Acupuncture vs. Energy healing

[Emese]

Acupuncture and the various energy healing methods are all based on the same principles, they are all treating the “energy body”, the chakras and meridians. So why is that acupuncture considered “safe” whilst energy healing new age?

 

[DavidFilmer]

Acupuncture and the various energy healing methods are all based on the same principles, they are all treating the “energy body”, the chakras and meridians. So why is that acupuncture considered “safe” whilst energy healing new age?

What do you mean by “safe?”

I think that either practice is considered “safe” (ie, not harmful, while not necessarily being beneficial) by modern medical science. It is “safe” to play the game of Monopoly. It is not harmful, but it won’t cure any ailment.

Why do you ask this question on a Catholic Apologetis forum? The Church certainly has nothing to teach about this subject.

 

[Emese]

What do you mean by “safe?”

I think that either practice is considered “safe” (ie, not harmful, while not necessarily being beneficial) by modern medical science. It is “safe” to play the game of Monopoly. It is not harmful, but it won’t cure any ailment.

Why do you ask this question on a Catholic Apologetis forum? The Church certainly has nothing to teach about this subject.

Thank you for your reply!
I’ve been reading some answers on the apologetics, pls see the links below.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=166543
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=11753

 

[Dorothy]

Isn’t it “energy from the universe” that is called upon in the practice of Reiki? A lot has been written and warnings given about this.

 

[Dtmccameron]

What do you mean by “safe?”

…It is “safe” to play the game of Monopoly. It is not harmful, but it won’t cure any ailment…

:bigyikes: Oh, no, sir! There’s nothing safe or non-harmful about Monopoly!



Presumably acupuncture “works” by affecting nerves and tissues? Like a…very pointy massage? No “energy body” needed 'cept for the central nervous system, I suppose.

 

[Emese]

How do we decide what is new age and what is not?

According to the Women of Grace:
“For instance, the Vatican document calls the energy force mentioned above to be “the New Age god” so we know right away to avoid anything that involves it. Look for any mention of balancing or reading one’s energy and words such as chakras, meridians, chi, ki, prana, vital force, universal life force, Innate Intelligence or bioenergetics and stay away from it (no matter how many glowing testimonials are on the website).”

• See more at: womenofgrace.com/blog/?p=9583#sthash.kOC8ovCV.dpuf

Acupunture is a treatment of meridians, chakras to enable the flow of the chi, so why is acupuncture ok for catholics whilest energy healing is not for example?

 

[kepha1]

Acupunture is a treatment of meridians, chakras to enable the flow of the chi, so why is acupuncture ok for catholics whilest energy healing is not for example?

There is sufficient scientific research on the efficacy of acupuncture for pain relief and other things to satisfy the western medical model. It may lean more to the abstract than pills and surgery, but that is no reason to reject it out of hand. Admittedly it’s presented in a new age wrapper, but the action is medically established and it shouldn’t be cause for undue paranoia. We don’t know everything about the human body.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies show the correlation between the map of the body on the feet and hands with the corresponding area of the brain (reflexology). rMRI’s don’t lie. But you would be hard pressed to find a reflexologist that was free of new age influence. Modern reflexology developed from health care professionals this century; it is an art and a science but it has been highjacked by the new age movement.

 

[Emese]

There is sufficient scientific research on the efficacy of acupuncture for pain relief and other things to satisfy the western medical model. It may lean more to the abstract than pills and surgery, but that is no reason to reject it out of hand. Admittedly it’s presented in a new age wrapper, but the action is medically established and it shouldn’t be cause for undue paranoia. We don’t know everything about the human body.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies show the correlation between the map of the body on the feet and hands with the corresponding area of the brain (reflexology). rMRI’s don’t lie. But you would be hard pressed to find a reflexologist that was free of new age influence. Modern reflexology developed from health care professionals this century; it is an art and a science but it has been highjacked by the new age movement.

I’m not sure whether science is anything to go by when it comes to “spiritual” or wholistic healing…And if something has not (yet) been scientifically proven does not necessary mean that it does not exist or it does not work. Science can’t prove the existence of God for example :angel1:

The sources I’ve found state the opposite to what you are saying about acupuncture, that there’s no scientific evidence to prove its efficiency. E.g.
sciencebasedmedicine.org/acupuncture-doesnt-work/
And the same to be said about energy healing too in general…
So I’m back to the same dilemma as to why acupuncture and not energy healing.

I’m not sure about the new age label either. These healing methods existed and evolved throughout the centuries. There’s nothing “new” about them. Or maybe they are just new to the west?

 

[Robyn_p]

I’m not sure whether science is anything to go by when it comes to “spiritual” or wholistic healing…And if something has not (yet) been scientifically proven does not necessary mean that it does not exist or it does not work. Science can’t prove the existence of God for example :angel1:

The sources I’ve found state the opposite to what you are saying about acupuncture, that there’s no scientific evidence to prove its efficiency. E.g.
sciencebasedmedicine.org/acupuncture-doesnt-work/
And the same to be said about energy healing too in general…
So I’m back to the same dilemma as to why acupuncture and not energy healing.

I’m not sure about the new age label either. These healing methods existed and evolved throughout the centuries. There’s nothing “new” about them. Or maybe they are just new to the west?

As one who has done acupuncture for a few years now, I would say the difference is in how it’s practiced. Reiki or other energy healing treatments are consciously trying to harness and manipulate the “energy” of the universe. That’s what your in there for them to do. And as far as I know, those treatments include incantations and emptying your mind and becoming one with the universe and things of that sort. (Though I could be wrong, I’m just going off memory here from what I’ve read about it.) The Church has a problem with that because it borders on the occultic, trying to manipulate the spiritual realm.

