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"Christian Yoga" and the Role of Teachers

The letters of Michael Prabhu (22 November 2003) and R. Coelho (13 December 2003) raise some very serious concerns.

If the Vatican has seen fit to commission a study and publish a document on New Age and the various philosophies/ spiritualities it covers, showing these to be incompatible with Christian spirituality, how is it that some priests and nuns continue to promote these among the laity while the hierarchy remains largely silent and seemingly unconcerned?

Many Catholic publications carry advertisements promoting Enneagram programmes, Yogic Meditation, Reiki healing, Vipassana etc. There is no move to correct this, although the document "Jesus Christ, Bearer of the Water of Life. A Christian Reflection on the New Age" notes, "It must unfortunately be admitted that there are too many cases where Catholic centres of spirituality are actively involved in diffusing New Age religiosity in the Church. This would of course have to be corrected, not only to stop the spread of confusion and error, but also so that they might be effective in promoting true Christian spirituality".(6.2)

The laity at large also seem confused in the matter of teaching authority in the Church. I have met many Catholics who, on being shown what has been clearly written in Vatican documents, argue on the basis of "but Father ----- says" and "but Sister ---- says." Isn’t it time the shepherds spoke to the flock?

Errol C Fernandes

Just for your information - don't be surprised if the letter is not carried. Errol

The suggestions of ‘The Cross and the Veil’ are: 1. We can “tear off the veils” of deception through dissemination of this kind of literature.

("I will tear off your veils and rescue my people from your power, so that they shall no longer be prey to your hands. Thus you shall know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 13:21) 2. We can sponsor true “centers of healing” in hospitals, colleges & retreat houses that include programs in: *  the sacraments of reconciliation; * Eucharistic adoration in honor of the Holy Face; * anointing of the sick blessed with prayers to the Holy Face; * orthodox spiritual direction for those in crisis; * restoration of those affected by New Age involvement. 3. Those Catholics who are especially gifted with the charisms of extraordinary faith, healing, deliverance and intercessory prayer can form discernment groups under the leadership of a priest experienced in orthodox Roman Catholic spiritual counseling in order to inaugurate these ministries. Just as Jesus expressed just anger at the taking over of His Father’s House, we too should be just as zealous in reclaiming our loved ones and institutions from these false idols.
INDEX (Page Numbers in Brackets)

Introduction to Reiki (1-4)

An examination of some books on Reiki (4-7)

Reiki’s compatibility with other New Age alternative therapies (7-8)

Karuna Reiki (8)

Christian writers expose the errors and spiritual dangers of Reiki (9-17, 94)

Reiki in Catholic institutions outside India (17-33)

Reiki in Catholic institutions in India (33-39, 114-116)

Catholics expose the errors and spiritual dangers of Reiki (39-89, 94-114, 116-122)

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops opposes Reiki (76-81, 94-100)

Some comments on Reiki from non-Christians (89-91)

The Examiner, the Archdiocesan weekly of Bombay (92)

INDEX (93)

93.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Christian writers expose the errors and spiritual dangers of Reiki, continued from page 17

5. Potentially Harmful and Dangerous Spiritual Practices

Compiled from numerous sources by Chris Lawson, Spiritual Research Network [SRN]

…SRN issues a warning about the following topics because they are either one, two, three, or all four of the following:

-Mystical and supernaturalistic health related methods

-Founded on occult principles

-Dangerous forms of occult and mystical practices

-Based on the writings and beliefs associated with either paganism, spiritism, occultism or mysticism.

A strong warning is advised to all who would involve themselves with practices that originate within the realm of New Age, occult, and spiritistic practices. All occult methods have the capability of leading to serious physical, spiritual, and personal bodily harm.  We state this because all of the practices above are in some way, shape or form connected to a pantheistic (or panentheistic) worldview, which is the root of Eastern spirituality and the world of the occult.

Many individuals who delve into New Age and occult practices have suffered the consequences of spiritual oppression, occult bondage, psychological delusion, insanity, irreversible mental and physical damage, insanity, suicidal tendencies, possession states, moral degradation, sexual perversion, fatal accidents, and more.

For those who are presently involved in any form of occultism or in any practices founded upon the principles of the occult, we recommend that you fully repent of this sin and in complete willful submission to the Lord Jesus Christ, call upon Him to free you from all demonic influences. Occult bondage is too strong to break free from through any other means... Jesus Christ is the only answer!

