Reiki

Reiki is performed through a technique similar to the laying on of hands.

Reiki (Japanese: 霊気, English pronunciation: Ray-kee) is a form of spiritual healing and spiritual practice proposed for the treatment of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual diseases. Mikao Usui (usui mikao 臼井甕男) developed Reiki in early 20th century Japan, where he claimed to receive the ability of 'healing without energy depletion' after three weeks of fasting and meditating on Mount Kurama. Practitioners use a technique similar to the laying on of hands, in which they claim to be channels for energy ("Ki") guided by a universal spirit or spiritual nature ("Rei") — flowing through their palms to heal a person wherever they may need healing. A study in Alternative Therapies (Jan/Feb 2005 issue) said that in 2002 there were over one million U.S. adults who had experienced Reiki treatments. Reiki is controversial because there is no scientific evidence it works by any means other than suggestion or the placebo effect. [1] [2].

Derivation of name

The name Reiki derives from the Japanese pronunciation of two Chinese characters that are said to describe the energy itself: '霊 rei' (meaning 'soul', 'spirit' or 'ghost') and 気 ki (Chinese qi, meaning breath or 'life force energy' in this context). Common translations of the term 霊気 reiki are "aura", "soul energy" and "spiritually guided energy." In English the Japanese noun Reiki is also used as a verb or adjective. Japanese speakers also use the term as a generic "ghostly power" while the Usui Method of Reiki Healing is specifically usui reiki shiki ryoho.

Theories and practices

Some schools teach that Reiki energy enters the practitioner through the 7th (crown or Shasrara) chakra, goes through the 4th chakra and then flows through her or his hands (secondary chakras) into the body of the recipient. It is also taught that Reiki energy enters through the 1st (root or Muladhara) chakra at the base of the spine, fills the aura, becomes centered in the 4th (heart or Anahata) chakra, and flows out through the practitioner's hands. Most schools teach that the Reiki energy is an "intelligent" energy, which "knows what to do," or "where it is needed the most." Thus, Reiki adherents say, if the recipient needs it and is ready to heal, the Reiki energy will go where it needs to for healing. If the intended recipient does not accept the energy on some level, the energy will not be absorbed. Some schools teach that Reiki "spirit guides" keep watch over Reiki energy and assist the practitioner. It is said by them that any intention to do harm will block the flow of Reiki energy.

In a Reiki session, the practitioner asks the recipient to lie down and relax. The practitioner then is said to act as a channel for Reiki energy, theoretically allowing "Reiki energy" to be channelled through the practitioner to wherever the patient is thought to require it. Usually the practitioner moves their hands close to or on various parts of the recipient's body. Some patients report feeling various sensations: heat, tingling, cold, pressure, etc. Practitioners of Reiki attribute these sensations to Reiki energy filling energetic deficiencies in the body and aura of the recipient, repairing and opening their energy channels (meridians or nadis), pulling out "negativity," and dissolving the blockages of "stale" energy.

Some claim that practitioners can also channel Reiki energy through other parts of their bodies (for example, their eyes or their breathing) if they wish. According to practitioners, intention is the primary method for directing the flow of the energy. Reiki healers say that their energy can be used for healing either in physical proximity or from a distance. Furthermore, many Reiki healers claim that the ability to share Reiki comes only after a "Reiki Master" performs an initiation or attunement, though this is not always the case. Other schools of thought believe that many people inherently have the ability to utilise Reiki to some degree without any form of extraneous instruction or initiation. Some of these "unconscious healers" (who may have been performing Reiki for decades without knowledge of how their 'healing hands' work) require only instruction which increases knowledge of the human body as a anatomical system, helps the practitioner understand how to channel Reiki more effectively and provides proper explanation of their skills. In these cases, however, the only way to get recognised certification of their abilities is through a "qualified Master", most of whom will still insist that attunement is necessary.

Positive effects of Reiki treatment have been documented in papers published in some peer-reviewed alternative medical journals. The benefits center around biological indications of relaxation and increased immunity, reduced heart rate, improved blood pressure, and reduced pain, anxiety and depression. Other reports have focused on successful treatment of cancerous cells in mice.

History

A Japanese Tendai Buddhist named Mikao Usui claimed to have discovered Reiki after long meditation, fasting, and prayer. Usui wrote that by mystical revelation he had gained the knowledge and spiritual power to apply and attune others to what he called Reiki. Mikao Usui said that he had the ability to enable people to enhance their access to the energy through certain initiations. Usui taught that his attunements to Reiki enhanced and refined a person's pre-existing ability to connect with Reiki. Through such initiations, students are said to become clearer channels for Reiki, and thereby improve the quality of treatments that student (or practitioner) provides.

