Studies suggest that as much as 15-25 percent of most people's average emotional state over a period of time is due to the emotions they've 'caught' from others." For a scientist I think he is brave in writing this book as he will tell you - there are many people out there that try and discredit those who believe it in something that generally brings up much skepticism among the masses. Many years ago I was having lunch with a friend. I was talking about how we are connected by consciousness. I knew I had read some studies connected to quantum physics but I was doing a really bad job of explaining. At the end, he said to me, "I just want you to fall in love with the science." I found I listened the best when he talked about things that I was interested in, such as reiki and crystals. I actually listened to the reiki section as I was walking to my reiki appointment and found it boosted up my excitement for going to my appointment and belief in what it could do for me.

Meditation has long been practiced in cultures around the world and yet it was considered pseudoscience in the West until fairly recently; in some places, that’s still the case. However, today we know with scientific certainty that meditation causes beneficial structural changes in the brain that help us with our mental health as well as with concentration, memory, and self-esteem – it’s even been shown to slow the rate of biological aging. In contrast, I am more scientific. I want proof. I want math (to a certain extent). I want to understand, not just believe because it sounds nice. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health writes that the goal of a reiki practitioner is to direct energy to help facilitate the person’s ownhealing response. In a sense, what’s being directed is electric and magnetic fields. While we’re not in the business of studying the individual movement of electric and magnetic fields while a practitioner practices reiki, results in large part almost certainly come from this process.

You’ll Take What You Need From Why Woo-Woo Works

Unlimited access to every Hay House audiobook, ad-free meditation, lecture, immersive learning program, podcast & more. In this episode of The HEAL Podcast I sit down with Dr. David Hamilton to talk about his new book, Why Woo Woo Works. We break down the science behind holistic therapies, the placebo effect and the incredible healing power of kindness. He spends most of the book talking about the science and studies behind alternative therapies and ideas that are not mainstream… yet. For instance, the science behind why reiki works or how nature impacts our well-being, or even how telepathy and distant healing can work.

There is a great deal of available research. I’ve cited quite a bit in my book, ‘ Why Woo Woo Works’. In it, I also explain why I’d love to see a closer integration between mainstream treatments and complementary practices. A great balance of explaining the science and still being entertaining. Some similar books can get a bit heavy on the scientific protocols and come across as a bit hard to read. This was an enjoyable and educational read with a variety of topics. When you are in a such heart-focused state, you help people close to you move towards a similar state. I think most of us have probably noticed this in our own lives, either as the one affecting another person, or as the one being affected. There are people that most of us know who have a natural warming presence. You may be one of them! That you come to feel better (mentally and / or physically) around them is known as the ‘natural healer effect’.

Summary

Why should we meditate? How can crystals heal the mind and body? Why is visualization so powerful - and so effective? Discover the scientific evidence to answer these questions and more... I then move on to the field of complementary medicine, presenting an overview of the many research studies that show reiki is an effective therapy for managing pain, depression, and anxiety, and sharing the science behind this ‘energy healing’ technique. In the chapter on crystals, I draw on Buddhist philosophy, the science of color psychology, and even the diamagnetic and paramagnetic properties of these mineral stones to explain precisely how they work for us. When times are rough, go with the flow. There is science behind this. It’s important to trust that we are where we need to be.