It has been reported by several sources that the NHS is advertising for a Reiki healer.
The NHS stated that “the responsibilities of a reiki healer include treating clients using energy principles … and activating the healing process.” The post is paid for by the Sam Buxton Sunflower Healing Trust (SBSHT) which states on its website:
The SBSHT healing therapists, who work within the NHS and other health areas, are proud to be part of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to provide vital support cancer patients, their relatives and staff. Since 2006, the SBSHT has funded healers to work in NHS, and other health related areas to support cancer patients and their families. A key role of the SBSHT is to increase awareness within the UK of the importance of providing healing support to cancer patients and families. Another vital role is to generate the crucial funds needed to place more healers in NHS, and other health related areas, throughout the country. Complementary therapy (CT) is increasingly demanded and expected by patients undergoing cancer treatments. An increasing amount of research clearly demonstrates that CT is important to support patients through their conventional treatments. SBSHT is committed to providing funds to NHS hospitals and cancer centers to engage the services of a Reiki practitioner or Healer for cancer patients and their families
As a charity we are or have funded healer posts within the centres below.
- University College Hospital, London
- Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Epping
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Welwyn Garden City
- Derriford Hospital, Plymouth
- Wigan NHS Trust, Wigan
- St Josephs Hospice, London
- Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw Children’s Hospice, Carlisle
- St Mary’s Hospice, Ulverston and Barrow in Furness NHS Trust
- St Johns Hospice, Lancaster
- Kent and Canterbury Hospital, Canterbury
- Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, Bristol
- Rowcroft Hospice, Torquay
- The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
- Barnstaple NHS Trust
- Treliske Hospital, Cornwall
- Poole NHS Trust
- St Michaels Hospice, Herefordshire
The SBSHT was co-founded by Angie Buxton-King in memory of her son Sam, who died of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 1998 aged 10. She is a member of the ‘College of Psychic Studies’ which is “committed to serving the evolution of consciousness”. The College website states this:
We were founded in 1884 to support and encourage empirical research into the esoteric. Our programme has since broadened and diversified to meet rising demand and increasingly global interests.
However, our core values remain the same. We continue to shine a light on key themes including consciousness, intuition, self-development and meditation. Our courses, workshops, talks and special events provide a safe and inclusive space in which to explore the full spectrum of human potential under the careful guidance of our expert tutors.
The College offers all sorts of courses; I was particularly fascinated by this one: “Alchemise Your Energy Through Dowsing“.
__________________
Now, one could easily claim that there is nothing wrong with reiki healers invading the NHS; after all, they are funded by a charitable trust at no cost to the taxpayer.
Yet, I disagree!
Reiki healing is implausible and ineffective nonsense. As such it is by no means harmless. Employing such healers in the NHS sends out a strong signal that undermines the principles of rational thinking and evidence-based medicine. If the NHS truly does not value these principles, I suggest they also fill the chronic gaps in ambulance services by flying carpets.
59 Responses to The NHS is looking for a Reiki healer to treat clients “using energy principles … and activating the healing process”
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Yesterday I sent this to the comms office of the NHS trust concerned:
On what evidence for clinical cost-effectiveness was this position created?
How does this position comply with official guidance on the effectiveness of reiki? I am sure you can look up the NICE and NHS guidance.
What do you consider is the message that patients will receive about reiki? I should point out that the provider charity uses the web domain cancertherapies.org.uk. The general public normally expects a therapy to be supported by evidence that it works. In this case the “therapies” are associated with cancer, and to most people “healing” means cure. The Sam Buxton Sunflower Healing Trust uses throughout its website the word “healing”, in relation both to reiki and to “spiritual healing”.
How does this position support the efforts by the NHS to embed evidence based clinical practice?
excellent!
Is this charity covering all of the employer on-costs and admin associated with such a post? If not it costs the NHS money which could be spent on something else.
Is the charity paying for the day to day management and supervision of this post (the job ad mentions 2 “modern matrons”, which will be Band 7 minimum, more likely 8A)? They don’t come cheap (oooops, I’m a former Band 7 nurse…). That will cost the NHS money and someone’s time which could be better used.
Is the charity in anyway covering the cost of premises and utility bills? What about secretarial costs? Surely clinic letters will still be produced? And what about all other admin costs, such as reception, sending out appointments and the rest?
This post in Manchester is at a Band 4, money which could be more usefully be spent on a healthcare assistant or a psychology assistant. Actually probably better spent on another secretary.
No clinical post, or reiki practitioner for that matter, exists in a vacuum.
Reiki practitioners produce powerful energies.
So powerful that they can heal.
But might they not worsen the health of patients and staff in the vicinity and even healthy passers by?
What steps has the NHS Trust (“Trust” note!) taken to ensure no harmful energies are released?
What evidence is there that the energies are focused only on pathological tissue?
I endorse Murmur’s concern that whilst the salary of the practitioner might be paid for by the Sun Flower Charity, there are significant on-costs which will fall to the public purse.
The claims made about the post being “funded by Sam Buxton Trust” are false and misleading – the NHS is paying for nonsense.
This is a further insidious insinuation of an unethical practice – particulary as patients will not give fully informed consent – including the fact that no one has ever demonstrated the presence of any such ‘energy’ and the whole firago is a figment of imagination and heightened placebo responses.
What has the NHS Trust’s ethical committee said about the proposed treatment. Being ‘novel’, ethical approval must have been sought, and obtained. The Medical Director of the Trust is accountable to the GMC.
The local MP should be asked to call for a parliamentary inquiry into this “Healing Trust”.
If it does provide a benefit – we must be properly informed as we might all want to take advantage.
“Suppport for cancer patients” – certainly, but no need for a false prophet, or reiki practitioner.
I will be raising this with the Chair of the BMA’s Board of Science. All further relevant information welcome.
This charity is a repeat offender, and it’s time for a complaint to the Charity Commission. Reiki is not the only quackery they are plugging.
I am really pushed for time today but will do the best I can today and tomorrow
From the charity website;
Reiki research articles
Alandydy P, Alandydy K. Using Reiki to support surgical patients. J Nurs Care Qual. 1999 Apr;13(4):89-91.
Assefi N, Bogart A, Goldberg J, Buchwald D. Reiki for the treatment of fibromyalgia: a randomized controlled trial. J Altern Complement Med. 2008Nov;14(9):1115-22.
Bossi LM, Ott MJ, DeCristofaro S. Reiki as a clinical intervention in oncology nursing practice. Clin J Oncol Nurs. 2008 Jun;12(3):489-94.
Bowden D, Goddard L, Gruzelier J. A randomised controlled single-blind trial of the effects of Reiki and positive imagery on well-being and salivary cortisol.Brain Res Bull. 2010 Jan 15;81(1):66-72.
Brathovde A. A pilot study: Reiki for self-care of nurses and healthcare providers. Holist Nurs Pract. 2006 Mar-Apr;20(2):95-101.
Burden B, Herron-Marx S, Clifford C. The increasing use of reiki as a complementary therapy in specialist palliative care. Int J Palliat Nurs. 2005May;11(5):248-53.
Crawford SE, Leaver VW, Mahoney SD. Using Reiki to decrease memory and behavior problems in mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease. J
Altern Complement Med. 2006 Nov;12(9):911-3.