Some schools of Reiki are said to believe that Mikao Usui was pursuing knowledge of healing before he developed his Reiki method and that he also studied traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Qigong, and Yoga. Usui, however, claimed that the awakening of Reiki and the development of his techniques was something entirely different. Nonetheless, Reiki appears to be based loosely around ideas of qi.

Usui was also an admirer of the literary works of Emperor Meiji, and, in the process of developing his Reiki system, summarised some of the Meiji Emperor's works into a set of ethical principles, one translation of which is:

"Inviting blessings of the secret method

Many illnesses of the spiritual (heavenly) medicine

Today only anger not worry not

With appreciation do work

To people be kind

In morning at night hands held in prayer

think in your mind chant with mouth

Mind body change it for better

Usui Reiki method

Founder

Usui Mikao"

A less literal translation is:

"The secret method of inviting blessings

The spiritual medicine of many illnesses

Just for today, do not anger.

Just for today, do not worry.

Do your work with appreciation.

Be kind to all.

In the morning and at night hold your hands in prayer,

meditate on and say these words.

The Usui Reiki method to change your mind and body for the better.

Founder

Mikao Usui"

Mikao Usui trained several disciples. One of his disciples, the naval doctor Chujiro Hayashi, stressed physical healing and taught a more codified and simpler set of Reiki techniques. Among Hayashi's contributions was a set of fixed hand positions to be used in the course of a treatment; Usui often preferred a more mystical means of diagnosing the patient's problem.

Hayashi initiated and trained Mrs. Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki to the USA. Mrs. Takata claimed that she had been appointed Grandmaster of Reiki through the lineage of Mr. Chujiro Hayashi, and that there were no surviving teachers of Reiki to be found in Japan after World War II. Researchers have falsified her claim of Grandmastership and her allegation that no Reiki teachers remained in Japan, after they discovered lineages through practitioners other than Hayashi. They also stated that the title of "Grandmaster" does not exist, and is not recognized in Japan.

Hawayo Takata claimed that, after developing the Reiki methodology, as well as receiving the spiritual ability to practice it, Usui went to the slums of Tokyo to attempt the healing of beggars. However, after several years of very little success, he claimed that it was their mindset that kept them ill, even after he had "treated" them again and again. Usui then decided that there should be an "energy exchange" in return for a Reiki treatment. This "energy exchange" may take the form of cash payment, or a trade of some sort. The idea is that the patient is expected to regard the treatment as having a value up front and is prepared to invest himself/herself in the healing process.

There are essentially two broad groups, or schools: the traditional school and the independent school. The traditionalists claim to teach and practice Reiki strictly as it was taught from Usui's time until Takata's time, although modern research suggests that training under Usui differed greatly from the way Takata taught. Another, separate branch of traditionalists advocate adherence to the (now rediscovered) Japanese school's methods. The independent schools vary greatly in their practices and methods, ranging from those descended through Iris Ishikuro, which fundamentally adhere to traditional Reiki practice but eschew Takata's practice of charging $10,000 for attunement to Reiki "Master level," to so-called "newer" schools, which either add elements to traditional Reiki or claim to have been independently developed.

Reiki has been gaining some popularity worldwide within hospitals. The UK NHS (National Health Service) as part of its CAM (Complementary and alternative medicine) program uses Reiki and other CAM therapies as part of day care patient programs.

Non-traditional Reiki

Independent schools of Reiki developed partly in response to the belief that Reiki training should be more widely available and practiced in a flexible and complementary way with other practices, and as a political reaction to the mainstream of Hawayo Takata's style. Furthermore, some practitioners believe that Reiki is humanity's birthright. New paths were developed out of the Reiki core that fused it with New Age thinking regarding Wicca, shamanism, channeling and so forth. Also, new symbols and practices are often added. Many of these symbols emerged through practitioners who said they felt guided to expand the system in various ways. A great deal of generic New Age content is now often taught either as an adjunct to Reiki or even as an integral part of the system, and numerous schools of thought now exist, some being freely offered and some proprietary. This new form of Reiki was initially developed in opposition to the stricter Reiki practices that Hawayo Takata claimed were the authentic method. Some of the independent schools of Reiki differ from mainstream Reiki by the inclusion of what they call "skhm" or "Seichim energy" and symbols into their teaching, which is said by its adherents to make the experience and practice of channelling Reiki different.