The Bible is clear regarding all forms of occultism - it is dangerous at best, and can damn the soul at worst. For those who do not know, 'energy work', Reiki, channeling, yoga kundalini energy, spiritual intuitives, etc. are all forms of "divination" and mediumship in varying degrees. No matter how the world of the occult is repackaged and introduced into Western civilization, God's view on the subject remains the same - it is an abomination with severe consequences:

The warning of 3,400 years ago still stands today!

We believe these dangers arise from trafficking with unseen hostile spirit beings that have the ability to counterfeit themselves and masquerade as "results" in the lives of the practitioners and their clients. Making a business out of contacting the spirit world, through any of the endless means of occult methodology is no safe trade.

By Bella English, Globe Staff, September 22, 2009

Debbie Griseuk is a reiki practitioner and teacher who volunteered her time to elderly nuns in Manchester, N.H., and patients at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua. In fact, she first became interested in the Japanese hands-on healing technique at St. Joseph, where she attended a lecture along with some nuns. She went through a training course at the Roman Catholic hospital, eventually becoming a reiki master.

But last spring the US Conference of Catholic Bishops announced that reiki - hailed by many as therapy, derided by others as quackery - would no longer be practiced in the church’s hospitals and retreat centers. Reiki, according to the bishops, is not grounded in science or Christianity and is therefore inappropriate for Catholic institutions.

Practitioners and clients claim that reiki (pronounced RAY-kee) reduces pain, stress, and anxiety; accelerates recovery from surgery and illness; and boosts the immune system. The church hierarchy begs to differ. “Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man’s-land that is neither faith nor science,’’ according to the six-page guidelines. “Superstition corrupts one’s worship of God by turning one’s religious feeling and practice in a false direction.’’

Griseuk, who lives in Merrimack, N.H., read about the decision and chuckled. “It must have been a slow day at the Vatican,’’ says Griseuk, who was raised in the Catholic Church.

The following week she got a call from St. Joseph saying the hospital would no longer offer reiki. Griseuk had to close the seven-year-old volunteer clinic located at a wellness center associated with the hospital. “The bishops did not do their research,’’ she says. “Reiki is not a belief system, not a cult, not a weirdo thing.’’

The bishops’ statement comes at a time when reiki is enjoying increasing popularity in the United States. Reiki supporters say that energy is transferred from a practitioner’s hands to the areas in a client’s body most in need of healing. In a reiki session, a client sits or lies down, and the practitioner places his or her hands lightly on or just above the fully-clothed body, holding the hands in place for a couple of minutes before moving to another “energy point’’ of the body.

Reiki means “universal life energy’’ in Japanese. It is believed to have been developed by a Japanese doctor at the turn of the 20th century and was brought to the West in the 1940s by a Hawaiian woman of Japanese descent, who learned the practice in Japan and then taught it to a handful of Americans.

Reflecting a growing interest in alternative healing, an estimated 1.2 million people in the United States have had reiki treatments, according to a 2007 survey by the National Institutes of Health - a 12 percent increase since 2002. The NIH is funding a study of the effects of reiki on stress. “Should reiki decrease stress pathways or reduce physiological responses to stressful situations, it could be a useful adjunct to traditional medicine and have significant health and economic benefits,’’ according to an NIH statement.

“From what we are seeing, the trend indicates further upward growth through 2009,’’ said Linda M. LaFlamme, executive director of the International Association of Reiki Professionals, which is based in Nashua. Practitioners stress that reiki supplements, rather than supplants, traditional medicine.

Kay Murphy of Merrimack had reiki sessions at Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, N.H., after two knee replacements, and swears by it. The small program was cut after the bishops’ statement.

“I was a skeptic, but it helped with pain,’’ says Murphy, a retired guidance counselor. She has since taken a reiki course and treats family and friends. Of the bishops’ decree, she says: “It’s unfortunate, because people can benefit from this.’’

Apparently, St. Joseph Hospital agreed. A hospital brochure on reiki called it one of “the most popular forms of integrated therapies’’ at the hospital. The manager of volunteer services is quoted as saying: “This energy is deeply relaxing and enables the patient to release stress and anxiety. This state of relaxation facilitates our bodies’ natural healing.’’

Griseuk says nurses would sometimes call her for help with patients, and some doctors would write “reiki’’ in their orders. She also worked with retired nuns at the Presentation of Mary convent in Manchester, and now maintains a private practice in Merrimack and Nashua.

