The Enemies of Reason, Channel 4, Monday 8pm

[Mark]

The Enemies of Reason on Channel 4, Monday 8pm

I would encourage people to watch it, it's Richard Dawkins finding out about alternative therapy.

Hopefully it will make others astounded that the NHS recently spent ?20 million on refurbishing the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital. Hmmm, got cancer? Let me hover my Reiki hands over the sore spot and I'll make it go away.

[*Bob*]

... as 'featured' in Charlie Brooker's essential ramblings in 'The Guide' (weekend just gone)

Long Live Charlie Brooker.

[MadWorld74]

Excuse me Mark,

I happen to be a fully qualified Reiki Practitioner. I am a member of the UK Reiki Federation and belong to the Complementary Medical Association.

Your comments are ignorant and offensive. In the Far East Reiki along with many other alternative therapies has been used alongside treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy to bring recovery or ease the pain of many patients.

Infact when my mother was diagnosed with cancer 3 years ago, I regularly gave her Reiki to help ease the horrific discomfort she felt due to the plethera of drugs she was pumped with.

Many alternative therapies are only 'alternative' in the Western world where our medicine is based on pharmaceuticals. The Chinese and Japanese versions of the NHS incorprate in all wards 'alternative medicine' and have done so for hundreds of years.

[Alan Dale]

You are too fat. The government does not want you to be fat.

Save yourself. Save yourself!

[MadWorld74]

What?

[Mark]

didn't mean to offend but they're not ignorant comments, I have looked into it and as I see it there's no proof it works.

It made me laugh once when I told a friend of mine (a reiki master) that my mum had twisted her ankle and she said she would remotely help heal her from 100 miles away. Brilliant!

Anyway we should all watch the first part of the two part series tonight on Channel 4 at eight o'clock.

[edited once]

[Alan Dale]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/gallery/index.shtml?programme=little_miss_jocelyn&id=5

[mockney piers]

I've been enjoying Francis Wheen's "How mumbo-jumbo conquered the World" immensely which has an interesting chapter on alternative therapies.

A whole chapter dedicated to the deconstructionalists who posit that reality is merely a construct of language.

A physicist invited them to demonstrate their confidence in theories by leaving his office from his window rather than the door, he was on the 22nd floor.

[*Bob*]

Had a wonderful leaflet through the door not so long back. I even kept it, so I can have a laugh when I'm feeling down.

"THE ART OF SPACE CLEARING"

"Cleansing, purifying and blessing your home or business.

The Space Clearing ceremony is a beautiful creative rich experience. Multilcoloured flowers, gently glowing candles, sweet perfumes of essential oils, incense and smudging sticks and the rich tones of Balinese bells are just a few things used to remove stagnant energy"

?50/hour, plus travelling costs and materials.

[Huguenot]

With that in mind, thought this was fun

[Keef]

I was interested in this programme, but have been slightly put off by the really patronising way that he's talked to people in the trailers I've seen. He's known for that, and I hate it. Just because you're a bit of a scientist, doesn't give you the right to laugh at and dismiss the beliefs of others... Once upon a time, the leading scientists thought the earth was flat!

I'm not for or against alternative therapies myself, but I hate people dismissing things.

[MadWorld74]

not continuing with this thread. I have to say I'm surprised at some of the remarks on here.

Continue to fry your brains out at your pc's for the rest of your life.

Shame.

[Alan Dale]

MadWorld74 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Continue to fry your brains out at your pc's for

> the rest of your life.

Or pedal mumbo jumbo door to door. Whatever suits.

[MadWorld74]

Receive Reiki first Alan Dale and then come onot the forum and slate it. Not the other way round.

Got a headache? pop a pill.

[Alan Dale]

Post removed as I am starting to get a headache!

[mockney piers]

Hugenot, inclined to more or less agree with that chap.

As you know I'm all for live and let live, and the likes of Dawkins do seem to push this country closer to the nasty divisiveness of the United States.

I like the fact that the majority when asked about religion sort of shrug their shoulders, mutter something about believing in god and if pushed say something like "dunno, church of england s'ppose" with a questioning inflection.

It's nice, and I'd rather we didn't drop that for militant atheism, any more than I am partial to evangelicals.

MW, my mum's a rakey healer (I do wish she'd eat more) and her missus is a shaman.

It's all a bit bonkers if you ask me, but if mum's healing alleviates mrs mockney's toothache, regardless of the explanation, I'm happy enough with that. Like I say we're all sorts here and there's room for all of us.

[Mark]

forgot to say my mum's a reiki practitioner too, it makes her happy and there's nowt wrong with that.

[MadWorld74]

I just hate people dismissing a form of medicine that has been the mainstay in our little world far longer than anything else.

Complementary health is being turned to by more and more (see the lists of therapists in ED alone!) as the mainstream form of help is failing so many.

People usually act in the way you have done. Bushing it off as mumbo jumbo. Fear of the unknown. You have to be a certain 'type' of person to be a Reiki practitioner and a certain 'type' to be a patient. In tune with yourself and your surroundings.

Best get back to your share indexes.

[Alan Dale]

Mine too.

My eyes are bleeding now.

[*Bob*]

Bloody hell.. is there anyone here who's Mum isn't a Reiki practitioner?

[*Bob*]

If it works for you then that's great.

Personally speaking I favour hard prescription medicine over crystal-dangling.. any day of the week.

[MadWorld74]

Alan Dale, get yourslef down to your pharmacy if you've got bleeding eyes....ouch, sounds nasty.

[Brendan]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I was interested in this programme, but have been

> slightly put off by the really patronising way

> that he's talked to people in the trailers I've

> seen. He's known for that, and I hate it. Just

> because you're a bit of a scientist, doesn't give

> you the right to laugh at and dismiss the beliefs

> of others... Once upon a time, the leading

> scientists thought the earth was flat!

>

> I'm not for or against alternative therapies

> myself, but I hate people dismissing things.

I agree. Dawkins is an arrogant twat who is so adamant about his own theories that he may as well be a religious fundamentalist. (Dawkins Fundamentalism (?) )

I don?t always disagree with him I just don?t like the way he comes across.

[Jessie]

the emphasis should be on 'complementary' as opposed to 'alternative'; the people i know who've had cancer have benefitted from the likes of reiki and homeopathy as a complement to chemo/radiotherapy, a respite from the harsh gruel of said therapies with their full-on assault of the body, albeit in saving lives (hopefully).

[*Bob*]

I don't think anyone would disagree that aromatherapy can make (some) people feel good.

Nor that feeling good and positive thinking can have a beneficial effect on one's health and wellbeing.

However, this doesn't quite add-up to aromatherapy being a cure for cancer.