Cuneo CL, Cooper MR, Drew CS, Naoum-Heffernan C, Sherman T, Walz K, Weinberg J. The Effect of Reiki on Work-Related Stress of the Registered Nurse. J Holist Nurs. 2010 Aug 10. [Epub ahead of print]
Friedman RS, Burg MM, Miles P, Lee F, Lampert R. Effects of Reiki on autonomic activity early after acute coronary syndrome. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2010Sep 14;56(12):995-6.
Kennedy P. Working with survivors of torture in Sarajevo with Reiki. Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery. 2001 Feb;7(1):4-7.
Mackay N, Hansen S, McFarlane O. Autonomic nervous system changes during Reiki treatment: a preliminary study. J Altern Complement Med. 2004Dec;10(6):1077-81.
Meland B. Effects of Reiki on pain and anxiety in the elderly diagnosed with dementia: a series of case reports. Altern Ther Health Med. 2009 Jul-Aug;15(4):56-7.
Nield-Anderson L, Ameling A. The empowering nature of Reiki as a complementary therapy. Holist Nurs Pract. 2000 Apr;14(3):21-9.
Olson K, Hanson J, Michaud M. A phase II trial of Reiki for the management of pain in advanced cancer patients. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2003Nov;26(5):990-7.
Olson K, Hanson J. Using Reiki to manage pain: a preliminary report. Cancer Prev Control. 1997 Jun;1(2):108-13.
Pocotte SL, Salvador D. Reiki as a rehabilitative nursing intervention for pain management: a case study. Rehabil Nurs. 2008 Nov-Dec;33(6):231-2.
Rakestraw T. Reiki: the energy doula. Midwifery Today Int Midwife. 2009-2010 Winter;(92):16-7.
Richeson NE, Spross JA, Lutz K, Peng C. Effects of Reiki on anxiety, depression, pain, and physiological factors in community-dwelling older adults. Res Gerontol Nurs. 2010 Jul;3(3):187-99.
Schmehr R. Enhancing the treatment of HIV/AIDS with Reiki training and treatment. Altern Ther Health Med. 2003 Mar-Apr;9(2):120, 118.
Shore AG. Long-term effects of energetic healing on symptoms of psychological depression and self-perceived stress. Altern Ther Health Med. 2004 May-Jun;10(3):42-8.
VanderVaart S, Gijsen VM, de Wildt SN, Koren G. A systematic review of the therapeutic effects of Reiki. J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Nov;15(11):1157-69.
Wardell DW, Engebretson J. Biological correlates of Reiki Touch(sm) healing. J Adv Nurs. 2001 Feb;33(4):439-45.
more via this link
https://web.archive.org/web/20210513193124/http://www.cancertherapies.org.uk/research
More power to you Richard and thank you for your important work!
this may also be helpful
The House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology report on the use of Complementary and Alternative Therapies (CAM) stated the following in relation to therapies within Group 2 – which includes Reiki & Spiritual Healing;
“We are satisfied that many therapies listed in our Group 2 give help and comfort to many patients when used in a complementary sense to support conventional medical care”
“In relieving stress, in alleviating side effects (for example of various forms of anti-cancer therapy) and in giving succour to the elderly and in palliative care they often fulfil an important role”.
more here;
https://web.archive.org/web/20210803130206/http://www.cancertherapies.org.uk/informationfornhstaff
Apologies, I should have C&P’d the entire text on my earlier post as the rest of the page is important, it reads as follows;
“New research shows Reiki aids the wellbeing of cancer sufferers
A research project conducted by Dr Serena McCluskey concludes that “Reiki could be a beneficial tool in the self-management of quality of life issues for women with cancer”.
Following a pilot study in Huddersfield, researchers feel that Reiki, as a complementary therapy, should be available to cancer sufferers on the NHS
AS a new study shows that at least half of the population will get cancer at some point in their lives, a University of Huddersfield research project claims that the complementary therapy named Reiki can improve the quality of life for cancer patients by lowering their levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue. The findings are to be presented at a major conference and larger-scale research could follow.
The project was named An exploratory study of Reiki experiences in women living with cancer and it was conducted by Dr Serena McCluskey who is a Senior Research Fellow in the University’s Centre for Applied Psychological and Health Research and Professor Marilynne Kirshbaum. They were joined by Dr Maxine Stead, who has an academic background in psychosocial oncology research and is now the owner of a holistic health spa in Huddersfield.
She is herself a practitioner of Reiki, a Japanese technique in which the hands of a healer are said to release positive energy. There is scientific controversy over Reiki, but the University of Huddersfield researchers were purely concerned with its potential to bring about improvements in wellbeing.
They have concluded that “Reiki could be a beneficial tool in the self-management of quality of life issues for women with cancer”. The team now believes that there is a case for Reiki being added to the roster of complementary therapies that are available via the NHS.
“Acupuncture and other techniques that were regarded as quite unorthodox are prescribed on the NHS, so we just thought that more research on Reiki was needed,” said Dr McCluskey. “We are not suggesting that we can establish scientific effectiveness, but we are adding to the body of evidence for the quality of life benefits it has for women with cancer.”
Detailed interviews
Over the course of a year, the researchers conducted detailed interviews with ten women who had received Reiki therapy at two hospices in the local area. They discovered benefits such as a release of emotional strain, “a clearing of the mind from cancer” and feelings of inner peace and relaxation.
The benefits could last for as long as a fortnight, said Dr Stead. “It really gave them an escape from what they were going through. They were often undergoing a lot of treatment, and the Reiki was a respite and seemed to help them cope. It got them out of their blackness.”
Dr McCluskey and Dr Stead, who is now a Reiki Master, were colleagues at the University of Leeds in the Psychosocial Oncology Research and Clinical Trials Unit – largely funded by Cancer Research UK – where they researched quality of life issues.
“Due to more effective methods of diagnosis and treatment, people are living longer with cancer and it is now often classed as a long-term condition. “Patients don’t go into the hospital or see consultants as frequently, so they often look at things outside of normal medical treatment to help them cope with the effects of living with the disease, such as depression, anxiety, fatigue and pain,” said Dr McCluskey.
Pilot project
The findings of the pilot project are to be presented in a paper at the 2015 conference of the British Psychosocial Oncology Society, taking place in Leeds (March 19th-20th). The researchers plan to publish their findings and also hope to expand their work.
In addition to the fact that Dr Stead is a practitioner of Reiki at the Alexandra House Health Spa in Huddersfield, her fellow researchers have also experienced the therapy and report the benefits, although not on a scientific basis.
“We are aware of criticism from the empirical evidence about the validity and credibility of Reiki and so we did a scientific literature review on the subject. We will publish the findings of that,” said Dr McCluskey.
Dr Stead added: “We don’t know exactly how and why birds migrate to the other side of the world and come back to the same place every year. But one day we might be able to – and the same goes for Reiki.””
https://web.archive.org/web/20210513193124/http://www.cancertherapies.org.uk/research
The above is important as it demonstrates the endorsement of woo woo by various NHS researchers and doctors (some if not all appear in the charitiy’s promotional videos) and promotes this, er, fascinating piece of “research” as an endorsement of the charity’s work
https://web.archive.org/web/20180416064927/http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/22884
Louise sagatiously notes: “Acupuncture and other techniques that were regarded as quite unorthodox are prescribed on the NHS, so we just thought that more research on Reiki was needed,” said Dr McCluskey. “We are not suggesting that we can establish scientific effectiveness, but we are adding to the body of evidence for the quality of life benefits it has for women with cancer.”
So, no evidence of any benefit beyond the placebo.
No evidence any ‘energy’ is produced or has any effect on the cancer.
But here is evidence that these practitioners are misleading patients, failing to obtain properly informed consent, and gaining ‘quality of life benefits’ by care and compassion – not by ‘Reiki energy’.
So why employ Reiki therapists and not use available funds to employ qualified counsellors?
Why mislead patients?
Is employment of ‘Reiki therapists’ not quackery – and to be deprecated?
Just what are these NHS managers, including Medical Directors, up to?
Hello and thanks for your post, I appreciate the fact that you find it difficult to find “evidence “ of any relevant effects from this “Healing practice called reiki” but as I have personally given a demonstration in a similar form of “Energy Transfer “ Ie called Huna Mana,Which is Based on the breathing process and rhythmic vitality
Pulses from our Circulatory systems,which have the effect of producing an electrical field around each cellular structure, and can be felt as a tangible indicator of vitality for many energy workers Ie reiki practitioners and shaman.as a practitioner in the science of electro magnetic resonance work,Ie Huna Mana, & Reiki ,as well as counselling.I have witnessed some profound changes in people on numerous occasions, this may well be a placebo as you say, it has nevertheless had profound life altering effects. Huna Tradition Principal Teaches,
Our Biological systems are Constantly Producing Electrical Fields in and Around our Bio systems and these
Fields can be Detected by people who have been “Attuned and can Tune in and sense frequencies from you.
I can best Describe this as an intelligent bio dynamic cellular telepathic exchange mechanisms, as all living systems are functioning with similar intelligence, this is A Dynamic principle for the entire Living universe And is
Driven by our Solar System, in the Huna Tradition It’s Referred to As cellular mind Resonance in accordance,to the frequencies of Solar / Gravity Photon Belt Magnetic resonance,Influences this is how people who have Gained Benefit from a “practitioner “ Who has Been initiated And Expanded their Frequency Range.” Can and do experience, Such Profound Shifts in Energy This Can Be/has been Demonstrated By proficient Practitioners and has Been Scientifically Tested on many occasions. No “quackery” Here but observers of Energy codes.
As Our Cellular Structure/DNA Has Memory of every Biological Process We have Ever Been Subject to It can
Be Rebooted By Ether Chemical Intervention,and Or frequently iIntervention,,EMFS,Sound,Environmental Changes, A Diet plan A sensitive person , even dolphins are reported to have “Mana Sense”
Awareness,As Have Horses,Dogs,Cats,Children, as some animals have been known to detect tumours.
As I am well aware and have always reassured my clientele ,you don’t have to be fully cognisant about how a complex mechanical system has to work ie your motor Vehicle, all you need are the basic instructions for driving and maintaining it, or simply trusting someone else to take you wherever you are going on your journey.
It’s a similar principle, in the course of my various trainings I have had the privilege to work along side some
Very distinguished people in the scientific and research community , who are coming to see the connection between the nature of our modern life and some of the ancient wisdom teachings,regarding the inter connectiontivity of all life,which some have referenced as “Quantum Entanglement “,i feel in time we will demonstrate that this is the level at which some people have elected to work in the healing process as practitioners of “Quantum Medicine “,I really hope That many more people are willing to put their peers to the golden Rule of “Never Dismiss What You Are Not Willing To Learn From Just Because It Seems Beyond Your Capacity Of Understanding” Until You Can Absolutely Provide The Evidence Contrary To The EXPERIENCES.
As I have Learned On my journey, sometimes you need to get into the driving seat and take others on your journey for a bit ,please Give Reiki A go even if just to prove your Truth It’s part of a much larger scale plan.
With Sacred Regards And Many Blessings.
Raysource,
@Raysource
“This Can Be/has been Demonstrated By proficient Practitioners and has Been Scientifically Tested on many occasions.”
In which case you should have no difficulty in posting here the references for the papers published.
BTW what’s the point of all this capitalisation? It doesn’t make nonsense suddenly sensible.
“Quantum Entanglement”
I don’t think that means what you think it means.
“Physicist Murray Gell-Mann coined the phrase ‘quantum flapdoodle’ to refer to the misuse and misapplication of quantum physics to other topics.”
— Stenger, Victor J. (2009). Quantum Gods: Creation, Chaos and the Search for Cosmic Consciousness
Quantum flapdoodle as Pete says.
At times like this I like to quote quantum physicist Professor Jim Al-Khalilli who knows a great deal more than any of us about such matters.
Hi Lenny and thanks for your interest in what I have posted, I hope you have found something useful here, as you have referred to esp, homeopathy and psychic phenomenon and if I think quantum energy could have anything to do with these I would like to ask firstly what brought you to the conclusion that I am talking about those subjects, and secondary if you have any experience in such matters,and if you can provide some of your understanding if you have anything to report.
There are many people who have made similar enquiries in order to understand some of their more extraordinary occurrences.
as some people who have been through one form of energy work or another, or experienced trauma in near death
encounters (if you have ever met someone like this) might have tried to explain something they have difficulty coming to terms with which may have occurred, some times it seems to them like the experience was surreal and somehow happening outside of them.if you have any information regarding something like this i would like to hear it, unless of course you believe it’s all a bit too wo wo for you,
I have met several people with such stories to share, they often have been enlightened to some extent, and can come across with an inspiring and optimistic new understanding about their futures.
As for homeopathy , the little understanding I have about this from of medicine is that it is based on the principle of atomism
And nano particle fusion, nothing to do with energy work as such, but I assume it does involve energy manipulation of some description,if you could offer any guidance on this I would be grateful.
As for the millions who have been using this form of treatment I can only speculate on whether they are subjected to some kind of which craft or actually are receiving beneficial support for their maladies.
As far as ESP is concerned I would put this in the telepathy categories ,i ie de ja vou, sixth sense ,animal instincts .
If you know or have any animals in your life you may have experience of these instincts as they can sometimes display some very unusual behaviour,such as becoming lost and finding the way home from sometimes many miles away,
Migration to the opposite side of the earth and sensing cancer tumours inside us,is this what you think of as ESP?
or are you still going to believe as many others do that they are just a coincidence of circumstance?
As you have mentioned Psychic phenomena it’s an extremely controversial issue with many of you so I will just say for those who have had any experience with this positive or negative I referrer back to some of those people who have been subject to traumatic and other experience,and on occasion have suddenly become aware of some extra sensory ability,ie
Can forecast the weather, sense disaster that’s about to occur, communicates /senses with spirit energy.
But there are also those who seem to have been born with such abilities which can become burdens on their life.
With many of these issues i have met as many sceptics as those who believe in such matters,where do you stand on such matters do you have any evidence for or against it ?for the record I do not involve myself in such matters I feel that to respect the belief system of others is paramount unless we have done some homework to our own satisfaction or been in their shoes as we say,with many people willing to dismiss what they sometimes fear and have never had experience of
If those people are prepared to offer some form of evidence that gives relevance to the understanding of those seeking such proof it would help matters as some of us need to know.
It’s all to easy to dismiss such matters and demand “science gives you what you deem to be proof or otherwise “but are you willing to walk the same path as many of us already done, when it comes to subjective evidence sometimes there is nothing to show,as in the example of Reiki healing, which is a very small aspect of a vast and phenomenal energy system the foundation of this practice is based upon what you may term the universal and primary force for all phenomena.if you can become adept at applying it the effects can astonish you,it’s not often about changing any existing conditions more a case of enhancing and rebalancing what already exists, in some cases we are referring to many blocks in a person’s energy matrix which with the support of various supplements can usually be reconfigured, and bring the person back into a holistic condition, not miraculous or spontaneous remission,although itsnot yet understood if such things have been triggered by the intervention of such energy.some people have such experiences.
