Well, Wolfgang, were it not for those same old anecdotal experiences, I would have had no reason or motivation to explore the field of energy work at all. I do apologize for having bored you. ANd I do know that should you ever decide to check out a therapy like Reiki or Huna first-hand, your opinion of it would likely undergo quite a dramatic change.

Until then though, all you are really going on is second-hand, second-rate opinions and/or the usual questionable and ever-changing scientific (or pseudo-scientific) "evidence". If this is all that's required for you to form an opinion you're satisfied with, great.

But I'm different. I've learned to trust my own first-hand experience - even my own 'hunches" and intuitions - far more than anything I encounter from an outside source, no matter how credible or "acceptable" that source may be. Why? Because failing to trust my own direct experiences, hunches and intuitions; assuming that anyone else - scientist, "healer" or otherwise - might know better than I do what is best for me -- these are EXACTLY the attitudes that got me into such trouble when I first started exploring the more subtle realms of life. That was a VERY expensive lesson, and I am highly unlikely to ever forget it.

I'm glad you found something of value in the Reiki article. And please don't kid yourself - if you were ever hospitalized or in chronic pain, you just might find something of great value in a Reiki treatment, should the nurse at your bedside be properly trained (and permitted) to offer you one. Properly administered for relief of pain and anxiety, Reiki is more effective, far safer for the human body / psyche and much cheaper than any drug.

Drugs work like a sledgehammer - they may (or may not) hit the target (ie have the desired effect) - but the umpteen other most distressing side effects they inevitably trigger make therapies like Reiki a most desirable alternative.

Only problem with Reiki is that it's a completely natural technique that anyone can learn. It does not require expensive equipment or years of (also highly expensive) university training.   Pharmaceutical companies and Western medical professionals make no profit on it. In fact, the use of techniques like Reiki cuts into that corner of the market quite considerably - and that's what all the bally-hoo disguised as "scientific skepticism" is all about, imo. IT's all about what's best for the wealthy and influential powers-that-be in the scientific /pharmaceutical / medical community -- NOT what's in the best interests of the public.

IMHO.

daylia