The increasing popularity of alternative therapies is introducing many people to alternative spiritualities, often for the first time. One example of this is to be found among sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) also known as Myalgic Encephalomylopathy (ME), a condition for which scientific medicine has been unable to produce a cure. Although many people with CFS/ME remain hopeful that medical research will eventually determine a cause and provide a remedy, their faith in science is far from absolute. Lacking a cure, many people seek alternative therapies which emphasize the holistic healing of body, mind and spirit. Those following this path often face difficulties in accommodating Christian beliefs with those of the alternative spiritualities that they encounter. The material presented in this article is grounded in my own experience of CFS/ME and of alternative therapies, including Reiki healing. This chapter is a case study drawn from work in progress. In this case study Nancy, an older woman, describes her negotiation of the tensions between traditional religious belief and her re-spiritualization through Reiki. In conclusion I argue that in Nancy's self-narrative the need for a greater understanding of vernacular beliefs and practices can be seen.

The defining feature of CFS/ME, as provided by the medical researchers Sykes and Campion (2002), is ‘chronic, severe and disabling fatigue which is made worse by physical or mental exertion. Other symptoms include impairment of short-term memory and concentration, sleep disturbance, muscle and joint pain and a profound malaise’ (Shepherd 1999; Sykes and Campion 2002: 4; cf. Jacobs 1997).