That’s not the case with acupuncture. There’s no spirituality attached to it. (unlike Reiki) We’re not told to empty our minds and harness the energy of the universe or anything of that nature, there’s no incantations. Literally, it takes five minutes, the acupuncturist pokes you in certain spots, depending on your medical issue, and then she leaves.

The one I go to is a westerner, and she was able to “translate” what acupunture does without using New Age terms. It’s basically pressure points on the body that stimulate certain reactions, I don’t know how the science works, but it has helped. I have a genetic disease, and it weakens my muscles, and since going I have had massive improvements. (Though I do know someone who got poked in the wrong spot and it sent her into shock! Which to me showed those pressure points really do have an effect, and not always one we want.)

So, the reason one is forbidden and one is not has nothing to do with their origins or lack of hard studies proving them, or even the terms they use to describe what’s going on, (like chi and meridians and things) and more to do with their techniques. Harnessing energy and attempting to be one with the universe are forbidden by the Church, and that’s what Reiki and other energy healing practices try to do. Using pressure points to stimulate certain reactions, while maybe not proved scientifically yet, doesn’t fall into that category, so it’s considered ok.

It’s about the spirituality, not the words used, and like I said, acupuncture does not involve any sort of New age spirituality or attempts to empty your mind and harness anything. It’s just an older form of medicine.

That’s my take on it anyway. I will say though, that if the Church investigated and did say acupuncture was spiritually dangerous, I would quit going. (To acupuncture, that is )

 

[Emese]

As one who has done acupuncture for a few years now, I would say the difference is in how it’s practiced. Reiki or other energy healing treatments are consciously trying to harness and manipulate the “energy” of the universe. That’s what your in there for them to do. And as far as I know, those treatments include incantations and emptying your mind and becoming one with the universe and things of that sort. (Though I could be wrong, I’m just going off memory here from what I’ve read about it.) The Church has a problem with that because it borders on the occultic, trying to manipulate the spiritual realm.

That’s not the case with acupuncture. There’s no spirituality attached to it. (unlike Reiki) We’re not told to empty our minds and harness the energy of the universe or anything of that nature, there’s no incantations. Literally, it takes five minutes, the acupuncturist pokes you in certain spots, depending on your medical issue, and then she leaves.

The one I go to is a westerner, and she was able to “translate” what acupunture does without using New Age terms. It’s basically pressure points on the body that stimulate certain reactions, I don’t know how the science works, but it has helped. I have a genetic disease, and it weakens my muscles, and since going I have had massive improvements. (Though I do know someone who got poked in the wrong spot and it sent her into shock! Which to me showed those pressure points really do have an effect, and not always one we want.)

So, the reason one is forbidden and one is not has nothing to do with their origins or lack of hard studies proving them, or even the terms they use to describe what’s going on, (like chi and meridians and things) and more to do with their techniques. Harnessing energy and attempting to be one with the universe are forbidden by the Church, and that’s what Reiki and other energy healing practices try to do. Using pressure points to stimulate certain reactions, while maybe not proved scientifically yet, doesn’t fall into that category, so it’s considered ok.

It’s about the spirituality, not the words used, and like I said, acupuncture does not involve any sort of New age spirituality or attempts to empty your mind and harness anything. It’s just an older form of medicine.

That’s my take on it anyway. I will say though, that if the Church investigated and did say acupuncture was spiritually dangerous, I would quit going. (To acupuncture, that is )

It’s good to read your point!
I don’t know acupuncture from experience, but all info seems to state that its aim is to treat the meridians, chakras, the energy body, so thats the main principal of it. But I do understand there’s a physical aspect to the treatment too, which again is the same scenario with the other energy methods as they also trigger physical changes in the body.

I’m not familiar with reiki, but I do know another energy method called pranic healing that I would liken to acupuncture except it doesn’t use neddles. There’s no “emptying mind”, or drawing “universal energy”, or all that stuff you are refering to. You can pretty much practise it by the book if you wish. Based on the technique I guess pranic healing would be allowed then?

 

[Robyn_p]

It’s good to read your point!
I don’t know acupuncture from experience, but all info seems to state that its aim is to treat the meridians, chakras, the energy body, so thats the main principal of it. But I do understand there’s a physical aspect to the treatment too, which again is the same scenario with the other energy methods as they also trigger physical changes in the body.

I’m not familiar with reiki, but I do know another energy method called pranic healing that I would liken to acupuncture except it doesn’t use neddles. There’s no “emptying mind”, or drawing “universal energy”, or all that stuff you are refering to. You can pretty much practise it by the book if you wish. Based on the technique I guess pranic healing would be allowed then?

Right, if it doesn’t make you do any channeling of energy or spirits, it should be ok. Doesn’t mean it works, just means it wouldn’t be spiritually dangerous. It’s the spirituality the Church has a problem with, not the science.

 

[Emese]

Right, if it doesn’t make you do any channeling of energy or spirits, it should be ok. Doesn’t mean it works, just means it wouldn’t be spiritually dangerous. It’s the spirituality the Church has a problem with, not the science.

Works better than medicine and that’s good enough for me…

And as I said no scientific evidence doesn’t mean there’s no scientific evidence. What if chakras, meridians and energy body really do exist…

 

[StrawberryJam]

Works better than medicine and that’s good enough for me…

And as I said no scientific evidence doesn’t mean there’s no scientific evidence. What if chakras, meridians and energy body really do exist…

This is simple. Show the scientific evidence for chakras, meridians and energy body.

Don’t tell me no one but yourself asked this question before.

 

[Emese]

This is simple. Show the scientific evidence for chakras, meridians and energy body.

Don’t tell me no one but yourself asked this question before.

If I relied on science to prove absolutely everything I’d probably be an agnostic and not a believer of God…so until science evolves further I just have to rely on my experiences. :angel1: