University of Alberta cancels spoon bending session

Poster advertising workshop at the University of Alberta

​A workshop at the University of Alberta on reiki and other energy therapies was going to address existing information about the therapy.

A recent CBC article calls the session "the spoon bending workshop".

Spoon bending is described as a form of stage magic by Wikipedia: "Spoon bending is the apparent deformation of objects, especially metal cutlery, either without physical force, or with less force than would normally seem necessary.

It is a common form of stage magic, and a variety of methods are used to produce the illusion." Reiki is a Japanese form of therapy based on touch which is claimed to transmit a universal healing life force. Research has not shown Reiki to be effective as a medical treatment for any condition. 

The workshop was actually titled "Spoon Bending and the Power of the Mind". Timothy Caulfield, a professor of health law and science policy at the university called out the university on the workshop and tweeted a poster for the workshop which is appended. The workshop was to be presented on June 28 by Anastasia Kutt, an "energy healing therapist" and "registered reiki master".

According to the workshop description: "This experiential workshop will teach a guided meditation/energy transfer technique which will have most participants bending cutlery using the power of their minds.

This will not be a scientific evaluation of the process."

Social media had a field day discussing the event. Caulfield himself tweeted: "Spoon bending at @UAlberta. Not satire. Integrative health program." @UAlberta_FoMD. As noted the workshop was to be part of an Integrative Health Program.

Scienceblogs suggests that integrative medicine integrates prescientific, pseudoscientific, and antiscientific quackery with real medicine. This is no doubt overly harsh in that traditional and unconventional therapies may provide valuable insights and even useful tools to supplement conventional medical techniques. However, spoon-bending has little to offer except as training for magicians. 

Susan Chapelle tweeted: Spoon bending. Cutlery provided or bring your own. Solid skills for every physician to possess. Yikes. A doctor tweeted: Bending spoons is a great entry level activity. Sadly my med school taught science.

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