Although everyone is perfectly entitled to dismiss all of these claims in their own right others are equally as entitled to own their experience and healing process,according to their own volition with that said after almost forty years of practice I have received much guidance on some of these matters my conclusion is that you simply cannot do any harm to others with it and for the layman who doesn’t possess the understanding of dealing with such forces there are primary aspects of universal law involved.
They have to be adhered to otherwise it simply does not work,you may or may not observe these laws but they are constantly in effect and require a code of ethics that you must be willing to support and share according to compassion on behalf of the universal cause, as becoming a catalyst for this understanding to some degree is something otherwise known as “light language or recoding.” As for any other authentic systems which are based on these principles.
When people put out some misleading comments about such matters ie distance healing or sending energy may be harmful
This is pure fear monger talk which is making negative cause by denying the opportunity to those people who have no experience or understanding of such matters yet may need such an intervention, you need to prove such harm is done.
As I believe we are in the momentum for an evolutionary shift, it’s important to inform your fellow beings to the great awakening you are undergoing, if you are, if not then do not stand in the way of those who are.for there are many things in our existence you may have yet to undergo and rediscover you, greet any new understanding with sacred regard and we brace it or if you cannot find anything fascinating about your new experiences your universe is active.
As with your current issues with the NHS climate regarding the practice of reiki I hope you can resolve this problem,it might
Need some further work to bring some relief,if there is little or no effect for those people although it’s unusual to hear of
Reiki having no effect at all,
Blessed and sacred regards to you and your loved ones Raysource.
I’m not usually fond of videos in scientific discussions, but as (real) science seems conspicuously absent from Raysources’ comment, I think I can make exception here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi2IC6e5DUY&t=3837s
Hello again here’s something for your records. https://youtube.com/watch?v=io4onR9eBFI&feature=share
Ray
You need to learn what does and does not constitute clinical evidence and also the hierarchy of evidence. You are clearly a gentle and sincere chap so I’ll hold off on the snark.
Hello I take your point as I have no experience of being involved in any “clinical trials “I cannot refer you to any studies
As it’s a matter of clinical evidence for you and your peers i totally respect your position on matters which remain largely intangible to so many, if a person is in the school of clinical based scientific proof i guess it’s the essential acid test method in pursuit of ever more effective medicine, I look forward to the day when mainstream science and what we call Mana
Can become a Co creative collaboration.
Best regards and sacred blessings to you and your kindred .
Raysource.
“There is no belief, however foolish, that will not gather its faithful adherents who will defend it to the death.”
— Isaac Asimov, The Stars in Their Courses (1974), p. 36
@Raysource
Well, thank you for showing why videos are useless in scientific discussions. And as this whole ‘energy medicine’ hokum actually touches upon my field of expertise (biomedical electronics – REAL ‘energy medicine’ in other words), I took a look at the video anyway.
What I saw was someone waving their hands at a man sitting in front of a thermal camera, with the contrast turned way up to show even the slightest changes in temperature.
After the man takes his shirt off, his body temperature slightly decreases over the course of an hour and a half, which is what one would expect – you can see the big red patches shrinking already in the first half hour ‘acclimation [sic] period’. Just sitting there motionless will no doubt also help lowering the temperature – and oh, the somewhat lighter blue patch in the background also significantly decreases in size.
All these things are strong indications that we are simply looking at a slight drop in the overall temperature, maybe a few tenths of a degree Celsius (but that is just a guess, as we don’t know the camera’s settings).
The guy waving his hands is just a charlatan, and we would have seen the exact same thing happening if he wasn’t there at all.
The video’s title is a lie. Thermal cameras only pick up surface temperature, to a depth of a few millimetres at most. They absolutely cannot see what happens inside the stomach (which is also why thermography is useless for e.g. detecting breast cancer).
In all fairness, thermal imaging could be used to detect for instance fever, inflammatory conditions directly below the skin’s surface or problems with the blood supply to limbs – anything that actually influences the surface temperature. But even in these cases, it is pretty unreliable, and other diagnostic tools are usually preferred. This is also why you won’t find thermal cameras in doctors’ offices or in hospitals as a rule.
Hello and thanks for the feedback I had a similar view when I watched this demonstration, I also came to the conclusion
That you have stated regarding the natural temperature variation that would have probably been in effect.
Bearing in mind that we cannot know what the temperature would have been I can understand your attitude.
If this had been demonstrated in a more precise environment ie monitoring the ambient temperature in that space the
Experiment may have been a little more accurate.
So i get why you have come to your conclusion, the same cannot be said is all cases depending on one’s experience.
I would appreciate any further information regarding your work with your (bio medical electronics) i have also used some types of bio electrical devices ,but I will always have more faith in a fellow energy healer over a machine or device as they don’t possess souls..
I am not saying that these devices don’t have a role in the medical system but there is nothing quite like the human touch
And the sound of a soothing voice,I have also experienced a degree of relief from a biomedical device as well as receiving the intervention of a proficient energy worker, have experienced the difference’s.
But i guess you have to follow the science you have invested into, some technologies have very ancient beginnings
And would have been assigned to mystical or magical practices for many centuries to those who are unfamiliar with such
Occurrence’s nevertheless as in many mystical and ancient religious traditions, they have been passed down for generations via their initiates and are to this day widely practiced by many cultures, regardless of how sceptical or
Dismissing some mainstream science may be it can also be very much dependent on some of these ancient teachings.
As in the case of kAHuna tradition of shamanism which has much in common with some very cutting edge methods of physiotherapeutic application’s , such as CBT,and NLP.
Within part of my own cultural heritage there still exists some of our ancestral ways.
Modern science has superseded many of the old ways of doing certain things, but there are still many treasures in them.
As in this example of an ancient Chinese healing technique of CHI GONG,which has much in common with HUNA
MANA.I’m hope you find something you can relate to in this example.
Best regards and sacred blessings Raysource. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rUVt650GdEI&feature=share.
@Raysource
Good, as it is by far the simplest and most logical explanation – and Occam’s Razor says to go with that explanation as long a no new observations conflict with it.
However, I can fully understand why some people believe that there’s more going on than just a mundane temperature drop. We humans have evolved to be exceedingly good at recognizing patters. So good, in fact, that we can see patterns where there aren’t any – and no-one is immune to this tendency. When I tried building my first radio receivers as a kid, most of the time I got nothing but noise and crackling – yet I can clearly remember that I thought I heard whispering voices and vague musical fragments in the noise. Later I found out that those were not coming from my dysfunctional ‘radio’ (being not very good in electronics at first), but that it was my brain still trying to make sense of random stuff and even an absence of any coherent stimulus (also see electronic voice phenomenon and sensory deprivation. I later found the same effect in a visual sense in TV picture noise.
Intently looking at this video where nothing interesting is going on can amplify even the smallest things to stand out as something special. One example happens 22 minutes in, where the man goes from a somewhat slouched position to stretching upright, extending his stomach. This causes a temporary increase in temperature, probably due to a change in blood flow – and exactly this moment is taken as ‘before’ picture. And as the charlatan starts his hand waving shortly thereafter, the subsequent (and expected) drop in temperature really stands out.
Well, it’s nothing special, really. Most of the time I’m just hired to create or evaluate electronic devices that a) must work inside or in close contact to people, and b) are safe. In the course of this line of work, I have studied the interaction of biological structures and electromagnetic phenomena – including the sources and functions of electricity and electromagnetic fields in the body, and how the body responds to externally applied fields.
