Energy healing effect size: 0.53 (medium)
Energy healing showed a medium effect size of 0.53 but only 56% of studies found any reportable effect, making it inconsistent but potent when it works.
Where this was said
Works Sometimes Tier: Energy Healing (Rank 8)
At 1:03:53 · chapter starts 56:35
This is the section that surprises everyone, including Mark. Energy healing — Reiki, therapeutic touch, and similar practices — posted a medium effect size of 0.53 in the best meta-analysis, outperforming visualization. [1] — Mark Manson "Energy healing effect size: 0.53 (medium): Energy healing showed a medium effect size of 0.53 but only 56% of studies found any reportable …" 1:03:53 The tradeoff is inconsistency: only 56% of studies found any reportable effect. Drew recounts a carefully controlled Reiki study on knee pain patients where Reiki, a sham 'fakie' group (unskilled hand-wavers), and a meditation group all produced equal immediate pain relief. The interesting twist: two months later, the fakie group had regressed, while Reiki and meditation groups retained their improvement. Mark's working hypothesis is that virtually all the benefit comes from human touch, focused attention, and a calming ceremonial context — what researchers call touch therapy and expectancy effects. He punctuates this with a personal story of a Reiki session after a breakup that left him inexplicably exhausted and noticeably better a day later. The power of placebo in a rich ritual context is the through-line.
Reiki vs fakie: both improved knee pain
A placebo-controlled Reiki study found that Reiki, a sham 'fakie' control, and meditation all immediately improved knee pain equally — but only Reiki and meditation sustained that improvement two months later.
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