• Art
  • Book Reviews
  • Catechism
  • Games
  • Music
  • Special Needs
  • Technology
  • Theology

Amazing Catechists

Teaching and learning the faith together

Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Patron Saint of Amazing Catechists
    • Donations
  • Lisa Mladinich
  • Columnists
    • Browse by Topic
      • #giveaway
      • Art
      • Campus Ministry
      • Catechetics
      • Catechism
      • Catechist Training
      • Catholic Spirituality
      • Church Documents
      • Columnists
      • Culture
      • Elementary School
      • Evangelization
      • Family Life
      • Featured
      • Games
      • General
      • Grief Resources
      • High School
      • Homeschooling
      • Liturgical
      • Mary
      • Middle School
      • Music
      • New Age
      • NFP/Chastity
      • Prayer
      • RCIA & Adult Ed
      • Reader Suggestions
      • Sacraments
      • Scripture
      • Special Needs
      • Spiritual Warfare
      • Technology
      • Theology
      • Therapeutic
      • Video
      • Vocations
    • Browse by Author
      • Alex Basile
      • Alice Gunther
      • Amanda Woodiel
      • Cay Gibson
      • Christian LeBlanc
      • Christopher Smith
      • Deanna Bartalini
      • Dorian Speed
      • Elizabeth Ficocelli
      • Elizabeth Tichvon
      • Ellen Gable Hrkach
      • Faith Writer
      • Father Juan R. Velez
      • Gabe Garnica
      • Jeannie Ewing
      • Jennifer Fitz
      • Justin Combs
      • Karee Santos
      • Lisa Mladinich
      • Marc Cardaronella
      • Maria Rivera
      • Mary Ellen Barrett
      • Mary Lou Rosien
      • Maureen Smith
      • Msgr. Robert Batule
      • Msgr. Charles Pope
      • Pat Gohn
      • Peggy Clores
      • Robyn Lee
      • Rocco Fortunato
      • Sarah Reinhard
      • Steve McVey
      • Tanja Cilia
      • William O’Leary
  • Resources
    • Bible Stories
    • Book Reviews
    • Catholic Cartoons
    • Catholic Links
    • Interviews
  • Speakers
  • Contact us

Psychic Healing (not)

By Mary Ellen Barrett

The other day I received a letter from a former doctor of mine. This was an obstetrician that I used to see years ago who decided to longer practice obstetrics, while I was pregnant with twins, due to the high cost of the malpractice insurance. He was a very nice man and I was sorry to lose him as a caregiver. This was five years ago and I look at it as providential since I have since found an amazing pro-life obstetrician who goes along with my crazy idea of having a large family.

The letter was more than a little disturbing. It was an announcement of a change in his practice, and in fact, of his whole viewpoint in the practice of medicine.  He was associating his new philosophy with that of Dr. Andrew Weil and the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. This is all fine and good. There is nothing against our faith in taking a whole body and mind approach to healing.  In the letter he indicated that his office would provide a variety of services and the names of the practitioners were listed on the side of the letterhead.  There was a nutritionist and several kinds of therapists for both mind and body and there at the end was a yoga instructor and a psychic healer.

Now, I was not considering going to this doctor, but had I been this would have been a huge red flag for me.  The yoga was annoying but you can’t seem to go anywhere any more without someone wanting to sign you up for a yoga class, but psychic healing?

Psychic healing is a practice by which a person who may or may not claim to have psychic ability, lays hands on the “patient” and unblocks their energy force and allows the force to flow freely through them promoting both physical and emotional healing.

Or something weird like that.

I generally unblock my energy force with coffee. It works and does not lead me into mortal sin.

Reiki is the most common and popular form of physic healing that is, scandalously, offered in many parishes and Catholic hospitals. Aura healing is also a physic healing practice that is popular and claims to cleanse your aura and unblock the energy flow to your chakras and allow negative energy to flow out.

Let me make this perfectly clear, your life source is your soul, if it is blocked with negativity that is called sin. If you want to be spiritually healed make a good confession and an earnest penance. There is also no such thing as an aura. There I have said it. No auras.

Practitioners of these “healing” methods are often certified by organizations that exist to promote New Age philosophies and occultism. You can usually become certified online and be out unblocking chakras for a large fee in a very short time indeed. As Catholics we would never consent to accept a sacrament from a minister or priest who received an online certification nor, as intelligent people, would we accept real medical treatment from a doctor who only completed an online course.  If that is the case then why would you entrust your mind and soul to someone who filled out a questionnaire online and now claims to be able to cleanse your mind and spirit? It makes no sense.

Catholics should shun these practices and complain loudly should they be offered by any parish or Catholic organization. In 2009 The US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement preventing any use of or promotion of Reiki by  Catholic chaplains, retreat centers or health care facilities;

Reiki “finds no support either in the findings of natural science or in Christian belief,” the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Doctrine said in six pages of guidelines. Moreover, practicing Reiki puts Catholics’ spiritual health in danger, the bishops said, by corrupting worship of God and turning religious devotion “in a false direction.”

