Often the effect (e. g. of Reiki) is disparagingly explained with “placebo”. Only to present a drug that is loaded with pharmaceutical chemistry as the only remedy. Interesting! This only questions the state of mind of the person addressed – but not the effecttivenesss of the drug!
Ironically, it is true for every form of healing – including pharmacy supported or with Reiki – that one’s own subjective conviction influences the outcome. Like they say, faith moves mountains.
This dynamic has long been known and is used effectively in medicine. The more unpronounceable the name of a drug, the less legible the doctor’s scrawl, the better the effect of his prescription on humans. Even if the substance administered is only glucose. At least for people who attach importance to conventional medicine and its medications. Others believe that especially disgusting tasting medicine is the best, or the most expensive ones. Yes, even the colour can play a role.
And of course the opposite is also true. The more convinced I am that life in general and mine in particular, is very difficult… well, that also works. In epigenetics and modern psychology it is a regonized fact that the power of the belief systems deeply rooted in us and in our biographical imprints is a co- or even the main cause of diseases.
What does that mean? Should we simply all start to instantly believe that everything is just fine and forcably stop ourselves from having negative thoughts? One might, maybe it is a start. Unfortunately, however, it is not quite so easy, because the indoctrinations are often complex and deeply buried. Its origin does not even necessarily have to lie in one’s own biography, it can be a collective conviction or an experience that has been held in the family for generations.
What I particularly like about Reiki is that it escapes my conviction. Because my “positive thoughts” are all too often merely wishful thinking, “the”ghosts we are calling” as Goethe says. My knowing that Reiki serves the highest good, and I do not need to determine it, is comforting and liberating. Placebo or its opposite Nocebo* play only a supporting role, if at all.
Just today I read in David Bolius’ column “Reiki Science” in the German Reiki Magazine that a study in public psychiatric clinics has shown that Reiki has had its effect uncoupled from placebo: When subjects were treated with actual Reiki, they showed significantly better results compared to treatments of non-initiated therapists. This although they did not know that some of them received only “fake” Reiki and the same hope for improvement or sceptical attitude prevailed throughout all treatments. The test persons consisted of clinic employees. Reduction of burnout symptoms and personal disorientation were observed.
Additionally , this article is inspired by the publication “You are the placebo” of neuroscientist and epigeneticist Joe Dispenza.
René Vögtli
The Nocebo effect (lat.’ I will harme’), and in contrast to the placebo effect (lat.’ I will please’), results in an apparent negative effect of a medication. Source: Wikipedia (German).