oselle: (Default)
oselle ([personal profile] oselle) wrote2011-02-01 06:40 pm

Question

Has anyone ever had any kind of "healing" or "energy cleansing" work done, either on yourself, your home, a place you were about to move into, or anything like that?

There's a new reality show on HGTV called Selling New York about NY real estate and a co-worker was telling me about this weekend's episode. It focused on this apartment that in spite of all its advantages simply would not sell. No one could figure out why. Finally the realtor brought in someone to "cleanse" its energy -- and apparently they got an offer on the apartment within three weeks. I looked up the guy who did it and found an article in the Daily News from two years ago. The article said this particular...healer (psychic? shaman?) only works directly with realtors. But it also profiled a woman named Sondra Shaye who owns a healing practice in Brooklyn with the promising name of Archangel Healing Light Center. She does both personal healings and property cleansing.

You can visit her website here: http://www.archangelhealinglightcenter.com/My_Homepage_Files/Page36.html

You can read the Daily News article here:
http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2009/02/06/2009-02-06_the_clearings_space_healers_use_the_spir.html

My first reaction to such things is that these people are modern-day snakeoil salesmen, taking advantage of the desperate. After all, they've got the perfect racket -- offer salvation to people at the end of their ropes, for a tidy fee. Then of course if it doesn't work, it's because the client wasn't "open" enough or some shit.

But I'm heading in this direction because let me tell you -- I've been on a downward spiral for years and don't know how to get out of it. My health, my finances, my family, my general emotional state -- all disastrous. I feel like my apartment is absolutely toxic and like I myself am filled up with garbage. My most recent attempt at improvement was a chiropractor...and yesterday I decided to discontinue seeing him, upon his own advice, because none of it was working. All my other attempts to turn myself around -- traditional medicine, yoga, meditation, diet, physical therapy, religion -- have all failed too. I had joked with the chiropractor when I first saw him that he was my last stop before calling in a shaman. Maybe it's time to call in a shaman. I'm at the point where I don't care what it costs. But I'd love some first-hand experiences, if you've got any, and would also love to know how much it cost you, if you're comfortable with sharing that. Thanks.

[identity profile] morganslady.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 12:28 am (UTC)(link)
Dr.Oz just did a show on Faith Healers, I didn't see it so I don't know what the outcome was. Maybe it's on line..
Hey I'd try anything if I thought it would help.

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know, this isn't really faith healing, at least not the way I understand it. Although I guess it's all in the same vein...
ext_28878: (Default)

[identity profile] claudia603.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 12:53 am (UTC)(link)
This isn't that positive, I guess, but when I was living in Florida, my friend azrhiaz was moving into a new place. I went there and immediately felt panicked like I couldn't breathe and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. I told her about it because it was so strong. She and a friend did a "cleansing" thing on the place. A year(?) or so later, the whole place burned down in a fire that almost killed her and did kill her cat.

Okay, I"ve had a bit of wine this evening so yeah, probably not the positive experience you were looking for, but it was "an" experience...

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
I went there and immediately felt panicked like I couldn't breathe and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

This happened to me years ago when I was living in Maine with my sister. We lived on the third floor of a three-storey house. The apt. was very small and when the larger apartment on the second floor opened up, we jumped at it. I began to feel like something was "wrong" with the place when I was down there painting the bathroom, before we'd even moved in. My skin would crawl when I was in there by myself. I couldn't bear to be in the place after dark. I didn't mention any of this to my sister and we moved in. Our second night there, I heard her crying in the shower. That night neither of us could sleep. I went into her room because I knew she was awake. We immediately decided we had to get out of there. The landlady wouldn't let us vacate until she found a new tenant. That took two weeks and they were the longest two weeks ever. I found every excuse possible not to be home, especially alone. We finally moved back upstairs but sometimes I feel like something...attached itself to me in that place because things really started going downhill after that, and in some ways, they've never come back up. My sister and I swear to this day that the place was completely haunted. Yet a young couple moved in there after us and seemed to live there quite happily for over two years. Go figure.

Thanks for sharing your story. It helps. I think.

[identity profile] martin-rose.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
I know you don't know me, really; I know you only through your fanfic. I have great admiration for your talent in writing. Thus, it saddens me to hear you are in the midst of a difficult time. Maybe I can be of help. Under normal circumstances, I would message you in private; but I'll speak in the open, so all things are made transparent.

First, these cleansings are snake-oil. Real shamans are always hidden from view, as are genuine psychics. They do not advertise and are often in impoverished living conditions, and while they may be capable of "cleansing" a space, if the problem emanates from you, the cleansing will not have the desired effect in the long run.

