I have a friend who is uncritically into the New Age movement, by this I mean she accepts everything as gospel without stopping to examine whether it is rational, whether it is true, whether it makes sense, or even if there is fraud involved. I've tried to reason with her but there is no reaching her.

Anyway, she is involved in something called "Reconnection" which I have not heard of, but which I have some deep suspicions about. For some time now she has been asking me if I would like an "energy massage". Finally, I broke down and said yes. I figured that since I am a skeptic and don't believe in this energy nonsense, it really couldn't do any harm and it might even be relaxing.

Which it was, deeply so. I lay on my back in an overstuffed easy chair in a semi-darkened room with my eyes closed while she moved around me but without touching me. I could hear her walking around the room, sometimes near, sometimes far. Again, a bit weird but nothing to really get alarmed about, just a very relaxing experience. Now, while I was laying there, I did "see" colors and shapes, which probably can be explained by natural brain processes (I've read quite a bit on the topic, all from a mainstream scientific point of view, so I am well aware of what the brain can do under the right stimulus). So, no woo-woo going on there. As I said, it was quite pleasurable and relaxing.

However, to my great surprise, I also experienced physical sensations of tingling and warmth in my left arm and leg and a strong shivery feeling running up and down my back. I want to stress that at no time during the session did she touch me and she was actually several feet away when the feelings were strongest. The tingly/warm feeling in my left arm remained for at least an hour after the session ended. She did tell me that I would probably feel things during the session but my reaction was, yeah, right. I'm just going to lay back and enjoy laying quietly and doing nothing for a half hour. I also want to say that other than briefly describing the kinds of sensations I was likely to experience based on what others had reported, she did not say anything else. I suppose that it was possible that she was using the power of suggestion or even hypnosis to influence me, but I really doubt it. I am not that susceptible of a person and actually had no expectations that I would experience anything except a nice relaxing half-hour lying in a chair with my eyes closed.

I want to say that I do not buy her explanation of what I experienced. I am very firmly allied with the mainstream scientific view of things which means there had to be a naturalistic, materialistic explanation. Nor do I believe in spirits, demons, angels or anything not currently known to biology. I am somewhat atheistic in my philosophy. I don't believe In karma or synchronicity or "The Secret" or any of that stuff. It reminds me of Professor Harold Hill in "The Music Man" and his "think method" of learning to play a musical instrument ("you don't need to know how to read music or where the notes are on the instrument, you don't even need to practice--just think it and you'll learn it.") And as we all know, Prof. Hill was a con man. BUT--something did happen during that session. What was it? Can anyone explain it?

Having had some "energy therapies" myself (and mostly disillusioned with the new age scene...) I was really wanting to help you out here.

I did a Google search and the best I found was that energy therapies feel like something is happening due to placebo effect, but wasn't really satisfied with that explanation.

Recently I have been falling asleep during the day for a split second and "dreaming" answers to more complex life questions I am thinking about, reminded me of something I read a few weeks ago about "hypnagogic state", then I remembered that one of the phenomena listed for hypnagogic state is seeing colours and shapes! (Maybe you already knew that though, you said you had read about the brain aspects at least)

So you could have been very relaxed, it changed your brain waves, so you saw things. Whether that relaxation is due to the "reconnection", or just that you were very relaxed, I can't answer.

I really don't know about the tingly arm and back, but I might guess that the changes in the brain allowed some muscle/physical tension to release. I believe the mind and body, especially emotions, are more connected than Western medicine usually considers them to be, but you don't need to believe in "energy" or any other new age beliefs for that. Emotions have physiological components and physiological states may be experienced as emotions, that's all.

That is what I suspected as well. I am wondering if having the fan on (although it was at least 10 feet away) might have contributed to the effect. It would be interesting to repeat the experiment without the fan, with my eyes open and with her either out of the room entirely or sitting in another chair. I don't think she'd go for the last part as the walking about and waving hands is supposed to be what does the trick. My guess is that it was my mind doing all the work and that the external environment only played a small part. About the physical sensations--I know the brain can produce "phantom pain" in limbs that are no longer there, and I have a feeling this is along the same lines.

I have to tread very carefully here as she and my supervisor are very good friends and my supervisor is also into this stuff. Business hasn't picked up quite as much as the company would like since the downturn of 2008 and they are looking very carefully at ways to cut costs (i.e., reduce the number of employees). Neither one is receptive at this point to hearing anything negative about New Age teachings and I'm afraid if I say the wrong things it could go badly for me down the road.

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Neither one is receptive at this point to hearing anything negative about New Age teachings and I'm afraid if I say the wrong things it could go badly for me down the road.

Tough one, because there is obviously some reason in her life (hope? desperation? both?) why she WANTS to believe the promises of the new age philosophy, and she doesn't sound receptive to discussing that with you.

If other systems and people have let a person down, it's pretty hard for them to let go of the belief system (in this case new age) that they are clinging to, would feel like having absolutely nothing to rely on anymore.

The reasoning these energy healers and new age types use to justify their claims is also a problem. If they say "you create your reality" and something painful happens to you, they can easily say "well you weren't thinking positive enough..."

Oh wait, that's a logical fallacy isn't it. I guess this would be using a premise as proof of the conclusion...."begging the question".

I think all you can do for now, if it comes up again, is verbally validate her without committing to a stance on the truth of what she said....e.g. "I am so glad you found something that works for you", "It sounds like you have had real benefits in your life from energy healing and you are eager to share it with others because it might benefit them too. I have already made my health and self-care choices and they don't include that type of therapy. I know you want me to experience the same benefits you have, and so I really appreciate you suggesting it to me."

I'm not implying you don't know how to respond to these people, I am talking to myself here too as well :)

That sounds like very good advice. I don't want to alienate my friend, but I don't want to sound like I am buying in to this nonsense. Quite frankly, I am rather surprised to find this kind of thinking where I work because we do legitimate preclinical scientific research, which many New Agers oppose because it uses animals. So she may have to end up choosing between her beliefs and her job. She of course doesn't see it that way. However, she has also made remarks on the job about a major animal rights group that could be interpreted as being sympathetic to them, which is definitely playing with fire and I told her so.

Yes, I can see her having to be careful who she expresses her views around, and she may have to make the choice between her beliefs about animal rights and her job.

Best of luck with everything!

Make sure things dont get tampered with at your job.

The fair thing to do is if someone's beliefs are counter to what they have to do at work, for them to go into a line of work where they will not feel such conflict.

When I worked at temp agencies, the manager would ask if there were any kinds of employment I knew that I would not want to do.

I appreciated this, because then I could decide in advance which jobs they should not send me to. Problem solved.

You know, I am SO glad that I found this site. I never dreamed that I would have to face this sort of thing at work. Today was the annual health fair and they had a booth there with all their materials. Well, as long as management doesn't make participation mandatory (and I don't think they will) then I don't think I have anything to worry about job-wise. It just goes to show you how many people are not well-educated about this sort of thing. At least now I know what I may be getting into if I decide to have anything more to do with their little hobby. I just want to thank the Ross Institute because they really are doing a public service with these forums.

Yes, these show up everywhere. Health fairs. Fliers at the health food store.

Some put bookmarks in certain books at stores.

The other day I listed various ways intrusive/exploitative groups attempt to worm their way into one's life.

Without giving us full disclosure of what they believe and how much of a commitment will eventually be required of us after we become emotionally involved.

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