S103: Is Reiki Just a Placebo Effect? Here's What the Science Actually Says

<p>When someone tells me that Reiki is just a placebo effect, I don&#39;t get offended. I get excited, because if you think it&#39;s a placebo, you already agree that it works.</p><p>In this episode, I break down what the placebo effect actually is, how modern medicine uses it every single day, and why it&#39;s not the insult skeptics think it is. I also dive into one of my favorite rabbit holes, open-label placebos, where people know they&#39;re receiving a placebo and it still works. And then I bring the receipts: peer-reviewed studies that prove Reiki is more than belief.</p><p>Your inner skeptic is welcome here. In fact, this episode was made for them.</p><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li>What the placebo effect actually is and why it&#39;s not a bad thing</li><li>How doctors, therapists, and name-brand painkillers all use placebo effects</li><li>Open-label placebos and why knowing it&#39;s a placebo doesn&#39;t stop it from working</li><li>The peer-reviewed studies that prove Reiki isn&#39;t just placebo</li><li>Why curiosity is more powerful than belief when it comes to Reiki</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Studies Mentioned:</p><p>🔮 Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18435597/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18435597/</a></p><p>🔮 Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5871310/">https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5871310/</a></p><p>🔮 The effects of Reiki and hand massage on pain and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35752581/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35752581/</a></p><p>🔮 The Effect of Reiki on Anxiety, Stress, and Comfort Levels Before Gastrointestinal Endoscopy <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36272846/">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36272846/</a></p><p><br></p><p>🔮 Download the free companion workbook: <a href="https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook">https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook</a></p><p><br></p><p>🔮 Want to learn Reiki in a way that actually makes sense? Join the waitlist for Reiki 1: The Science of Self-Healing training:<a href="https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait">https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait</a></p>