“A Catholic who puts his or her trust in Reiki would be operating in the realm of superstition,” the bishops said, “the no-man’s-land that is neither faith nor science.”

If you want true spiritual healing seek out a faithful priest, a representative of Christ here on earth and ask him to hear your confession and give you absolution. The peace and love you will experience will bring grace to every part of your life and you won’t have to wonder what a chakra is.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Read all posts by Mary Ellen Barrett Filed Under: Culture, General, New Age

About Mary Ellen Barrett

Mary Ellen Barrett is a home educating mother of seven children. She writes a column for The Long Island Catholic called "Our Domestic Church" and speaks at conferences about homeschooling and raising a special needs child. Mary Ellen writes about the daily life and happenings in her Catholic home on her weblog, Tales from the Bonny Blue House and about a Catholic celebration of Christmas at O Night Divine.

She is currently at work on a book about life as a mom of a large family and an Advent Book of Days.

Comments

  1. Leila says

    November 29, 2011 at 9:44 am

    Very well said! When people lose hope and life gets complicated, they turn to odd things (which of course can quickly rob them of their attachment to reality). I knew someone whose “psychic healer” didn’t even have to be there — he offered his services by telephone.
    Nice work if you can get it 😉

    • Mary Ellen Barrett says

      November 29, 2011 at 10:00 am

      Thank you Leila. I always feel sorry for people who seek comfort in this way. They may find some superficial emotional comfort but the real issues are rarely addressed. A spiritually bereft secular culture seeks comfort everywhere except the one place it can be found. It is so sad.

      Most psychics offer telephone consults. It’s hard for me to believe that intelligent people actually succumb to that kind of scam.

  2. Kristen says

    November 29, 2011 at 10:50 am

    Thank you, Mary Ellen for this article.

    “Let me make this perfectly clear, your life source is your soul, if it is blocked with negativity that is called sin.” I think that was the best line in your article. Unfortunately, it seems that more and more people need to be reminded of this these days.

    God bless you.

    • Mary Ellen Barrett says

      November 29, 2011 at 10:56 am

      Thank you Kristen.

  3. Annette says

    November 29, 2011 at 11:38 am

    Great srticle, Mary Ellen. Good for the soul as well as a laugh!

    • Mary Ellen Barrett says

      November 29, 2011 at 11:40 am

      Thank you Annette.

  4. Dina says

    November 29, 2011 at 1:38 pm

    Great article, Mary Ellen. I really wish we would hear more about this from the pulpit. I think there are a ton of people who really don’t know the dangers here, or what the Church teaches

  5. Tiff says

    December 2, 2011 at 9:37 am

    Great article! I think my favorite quote was “I generally unblock my energy force with coffee. It works and does not lead me into mortal sin.” I feel the same way about coffee. =) People have said it over and over again, but when people get rid of the sacraments (baptism, marriage, reconciliation, etc.) they come up with lesser things to replace them with.

  6. Mary Ellen Barrett says

    December 2, 2011 at 9:42 am

    Thank you for the kind words Dina and Tiff!

  7. James McDonald says

    December 2, 2011 at 10:01 pm

    But did he change practice because he truly believes, or because he’s chasing the $? I suspect that for most, it’s just an easy buck.

  8. Ellen says

    December 5, 2011 at 7:10 am

    I too thought the best line was: “Let me make this perfectly clear, your life source is your soul, if it is blocked with negativity that is called sin.” It is a message more people need to hear. Thanks for your perspective.

Follow Us!

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

What’s New?

microphoneNEED A SPEAKER FOR YOUR NEXT IN-SERVICE?

Amazing Catechists can help!

Visit our Speakers page to access our available speakers and topics. And if you don't see what you are looking for, send a comment through the website, and we will get right back to you!

Catholic CD of the month club

Sign up for our Newsletter!

Columnists

Alice Gunther

Amanda Woodiel

Cay Gibson

Christian LeBlanc

Christopher Smith

Deanna Bartalini

Dorian Speed

Elizabeth Ficocelli

Elizabeth Tichvon

Ellen Gable Hrkach

Faith Writer

Father Juan Velez

Gabriel Garnica

Jeannie Ewing

Jennifer Fitz

Karee Santos

Lisa Mladinich

Marc Cardaronella

Mary Ellen Barrett

Mary Lou Rosien

Maureen Smith

Monsignor Robert Batule

Msgr. Charles Pope

Pat Gohn

Peggy Clores

Robyn Lee

Rocco Fortunato

Sarah Reinhard

Sherine Green

Sr. Teresa Joseph fma

Steve McVey

Tanja Cilia

William O’Leary

Archives

Share Amazing Catechists at your website!

Amazing Catechists

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2022 Amazing Catechists. · Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.