Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

theatlantic.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 315 posts

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#11

Post by jekrok0n »

I’ve studied this and made a throwaway since wow something I know on HN: It works like aspirin works, or other temporary fixes that get chemically flushed. But no I’m not gonna get all nerdy for you. google.com if you’re actually interested, not just looking for shallow socializing

Touch lifts our spirits by instigating chemical change in our body.

It’s like saying ow or fuck in surprise, which has been shown to help us process a rising action in our system.

We can manually hold muscles and create issues in our body. It’s not a shock to find people with issues from years of muscle tension they didn’t realize was there.

When you’re doing Reiki it’s ok to process and we emotionally do

What a shock in an uptight Puritan culture that’s all about how correct or theories and work are, some old school caveman niceness makes us feel better in a real way.

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#12

Post by sneak »

itsdrewmiller wrote: post #3
seibelj wrote: post #2

It doesn't work, no more than placebo or straightforwards meditation does.

That is addressed in the article: Skeptics are quick to point to the placebo effect: The body’s capacity to heal itself after receiving only the simulated experience of medication or therapy is well documented. But precisely because that capacity is so well documented, reflexive dismissal of the placebo effect as “fake medicine” demands scrutiny—and is now receiving it. In late 2018, The New York Times Magazine repor…

> I would be very surprised if there was a measurable difference between "real" and theatrical Reiki, though.

It seems to me you have restated seibelj's comment.

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#13

Post by fortran77 »

uslic001 wrote: post #10

Magical thinking and placebo effect. I don't see any Reiki masters on the front line fighting COVID-19 because they know it has no real effect.

Actually, if you google, you'll see everyone from Chiropractors to acupuncturists to reiki practitioners claiming they can help. (The most outlandish claims are coming from the chiropractors!)

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#14

Post by jayjay71 »

fortran77 wrote: post #13
uslic001 wrote: post #10

Magical thinking and placebo effect. I don't see any Reiki masters on the front line fighting COVID-19 because they know it has no real effect.

Actually, if you google, you'll see everyone from Chiropractors to acupuncturists to reiki practitioners claiming they can help. (The most outlandish claims are coming from the chiropractors!)

Fun fact: at least in the United States, chiropractors do not have medical degrees and so they are not licensed doctors.

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#15

Post by DoofusOfDeath »

jekrok0n wrote: post #11

I’ve studied this and made a throwaway since wow something I know on HN: It works like aspirin works, or other temporary fixes that get chemically flushed. But no I’m not gonna get all nerdy for you. google.com if you’re actually interested, not just looking for shallow socializing Touch lifts our spirits by instigating chemical change in our body. It’s like saying ow or fuck in surprise, which has been shown to help…

I'm taking your post at face value. Could you expand on what you mean by "uptight Puritan culture"?

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#16

Post by henearkr »

heisenzombie wrote: post #8
itsdrewmiller wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is addressed in the article: Skeptics are quick to point to the placebo effect: The body’s capacity to heal itself after receiving only the simulated experience of medication or therapy is well documented. But precisely because that capacity is so well documented, reflexive dismissal of the placebo effect as “fake medicine” demands scrutiny—and is now receiving it. In late 2018, The New York Times Magazine repor…

I believe that most discussions about the placebo effect are muddled by whether regression-to-the-mean effects are included or not. [1] When one is comparing a treatment with a "placebo", it makes sense to include "regression-to-the-mean" effects, since you're obviously looking to do better than that with your treatment. However, when people ask "What are the biological causes of the placebo effect?", they should rea…

Your concern disappears if your method is to compare, on one hand, difference between treatment and nothing, and on the other hand, difference between placebo and nothing. To only compare treatment and placebo directly is of course a methodological error.

PS: By the way, I'd advocate to scrutinize the biological bases of the placebo effect, in order to 1/ use it instead of trying to ignore it 2/ predict accurately its effect and thus lighten a lot the burden of test plans (ideally the tests could not need anymore to be double blind -- would save lots of time and money)

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#17

Post by ilaksh »

Maybe there is a way to use this concept of reducing stress with a gesture without invoking supernatural gibberish.

I mean to me it seems totally plausible that having a person there that is trying to help you in and of itself can reduce stress. Also if they touch you, that seems like it could definitely reduce stress also.

Or just the psychological effect of knowing that there are people who care, that seems like it could have at least a minor lasting effect on stress.

The question is can that basic concept work without the mumbojumbo. Or could you sell it without talking about magical powers.

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#18

Post by crispinb »

fortran77 wrote: post #13
uslic001 wrote: post #10

Magical thinking and placebo effect. I don't see any Reiki masters on the front line fighting COVID-19 because they know it has no real effect.

Actually, if you google, you'll see everyone from Chiropractors to acupuncturists to reiki practitioners claiming they can help. (The most outlandish claims are coming from the chiropractors!)

Chiropractic can cure all known ailments. Which is nearly as many as are smited by the mighty turmeric.

Re: Reiki can’t possibly work, so why does it?

#19

Post by ilaksh »

jekrok0n wrote: post #11

I’ve studied this and made a throwaway since wow something I know on HN: It works like aspirin works, or other temporary fixes that get chemically flushed. But no I’m not gonna get all nerdy for you. google.com if you’re actually interested, not just looking for shallow socializing Touch lifts our spirits by instigating chemical change in our body. It’s like saying ow or fuck in surprise, which has been shown to help…

I actually just found out Reiki existed, so I don't know for sure, but I bet you will have difficulty finding many respected Reiki practicioners who claim something so ridiculous as "aspirin and Reiki work the same way".
Post reply on HN