"I feel like my apartment is absolutely toxic and like I myself am filled up with garbage." What a harrowing statement! What sorrow there! Only one thing to be done for it -- get rid of the garbage. Throw it all out, everything. If you have physical garbage, give it the heave-ho -- trash is nothing more than self-created obstacles. Filled within with garbage? Well, you write, this much I know. Do not limit what you choose to write. Write fiction, or journal, or write about yourself. Put it out there. Is it your work? Find a way to leave it. Family the problem? Draw your boundaries and declare them. Finances? Tackle them.

You sound in depressed circumstances. It should not surprise me then, why SPN holds such charm for you, or at least, has in the past; the warrior figure is an archetype you feel strong connection to, on some level. Use it. Be the warrior figure. It's not just some crap-ass entertainment television Dean Winchester notion -- that war-like energy fires your imagination enough to write about it. Find a way to embody it, borrow it, and put it to work.

I think I've rambled quite enough, I suppose. But if you want to know what qualifies me to talk about these subjects, well, that is a very long story, beyond the scope of a comment section; but I have been through many fires. My door is open, and may you always be writing and may you recover from your difficult time . . .

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
Real shamans are always hidden from view, as are genuine psychics.

How can that be true? Isn't that like saying a real artist is always hidden from view? Paranormal abilities -- aren't they a gift, like anything talent? Why would a psychic hide herself or not try to make a living off her gift the way an artist does?

That said, the amount of money these people do charge is alarming...but once again, doesn't someone with true extraordinary talents deserve to be paid for them? The issue here is that you can't prove someone has that talent. The talents of some artists are highly open to debate but the fact is that someone out there gets definite pleasure from what they do. It's demonstrable, quantifiable -- their books sell, people go to their movies, etc. With these psychics and healers, all you've got is a bunch of fawning testimonials that could have been written by anyone. She could have written them herself.

What a harrowing statement!

LOL...oh honey! I gave you the Reader's Digest version!

I can't move past this first of all because the obstacles are insurmountable. I cannot leave my job. I cannot force them to pay me better. I cannot abandon my parents. And maybe, maybe if I could do something about my health I'd have more energy to try to see around these problems but I can't seem to do anything about my health. And that also affects my ability to write. On top of it, there's this inertia because everything I've tried has failed. Last year I dedicated myself to "making changes." Nothing worked. So I feel like every decision I make now would not only be the wrong one, but would probably put me in a deeper tailspin.

Be the warrior figure. It's not just some crap-ass entertainment television Dean Winchester notion

Dean at least has a guardian angel. I don't.

[identity profile] pdragon76.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
My brother JD was dating a Reiki healer when I went home to Adelaide last September. They were both crashing at my Dad's place while JD got his hometown legs again, just having moved back from Sydney. JD pestered me and pestered me to let his new girlfriend do a "healing" on me, and quite honestly told me he just thought it would be a good bonding experience for his girlfriend and I and he wanted us to spend some time together.

I agreed a little skeptically, having no idea what Reiki healers actally DID, and having been none the wiser on the topic for having asked several of them to explain it to me in the past.

She set up some incense and chanty music in my old childhood room, which...I gotta tell ya, that room is chock full of enough angst to drop a rhino into a flood of pointless tears and anguish.

I was supposed to keep my eyes shut but I peeked a bit because I was nosey. She stood over me a lot and chanted and plucked at the air and for the vast majority of the session, all I could think about was how the hell a merciless manslut like my brother could be banging this delicate little snowflake lady with the waggle fingers and the petitioning of the deities. I nearly busted out laughing about seven times.

But here's the thing. While she was plucking all the negativity out of my chakras, she kept asking me to repeat certain things after her. Stuff along the lines of: "I thank the events and people of my past for the role they played in bringing me thus far. I retain all that is good and pure in those events and people, and I now let go of all the things that bind me negatively to this space. I release myself of all unnecessary ties, of the things I no longer need to carry and I do so with peace and love. I will that this be so. I will that this happens now, and completely, and frees me to my next phase. This happens now."

I don't actually know how much she usually charges for an hour of that crap. JD said about $80 a session, I think. And although I did a colossal thirty second fart later that night that may have indeed been my base chakra clearing, I don't really think she plucked anything out of me.

But every single human being on earth should take time to sit in their place of age-old angst and say that shit out loud. I think that part was probably worth the $80 I didn't pay.

