Energy Healing (facepalm)

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Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by fretmeister » Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:13 pm

Hello all, been ages since I've been on.

Anyway - I'm having an argument on FB with someone who calls herself a professional Energy Healing Practitioner (I know).

Obviously when I ask for links to peer reviewed papers supporting her claim that her "clients know it works" - I never get an answer.

Anyone know of any peer reviews where they shoot down this sort of crap and explain the methodology?

Of course if I find the name of her clinic then I'll be having a word with the ASA too.

ta muchly.
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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by Rum » Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:41 pm

Do you need peer reviews to shoot such loony claims down? I doubt you'll find any somehow.

Oh - and now you are here try to post more often OK? :hehe:

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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by fretmeister » Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:55 pm

Maybe peer review is the wrong approach - maybe just a good solid debunk.

My opponent is now moaning that I don't take her "profession" seriously.

She calls herself Rufus Icefire. The prosecution rests!
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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by FBM » Sat Apr 21, 2012 3:59 pm

"Rufus Icefire" would be a good name for a band, but that doesn't make "Energy Healing" any more legit. Maybe look up some stuff on the placebo effect, cold reading and the like?
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by fretmeister » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:03 pm

I know how to cold read - Mon-Fri I'm a lawyer... but evenings and weekends I'm a magician.

But to quote Paul Zenon - I'm honest about the lies I tell!
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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by Ronja » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:07 pm

Another lawyer! Useful if we* should ever need to lawyer up, I guess... Where do you practice? AFAIK we have one from South Africa (Dries) and another from Ireland (Cormac).

And I definitely agree with the "post more" suggestion. :cheers:



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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by fretmeister » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:17 pm

England!

I was on RDF but posted very rarely - there was just so much cool stuff to read I didn't feel I could add a hell of a lot.
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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by Thinking Aloud » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:30 pm

Derren Brown has done a lot of not-quite-debunking of similar things, usually by emulating the exact same "effects" as the practitioner, himself.

Here's a really short one on "Chi Energy" but he's done full length TV shows...


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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by fretmeister » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:38 pm

Thanks!
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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by Svartalf » Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:47 pm

Actually, massages and energy infusion are quite excellent.
you just need warm hands, a good bed manner, and great trust in the placebo effect to give those.
and you just need trust to receive.



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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by Ronja » Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:27 pm

Svartalf wrote:Actually, massages and energy infusion are quite excellent.
you just need warm hands, a good bed manner, and great trust in the placebo effect to give those.
and you just need trust to receive.



DO NOT USE FOR REALLY SERIOUS AILMMENTS
Fully agreed. Real human hands massage is :shiver: and even "mechanical" water massage and massage chairs / foot baths help quite a bit against muscle tensions IME. But they don't cure a migraine, and even less anything truly serious.
"The internet is made of people. People matter. This includes you. Stop trying to sell everything about yourself to everyone. Don’t just hammer away and repeat and talk at people—talk TO people. It’s organic. Make stuff for the internet that matters to you, even if it seems stupid. Do it because it’s good and feels important. Put up more cat pictures. Make more songs. Show your doodles. Give things away and take things that are free." - Maureen J

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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by Woodbutcher » Sun Apr 22, 2012 1:58 am

Check this out.http://www.badscience.net/index.php?s=energy+healing. There is a Forum as well. Ben Goldacre is good.
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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by FBM » Sun Apr 22, 2012 3:39 am

fretmeister, does she look anything like Rosie Palm Reader?
rosie-palm-reader-costume.jpg
rosie-palm-reader-costume.jpg (202.8 KiB) Viewed 491 times
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."

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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by JimC » Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:54 am

Ask them how many joules are involved, and watch the face for that "what the fuck is a joule" expression...
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Re: Energy Healing (facepalm)

Post by Thinking Aloud » Sun Apr 22, 2012 9:57 am

"How does that work then?" followed by "How do you know that?" My favourite questions.

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