The Magic Feather Effect

What does science know about how Energy-medicine works? Is the work that I'm doing as a healer just placebo? Is my empathetic bedside manner creating the success stories and relief?

The Magic Feather Effect: 

The Science of Alternative Medicine and the Surprising Power of Belief by Melanie Warner

This book is a comprehensive review of current research into placebo, alternative medicine, and anecdotal healings by a skeptical journalist.

It’s no coincidence that my favorite chapter is 13: “Something to Believe In”. It talks about the healing powers of Qigong and visualizations. The author meets Joe Pinella, who suffered a spinal cord injury and was expected to be a quadriplegic for life. Today he is a Qigong movement instructor and has regained full function. His transformational healing is an inspiration.

I chose to write this as a book review, rather than a book recommendation, because of my mixed feelings about The Magic Feather Effect.

I highly recommend this book to a specific audience; those who are strictly science-driven, and yet open-minded. The author will give you an unbiased view of research, and will not ask you to take any leaps of faith into believing. She will offer you the amazing power of placebo.

For those who already believe in energetic healing, this book shares amazing case studies and acknowledges that alternative medicine offers legitimate benefits to patients. As an energy healer, I am left unfulfilled by the conclusion: if the mechanism hasn’t yet been proven by science, then any healing is just placebo. This is still a worthy read to bridge the gap and connect us through conversation.