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 01:51 am (UTC)(link)
And although I did a colossal thirty second fart later that night that may have indeed been my base chakra clearing

LMAO! I can think of plenty of people who'd gladly pay $80 for a thirty-second fart. I imagine a thirty-second fart would be very cleansing.

Trufax and TMI -- when I went on my weekend yoga retreat last year, by the afternoon of my first full day there, I had to piss all the time. Even though I wasn't drinking that much and I certainly wasn't taking any diuretics or "cleansing herbs" or anything. After a while it was like I was literally pissing clear water -- no color or odor at all. And the crazy thing was that it felt great. Like total elimination. So don't write off that thirty-second fart. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if that treatment had something to do with it.

But every single human being on earth should take time to sit in their place of age-old angst and say that shit out loud. I think that part was probably worth the $80 I didn't pay.

But did it make any real difference in the long run? That's the question. I don't need slogans or mantras. I need real changes. Big ones.

[identity profile] pdragon76.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
I think it made a difference in that I had spent ten days in my place of origin feeling incredibly caged and resentful of people and places I wanted to feel love for.

To sit in that space and acknowledge -- to LET myself acknowledge -- that those people and places had played an important role in making me who I am today, and that it was ME who had the choice of whether I held on to THAT or whether I held on to all of my angst and resentment...that has been a lasting change.

I've thought back to the act of sitting there and letting go of my unnecessary baggage a bunch of times when things have been rough with my mom since, and things often are. I know it has helped me to concentrate on her motivations, which are invariably good, and not her execution, which invariably sucks. Now when I start getting pissy and resentful, I can stop and go: Well, that is your choice, Dragons. You choose what you carry. You have the power and the right to let it go and travel light.

That's on me. And that's lasted. Doesn't mean it's always easy to do, but what is?

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:25 am (UTC)(link)
to LET myself acknowledge -- that those people and places had played an important role in making me who I am today

I have no trouble acknowledging the people and places who made me what I am today. The problem is what I am, and my inability to get away from those people or places. Even when I try they follow me around. I'd love to let it all go and travel light. Just don't see any way that'll happen in this lifetime.

[identity profile] pdragon76.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
Then maybe start acknowledging what is good in YOU first.

Willy Shakespeare. There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

*points to your journal title as example*

The person below has a point when she talks about optimism being learned. It's like faith. I think sometimes you have to just decide to walk it until you find it for reals.

[identity profile] jolielaide.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not really a woo-woo person, but I also don't have the arrogance to presume I know everything, either. I'd say anything is possible.

I've had reiki done for my wrenchingly bad back problems, and it helped when nothing else did. A friend did it, for free, so I don't know how much it would cost (or how much having it done at your home would cost) but if my back problems were to return, I'd be willing to pay for it.

I guess the main thing I'd say is, only do it if you decide you believe in it. Does that make sense? I had to learn a few years ago how to become an optimistic person, and I credit that, more than anything else, for the positive changes in my life. I think making a decision to believe in something (reiki, snake oil, yourself, whatever) that could potentially improve your situation is a pretty empowering thing to do.

I wish you all the best and hope things get better, one way or another.

[identity profile] jolielaide.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
Uh, also, feel free to discredit me entirely for wanton use of the word "empowering." Ugh!

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
I guess the main thing I'd say is, only do it if you decide you believe in it.

It's a difficult situation because I'm not that easily swayed. I already halfway don't believe in this stuff, but I'm just desperate enough to try anything. I'll need to feel an actual, definable result to go from halfway believing out of desperation to real believing. And that result would have to last.
ext_6866: (WWSMD?)

[identity profile] sistermagpie.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:23 am (UTC)(link)
I went to a shaman workshop once, just drumming and doing some visualization. It was fun but didn't change anything. I did, though, once go to a past life regression thing? And I don't really believe in it, but I liked this because it was a guided meditation so it wasn't just someone telling me what my past life was. Because I figure if they're just making up a story for me I don't want them making something up that they think sounds cool but I might not care about. Anyway, so we did these guided meditations about tackling a problem and I actually figured out something I was doing that made a big differences. Like I trace a turnaround to a problem I always had at work. So I always have to have some respect for it.

In terms of healing, just throwing this out, but I've recently been reading some books that are kind of related? One someone recommended to me called Changing For Good that was about breaking down how to actually change into stages and where we get stuck, but most of the examples were things like quitting drinking or whatever. It applies to everything but the main stumbling block I had was not having a clear goal I was changing. (Or maybe I was just still in the "pre-contemplative stage" so I hadn't noticed the problem yet.

The other book I just read was about how the brain changes itself. It's mostly scientific and has a lot of examples about healing from strokes or curing learning disorders etc. But it made me feel really good about how you could really change fundamental things.

Anyway, I think when it comes to healings and things it's not even so much whether they literally work as whether people have felt like they've worked and they definitely have. I had anotehr book at work written by a journalist who was trying out a lot of alternative things. I remember when I read it I thought yeah, I'd totally go in for some white magic voudou healing like she did.

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
Anyway, I think when it comes to healings and things it's not even so much whether they literally work as whether people have felt like they've worked

I think that's why this wouldn't work for me and I'd wind up spending a lot of money for nothing. When I started doing yoga I felt a terrific improvement...at first. The same thing happened when I went to the chiropractor. None of those improvements lasted and now I think they were just the placebo effect, which for me, only works in the short term.

When I read about someone selling an apartment after a cleansing, even though it had been sitting on the market for months, to me, that feels like a real result. That's not feel-good stuff -- the buyers never even know about it. That to me is more convincing than any personal testimony about feeling waves of light and love or something. But then I go to that woman's website and see these pics of her simpering away and I don't know. I'm already not believing it.
ext_6866: (I'll just watch from up here)

[identity profile] sistermagpie.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I think with things like that it's sometimes just luck and they don't mention the times it didn't work. But for the person whose apartment it is, all that matters is the damn apartment finally got sold.

[identity profile] mangokulfi.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
Years ago in J-school, I did a story on this woman who was a "Reiki Master."

She was a medical doctor, maybe a neurologist IIRC. But anyway she was in a really bad car accident that left her paralyzed from her mid thoracic vertebrae down. She was told the spinal chord damage was so severe that probably wouldn't walk again (though she could still move her arms). Anyway, she decided that just because western medicine didn't have the answers for her, she would research further. I met her about 10 years after her accident and she was fully mobile, though she still needed a cane.

She attributed it to the Reiki and she became a practitioner and ran a small clinic.

Now, whether the healing would have happened anyway, can't really be ascertained by me, a lay person. I was only ever able to confirm her medical credentials and that she did have severe spinal trauma after a car accident. Her healing wasn't spontaneous. It took a couple of years for her to slowly regain function in her lower body and she was undergoing physiotherapy throughout but she fully believed it was the Reiki that healed her.

I also talked to some of her patients, but none of them had such dramatic stories, though obviously, they claimed that the Reiki was working for either their physical or emotional well-being.

That being said, there were skeptics in the story too, mostly from the medical profession.

I wish I could find the story but it was a class assignment and I've had so many computers since then that I don't think I even have it anymore. I just remember the story.

Not sure if that helps you at all, but I got a A. :)

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 12:42 am (UTC)(link)
You're not alone in recommending Reiki. There are a lot of practitioners here and I guess it wouldn't hurt to look into it. There's a place called the New York Open Center that holds all sorts of open houses and workshops (usually at very low cost) in "alternative" therapies and disciplines. My yoga studo has gotten me on the mailing list for a lot of these places, so maybe I should check it out.

I know for a solid fact that the only time in the past three years I've felt really healthy was during my yoga retreat back in May. But of course the circumstances of that retreat (lots of fresh air, silence, healthy food and exercise) are impossible to recreate in my everyday life. Which makes me sad. Because I know I have the capacity to feel better it's just...beyond my reach. Shit, that also makes me angry.

[identity profile] mangokulfi.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
You know, I sometimes think that all of these different therapies or whatever work because they give people an excuse to get out of the rut they find themselves in.

It's not that I don't believe they can't work but I do think the mind is the most powerful organ in the human body and while I wouldn't want to dismiss some these things as placebos, I do think that sometimes, people just need one thing to kick start them and if there is a sense that it's working, that gives them incentive to change other things that also may not be working.

I think we all fall into patterns and if some of them are unhealthy for us in one way or another, it gets so much harder to overcome the inertia. If a person can find even one thing at first, that gives them pleasure or a sense of well-being, something that they can look forward to or makes them feel like they are accomplishing something, the rest doesn't feel quite so unmanageable.

I've seen the same thing with people who have left jobs they hate or gotten out of or started new relationships. But it could be a new hobby, taking a class in something that has always interested a person or an activity like yoga or exercise. It could be behavioural or psychotherapy or starting to do some volunteer work.

Heck it could even be something as small as drinking more water every day or something harder like quitting smoking. But if a person sees positive results and starts to feel better physically or emotionally, it may not seem so impossible to consider making other more positive life-style changes, again, a little bit at a time.

I think a lot of times, people make the mistake of trying to make a whole bunch of changes at once, but they're just setting themselves up for failure then because that's just hard work and when a person does't see immediate changes after trying so hard, it gets even more discouraging.

Sorry for the pop psychology, and I'm not dismissing various alternative therapies at all. I just suspect that some of them work through the same processes in the brain and a lot of it is about slowly rewiring your brain to get used to different things. Essentially, forming different habits to replace the old, less satisfying ones.

[identity profile] mangokulfi.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
Just wanted to say that I was just rambling in a general way above, rather than than addressing the specifics of your health situation. If you can find a Reiki Center that come well-recommended and it's affordable, it's certainly worth giving it a shot.

The other thing I've heard about is chelation therapy. I know a couple of medical doctors who seem quite positive about it. Though again, there aren't any double-blind efficacy studies that I know of that endorse it. *shrug*

[identity profile] halfwaythere123.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
You know, the older I get, the more I think anything is possible. I've just heard and seen too much weird shit over the years that I just can't explain. If I try to talk about it, most people get freaked out and don't want to hear it- probably because it challenges their world view. And the irony is that I was trained in the scientific method so I should be the last person to believe in this stuff. But I just think there's a lot about the world we just can't explain and that it's worth keeping an open mind.

So I guess what I'm saying is that if you think it might help and it's not some huge amount of money, why not go for it? Maybe it'll help, maybe it won't but you won't know unless you try.

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
I'll try anything but there are so many con artists out there when it comes to this sort of thing. And I doubt that any of them would need to be psychic to feel the desperation leaching out of me. I'd be like a fresh mark on a carnival midway. Low-hanging fruit.

[identity profile] salty-catfish.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:47 am (UTC)(link)
Esoteric talk about 'negative energies' makes me want to throw up. I think your first reaction is right, it is charlatanry feeding desperate people's delusions and taking advantage of tought patterns of the depressed, nothing more to add. I don't have words for how much that website skeeves me out. (DNA activation?! JFC. That is some serious misinformation.) It's pretty telling that these 'testimonials' only focus on the persons' bursts of feelings. It would be much more interesting to see what effect it had on their live in the long run in concrete terms. Or do they just ~feel better~ about their crap life? I get the impression it's all about regressing into a certain headspace.
Same with that article.
“The owners still have to be careful not to bring anything or anyone really negative in with them,” says Shaye, remarking that homeowners not selling their house should clear it every one or two years.
Yeah, sure.

I get that you are very unhappy, and maybe placebo is better than nothing to keep going (just stating your problems and getting them acknowledged can be very helpful after all), but some clear analysis of your situation might be more helpful in the long run.
Could you change you apartment? Move out or redecorate maybe.
Why didn't the things you tried before work out? What exactly happened? (Maybe you don't have the right diagnosis for your illness yet?) It reads a bit to me like you were putting a lot of hope into the effects of changing one aspect of your life.
I won't say that some sort of ceremony can't help, but I really don't think you should have to pay serious money for that.

I'm not meaning to be too blunt and I'm posting this with some hesitation(and I'm just someone who enjoys your fanfic), but my reaction to this kind of stuff is just pretty much... D:.


[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, that website kind of skeeved me out too. All that pink alone...

Could you change you apartment? Move out or redecorate maybe.

Unforunately I own this thing, and the market is not great in this neighborhood for an apartment this size. We've got a lot of families moving in here who don't really want a one-bedroom. The apartment that adjoins mine is the same layout and size and it's been vacant for nearly two years now (though I'm convinced that's because the owner is asking way too much for it). I've thought about redecorating and frankly, the bathroom could use a complete gut renovation but I hate to spend that kind of money when my income has been regressing.

Maybe you don't have the right diagnosis for your illness yet?

It's pretty much been isolated to a spinal problem that's probaby the result of whiplash from a car accident about ten years ago. There's a compression between two vertebrae in my neck that causes chronic vertigo and a host of other symptoms like numbness, blurred vision, tinnitus, fatigue, etc. At the other end of my spine, my tailbone is displaced and is causing me chronic pain and one thing tends to affect the other (like, if I sit or lie in the wrong position for too long, the vertigo really flares up). Problem is, no one really knows how to solve this problem. Physical therapy, yoga and chiropracty are three recommended treatments and none of them worked. So far the only thing that offers relief is a sedative called Klonopin, which I've been on now for almost three years, and that comes with its own bag of side effect tricks. I know that curing this wouldn't fix everything else, but I wish I could just feel healthy again because then I might at least have more energy to try and work on the other stuff.

It's pretty telling that these 'testimonials' only focus on the persons' bursts of feelings.

Didn't you read about the part where she claims she can make cavities disappear? I mean, really. That sends up a red flag right there.


[identity profile] the0neru.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:06 pm (UTC)(link)
The friend of mine who had a bone marrow transplant saw a Reiki practitioner a few times over the course of his treatment. I wasn't with him when he went, but he swore it made a difference. (He's now almost 11 years post-transplant and (fingers crossed and knock on Elijah) still in remission.)

Also, my brother and his best friend had an apartment at college that was no-shit haunted. They came to me for crosses and crucifixes (which, as far as I know, only made them feel better because they *thought* it would), and they got a priest to come bless the apartment - and yay, no more ghosty stuff. That's more religion-oriented than you're mentioning, so I don't know if it's any help. :(

Have you been to a therapist just to *talk*? I never thought that would help me, and had never been until year before last when I hit a major low - and. surprisingly (to me), it helped immensely to be able to talk to someone with absolutely no vested interest. Not that I'm PollyAnna now, by any means, but it helped *some*.

Hang in there - I know it's hard. I can't even tell you that it will all be worth it. And I know I don't *know* you, but you come across as brilliant and resourceful and strong, and that's worth a lot. <3

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
A friend at work also recommended Reiki. There is certainly so shortage of Reiki practitioners in New York. Another thing I've thought of trying is craniosacral therapy which is not any sort of psychic thing but a form of massage. My physical problems originate in my spine and craniosacral therapy specifically addresses that part of the body (cranium - sacrum, get it?)

I went to a therapist years ago and didn't feel that it did much for me, other than giving me a place to vent. That poor lady. The look of despair she would get when she saw me in the waiting room...I'll never forget it.

[identity profile] febobe.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 02:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Dearest, I feel I should chime in honestly.

I don't agree with shamans. Notice I didn't say I don't BELIEVE IN them. I firmly believe that a real shaman is accessing power beyond himself. . .I just don't believe it's the kind of power you want accessed! It's a little like. . .well, the shaman doesn't realize this, because he thinks he's doing good and working for the betterment of things, but. . .it's a matter of demonic influence and is a bit like having a team burglarizing a house and part of the team running off when the other part starts chasing them away.

THAT SAID. . .

I believe in doing stuff like this. Just not in the same way. We had our house anointed with oil and prayed over by not only us, but our entire connection group when we first moved in. Everyone moved through the rooms, anointing the windows and doorposts with olive oil, praying for protection from whatever might be without or within, for any bad thing that had been here, ever, to leave and never return to the property that now belonged to us. . .for every evil or ill influence to be barred from entering our home or setting foot on our land. It was a very positive experience - one that was performed by my husband's parents and some other church folk at our last home, too - and one which appears successful, as we've never had awfulness in either place. I mean, that last one needed a lot of repairs, but that was just the place. This place. . .well, granted, we've only been living here since September 2010, but it's been glorious, and I feel so safe and comfortable, and I'm not frightened walking through the house alone at night, yay, and our experiences have been positive. I mean, finances could always use work, but they're not devastating or disastrous. . .and my health certainly hasn't worsened here; if anything, I'm doing better. :) I certainly FEEL happier. More at peace.

I realize this might not be something you agree with 100%, nor is it something you're likely to feel as comfy with if you aren't comfy with a good church already. (Sadly, there ARE many, many bad ones out there. I'm still appalled that Westboro calls itself a church.) That said, would you like me to pray for you? I know I'm all the way down here and far from you, but our group did this for another online friend who felt her place was absolutely haunted and the spirits wanted her to kill herself. I won't say she isn't still having issues, b/c I'd be lying, but she's still alive and she seems to be hanging in there. And while I'll say up front that it would probably help for you to make positive changes, I won't tell you this won't help by itself, because I believe that it does. I'm no priest; I'm no shaman. I'm just a connection group leader; we're considered sort of "under-shepherds" to the minister. But last I checked, God didn't say I had to have a title or degree or special apprenticing to be heard by Him and responded to appropriately.

So if you're game, I'll either pray alone or pray with my group for you and your home and your life in general. For wonderful health, wholeness, better finances, better relationships, peace and anything else you need.

Can't hurt, right? I'm not telling you what to do, just giving you my feelings and offering what I can. I only wish it were more, dear heart, because you are special to me and I want so much to see you happy, healthy, whole, and fulfilled in ways you've never even imagined.

Best wishes, hon.

-Febobe

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
If any of these shamans are channelling demonic influences, then the demon in question is undoubtedly Mammon :)

I actually had a laying-on of hands done at my church a few weeks ago and if it was supposed to do something...well, it didn't. That said, I would never say "no" to anyone who offered to pray for me, whether they want to do it on their own or in a group setting, and regardless of what their "title" was (or wasn't!). I genuinely appreciate the kindness of the offer and it would be my great pleasure to be able to say that I felt some positive movement as a result. Thank you so much :)

[identity profile] clarity159.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I sincerely, fervently, hope that whatever you decide to do, that it will be the turning point that you need. You are a magnificent writer. You deserve happiness in your life, not because of that, but just because you do.

I believe in the idea of psychics/reiki/cleansing, etc. but not necessarily the practitioner thereof, if that makes any sense. I believe there are some truly gifted people out there, have seen and heard too much personal evidence to completely deny it. I can be healthily skeptical, and I do not believe in seeking to know the future, but the times I find out, I just figure are meant to be.

There is Dakota Lawrence, www.dakotalawrence.com. I've never used his services, but he used to work with Supernatural guests/conventions, though not in his 'day job' capacity, and many fans have used him/like the results, incl. someone I know personally. We had him has a guest on our SPN podcast and he did some readings 'on air' and the people liked it. Here's the link, if you want to hear what he's like--definitely some Southern charm there but seems genuine enough. I'm just offering the info as another thought/choice.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/winchester_radio/2010/03/14/interview-podcast-with-clairvoyant-medium-booking-

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
I believe in the idea of psychics/reiki/cleansing, etc. but not necessarily the practitioner thereof, if that makes any sense.

Well, that's exactly my problem. I do believe that there's some truth to these practices, but the practitioner's (including this Ms. Shaye) tend to come across as so disingenuous. I don't know about you but I'm turned off by images of doe-eye women cuddling with dolphins and simpering up at the sky...and then charging $1,000 to "cleanse" a studio apartment. For a thousand bucks I'd hope she'd throw in some actual cleansing. As in scrubbing my toilet and washing my windows.

You know, now that I think about it, it might not be a bad idea to hire a really good maid service to give the place a heavy-duty spring cleaning. It would have real, visible benefits, and it would probably cost less. Hmmm...

I'll check out Dakota's website -- thanks for the rec.

[identity profile] clarity159.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
You're very welcome for the Dakota info--he apparently charges much, much less than $1,000, lol. I, too, am completely turned off, and rather disgusted, at someone charging $1,000--it sounds more con artist than altruist. I've got nothing against someone being paid fairly for their time and well-documented talents, but that's ridiculous. Most of the folks doing cleansings, etc. do it for free or very little money. Heck, you can go to Whole Foods and buy the sage yourself and do it! You'd certainly know best what needed dispelling from your home.

I hope that any of the suggestions/info here will be what you need. And, you're right, sometimes the physical act of cleaning leads to a mental/emotional clearing, as well.


[identity profile] pedx.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
I went with my aunt one time to get hypnosis done by someone who also claimed to do reiki. My aunt wanted to quit smoking. The woman did her hynosis thing and then gave her some tapes, charged her $120, and then my aunt lit up a cigarette as soon as she got in the car.

I do not believe in any sort of energy or cleansing or reiki or shamans or magic or whatever. It goes against everything I DO believe in. I think any perceived benefits or "healing" are the result of the placebo effect, and the simple dispersion of despair when you think something might going to make you feel better or turn your life around. Akin to finding Jesus in prison.

I cannot subscribe to the idea that plucking the air will make anyone better, whether mentally or physically. Some of the associated chanting or meditation? Maybe emotionally beneficial if that's what you need.

I am an atheist biology teacher, so I naturally scoff at the claims of these type of folk who charge for these "services." If your money is tight, I would not spend it on this. I would change/fix/redecorate/declutter/clean or whatever steps you can take to make your home a place you enjoy walking into. I would spend it on a therapist who can help, or a trip somewhere to re-energize yourself, or a new hobby or social activity or a maid service. It's terrible to feel this bogged down and unwell but I would hate to see you throw money at this type of solution. I just cannot believe that words and hand-waving by a stranger will erase your very real physical biological pain. But if a placebo does work for you, then I sincerely hope it helps you feel better mentally, so you're better able to withstand your chronic health issues. But in my mind it IS nothing but snake-oil.