And yes, I have also studied ‘energy medicine’, because its proponents and practitioners use much the same lingo that I work with, and claim that a lot of what they do is somehow connected to or at least similar to electromagnetic phenomena.
Unfortunately for them, I could find no evidence supporting any of their claims, and instead found a lot of evidence that they are quite wrong in what they believe. If they claim that they can feel someone’s ‘bodily energy field’, a simple but elegant experiment carried out by a 9-year-old girl proved them wrong. I myself tested people who claimed to suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity, and found that they weren’t sensitive to actual electromagnetic fields at all (except of course heat and light radiation).
Please don’t get me wrong: I’m not looking down on people who believe in those non-existing phenomena. Believing things is a very human trait and therefore pretty easy; it is scepticism that takes hard work and constant vigilance not to fall for any fallacies and short cuts.
What helps me as a sceptic is that my line of work (electronics) is ‘hard’ science and very unforgiving – if I get it even slightly wrong, the things that I design won’t work (or worse, go up in smoke, or even much worse, hurt people). If I want to be successful in what I do, I have to follow the laws of the universe to a tee. No amount of belief, wishful thinking or hand-waving can change that.
But I can fully appreciate that you let human traits such as beliefs prevail over universal laws of physics and chemistry – it is after all how we evolved and managed to survive until now. But I think you should in turn appreciate how exploring, understanding and obeying(!) those ‘un-human’ physical laws has been instrumental in our astounding success as a living species. Instead of evolving to adapt to our surrounding world, we have learned to adapt the world to our needs and desires instead – not by any ‘ancient wisdom’ or systems of belief, but by applying science and rational thinking.
The proof of life is the most important and fundamental issue, but that is all in the eyes of the beholder, as in Ist law,Manifested Manipulation and creative disruption, the law of dependant origination and predictable observation, predictive analysis results in the expectations of the observers being a part of the desired results ie predictive programming resulting in a placebo effect =anti placebo effect all science is based in a belief system, but ”scionce” is based on microcosmic intervention.or bio energetic feedback,some of us bear this genetic disposition, or animal instinct which can inform the body’s innate bio intuitive mechanism,like many creatures.we also have micro machines being created constantly that help us to adjust our bio synthesis according to the environmental effects on our systems, as we have
been doing for centuries.as naturalist we have been evolving bio nano technology.in order to adapt to our changing planetary Ecology.Nothing works in isolation as we are also part of this natural synthesis we need to assimilate it.
We are essentially bio electrical beings all body language is vibrant electrical interaction as well as verbal feedback every mean’s of communication is via vibration, elemental /chemical /atmosphere, our body’s are constantly expiating and discharging electrical, and gases substance.,which is how your electrical devices can read the body functioning outputs ,which some of us can do through our fingertips.so as sceptical as a “scientist “ might be the facts are their in plain sight.
The ancient medicine systems have known this for centuries,so they’re nothing new ,you can research them your self,, ie the I Ching ,Tibetan Medicine Wheel, Vedic Medicine Systems Ka hu na.these are well established tried over many eons.
So much of what science clams to be ground breaking has its origins in ancient traditional medicine.
You are in many cases repeating history,like it or not much of what you may call modern medicine comes from much older civilisations,and the forests of the worlds indigenous races,as so many of the world’s exploration’s have demonstrated.
So before you write off other methods of diagnosis and healing it may be a cause for you to go and extend your understanding of some other modalities of finding relief for many conditions, as some of them have an established time
Frame much older than the current versions, as I have recently discovered one of these are being re employed as a means of treatment, ie leaching, one of the most widely used methods for blood purification and wounds treatment for many diseases..
Many of you may not yet have been updated on the many current energy devices being tried and tested for a wide verity of conditions from sleep disorders to arthritis,as pioneered by the likes of Nicola Tesla And Wilhelm Reich as great masters
These guys have done much of the ground work setting the trend for Quantum Medical Intervention.
As are current day geniuses such as Elon Musk. Some people are achieving some much needed relief via such devices.
some of us have observed that the Human System Has Multiple Fields of frequency and a unique and profound synthesis of harmonic resonance, I
With Sacred Regards and Much Love on Your Next Journey Raysource.
Ps Here is a recently published https://youtube.com/watch?v=xIcc2UMd7ro&feature=share
@ Ray Carter
I would have expected an essay-writing robot to do a better job of your word salad. At least it would get the grammar right.
Some more concerning material here via the charity’s webpage with endorsments for Angie Buxton King’s (It appears that Angie Buxton is married to Garham King) book The NHS Healer and the charity’s recommended reading list
The recommended reading list is, as one would expect, a roll call of woo woo merchants, however of special note in this recommendation
Northrup Dr. Christiana Mother-Daughter Wisdom Hay House 2006 ISBN 0-553-38012-5
Northrup has been widely reported in the media as being one of the 12 most influential anti-vaccine activists in the world. This represents an extremely serious safeguarding concern.
Vulnerable patients should not be referred to woo woo merchants who recommend anti-vaccination influencers to people who may be in the greatest need of vaccines.
https://web.archive.org/web/20210513191355/http://www.cancertherapies.org.uk/suggestedreading
Louise
Do you want to work with me on a Charity Commission complaint about this outfit? I have 10 years of experience.
Les, I am honoured that you would ask me. I have dozens of safeguarding reports half-written as I am seriously over-committed and am a compulsive researcher and collector of data.
I also contacted another poster here (in fact 2) , also extremely experienced, but have not had time to email them back.
I will contact the people I initially contacted first and maybe we can do something as a team if they are in agreement?
I am not an academic, however I am very experienced and committed to the cause of protecting vulnerable people and I recognise that I need to work with others for the best outcome and most efficient use of skills and abilities.
I am now running very late so will be away for a while
The “modern matrons” mentioned in the job ad are nurses; I counted 3 breaches of the nursing Code of Conduct (especially the section about evidence-based practice), but am waiting until I calm down (I first heard bout this one on Sunday) before I consider making a complaint to the NMC about this.
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust is looking to employ a Spiritual Healer / Reiki Therapist
https://edzardernst.com/2020/08/united-lincolnshire-hospitals-nhs-trust-is-looking-to-employ-a-spiritual-healer-reiki-therapist/
“The Sam Buxton Sunflower Healing Trust supports cancer patients and their families by providing funds to employ Complementary Therapists (Healers) in the NHS and Hospices. And Angie Buxton-King is a Reiki Master/Teacher, Spiritual Healer, Author and Public Speaker.”
I engagesd with ULH on their appointment of a Reiki therapist in 2020.
I submit that the CEO Mr Morgan misled the Trust Board as did the Medical Director, Dr Hepburn.
The issue is not whether patients benefit from ‘support’ – of course they do.
The issue is whether any healthcare practioner can generate energies which have any effect on any pathological process, or even psychological processes other than by placebo responses.
Reiki developed from a figment of a Japanese imagination and is now a commercial operation to promote courses, books and even employment for its believers.
I do not know whether any Reiki practitioner actually does believe they can transmit energies over intercontinental distances (as a grade II therapist is trained to do) – but if they can, these energies could be extreemly dangerous and the NHS should ensure precautions are taken to contain them.
Research is needed to clarify whether use of these energies actually hastens the onset of terminal pathology.
