Like other healing modalities believing can help open the gateway between the mind-body connection. However I don't think its a primary requisite. I compare it to acupuncture which I have studied. Whether you believe in it or not it still works. Yoga is another example. However, to have an open mind about the execercises and their ability to affect your body it very helpful. Then, as you start to experience
some of the benefits of the excercises, the more you realize- "hey, this does work!" and thus the more 'belief' and intention you put into the excercises, and there you have the snowball effect. If the system of Qigong was based on belief alone, you wouldn't need the system to effect a result. I'm a very skeptical person when it comes to anything, but I also keep an openmind about everything and not judge it so quickly until I have researched it thoroughly and used it diligently. It also helps to listen to other peoples experiences here. I also just ordered the Qi gong course. Qi gong works by bringing your body back into balance. Since a disease is a result of an imbalance (of Yin and Yang) in the body, Qi gong can help restore the body's balance and thus help with any disease condition. I hope this helps.
