I’ve been studying Reiki under two local Reiki masters here, and it’s been good so far. I’ll write more about it once I’ve progressed farther. I’ve completed my Level I and some friends and I begin Level II in a couple weeks. I’ll be studying straight through the year until the Master class.
The teachers aren’t your traditional New Age fruits. They’re more like existential yogis, but the Reiki they practise is phenomenal. As an added bonus, they begin sessions with a Kirlian camera. Now, don’t read too much into these. But interesting to see the results as I progress through sessions with them and my own studies.
The image (click image for larger size) is mirrored, so the pinky finger is associated with your connection to one’s intuition, the ring finger with one’s emotional state, middle finger with one’s physical state, and index finger with one’s mental state.
The first row of finger tips is captured as they have you in your normal state, then they ask you to embody happiness, then frustration, and then to feel as if you’re the most comfortable state with yourself as possible. They capture these four sets onto one film and voilà!
The broken lines represent a lack of connection or awareness of that aspect of your being. Beyond language and labels, just being. And as the rings grow in brightness, I believe they come to represent one’s comfort with just being a part of existence — letting the whole of the life experience wash over oneself.
I went today, and as you can see from the bottom-right image, my way of living is beginning to more wholly encompass all facets of being. It was a good session and the past year’s been good.
Might be worth looking into for those unaware of Reiki. As Saul Williams says in his song "Raised to Be Lowered":
To find the balance between all you sense and all you see
To find the patience and the strength it takes to let it be
To stand amongst the crowd and have the strength to hold your own
To throw away the pen and pad and simply be the poem
To rise above hatred to love through seeming contradiction
To seldom take a side and learn to compliment the friction.
March 28, 2008 at 1:21 am
I had a friend once who was Subud. Reiki’s use of Ki is very similar to a Subud’s “receiving” during latihan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subud
March 28, 2008 at 7:53 am
I’ve been a Reiki master since about 2000. It stops a headache like you wouldn’t believe.
March 28, 2008 at 10:50 am
Another perspective:
http://skepdic.com/reiki.html
http://skepdic.com/kirlian.html
March 28, 2008 at 8:02 pm
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lulz+killer
March 28, 2008 at 8:03 pm
PS ? Michael, nice to see you around. Your name came up recently. Hope you’re well!
March 28, 2008 at 10:04 pm
Fell: make sure to tell your teachers that you’re just doing it for the lulz like you just told me.
March 29, 2008 at 12:14 am
Trust me, they know. They’re quite good friends of mine. =]
March 29, 2008 at 11:48 am
So what are you saying Fell? That you put this post up to laugh at the occultists who may believe? I’m starting to believe this site should be called Skeptoccult.
March 29, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Another thing-It’s one thing to say on a site (that’s for freedom and liberty), that you don’t believe in something and state your reasons, etc. It’s quite another to mislead your readers for personal lulz. Are we still in high school?
March 29, 2008 at 4:40 pm
” lulz killer-often an internet user in a postion of power who tries to stop lulz-worthy acts of anarchy.”
So Trevor was trying to kill your laughs that you were getting from putting this post up. Which was exactly my point. Thanks for clarifying. I’m sure people will be jumping at the chance of sending videos and interviews to this site knowing their views and opinions are good for some lulz.
March 29, 2008 at 5:07 pm
btw-Your analysis of people who disagree with what you post speaks volumes (see link below). Most people who read a blog like to post their opinion and have an honest debate. It’s a fucking blog, not an analyst’s couch. No one likes to be patronized and “analyzed” by someone they don’t really know, do they?
Uh..hem..? Do they????? Point made, yet?!
http://www.technoccult.com/archives/2008/03/15/take-lessons-from-joe-rogan/
March 30, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Fell: a tangential question, but perhaps one that is important…
By what means do you know when you are in error?
March 30, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I keep an open mind, and am very often wrong.
As for some of my comments, perhaps they’re rude, but I don’t apologise. If someone wants to make a complaint about Joe Rogan, I say who cares. According to Comedy Writing Secrets, the six elements of humour are: target, hostility, realism, exaggeration, emotion, and surprise. If the commenter associates more with the victim of Rogan’s humour, I don’t need that person whining about how they find it crude.
I didn’t post to converse, I posted to build an interesting linkof apparent evidence that the images portrayed has change over time as I’ve pursued Reiki. Trevor’s Skeptic.com links really say nothing to discredit either subject. Aside from their sarcastic tone (maybe I’m reading into it too much), Skeptic.com just posts a brief summary of Reiki and Kirlian photography.
Humorously, I posted a link to lulz killer. It’s responded to bya comment that I don’t take occultism seriously enough.
Your art and tastes and beliefs in the occult will differ from my own. But wear your heart on your sleeves or complain cuz I have my own opinions of whiners and cheesy occultists, then that’s your problem, not mine.
I did remove an earlier comment of mine, so I apologise if I jumped to personal conclusions. I understand Trevor is SubGenius, so he can troll all he likes. I just don’t have time to accommodate any more comments. Sorry, guys.
Want intelligent feedback, start a conversation; don’t complain. Want me to return comments, address me. Aside from that, I am often too busy to review comments in any detail.
I don’t take much of anything seriously, let alone the occult. Anyone who thinks they take the occult seriosuly is gonna bump heads with me and then anything I write at that point is for my own reasons, to check responses, to play guessing games, etc. Ultimately, I don’t have to justify it, either.
March 31, 2008 at 4:53 pm
In retrospect, I will apologise. I have been a bit harsh and don’t use a tone conducive to encouraging the community. So sorry for my gruff nature.
While I will continue to questions perspectives and values, I will not be so aggressive in my approach to personal opinions held.
As for the Reiki, I do it for both the lulz and for my own entertainment. But in good ways. I take nothing seriously, but enjoy everything life offers me.
Apologies to Trever and M. =]