But the Rev. Robert McManus, bishop of Worcester and a member of the committee on doctrine that drew up the guidelines, says the bishops’ research concluded there is no medical proof that reiki promotes healing. “And I think there was a concern on some level that this type of new age philosophy of life . . . as a spirituality, let’s say it’s lacking.’’ The Christian tradition also holds that all healing comes from God, who chooses intermediaries - doctors and nurses - to carry it out, McManus adds.

Has he ever experienced reiki? “No,’’ he says with a chuckle. “I take two aspirin and call the doctor.’’

Dr. Herbert Benson, who pioneered the field of mind-body science, is ambivalent about reiki. “An extraordinary powerful aspect of healing comes from belief and expectancy,’’ says Benson, a cardiologist and director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. “When one believes in something, when one expects something to occur, a mind-body effect occurs that has been classified as the placebo effect. The placebo effect is a remarkably powerful tool in healing.’’

With reiki, he says, the question remains: Is it based in science or the placebo effect? “It’s not that the healing benefits are not valid; it’s simply that it hasn’t been worked out whether it’s the placebo effect or whether it’s the reiki itself,’’ he says. His clinics do not offer reiki, but Mass General has some nurses trained in the technique who use it upon request. Brigham and Women’s Hospital has a pilot program in which volunteers and interested nurses are trained to perform reiki with patients who request it, barring those with certain physical limitations, says spokeswoman Lori Shanks.

A spokesman for Caritas Christi, which oversees the Catholic hospitals in the Boston area, says they do not offer reiki.

Sarah Ward, director of marketing and communications at St. Joseph, said that if patients request reiki, they will receive it. “We would still offer it if patients asked for it, as we do for anything spiritually related for patients, but we wouldn’t actively promote it or offer classes anymore,’’ says Ward.

Patients at St. Joseph still call Griseuk and she occasionally goes to their hospital rooms to perform reiki. “Galileo was denounced by the Catholic Church,’’ she says. “I don’t mind being in his company.’’ 95.

The US Bishops have stirred debate among practitioners following their announcement that reiki will no longer be performed in the Church's hospitals and retreat centres.

The bishops' statement comes at a time when reiki is enjoying increasing popularity in the United States, The Boston Globe reported.

Reiki supporters say that energy is transferred from a practitioner's hands to the areas in a client's body most in need of healing. In a reiki session, a client sits or lies down, and the practitioner places his or her hands lightly on or just above the fully-clothed body, holding the hands in place for a couple of minutes before moving to another "energy point" of the body.

"Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science," according to the six-page guidelines by the USCCB.

"Superstition corrupts one's worship of God by turning one's religious feeling and practice in a false direction."

Bishop Robert McManus, a member of the committee on doctrine that drew up the guidelines, says the bishops' research concluded there is no medical proof that reiki promotes healing.

"And I think there was a concern on some level that this type of new age philosophy of life ... as a spirituality, let's say it's lacking." The Christian tradition also holds that all healing comes from God, who chooses intermediaries - doctors and nurses - to carry it out, McManus added.

Debbie Griseuk, a reiki teacher and practitioner, read about the decision and chuckled, The Boston Globe said. "It must have been a slow day at the Vatican," said Griseuk, who was raised in the Catholic Church.

FULL STORY

The debate over reiki's benefits spills over at Roman Catholic hospitals (The Boston Globe)

Catholic Church Bans Japanese Healing Technique "Reiki" (OpposingViews.com)
16H. Reiki lacks scientific credibility

www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2009/09-067.shtml
Catholics trusting Reiki operate in superstitious no man's land
Reiki inappropriate for Catholic health care institutions, retreat centers, chaplains

Reiki Therapy Unscientific, 'Inappropriate for Catholic Institutions,' Say Bishops' Guidelines

WASHINGTON—The U.S. bishops have issued guidelines that call Reiki therapy, an alternative medicine originating in Japan, unscientific and inappropriate for Catholic institutions.

They outlined the position in "Guidelines for Evaluating Reiki as an Alternative Therapy." The guidelines were developed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, chaired by Bishop William Lori of Bridgeport, Connecticut. They were approved by the USCCB Administrative Committee, March 24, during its spring meeting in Washington. The Administrative Committee is the authoritative body of the USCCB to approve committee statements.

