What do you do when.....

[Dancefortwo]

Wow.  I have a good friend who happens to also be a ballet and yoga teacher.  I've known her for years. She's anti-trump and very pro abortion and liberal when it comes to social programs and helping immigrants get out of the cages along the border...etc.  Politically we totally agree.  She also loves the arts, ballet and classical music and all the same stuff I love.  But wow, she's into some real woo-hoo stuff.  She's a tepid theist. She has never brought up the subject of god and I doubt she goes to church much but she's gets into some super crazy crap.  She believes in "energy healing" and all the Reiki crap.  If you don't know what Reiki, brace yourself.     It's the claim is that your body gives off all this energy and it can be healed by waving your hand over the person's body.  

Several years ago a 9 or 10 year old girl proved that it's pure nonsense. It's fun to watch.  If you've never seen it here it is again.  You go girl!  



This woman  is good person.  She supported me and my daughter when she transitioned. She's helped me through some hard times.... but juzzuschrist,  what the hell do I do about this crap.  I feel as though I'd like to tear into her and give her the low down on this Reiki shit but I don't think it would do much.  She's also into the essential oil craze and  yoga chackras and Che - or however it's spelled.  What do you do with people like this?   I'm kinda outspoken and  I really enjoy bursting people's superstitious bubbles whenever I can.  It's all I can do to shut up about this idiocy.  Sigh.

[Dom]

Wow.  I have a good friend who happens to also be a ballet and yoga teacher.  I've known her for years. She's anti-trump and very pro abortion and liberal when it comes to social programs and helping immigrants get out of the cages along the border...etc.  Politically we totally agree.  She also loves the arts, ballet and classical music and all the same stuff I love.  But wow, she's into some real woo-hoo stuff.  She's a tepid theist. She has never brought up the subject of god and I doubt she goes to church much but she's gets into some super crazy crap.  She believes in "energy healing" and all the Reiki crap.  If you don't know what Reiki, brace yourself.     It's the claim is that your body gives off all this energy and it can be healed by waving your hand over the person's body.  

Several years ago a 9 or 10 year old girl proved that it's pure nonsense. It's fun to watch.  If you've never seen it here it is again.  You go girl!  



This woman  is good person.  She supported me and my daughter when she transitioned. She's helped me through some hard times.... but juzzuschrist,  what the hell do I do about this crap.  I feel as though I'd like to tear into her and give her the low down on this Reiki shit but I don't think it would do much.  She's also into the essential oil craze and  yoga chackras and Che - or however it's spelled.  What do you do with people like this?   I'm kinda outspoken and  I really enjoy bursting people's superstitious bubbles whenever I can.  It's all I can do to shut up about this idiocy.  Sigh.

The good news is that these things are usually fads, and transitional, and often part of the path away from religion. The void created by lack of belief gets filled with woo. Until the need for it subsides. This is something I have witnessed several times.

[Thumpalumpacus]

If she keeps it to herself, I wouldn't have a problem. If she proselytizes, either burst her bubble or ask her to keep her fertilizer in her own yard. It's a free country, she has the right to be as wrong as she wishes.

[Minimalist]

It's the claim is that your body gives off all this energy and it can be healed by waving your hand over the person's body. 

Seems like a harmless obsession - as long as she's anti-Trump she is obviously a good person.

[SYZ]

As she's been a really great friend in the past, and still is,  I'd be inclined to ignore her focus on alternative health and other woo.
I guess I'd just grit my teeth and ignore it with the old "yeah", "hmmm",  "uhuh uhuh" non-responses.  Living in a small country
town, we have our fair share of woomeisters too, but they're all basically well-intentioned, good people that I have no problems
living with.

[Dancefortwo]

It's the claim is that your body gives off all this energy and it can be healed by waving your hand over the person's body. 

Seems like a harmless obsession - as long as she's anti-Trump she is obviously a good person.

Except Raiki is practiced by registered nurses in hospitals as alternative medicine.  Really!  Not kidding.  People pay for this to cure them of lukemia and other ailments.   My friend is learning this shit from a nurse.  I find it very sad that some of the most superstitious people I've ever met are nurses.  These are people in the medical field but they believe in what is essentially a different form of voo-doo.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Except Raiki is practiced by registered nurses in hospitals as alternative medicine.  Really!  Not kidding.  People pay for this to cure them of lukemia and other ailments.   My friend is learning this shit from a nurse.  I find it very sad that some of the most superstitious people I've ever met are nurses.  These are people in the medical field but they believe in what is essentially a different form of voo-doo.

The Veterans Administration hospitals are offering acupuncture. The San Diego Zoo does acupuncture on their animals.

[no one]

Thumps:
If she keeps it to herself, I wouldn't have a problem. If she proselytizes, either burst her bubble or ask her to keep her fertilizer in her own yard. It's a free country, she has the right to be as wrong as she wishes.

Wise words. I completely concur, and wholeheartedly second this notion.

[skyking]

It is difficult to find reasonable people these days, I would avoid or ignore it myself, rather than say things I can't take back.
My truly lovely sister in law does the homeopathic stuff, and I would never say a thing, except words of support and condolences to my brother.

[Dancefortwo]

Except Raiki is practiced by registered nurses in hospitals as alternative medicine.  Really!  Not kidding.  People pay for this to cure them of lukemia and other ailments.   My friend is learning this shit from a nurse.  I find it very sad that some of the most superstitious people I've ever met are nurses.  These are people in the medical field but they believe in what is essentially a different form of voo-doo.

The Veterans Administration hospitals are offering acupuncture. The San Diego Zoo does acupuncture on their animals.

At least something is puncturing the skin. There's at least some sort of contact with the skin.  Massage also has contact with the skin and muscles and stuff.  This nonsense is waving the hands around the person to cure them of cancer. 

Frankly, sometimes I think the idiot in the White House has made me into a very angry person and now I'm on a mission to rid the world of stupidity because of the orange dolt.  It's a kind of side effect.

[Dom]

Except Raiki is practiced by registered nurses in hospitals as alternative medicine.  Really!  Not kidding.  People pay for this to cure them of lukemia and other ailments.   My friend is learning this shit from a nurse.  I find it very sad that some of the most superstitious people I've ever met are nurses.  These are people in the medical field but they believe in what is essentially a different form of voo-doo.

The Veterans Administration hospitals are offering acupuncture. The San Diego Zoo does acupuncture on their animals.

At least something is puncturing the skin. There's at least some sort of contact with the skin.  Massage also has contact with the skin and muscles and stuff.  This nonsense is waving the hands around the person to cure them of cancer. 

Frankly, sometimes I think the idiot in the White House has made me into a very angry person and now I'm on a mission to rid the world of stupidity because of the orange dolt.  It's a kind of side effect.

Massage - now, I am a fan of that. There are doubtlessly people it doesn't work for because of an inability to relax, but if you are one of the lucky ones, it will make you feel wonderful, as well as work out kinks. When you see me leave a spa after a good, long massage, I will look like I am walking on clouds and have a stupid grin plastered across my face. I'll have a massage any day. I have a massage chair that relaxes me so well that I routinely fall asleep in it. Today's massage chairs feel just like hands, know all kinds of motions, and stretch you too. Best thing I ever spent too much money on.

[Ranjr]

One brother in law has a PhD in Chinese medicine.  He practices in Malibu, where there's a fair market for it.  He knows my mindset, background and education and doesn't offer what he admits is alchemy and shamanism.  Likewise, I don't piss on his livelihood or way of helping people.  He's a great parent and solid drinking buddy.  That's good enough.

[julep]

I’m not an evangelist.  When someone brings up this kind of thing in real life, instead of on a debate forum, I sidestep it just the way I sidestep other woo.  Or I just listen and go home and write about it, save it up to use as material for a character in a story, etc.  

I think if you can avoid discussing the woo areas and stick to the many things you have in common, then that’s a good thing.  

The risk always when one is attacking a belief is that the belief holder will feel personally attacked and may withdraw from the relationship or—before withdrawing—attack back.  Some people are able to handle that kind of debate and stay friends, and some aren’t.

[brewerb]

Just start screaming, then fake a seizure.

[Minimalist]

People pay for this to cure them of lukemia and other ailments.

A sucker is born every minute.  Hey, some morons go to all the way to France to bathe in a spring in Lourdes. 




You know, a fool and his money are soon parted.

[Dānu]

Roll with it.  You don't have to agree with everything that another person believes to respect them as a person.  Like any other aspect of a person's life, asking them about their world with genuine interest is preferable to trying to make them fit into yours.  I used to, when I had the time, go to meetings of psychics and the channeled entity 'Seth' just to find out what they think and talk about.  It's mostly not grounded in anything rational, but there's a complexity in that such things have their own lore, and standards, and a custom science and tradition.  It can be fun and interesting to learn about if you just open yourself up to it.  Being kind and interested is not the same as agreeing or necessarily encouraging them.  I have occasionally faced a similar quandary with people who are psychotic.  Resisting their disordered thinking and trying to get a person experiencing psychosis to acknowledge reality and facts is not productive or helpful.  The general advice I'm told is to continue to assert your (presumably) realism based views and beliefs, but don't make invalidating theirs a major goal or approach.  Roll with it, and you might find they're both interesting and more human than you appreciate.  It occurs to me that a similar situation must occur between people who believe that homosexuality is wrong, and those who support the rights of gay people.  Confrontation in such a situation is neither productive nor likely to lead to good things.  Better to practice tolerance and understanding.  In my view, we're all crazy and irrational in bits and pieces of our lives, to my inability to stop shopping, to someone's overconfidence in science and rationalism, to the woman who can't avoid dating 'bad boys' to the person who can't resist vicariously living through their children.  We all have our warts and flaws, and in my view, it's better to be accepting than rejecting.  Lincoln said that he felt that mercy delivered richer fruits than strict justice.  I think a similar maxim might apply here that tolerance for individuality and difference and the occasional irrationality or stupidity might yield richer fruits than feeling you always have to defend your worldview against those you disagree with.

(This also reminds me of people who get into relationships expecting to change the other person to fit what they want them to be.  Never good expecting people to live for your benefit instead of for their own.)

[SYZ]

Some of Australia's most prominent doctors and scientists have banded together to urge universities
to stop teaching "nonsense" alternative medicine courses such as aromatherapy and homoeopathy.

Stop teaching 'nonsense' alternative medicine courses, Australian doctors say.

The group, Friends of Science in Medicine, says universities have been trashing their reputations by
teaching "quackery" and pseudoscience. Almost half of Australian universities offer courses in alternative
medicine, including Chinese herbal remedies, chiropractics, homoeopathy, naturopathy, reflexology and
aromatherapy.  The group of 400 doctors, medical researchers and scientists began its protests in the
wake of a campaign in Britain which has led to curbs on the awarding of university degrees in alternative
medicine, including reflexology, homoeopathy and naturopathy.

[Minimalist]

Great idea but here, where morons line up for faith healers, I don't give it much of a chance.

And with our health system does it really matter?

[Dancefortwo]

All good suggestions.  I'll admit to being rather terse and going into eyerolling mode when she brings up pseudoscience  stuff. In another life she believes she was in the London Blitz during WW II.   Funny how people always believe their previous lives  are in places and events  that they just happen to know about.  Amazingly, she wasn't a Chinese peasant during the 13th century.    Grrrrrrrr.  I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.    

Yeah, you're all right.  I have to keep remembering that she's a very sweet, very generous woman and I've GOT to stop rolling my eyes at her.

[Alan V]

The placebo effect makes all sorts of things seem possible.  Just convince people to believe in something -- other than themselves, I guess.   Preferably something to sell.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Evidently Cleopatra was just one of the famous people to have MULTIPLE personalities.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I’m not an evangelist.  When someone brings up this kind of thing in real life, instead of on a debate forum, I sidestep it just the way I sidestep other woo.  Or I just listen and go home and write about it, save it up to use as material for a character in a story, etc.  

I think if you can avoid discussing the woo areas and stick to the many things you have in common, then that’s a good thing.  

The risk always when one is attacking a belief is that the belief holder will feel personally attacked and may withdraw from the relationship or—before withdrawing—attack back.  Some people are able to handle that kind of debate and stay friends, and some aren’t.

My cousin, with whom I spent a few days over the weekend up in D/FW, and I don't see eye-to-eye on a number of issues. One of the joys of our relationship, for me, is that we have an unspoken commitment to our relationship. We therefore have permission to disagree with each other without endangering our relationship.

It's a great way to be exposed to positions I don't agree with, and I love him in part precisely because we have that latitude in our relationship.

[Dancefortwo]

Wow.  I have a good friend who happens to also be a ballet and yoga teacher.  I've known her for years. She's anti-trump and very pro abortion and liberal when it comes to social programs and helping immigrants get out of the cages along the border...etc.  Politically we totally agree.  She also loves the arts, ballet and classical music and all the same stuff I love.  But wow, she's into some real woo-hoo stuff.  She's a tepid theist. She has never brought up the subject of god and I doubt she goes to church much but she's gets into some super crazy crap.  She believes in "energy healing" and all the Reiki crap.  If you don't know what Reiki, brace yourself.     It's the claim is that your body gives off all this energy and it can be healed by waving your hand over the person's body.  

Several years ago a 9 or 10 year old girl proved that it's pure nonsense. It's fun to watch.  If you've never seen it here it is again.  You go girl!  



This woman  is good person.  She supported me and my daughter when she transitioned. She's helped me through some hard times.... but juzzuschrist,  what the hell do I do about this crap.  I feel as though I'd like to tear into her and give her the low down on this Reiki shit but I don't think it would do much.  She's also into the essential oil craze and  yoga chackras and Che - or however it's spelled.  What do you do with people like this?   I'm kinda outspoken and  I really enjoy bursting people's superstitious bubbles whenever I can.  It's all I can do to shut up about this idiocy.  Sigh.

The good news is that these things are usually fads, and transitional, and often part of the path away from religion. The void created by lack of belief gets filled with woo. Until the need for it subsides. This is something I have witnessed several times.

Unfortunately, Raiki isn't a fad.  It's been around for 30 plus years and growing like crazy.   Hospitals everywhere use it. That's the part that drives me crazy.   

[grympy]

Wow.  I have a good friend who happens to also be a ballet and yoga teacher.  I've known her for years. She's anti-trump and very pro abortion and liberal when it comes to social programs and helping immigrants get out of the cages along the border...etc.  Politically we totally agree.  She also loves the arts, ballet and classical music and all the same stuff I love.  But wow, she's into some real woo-hoo stuff.  She's a tepid theist. She has never brought up the subject of god and I doubt she goes to church much but she's gets into some super crazy crap.  She believes in "energy healing" and all the Reiki crap.  If you don't know what Reiki, brace yourself.     It's the claim is that your body gives off all this energy and it can be healed by waving your hand over the person's body.  

Several years ago a 9 or 10 year old girl proved that it's pure nonsense. It's fun to watch.  If you've never seen it here it is again.  You go girl!  



This woman  is good person.  She supported me and my daughter when she transitioned. She's helped me through some hard times.... but juzzuschrist,  what the hell do I do about this crap.  I feel as though I'd like to tear into her and give her the low down on this Reiki shit but I don't think it would do much.  She's also into the essential oil craze and  yoga chackras and Che - or however it's spelled.  What do you do with people like this?   I'm kinda outspoken and  I really enjoy bursting people's superstitious bubbles whenever I can.  It's all I can do to shut up about this idiocy.  Sigh.

The good news is that these things are usually fads, and transitional, and often part of the path away from religion. The void created by lack of belief gets filled with woo. Until the need for it subsides. This is something I have witnessed several times.

 The concepts of the seven spinal Chakras , the life force of  kai/chi   as well that of the human aura have been around for millennia.

Although I have never seen proof of the existence of such things, I'm unable to claim they are not real.  Pretty sure that Reiki is pure woo. However, placebo can actually effect symptoms. Never heard of it curing cancer though.  
  

 The existence of Kai was simply taken for granted at the dojo in which I studied Shodokan karate.  It was said Kai was being harnessed when we practised breaking techniques. (boards tiles, bricks)   I only ever managed  the odd board, but I witnessed the sensei  and others break stacks of tiles. When I tried, allI achieved was to hurt my hand .  It should  be noted that  some karate students spend many hours desensitising their hands.    

Be a friend to your eccentric friend . Accept her as she is, agree to differ, or move on.  Can't think of any other option ,apart from converting to her mind set.

[Dom]

Wow.  I have a good friend who happens to also be a ballet and yoga teacher.  I've known her for years. She's anti-trump and very pro abortion and liberal when it comes to social programs and helping immigrants get out of the cages along the border...etc.  Politically we totally agree.  She also loves the arts, ballet and classical music and all the same stuff I love.  But wow, she's into some real woo-hoo stuff.  She's a tepid theist. She has never brought up the subject of god and I doubt she goes to church much but she's gets into some super crazy crap.  She believes in "energy healing" and all the Reiki crap.  If you don't know what Reiki, brace yourself.     It's the claim is that your body gives off all this energy and it can be healed by waving your hand over the person's body.  

Several years ago a 9 or 10 year old girl proved that it's pure nonsense. It's fun to watch.  If you've never seen it here it is again.  You go girl!  



This woman  is good person.  She supported me and my daughter when she transitioned. She's helped me through some hard times.... but juzzuschrist,  what the hell do I do about this crap.  I feel as though I'd like to tear into her and give her the low down on this Reiki shit but I don't think it would do much.  She's also into the essential oil craze and  yoga chackras and Che - or however it's spelled.  What do you do with people like this?   I'm kinda outspoken and  I really enjoy bursting people's superstitious bubbles whenever I can.  It's all I can do to shut up about this idiocy.  Sigh.

The good news is that these things are usually fads, and transitional, and often part of the path away from religion. The void created by lack of belief gets filled with woo. Until the need for it subsides. This is something I have witnessed several times.

 The concepts of the seven spinal Chakras , the life force of  kai/chi   as well that of the human aura have been around for millennia.

Although I have never seen proof of the existence of such things, I'm unable to claim they are not real.  Pretty sure that Reiki is pure woo. However, placebo can actually effect symptoms. Never heard of it curing cancer though.  
  

 The existence of Kai was simply taken for granted at the dojo in which I studied Shodokan karate.  It was said Kai was being harnessed when we practised breaking techniques. (boards tiles, bricks)   I only ever managed  the odd board, but I witnessed the sensei  and others break stacks of tiles. When I tried, allI achieved was to hurt my hand .  It should  be noted that  some karate students spend many hours desensitising their hands.    

Be a friend to your eccentric friend . Accept her as she is, agree to differ, or move on.  Can't think of any other option ,apart from converting to her mind set.

I didn't mean Reiki was a fad, I meant it was possible that the belief in Reiki by an individual raised in a Christian religion was a fad.

Used to be Buddhism was a fad, and that certainly had been around long time. Astrology was a fad. Satanism was a fad in that sense also. People exiting their church often search out other beliefs to fill a gaping hole left in their lives. The substituted beliefs may or may not be well established religions or woo, but for individuals exiting a life of religious doctrine, they become a crutch. They are used for a time and eventually discarded. That is what I meant by fad. The relationship of a specific individual in a certain circumstance with a certain belief can be a fad, whether the belief itself in general is a fad or not. 

This isn't just about beliefs either. It applies to other parts of life. Like painting - that art certainly isn't a fad, but it was for me after hubby died. I took up painting. Eventually I stopped, other things started to fill in my void. I am not a painter, but it served as a crutch in my life.

So that is what I meant with fad, suspecting that for the individual you described in your OP, the turn towards woo may just be a fad.