Reiki and crystals

[FMCA]

today i went to a women's group who did nothing but talk about crystals for 2 hours so i left after 90 minutes. I could not cope any longer. I wondered what other people thought so I asked " do they work?". One woman said oh yes they do work. I really wanted to say there is no scientific evidence whatsoever that a lump of rock in a colour you like can bring good fortune or cure a sore throat. I felt like I was sitting in a room where adult women were playing with toys. However, when asked at the beginning if anyone knew anything about crystals I did say yes you can buy kits for kids to make them.

One mentioned reiki and I asked if it worked. The response I got was worrying. Apparently it does work and one woman said the room was spinning, another one said it was good. I really wanted to say that what they had experienced was a placebo affect. Or low blood pressure from standing up quickly.

They don't work, its a placebo effect but people make a lot of money out of it.

I don't understand why people fall for all this mysticism; Needless to say I wont be going back to that group unless there is clear evidence as a result of a number of studies published by a reputable journal. Like the British Medical Journal.

Am I the only person that thinks this???

 

[Dalake]

It sounds like you hit a wall in this group and are disappointed by that.

Yes, science has answers mysticism doesn't. And science is ever-evolving and changing it's answers.

Science can't account for spontaneous remission from final stage illness, many things in nature and has limits all scientists with morality readily admit.

Einstein famously said 'Where science ends, God begins.'

Even the word placebo is a term for someone recieving benefit without scientific cause.

The connections between humans and nature, god and science is hotly debated and contested; it is up to each person to explore 'where science ends and god begins'. Forcing it can cause harm.

Being in a group that has gone further in their explorations may not be a good fit.

 

[Sideways]

They don't work

Belief systems make a lot of humans feel better. Feel connected. Feel whole. Feel safe. That’s working for them. Different value systems determining what measures of effectiveness to use.

It’s okay that you don’t agree with their belief system and deciding not to go back to this group sounds like a good decision, but putting faith in things like crystals or reiki is incredibly normal for humans.

I’m wearing crystals at the moment that help with my negative thoughts. There is unlikely to ever be anything that scientifically confirms that these particular types of crystals have any impact on negative thoughts whatsoever.

Except that…I know they’re there, I know why I’m wearing these particular crystals, they are a physical, constantly present reassurance to me. I roll them in the palm of my hand and it makes me feel like I can gain control of my negative thoughts - the calm I achieve from that? Helps ground me, and get my negative thoughts under control.

Yup - they could just as easily be a rabbit-paw or an acorn or a horseshoe or…the crystals work for me. *shrug* I’m typically as cynical as the next person with health treatments and like to see the scientific process applied to justifying medical treatments.

But the crystals are helpful too, they help me feel better. Placebo effect, sure. But, still effective. Also cheap, anytime/anywhere accessible, empowering, simple, tangible and (unlike many scientifically backed treatments) completely free of side-effect. That’s enough for me, even without any scientific justification, to supplement my other forms of treatment with a few crystals around my wrist.