Here I copy my question to the Board of ULH in September 2020:
Answer to question: In ULH Board Minutes:
Minutes of the Trust Board Meeting
Held on 1 September 2020 via MS Teams Live Stream
1162/20 The Chair moved to questions from members of the public.
Item 2 Public Questions
Q1 from Richard Rawlins
‘Given ULHNHST’s declaration in respect of clinical effectiveness that: “All care needs
to reflect clinical best practice and meet national guidelines to ensure that patients get the right treatment at the right time, every time” – please may I have sight of any and all evidence that is in the hands of ULH NHST’s CEO; the Medical Director and/or the Trust’s Ethics Committee, and in any patient consent literature – as to any benefit or harm caused by energies generated by Reiki therapists, and which are expected to
benefit patients if applied at ULH NHST by an appointee to this advertised post?’
The Medical Director responded on behalf of the ULH Board:
[Dr. Neil Hepburn’s reply is below in quotes. My commentary with no quote, but square bracket.]
Note: Neither Dr. Hepburn nor the ULH Board have answered the question, and the information sought has not been provided. A Freedom of Information request follows.
“This was a complimentary therapy which does not sit comfortably in the evidence based
medicine paradigm. The British Medical Association definition of complementary medicine is those therapies that can work alongside and in conjunction with conventional medicines, BMA 1993.”
[That is false and misleading.
The BMA accepted as a fact that CAMs may be used alongside conventional therapies – that is, there is a possibility some practitioners of conventional therapies tolerate use of CAMs.
But the BMA did not endorse such tolerance nor opined that any CAM can ‘work’ to affect any pathology or psychopathology (the aim of conventional, regulated, medicines).]
“The House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology report on the use of
complementary and alternative therapies in 2000, categorised therapies in to three core
groups, Reiki was listed in group 2.
The report states, as quoted that the Select Committee were ‘satisfied that many therapies listed in our Group 2 give help and comfort to many patients when used in a complementary sense to support conventional medical care’ and goes on to say ‘in relieving stress, in alleviating side effects (for example of various forms of anti-cancer therapy) and in giving succour to the elderly and in palliative care they often fulfil an important role’.”
[Dr. Hepburn is wrong and misleading:
(i) That is not the questioned I asked.
I did not question the degree of patients’ satisfaction with reiki therapy.
I asked what evidence ULH has that the energies generated by reiki therapists benefit, or harm, patients.
That question remains unanswered.
(ii) The House of Lords Report makes no mention of reiki whatsoever and reiki is not in any category, let alone Group 2.
Is it not unconscionable for Dr. Hepburn to drag in a straw man and to mislead the Board in this way?]
“There are many papers that agree there are mixed benefits to Reiki on patients, for example in addition to patients’ voices used to inform services and decision making, a study of 168 patients at the University College Hospital in 2010, showed that Reiki as the most popular complementary therapy.”
[This is totally irrelevant, another straw man, ignoratio elenchi and argumentum ad populum. Logical fallacies all.]
“In United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, there is a range of services offered to patients that sit alongside our normal view of clinical based practice.
These include hairdressers, music, craft and massage for example.”
[Irrelevant, but for the avoidance of misunderstanding: is hairdressing funded by the NHS?]
“The aim of the interventions is to provide patients with a better environment and wider life experience whilst at the Trust, for what are often extremely difficult times and where patients are undergoing life-changing treatment.”
[A worthy aim, but irrelevant in respect of the question posed.
Reiki therapists claim they can not only generate energies by the hand positions they adopt, in conjunction with charms and symbols supplied to patients, but that these energies can be sent on intercontinental distances.
What is the evidence they can do this?
This claim is made by Mrs. Angi Buxton-King in respect of Reiki therapists she has trained to grade II – which is what ULH has advertised for.
Why does ULH want a therapist who can send energies international distances?
Why not a therapist at grade I?
And patients will not be “at the Trust.” Will they not be under the care of St. Barnabas Hospice? See below.]
“The Trust plan for Reiki to sit alongside treatments, not to alter the normal medical plan for treatments. The normal consent process for treatment and paper work would apply in this case.”
[Why not?
Who decided to set aside normal consent procedures for ULH patients?
I have requested copies of the relevant consent forms – none have yet to be provided.
Any patients treated at ULH by reiki have done so without giving properly informed consent, contrary to medical ethics and ULH policies.]
“The Chief Executive added that to put this in to context, this would be a part time post that
was funded by a charity, employed by the Trust.”
[Mr. Morgan is wrong and is misleading the Board and the public by his postings:
I have asked Mr. Morgan about his claim that the post would be “fully funded by a charity”.
I have asked him to clarify whether the fixed costs of buildings, semi-variable costs, the costs of associated staff, utilities, are funded by the charity.
He has not answered.
Self-evidently, these costs have not been budgeted for and are not paid for by the Sam Buxton Trust.
Does the ULH Trust Board consider the its CEO has sought to mislead patients, the public, politicians and the press to claim the charity is fully funding the post when that is not the case?]
“The charity has funded such posts in a number of other Trusts across the country. When the post was advertised, as expected, there was considerable social media commentary both for and against the post.
The Trust were not stating that a Reiki Therapist would be a replacement for conventional clinical care for patients who have cancer and conventional clinical care would continue.
Neither however were the Trust saying that a Reiki Therapist could prevent, treat or cure cancer.”
[Wrong.
The Sam Buxton Trust claims it supports patients by “providing funds to support therapists” and ‘therapy’ means “to give medical care or attention to; try to heal or cure.”
The Sam Buxton Trust also cite the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology and its report on CAM. It claims that reiki is included in Group 2. That is a false claim. The HoL report makes no mention of reiki.
No one has claimed the Trust was seeking to prevent or cure cancer – but reiki does claim to treat it. This comment is another straw man.
The Sam Buxton Trust claims “The Reiki Therapist uses simple hands-on or non-touch techniques to channel healing to the patient. This allows their energy field to rebalance, which in turn may ease symptoms physically, mentally and emotionally.”
This is a claim that, by balancing energy fields, pathological symptoms resulting from cancer are relieved. Use of the word ‘may’ is cavil.]
“It is important to place these points on the record, it is clear from the evidence presented by the Medical Director that some patients receive psychological benefit and support from such posts.”
[Yet another straw man and logical fallacy.
That is not entirely what the Reiki therapists and the charity claim.
They claim that ‘benefit and support’ is due to the generation of energies which they can transmit from their hands to the patient, and over international distances.
And, as stated previously, the SB Trust claim that by balancing energy fields, pathological symptoms resulting from cancer are relieved.]
“The decision was that in some cases patients see a benefit and as the post was funded by a
charity why would the Trust want to prevent offering psychological support to patients.”
[Yet again a logical fallacy (“No true Scotsman”).
My question asked about the energies which the charity claims its therapists can generate.
If the ULH want to offer “psychological support to patients”, they can do so – but patients must give informed consent and ULH should explain and justify why they wish to associate with ‘energy therapists’ who have made false claims.]
“The media commentary to this had been interesting as a number of people had made the point that if the Trust were against providing such support then they presumed that the Trust would revisit the funding of chaplaincy services and anything else of that sort.”
[On no! Not another logical fallacy?!
That is a false presumption.
In this matter, no one has suggested that ULH were “against providing psychological support”.
My question is about the energies applied to patients, not psychological support. Such support should be provided by psychologists or counsellors.
I have worked extensively with hospital chaplaincy services, and much appreciated them. They are however honest in declaring their raison d’être is a belief (or beliefs) and that any benefit they provide for patients is in the realm of counselling in a spiritual domain.
