementary to medical care. 

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Reiki hugs, Regina 

Taking a Break This Weekend!

Yesterday I had one of those moments when I felt like my head was going to cave in. It was only Friday and I had the whole weekend ahead of me, but I found myself thinking about a workshop I'm taking on Sunday, and then all of the things I need to catch up on when I am back at work on Monday. The weekend hadn't started, and I found myself fast forwarding to the next work week. I also wasn't breathing as deeply as I should have.

This morning I grounded myself properly in Saturday mode. Put away my computer from work, my manuscript, my books on healing and I cleaned up my room. It looks nice, neat and clear. I'm off for a jog in the park, then I've got lunch and a Halloween party lined up this evening. Today is a day for complete relaxation and fun. Now that I'm working from home 2 days a week it is so important to make a clean break for the weekend. At least one full day off, and then back to class tomorrow for a little Reiki!  =)

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Reiki hugs, Regina 

How far would you go to help a stranger?

This morning I almost missed the train to work. It would have been a bad day to turn up late. Half a dozen colleagues flew into town for a meeting that was due to start at 9 am sharp. I speed-dressed myself and ran out the door. When I got to the Underground, the train had just left and the platform was empty. The only other person was a young guy who walked in when I did. For some reason, his coat caught my attention. It was nothing out of the ordinary. A few minutes we were still waiting for the train, and the platform was really busy. Most of the commuters were standing or sitting near me, by the entrance. My eyes were drawn to the far end of the platform. The train was due to enter the station from a tunnel on that side. The guy in the black coat stood close to the ledge.  He kept leaning into the tunnel. 

The image freaked me out, and my 1st thought was Don't Do It! 

I read a fiction book where the main character falls under a train. What a shock to the system! I couldn't stomach the thought of that happening in real life. For a split second I wondered if it was a warning, or just my paranoia. If he'd been closer, I would have asked for the time and engaged him in small talk. What are you supposed to do in these situations? By then, the train was one minute away. So I could pray, or run down the platform in his direction. I went for the 1st option, visualising a pair of concrete boots anchoring him to the platform. He didn't jump. Phew! It did make me wonder, how far would you go to help a stranger? 

I was left feeling a bit ridiculous. I think I'm paranoid because of a previous experience that I still need to heal from. Once upon a time, I saw a man get hit by a car. It was 8 years ago. I was having lunch in a cute cafe in Washington DC. Our table faced the windows on the street. A pedestrian stepped onto the street in front of me. He was looking to his right, and a delivery van backed into him from the left. They didn't see each other. That was a horrible moment. I thought about the futility of trying to stop it. Then I got up, started pounding on the window, and screamed at him to look left. My friends thought I was crazy, until the car hit him and a commotion broke out in the street. Thankfully, the car was moving slowly and the man walked away from it a few minutes later (though it did knock him down). 

The anticipation nearly did me in. I hadn't thought about it until today, and I think this guy at the tube station pushed my buttons. He looked perfectly calm when he stepped onto the train. It was just my nerves that were rattled ...

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Reiki hugs, Regina 

Take a bite out of life 🍎🍎🍎

My psychic school organizes an Open Night every semester for people to learn more about the classes and workshops. I've never been to one of these, but I hear about them in my psychic classes. When I started two years ago in the Beginners level Psychic Development classes, I was intimidated by some of the more advanced students. They were nice, don't get me wrong, but when you're just starting out readings can be incomprehensible. How did they find it so easy to talk and talk? I would get a random image, and I had no idea how that translated to a message. These guys would go on and on, so much that they even gave 15 minute readings at open night! Now its my turn to practice at Open Night! That is, if I can stretch my readings to 15 minutes.  =)

Yesterday I asked for a symbol, and I got three apples. The 1st one was the poison-laced apple from Snow White. The message was "Don't be afraid to take a bite out of life, you'll be enchanted, not poisoned." Next I got another apple, this time Eve's apple from the Tree of Life. The message was about occult spirituality, and the magic we can create when we understand the universe's secrets. Finally I got a series of life changing apples: Eve's Apple from Genesis,  The Beatle's first recording studio,  Steve Job's Apple Computer, and Isaac Newton's gravity apple. The reading was about transformation. Four apples that changed the world, and the symbolism behind those apples can help us change our own lives. 

The whole class was reading for the same guest, they were relevant for that particular person, but I think they can also apply to the rest of us. Most of us have a passion that we're afraid to pursue, and taking that leap can be scary. It is certainly true in my case! But then, we don't have to go it alone! I keep thinking back to some of the concepts I learned at the Kabbalah Centre, especially the Tree of Life and some of their so called Kabbalah Tools. It all links back to that Tree of Life and how we can use energy, thought and action to create the changes we want to see in our lives. 

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Big hugs, Regina