The document can be found at http://www.usccb.org/doctrine/publications.shtml

The Guidelines describe Reiki as a healing technique "invented in Japan in the late 1800s by Mikao Usui, who was studying Buddhist texts." The guidelines state that "according to Reiki teaching, illness is caused by some kind of disruption or imbalance in one's 'life energy.' A Reiki practitioner effects healing by placing his or her hands in certain positions on the patient's body in order to facilitate the flow of Reiki, the 'universal life energy,' from the Reiki practitioner to the patient."

The Guidelines state that "Reiki lacks scientific credibility" and "has not been accepted by the scientific and medical communities as an effective therapy."

"Reputable scientific studies attesting to the efficacy of Reiki are lacking, as is a plausible scientific explanation as to how it could possibly be efficacious," they state.

The Guidelines note that "Reiki is frequently described as a 'spiritual' kind of healing as opposed to the common medical procedures of healing using physical means." They assert, however, that there is a radical difference between Reiki therapy and the healing by divine power in which Christians believe: "for Christians the access to divine healing is by prayer to Christ as Lord and Savior, while the essence of Reiki is not a prayer but a technique that is passed down from the 'Reiki Master' to the pupil, a technique that once mastered will reliably produce the anticipated results."

In sum, Reiki therapy "finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief," the Guidelines state.

"For a Catholic to believe in Reiki therapy presents insoluble problems," the Guidelines state. "In terms of caring for one's physical health or the physical health of others, to employ a technique that has no scientific support (or even plausibility) is generally not prudent."

The guidelines warn that in using Reiki for one's spiritual health, "there are important dangers."

"To use Reiki one would have to accept at least in an implicit way central elements of the worldview that undergirds Reiki theory, elements that belong neither to Christian faith nor to natural science. Without justification either from Christian faith or natural science, however, a Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's-land that is neither faith nor science," they state. 96.

"Since Reiki therapy is not compatible with either Christian teaching or scientific evidence, it would be inappropriate for Catholic institutions, such as Catholic health care facilities and retreat centers, or persons representing the Church, such as Catholic chaplains, to promote or to provide support for Reiki therapy," the Guidelines said.

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan - To Jan Atwood, Reiki is all about healing, not theological battles.

That is why the teacher and practitioner of the Japanese healing technique has resigned from the Dominican Center at Marywood, after the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops told Catholic institutions they should not be practicing it.

Atwood will step down Friday as coordinator of bodywork at the Grand Rapids Dominicans spirituality center, 2025 E. Fulton St. She says she does not want to fight the bishops' claim that Reiki is incompatible with Christian teaching.

"It was a difficult decision to make, but I just felt everything was telling me to move on," said Atwood, who has been providing Reiki therapy at Marywood since the late 1990s. "I don't want to be a part of something that's political. I just want to do the work."

Her departure leaves the Dominicans uncertain whether to continue offering Reiki as an alternative healing therapy. Sisters say they were surprised by the bishops' recently released guidelines.

"This protest against Reiki is puzzling to me," said Sister Mary Navarre, a member of the Dominican leadership team. "It's not hurt anybody as far as we know, and it seems to have helped a lot of people."

Proponents say Reiki reduces stress and promotes healing by laying hands on or near the body. Trained practitioners say they can free blocked energy points by channeling "life-force energy."

The bishops counter Reiki lacks Christian or scientific support. The USCCB Committee on Doctrine said it is "inappropriate" for Catholic retreats or health care centers to practice Reiki.

"(A) Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition, the no-man's land that is neither faith nor science," the report states.

It is up to local bishops whether or not to enforce the guidelines, said the USCCB's Rev. Tom Weinandy. Grand Rapids Bishop Walter Hurley did not return calls, but spokeswoman Mary Haarman said he shared the report with the Dominicans "for their review and action as appropriate."

Reiki attributes to humans healing power only available to Jesus, Weinandy said.

Dominicans say they see no conflict with Christian teaching in the kind of Reiki they offer, which sees the life-force energy coming from God.

"It's very Christian, and we're not using witchcraft or anything of that nature," said Sister Nathalie Meyer, prioress of the Dominicans. "We certainly are not out to do something that isn't good for the church."

She said Hurley "put no pressure on me," and her congregation will study the issue along with other Dominican communities before deciding on a future course.

Atwood, a Reformed Church in America member, is moving her practice to an office on Broadway Avenue NW.

She said she averages about 15 Reiki sessions a month and has trained about 300 people in the technique.

Atwood said she is being part of Christ's body by helping people heal, adding, "I believe so strongly what I'm doing is from God." [E-mail Charles Honey: choney@grpress.com]