Reiki - panacea or pyramid selling?

Curious to know everyone's perspectives on this blog post I ran across today:

http://brutallyfrank.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/reiki-panacea-or-pyramid-selling/

I'm not sure I buy into the "pyramid selling" aspect of it but I do agree there are those teachers out there who charge a lot for the attunement/class and then don't provide any ongoing support or development opportunities for their students.

I enjoyed reading this, thanks for sharing Dana.

Initially i wanna say that there's nothing wrong with making money. We gotta get away from this inherent feeling, that it's wrong to make cash. I'm entitled to be as successfull financially as anyoen else. And you too Dana. And everyone. The folks on the Secret help in this way, for example.

Having said that, i appreciate what Paul Dennis said, about 'McDonald's Reiki', although i use the term 'conveyor belt Reiki', due to copyright infringement.

It's a fact, and one i expereinced first hand, that certain individuals within Reiki, are assuming others havn't a clue, and will then teach the unsuspecting 'student' the biggest load of dung. I personally lost £1600 on it.

This is where the lure of cash takes over completely, and leaves little room for the spirit of Reiki. Everything should be about balance.

Anyhow, i enjoyed the article Dana, many thanks for sharing it.

Take care
Wayne

Milarepa wrote:I enjoyed reading this, thanks for sharing Dana.

Initially i wanna say that there's nothing wrong with making money. We gotta get away from this inherent feeling, that it's wrong to make cash. I'm entitled to be as successfull financially as anyoen else. And you too Dana. And everyone. The folks on the Secret help in this way, for example.

...

It's a fact, and one i expereinced first hand, that certain individuals within Reiki, are assuming others havn't a clue, and will then teach the unsuspecting 'student' the biggest load of dung. I personally lost £1600 on it.

This is where the lure of cash takes over completely, and leaves little room for the spirit of Reiki. Everything should be about balance.

I agree that there is a mindset disconnect that if we are doing something "spiritual" or "helpful" in nature that we should also resign ourselves to poverty. I've been working in the corporate world for 12 years, where the company I work for is doing nothing but helping make big, bloated and possibly corrupt companies more successful. And I've got to feed my family so I do it too, but at the same time, I'm trying to make my Reiki business successful.

I just can't imagine turning it into one of these schemes where you churn out lots of students who keep paying you money but don't get anything real in return. I take being a teacher way too seriously. I have respect for my own teachers, so maybe that's where it comes from. There's just too much at stake spiritually to treat this type of work so casually. I see all of these Reiki workshops advertised and some of them seem legit and others seem, like you said, to be selling people a load of dung. And if you're new and just learning, you are not going to know if you're being played or not until after your money is gone.

Dragonfly wrote: And if you're new and just learning, you are not going to know if you're being played or not until after your money is gone.

And not even if you're new. I done as much checking on who i was to learn with, as possible. He holds a position of great responsibility within prob the most respected Reiki organisation over here. And he's personal friends with published Reiki authors.

you'd think with all the the signs would be good. It wasn't to be. This person is actually in charge of a research section also. It's laughable in a way. If he can pull the wool over a whole organisations eyes, there's not much else can be said, hehe.

Take care
Wayne