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Since I'm speaking to a biology teacher, I can attest that chanting has definite physical benefits. The spiritual angle is that you're releasing blocked energy or calling down divine protection or whatever -- but physically, it gets you breathing. I've chanted in yoga class (in Sanskrit, having no idea what I'm saying) and have gotten an energy lift out of it that probably has a lot to do with the way it makes you breathe deeply. Kundalini yoga combines chanting with rhythmic physical movements that probably increase the breath flow. If you're a newbie, it can also make you feel pretty sick since it changes the oxygen level in your blood so dramatically (at least, that's what my neurologist told me, when I told him that I nearly fainted after a Kundalini class). Singing hymns in church can have the same effect but chanting is more vigorous and since you don't have to worry about being able to keep a tune, you can really holler.

[identity profile] pedx.livejournal.com 2011-02-14 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Did you quit yoga because it didn't feel good or did you only like the breathing/chanting? Do you currently do any deep breathing exercises?

[identity profile] merylmarie.livejournal.com 2011-02-03 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
It's late at night, so I won't write a treatise, but some stuff came to mind as I was reading the interesting conversations above.

I think negativity is basically learned and it does affect what occurs in a person's life. When you expect to experience obstacles, you behave in ways that help them turn up, if that makes any sense. Breaking up the pattern is very helpful.

Fear is a great motivator. Many positive changes I've made have come out of a genuine terror of something, like health scares or living in Ohio. I can honestly say that whenever I've sincerely and urgently asked my "insides" for help, I've always received it. Pure, strong fear cuts through all sorts of internal chatter and gets to the core. Something shifts, something turns up and I recognize it as my answer.

Asking is paramount. You do believe happiness is attainable or you wouldn't keep trying to find it. Keep asking and eventually something will ring a bell for you. I love that you've asked your F-list for feedback.

Reiki is a good, positive thing. I studied it some years ago and am at second degree level. It won't cure all your problems but it can add to the general positive vibe you'd like to build on. If you're determined to think of it as woo-woo crazy stuff, though, don't bother. It gives back what you put into it.

Two of my colleagues are practitioners of the Alexander Technique. They swear by it for helping with posture and breathing and spinal health and are both beaming examples of its benefits. It may add to your yoga knowledge in a good way and keep you on track physically. Maybe you can't fully come back from a spinal injury, but the more tools you have the better.

I'm pulling for you. I love reading your thoughts, and seeing them become happier would be just the greatest thing.

[identity profile] oselle.livejournal.com 2011-02-04 12:02 am (UTC)(link)
I think negativity is basically learned and it does affect what occurs in a person's life.

But it's also the other way around. What occurs in a person's life can teach them to be negative. At least, that's what I think happened to me. I didn't start out this way, but all the evidence in my life has taught me that there is little reason to approach anything with a positive outlook.

Fear can be a great motivator but it can also spur you to make bad decisions that seem good at the time, or at least, feel like the only way to go. This also has been part of my history. I've made a lot of fear-based mistakes that seemed very wise when I made them -- it was only in retrospect that I realized I was running away from something without a real plan. Even worse, there were times when I did have a plan, or at least thought I did, and it all fell apart anyway. This repeated history has made me afraid to do ANYTHING to change the status quo because the unknown is always worse than the known and I find it nearly impossible to release the regrets and self-recrimination that follow.

If you can recommend a practitioner of the Alexander Technique I'd be willing to try it. One thing the chiropractor showed me on my x-rays is how fucked up my spine is and there's no way that's good. I feel like if I could at least get that straightened out (literally!) then maybe some other things would start getting easier as well.

[identity profile] merylmarie.livejournal.com 2011-02-04 04:33 am (UTC)(link)
But it's also the other way around. What occurs in a person's life can teach them to be negative. At least, that's what I think happened to me. I didn't start out this way, but all the evidence in my life has taught me that there is little reason to approach anything with a positive outlook.

I can totally see why you'd think that way. It's only logical that events shape you. But what I've come to believe is that you always, always, create the events that happen in your life, both bad and good. You create experiences that are in accordance with your beliefs about yourself and the world around you. It's the basic truth that underlies yoga, creative visualization, self-help groups like EST and Landmark, lots of new age books, and on and on. You create what happens to you, and if you know that, it can be of some help.

It's a large subject, and I know your intellect makes you run screaming from new age stuff. All I'm saying, though, is the negative stuff in your life isn't necessarily "proof" that you're doomed to repeat it. It's in your power to make changes.

I'll email you the contact information of my colleague who teaches Alexander. He can give you sessions or put you in touch with someone nearer to where you live or work. Hope it bears good fruit!