Reiki: What is it and how does it help?

Image by Jürgen Rübig from Pixabay

Reiki meaning ‘Universal Energy’ and also ‘spirit’ in Japanese is a form of alternative medicine.  Although Reiki is an ancient technique, the current Reiki practice can be traced back to the teachings of Dr. Mikao Usui.

Reiki -Origin

Dr. Mikao Usui, a Japanese scholar was fascinated by the idea that Jesus Christ could heal people with his bare hands by touching them. He studied ancient books and traveled to many places until he finally found clues to the healing art in Tibet in the mid-1800s. Reiki has been adapted to different cultural traditions across the world since its inception in Japan. It uses a technique that is commonly referred to as palm healing or hands-on body healing. By using this technique, practitioners believe they transfer “universal energy” through the practitioner’s palms, which they believe encourages healing.

It is known in Japan as ‘ki’, in China as ‘chi’ and in India as ‘prana’. It is based on qi (“chi”), which is said by practitioners to be a universal life force, although there is no empirical evidence that such a life force exists. Most of Reiki’s research is poorly designed and biased.

Reiki sessions have very low safety concerns as they are gentle procedures and are similar to other complementary and alternative medicine practices. However, some doctors and health care providers believe that patients can unwittingly replace proven treatments with life-threatening conditions such as cancer, with unproven alternatives, such as Reiki, thus endangering their health. The Advertising Standards Authority, UK  (ASA ) stated that treatments such as Reiki which claim to be effective in the treatment of diseases such as cancer should put robust clinical evidence to prove the same. It ruled that unscientific claims could discourage essential treatment for serious medical conditions

Traditional Reiki Treatment Procedure:

Sisters Linda (far left) and Lisa (far right) help balance the energies of a mother and daughter during the Spiritual Awareness Weekend, May 2009. Flicker CC

A Reiki treatment helps to reduce stress and relax your mind.  It’s also said to be a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual and energy healing. It is an uncomplicated procedure which consists of the practitioner placing his hands on the body of the client using a series of positions with the intent to channel the energy for healing and to re-establish the physical, mental and spiritual balance. It is based on the principle of a simple exchange of energy between two or more individuals with the donor serving as a channel to convey universal life energy.

Individuals report distinct experiences when undergoing Reiki treatment. Some say the practitioner’s hands get warm, others report cooling hands, and some individuals feel waves pulsating. Stress release and profound relaxation are the most popular reports. The energy is said to enter the healer through his crown and exit through the palms. The healing process can also be carried out from a distance through an advanced form of treatment. As part of this method, unique symbols are used to create a temporary link between the healer and the recipient, regardless of where the Reiki energy is sent. Reiki can also be used to treat animals and plants.

Cancer and Reiki

Reiki is considered pseudoscience. The Cancer  Research UK and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health(NCCIH)  state that Reiki should not be a substitute for conventional disease treatment such as cancer, but can be used as a supplement to standard medical treatment.

There is no scientific empirical evidence that Reiki can be helpful in the treatment of any medical condition but there are studies to prove that it can bring relief to patients suffering from pain, depression, decrease anxiety and promote body relaxation as it promotes the healing of physical and emotional ailments through gentle touch. Practitioners have reported as a successful treatment in helping patients in coping with – symptoms of acute illnesses, arthritis, trauma, etc.

People yearn for something that is based on ancient wisdom and strongly believe in the power of human touch. It is the belief that human touch can cure people. One should not rely on treatments that lack scientific evidence to treat serious medical conditions like cancer.

The author acknowledges the use of authentic medical literature to structure this article.

By

Gurpreesh Kour,

Freelance Content writer for Quack Track.