I reiterate – reiki is not a religion. Its proponents claim they can generate beneficial energies by ‘attuning’ patients by the position of their hands together with charms and secret symbols given to the patient.
I am questioning what evidence ULH has that such energies can be generated as claimed.
I am also questioning why the proposal for this innovative treatment has not been placed before the Trust’s Ethics Committee, and what evidence ULH has that patients receiving reiki do not have a worse outcome than those who do not have reiki.
Does reiki cause harm or hasten death?
Whatever your answer – how do you know?]
Dr. Hepburn has subsequently replied to me on 15.11.20:
“Essentially, the Reiki therapist post will not be a ULHT post, but a St Barnabas hospice post where they operate under a different paradigm.”
[Wrong and misleading.
The post is clearly advertised as being for employment at ULHT – specifically at the Waddington Unit of Lincoln County Hospital.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
St Barnabas Hospice is nowhere mentioned in any ULH documents currently available. Any therapist employed at St. Barnabas Hospice is not employed by ULH.]
“There is no question of Mr Morgan misleading the Trust Board.”
[Given Mr. Morgan has stated that the post is “fully funded by a charity” and yet fixed and semi-variable costs are funded by ULH, it is self-evident that Mr. Morgan has misled the ULH Board, and the public.
Dr. Hepburn has clearly been misled, or is in denial.]
“I do not think further correspondence on this matter will be helpful.”
[Presumably, not helpful to Dr. Hepburn.
But the public and patients do need to be helpfully and properly informed on these matters do they not?]
These claims about Reiki and the benefit of the energies its practitioners can produce must be subject to thorough review before being used, in any way, by the NHS.
The NHS institutions which have gone along with the Sam Buxton Trust’s offer to ‘support patients’ have been suckered into supporting false claims about the nature of ‘energy.’
Either MUFNHST is serious about its wesite claim that its values are that it “Excels in quality, safety, patient experience, research, innovation and teaching…our values are…open and honest…’I feel I can speak out if standards are not being maintained or patient safety is compromised.'” – in which case this post should be ditched and any available facilities used to support patients in the conventional way. Perhaps the Sam Buxton Trust would care to donate for a counsellor/support worker?
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Richard
What media outlets can we interest in this appalling saga? This charity is on a mission to embed quackery in the NHS. I don’t care what their motives are, the effect is to undermine EBM. Senior NHS managers are behaving as suckers and idiots.
Many thanks indeed, Richard, for your work and your feedback to us.
According to this 2007 news report;
“Spiritual healing involves touching the patient. Healer Isobel Salisbury said: “We lay on our hands and channel energy into the patient. We are imparting love and light into them.”
Healers then write up their notes, detailing what they have done with each patient.
The 10-strong team costs the hospital about £80,000 a year. Other funding comes from charitable donations.
Ms Buxton said: “We are looking at people who have had chemotherapy. We want to know if white blood cells are increasing after giving patients healing.”
The trial needs 50 volunteers to make the results valid. The study will look at patients suffering from any kind of cancer that leaves them neutropenic – meaning they have virtually no white blood cells.
Ms Buxton added: “We don’t think healing is a placebo effect, and this trial will help show the effects.”
http://www.thecnj.com/camden/051007/health051007.html
Readers may also find the charity’s video here of interst as it names some of the “healers” and the NHS doctors promoting the charity and seeking to expand its reach to other hospitals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_XD35gTDiw
according to Medline, her study was never published.
how can this be?
could it be that the results did not show what she hoped?
Maybe the results were published on the astral plane and are available for download via the Akashic records, or in an alternative universe. Or something.
probably
“The study will look at patients suffering from any kind of cancer that leaves them neutropenic – meaning they have virtually no white blood cells.”
No, neutropenia is an abnormally low concentration of neutrophils only, while the concentrations of the other white blood cells can be normal or higher than normal.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutropenia
One of the “healers” featured in the charity’s video, Isobel Salisbury, runs events like this;
Thursday 11 November; Sound and Song in Shamanic Healing. Free workshop and seminar at University Centre, Folkestone, from 6pm – 8pm. For more details and to book a place, contact Isobel Salisbury on 01303 220870 or email [email protected]
https://archive.ph/suD07#selection-529.0-529.255
For me this represents a serious safeguarding concern for vulnerable people as there are so many ruthless grifters operating as plastic shamans. I cannot comment on the motivations or character of Ms Salisbury, of course, she may be a well meaning person who genuinely believes she is helping people. Unfortunately however, should vulnerable patients become interested in “shamanism” or “sound healing” via their sessions with Ms Salisbury they risk being exploited by any one of the countless sinister persons operating within an extensive network of new age grifters and very serious criminals. These grifters love seriously ill and vulnerable people in the same way that lions love limping zebra. They are predators of the worst kind.
Don’t get me started on the College of Psychic Studies. I may post some more about this fascinating organisation later if I can find a moment.
please do!
another of the healers, Saima D’Adam, is the author of this interesting piece, in which the author advises that healers can work in exhibitions where the healing sessions can be used to recruit new people to their practice but concludes that hospitals are the best places to work.
https://web.archive.org/web/20220817074639/http://www.doctorhealer.org/phdi/p1.nsf/imgpages/0831_Saima-article.pdf/%24file/Saima-article.pdf
The Doctor Healer website that published the above article looked interesting and I found some fascinating archived pages that readers will, I think, find alarming yet informative
archived (I always archive pages and download videos before sharing – you never know when things will be removed).
https://archive.ph/TKJT
https://archive.ph/jTLB9
I do not have time to research this organisation properly right now but I hope someone else will take the time to check it out. The CPD issue is, I think, extremely important and worhty of further research
This video is also of interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS3BR1ZyRQA
Angie Buxton is a “healer” according to this 2003 report in The Independent that states;
“Angie Buxton is the only paid healer within the NHS. She works three days a week at UCH’s haematology unit, channelling what she describes as “healing energy” into willing patients via her hands, which she places both on and off the body.”
https://archive.ph/AoJeG#selection-1017.0-1017.239
This 2005 news report in the Indepent, about Graham King, a “healer” and also a trust of the same charty, is interesting to me.
it says;
“Graham King stood last week at a hospital bed and placed his hands gently on the head of a 12-year-old boy suffering from leukaemia. He slowly moved his hands to the boy’s chest. Using the power of cosmic energy, Mr King was helping to heal him.
In a ground-breaking move to complement conventional cancer treatments, Mr King, who has no medical qualifications, has been appointed the first paid National Health Service healer to help Britain’s sick children. With the blessing of the hospital’s senior consultants, Mr King was laying his hands on the body of Martin Johnson, who in 2003 was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia that can prove fatal.”
https://archive.ph/fw9sX#selection-1025.0-1039.412
The Independent can’t seem to get its facts right. Was Ms Buxton or Mr King the first paid healer working within the NHS? I am confused.
Also why would the Independent newspaper publish such an uncritical advertisement for the charity when it is supposed to be a qualitiy newspaper?
why would the Independent newspaper publish such an uncritical….?
Tim Caulfield writes about this in one of his books, I don’t have it to hand, but from what I recall he says that even the most reputable papers will publish “light” or “entertainment” pieces that don’t have the same level of fact checking or evidencing which more serious investigative journalism would, and that sadly, much health reporting falls into this category.
