"Woo Woo" - Unconventional beliefs regarded as having little or no scientific basis, especially those relating to spirituality, mysticism or alternative medicine. - Oxford University Press Today is World Religion DayI consider myself to be spiritual but not religious, and I believe, by that definition of woo woo, it describes the work I do as a coach and healer. Any other woo woo believers out there? By the way, I'm a daydream believer, too, but have never been a homecoming queen. ;) We often question the veracity of particular theories or ideas simply because we know very little about them, or sometimes because we've heard other people refer to them as uncientific... - Why Woo Woo Works Why Woo Woo Works![]() In his book, Dr. David R. Hamilton takes on several healing modalities or spiritual practices that have at one time or another been considered unscientific and provides evidence of research that validates them, explaining the science involved in why they work. He mentions meditation as an example. It wasn't that long ago that meditation was considered a pseudoscience until fairly recently, despite its use in many cultures worldwide. But we now know that meditation rewires the brain in beneficial ways that can help with mental health, and memory and concentration. And that's just to name a few benefits! I'm a Reiki healer and when I first became a Reiki master, over 20 years ago, Reiki was still considered quackery by its critics. And though there still may be some who feel that way, Reiki is now used in medical hospitals. Are there any alternative medical practices that you used to think were not legitimate, about which you have since changed your mind? A spiritual touch practice based on the notion that human hands can redirect one’s “life force energy” to heal stress and disease, Reiki has been adopted in over 60 U.S. hospitals, according to a study at UCLA. The Healing Touch Professional Association estimates that over 30,000 nurses in U.S. hospitals use touch practices every year. - Washington Post Celebrating World Religion DayThere's not a whole lot of scientific support for the religions of the world, either, but some of them have become mainstream too. And I think that whatever your religious or spiritual beliefs, today is a good day to celebrate them. See you next time! Love, Jeanine
10 Comments
1/16/2022 03:47:55 am
I love Woo Woo, irrespective of what Oxford University Press cites :)
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1/16/2022 10:38:08 am
Yay! I love it, too, Cherry-Ann. And hallelujah for everything you are doing for yourself! I love to hear that.
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Jeanine, I'm exactly the same. I consider myself to be spiritual but not religious. OK, *somewhat* spiritual. Far from you and your experience. Most and foremost I try to be a kind and generous person. To me that counts for more than to attend church every Sunday.
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1/16/2022 10:40:00 am
The same person who wrote the book I mentioned above also wrote one about the power of kindness. Apparently, it benefits the kind person and anyone to whom the person is kind via oxytocin. And oxytocin is another one of those happy hormones that can rewire the bain in beneficial ways. So more power to you, kind one.
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Brenda Marie Fluharty
1/16/2022 10:36:51 am
I am Spiritual. I am a Reiki Master, and I think meditation is beyond helpful to many people. I also believe in sound therapies as well. I have never been comfortable with the labels some people give me.Over three years ago I came up with the Spiritual Mystic because it covered everything.
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1/16/2022 10:44:56 am
I love your title! I used to call myself the everyday mystic and had a blog by that name. I am in awe of all your different Reiki Master modalities. I thought I was the queen of them, because I have so many, too, but you have probably 3x as many as I do. I'm thinking you float above us most of time. :) You know, I would love to learn sound healing. I lost my tibetan sound bowl in a move, and haven't yet replaced it, but I always loved the way it cleared the room of negative feelings, etc. And I's love to work with crystal bowls and sound frequencies someday.
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1/16/2022 11:28:31 am
I believe in meditation and Reiki and anything that helps people connect to their heart. Great post, Jeanine!
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1/16/2022 01:56:28 pm
YES! In so many ways, that is really the point of it all. Thanks, Victoria!!
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1/16/2022 09:50:47 pm
Jeanine, I had completely missed that today is World Religion Day, so thanks for that! I am very interested in Dr. Hamilton's book and am looking forward to reading it. People who think religion and spiritual practices are dumb should look at how many people around the World are finding meaning in those. I am an ordained minister and teach meditation. In my book, Sacred Meditation, I cover the history of meditation; people have been doing it since...forever, which says it helps people connect with the Divine, clear their minds, and relax, at the very least. Thanks for raising these subjects!
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