Hands of Money

After his recent encounter with the infighting amongst energy healers EoR decided to follow one of the trails, to Barbara Brennan's Hands of Light healing.

First stop was her scientific textbook, "Hands of Light". According to the blurb, this

is a scientist's look at the field of bioenergetic healing, offering specific techniques towards expanding perceptual tools of healing, seeing auras, understanding psychodynamics and the human energy field, and spiritual healing. Trained as a physicist and psychotherapist, Brennan has spent the last 15 years studying the human energy field and working as a healer. Hands of Light goes beyond conventional, objective knowledge while retaining scientific clarity. [...] Science and spirituality may currently be at odds, but fortunately there will always be scientists who are spiritual seekers, and it is in the mingling of the two worlds where wisdom is born.

Pretty standard alternatista "Science is bad except my scientific woo theories which are really rather spiffy and nice" stuff. The reviews are all congratulatory and backslappingly admiring of Barbara's magic powers. Someone claiming to be an engineer gushes

I honestly believe that this book will one day be considered a revolutionary text in modern medicine - that the techniques outlined in this text will one day become standard practices in modern medicine.

EoR isn't holding his breath. "Apostolic Pentecostal Woman" states (spelling and capitalisation preserved so you get the real feel of this frenzied diatribe):

WE ARE A MIRACLE OURSELVES LIVING ON A MIRACULOUS BLOB OF ENRGY CALLED EARTH. WE ARE CAPABLE OF HEALING OURSELVES BECAuSE GOD IS IN US-EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US-HE IS IN US. HE CREATED A REAL UNIVERSE-MATTER AND ENERGY-INTACT and Barbara Brennan-a human form of love and compassion, a scientist and a healer-is an instrument of God who is being used to explain this (not so called) 'mysteries' of our cosmos thru this book. I am learning from her book and I am delighted to be enlightened. I can tell all here that COMPASSION AND LOVE WORKS. I can tell you that I can see auras and chakras now after reading her book but I sill have to deal some issues with myself that when I know it has been dealt with, I know I will be able to heal myself and heal others. You too can...

Oh, right. So she couldn't see "auras and chakras" before reading the book. Pretty strong stuff.

On her website, Barbara provides details of the science:

The Human Energy Field is the manifestation of the universal energy that is intimately involved with human life. It can be described as a luminous body that surrounds and interpenetrates the physical body, emits its own characteristic radiation and is usually called the "aura." The auric field is a quantum leap deeper into our personality than is our physical body.

Well done. Extra points for mentioning "universal energy field", "aura" and "quantum leap" all at the beginning. There's a bit more mystical mumbo-jumbo, and Barbara concludes

The Human Energy Field is composed of an infinite number of levels. We focus primarily on the seven lower levels throughout the four-year course of study in Brennan Healing Science. Each level penetrates through the body and extends outward from the skin. Each successive level is of a "higher frequency" or a "higher octave." Each extends out from the skin several inches farther than the one within it of lower frequency. The odd-numbered levels are structured fields of standing, scintillating light beams. The first, third, fifth, and seventh levels of this field are structured in a specific form. The even-numbered levels - the second, fourth, and sixth - are filled with formless substance/energy.

Just like her unaccredited course is filled with formless substance. Do you notice anything funny here? That's right: the "science" page is mercifully free of the complexities of science. No references. No studies. Nothing but woo. And apparently not even particularly original woo, apart from the title. No wonder the reikiists are pissed off. Someone else treading on their nice little scam must be really annoying.

In fact, even though

She has devoted the last 30 years to research and exploration of the Human Energy Field.

she is still yet to publish any form of research (books and tapes count as advertising, not fact).

EoR is comforted to know, however, that not all of her wisdom costs money. Monthly she lets out a morsel of newage wisdom. This month:

It is now that nations begin to dissolve the fear in rigid national and cultural historical traditions. These traditions are no longer needed because individuals in those cultures no longer need a historical sounding board of rigid beliefs to stop themselves from re-creating international pain. It is in this way that the earth can be healed through each individual holding clear and aligned intention to create from the essence of the self, that walks within both worlds at the same time.

Or, as EoR puts it, "Be nice to people". But, unfortunately, Barbara appears not to have looked at the world recently.

On the other hand, with Emoto-San and Barbara working flat out to heal the world, EoR wonders what the place would be like without their powers holding everything together...