I notice that the article you linked to is categorized as “Lifestyle>Health & Families>Health News”, so its “lifestyle”, on a par with what color shoes to wear this season.
zebra
Your valuable comment got me thinking
The wellness industry, a big bucks industry promoting an assortment of woo woo and quackery, is promoted via lifestyle pages on websites and in printed publications.
The whole concept of lifestyle is highly relevant to identity politics and to democracy (or lack thereof). Much has already been written about this as I am sure you are aware.
I may have posted this video before but it is relevant to this issue I think.
How Marlboro Changed Advertising Forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3mlO2bzHV8
The advertising creatives who invented the Marlboro man invented lifestyle advertising. Humans are complicated, highly emotional beings who often act in illogical ways, driven by unconscious forces rather than by logic.
I believe that we have to learn from the opponent here. While it is of course important for properly qualified and experienced academics to confront and debunk academic fraud, poor quality research and quackery, we have to think outside of the box and extend our repetoire of skills beyond the use of logic alone.
The above video shows how appealing to emotion and uconscious forces is more persuasive than using statistics and facts (of course the facts and statistics in the old cigarette adverts are dubious but this is not the point).
As we should avoid lying we will always be at a disadvantage against quacks and grifters who promise things they cannot deliver. Vulnerable people tend to believe good news over bad, even if the good news is a lie.
I do not have “the answer” just thinking aloud.
I do believe that there are anough good minds here to be able to think creatively about how to develop novel approaches to debunking the quacks.
@Lousie
I wonder what your thoughts about the pharma industry medication advertising are …. Louise. Is it ethical ? Evidently it is successful.
$30B …. that’s a 2016 statistic. The number is surely much larger today. Tobacco spends about $5B per year on marketing…. not that I’m defending it, just a comparison. Certainly, there are more profits in meds than tobacco.
https://qz.com/1517909/big-pharma-spent-an-additional-9-8-billion-on-marketing-in-the-past-20-years-it-worked/
Is that pharma industry part of the “wellness industry” ?
why do you want to go off topic as soon as the message does not suit you?
why not just shut up?
And out comes the traditional RG one-eyed straw man.
A reminder as ever, RG. What happens in the USA does not represent what happens in the rest of the world.
This reminds me of a story, of a frog that grew up in a well all his life. Little froggy (let’s call him Real Genius or RG for short) thought that sun rises at 11:50 AM and sets at 12:10 PM, because that is how long the sun is visible to him from inside the well. One day there was a huge storm and the well overflowed letting RG out into the real world. However, RG even after experiencing firsthand that average time from sunrise to sunset lasts a lot longer than 20 mins, is unable to wrap his little froggy head around that basic fact. Frogs that grew up outside the well try to convince RG that he is wrong. However, RG is having none of it. Soon, he starts making things up to fit his
worldwell view. He asserts (without a shred of evidence) that the act of him exiting the well somehow caused a quantum anomaly that slowed space-time continuum, therefore sun takes longer to set. Other frogs had it with RG and threw him back into the well where he still lives to this day. If one goes by that well you can hear RG scream, “Quantum anomaly has been fixed and I was right all along. Everyone else is wrong”. THE END.What is this pharmaceutical advertising of which you speak?
Never seen it, not even when I was still working and regularly reading the nursing press.
“Wellness” advertising, I see that all the time (‘cept on the ‘net as I use ad blockers).
I didn’t make any claim that this pharma med advertising occurs worldwide. The fact remains that it exists…. in a big way.
Do you deny it ?
The key is they spend on adds where it counts the most…. USA.
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/countries-with-the-biggest-global-pharmaceutical-markets-in-the-world.html
Countries With The Biggest Global Pharmaceutical Markets In The World
Rank Country Value of Pharmaceutical Market (in millions of $)
1 USA 339,694
2 Japan 94,025
3 China 86,774
4 Germany 45,828
5 France 37,156
6 Brazil 30,670
7 Italy 27,930
8 UK 24,513
9 Canada 21,353
10 Spain 20,741
explain to me what this has to do with the subject of my post, please.
RG,
I am not sure what you are trying to prove by bringing up pharmaceutical industry’s ad spending. By the way “add” is not short for advertisement, its “ad”. Moreover, you can’t directly compare ad spending from different countries without taking into account some basic confounding factors such as population, number of pharma companies in those countries, laws specific to those countries if any that may encourage/discourage direct marketing to patients etc. Again, it is lost on me as to why you bring up pharma ad spending in a totally off topic conversation, but you do a risibly bad job at presenting your “analysis”.
That makes the USA market as large as #2-#8
Richard
I have read your exchange with Dr Hepburn several times and each time my emotional response fluctuates betwen elation and extreme disturbance.
It is as if you are an Errol Flynn style swashbuckling hero, repeatedly injuring your opponent with your sword of logic and reason, but like some hideous undead zombie he rises again and again, his corrupted flesh spawning countless zombie straw men. It is like something out of a Hammer Horror film.
I am sad to say that this kind of evasive, disingenuous response is very familiar to me, including the inevitable, “I do not think further correspondence on this matter will be helpful.”, which is up there with “I feel it is right to draw a line under this matter” both statements appearing in the first page of Gaslighting for Idiots.
I find it fascinating that Dr Hepburn is a dermatologist, a consultant working with the tissue that contains and protects our bodies and that functions as the boundary between what is us and not us. This interests me because in other respects, as demonstrated in your exchange, Dr Hepburn seems to possess a poor grasp of boundaries when it comes to, for example, understanding the difference between truth and deception.
I am very pushed for time today but I have discovered a lot more of interest about this charity and will do my best to post later. I also have something of interest about the College of Psychic Studies.
Thank you so much for all your hard work and if any other posters here wish to take any information from my posts to send to the Charity Commission or any other organisation please do feel free to do so.
The actors involved in diverting valuable funds and resources from the NHS have been at this for a long time and are playing a long game. We have to also play a long game, use each adversarial encounter to think about strategy and to never give up.
It is so disappointing. Nobody would deny that emotional support can be of immense benefit to people facing severe health conditions, but introducing (and paying for, and legitimising) a load of hand waving nonsense is surely not the best way to go about it.
Very true.
My sister was a senior nurse in palliative care until last year; she had to take some extra training in counselling as she found herself having to do things she’d spent years mocking her MH nurse brother (me) for doing, namely talking to people about emotional issues…
Employing someone to do reiki is not doing that…
The ad has disappeared from NHS Jobs. Have they filled the position?
No reply or even acknowledgement from trust’s comms office, to my email sent on 15th.
Odd that it has been removed (I double checked via a couple of different links) when the closing date for applications is 25/8…
Even after then it would normally take a few weeks to shortlist, interview, DBS check and all the rest.
Makes you wonder if they have been taking some heat on this.
Fortunately, my search history still has the names of the “modern matrons” and I am making a general inquiry to the NMC to ascertain whether they think promoting stuff like reiki, which breaches the Code of Conduct, is something they would investigate.
Drat. I was about to apply for the job. I’m pretty sure that I could have scammed them into believing that I was a (haha) certified Reiki SCAM artist.
Richard
This is exactly the type of lateral thinking we need when considering strategy
IMO
I am having some problems with my computer and I am concerend about it.
I will be in touch again once I have a new computer, which should be very soon. I have needed a new computer and other equipment for some time and recently had some good news re resources.
I will not be accessing my emails until I have replaced my computer and not be spending money online until I can do so safely
Stay safe everyone
Have a lot of fun!
https://youtu.be/1kDso5ElFRg