Celtic Reiki

Celtic Reiki is a modality of Reiki originated and developed by Martyn Pentecost through working with different species of tree and shrubs. It has been further developed by other Masters such as Pamela Jordan and Julie Norman. The system employs symbols derived from ogham (an ancient script used by some Gaelic tribes). Advocates claim that Reiki energy mimics the frequency of various trees and plants so as to combine the alleged healing energy of Reiki with allegedly channeled "ancient wisdom of the Celts."

Reiki Tummo

Reiki Tummo is another form of Reiki based on a combination of Japanese Reiki with the Tibetan techniques of Tummo. It has been taught by Irmansyah Effendi since 1998. The purpose of this method is said by its adherents to be the awakening of the Kundalini in a safe and controlled manner and to use the heart and what they call the "Inner Heart" as a personal guide in attaining Yoga.

Reiki Magick

Reiki magicians follow a practise similar to Celtic Reiki. Wiccan rituals are combined with Reiki beliefs in energy transfer. Reiki magicians are often denigrated by other schools of Reiki for not being "traditional" enough.

Reiki Magick practitioners assert that one must attend a ritual of initiation and that one should be cleansed upon an altar of all the evil spirits and energies said to be invading their soul.

Training

Mikao Usui's Reiki method spread widely. Correspondence courses over the Internet even offer distance training. To achieve a complete education in the "Usui method of Reiki Healing," three courses are necessary: the 1st degree course, the 2nd degree course, and the master course. The specific content of each of these courses varies widely from one teacher to another, depending on personal philosophies. A typical set of courses is something like the following:

First Degree Reiki courses teach the basic theories of how to work with Reiki energy. The channel through which Reiki energy passes to the practitioner is said to be widened through an initiation by the teacher, permitting the Reiki energy be strong enough to effect healing. Students learn hand placement positions on the recipient's body that are thought to be most conducive to the healing process.

In the Second Degree Reiki course, a symbol for mental healing is taught, enabling students to purportedly treat even deeply ingrained problems like fears, depression, addictions, and the like. Students are instructed on how to direct Reiki energy to a certain point in time, to a specific person or place, or a specific issue. The issue can be something like an individual's particular health problem, or it can be a more abstract or general issue such as world peace. Practitioners say that this is possible using three symbols taught at the second initiation. The claim is that this skill allows the Reiki channel to be opened even wider.

As part of the master course, usually the Third Degree, students become a Reiki "master" through the third initiation; they learn how to initiate students and have the option of teaching Reiki courses themselves. The student learns a further "master" level symbol in this course as well as the method of attuning others. In some cases the third level is broken into smaller stages of attunements from the teacher; the attunements for the first, second, and third level may also be administered in stages. A teacher has completed practical training when told that he or she has the ability to attune others to all degrees and has been given the final fourth Reiki Master symbol that is used in attunements.

It is up to students how many levels they want to complete. The courses are sequential, and can be expensive, especially the third (master) level. Often a teacher will require time in between one course and another (during which the student is expected to apply new learning before taking the next degree). Before offering Reiki treatments to the public, a student is often advised to take a second-degree course. It usually costs $150 to be "attuned" to reiki level I or level II. To become an official, recognized reiki master, one pays about $500 for the "attunement" process and also learns to teach and give attunements to others.

The considerable variation in the speed and method of teaching has caused some dispute. While courses are now advertised that say they can teach Reiki in just a few short days, traditionalists point out that for much of history, Reiki was kept a closely-guarded secret and was only taught to people who were considered safe and "worthy". The traditional view is that Reiki is so powerful that it can be abused by those who have not spent time developing a feel and intuition for the craft. To this extent, some believe that the "truest" Reiki is still guarded and taught slowly by only a few "genuine" Reiki masters. Students on the traditional path may be made to wait a year or more before being allowed to learn stage two, and thereafter many more years before being taught the Master level. Traditionalists maintain that any method that teaches Reiki "quickly" cannot be teaching the real thing, because there is no substitute for experience and patient mastery of the art.

Reiki community

While there is no single standards organization and practitioners practice as they will, some choose to form Reiki communities. Some of these communities have grown out of informal groupings of practitioners who have organized Reiki circles for working together, while others have formed around a particular school or teacher.

Many Reiki communities have emerged due, in part, to the expanding popularity of the internet. Global initiatives have been introduced to Reiki communities thereby ("healing the planet" or "global peace fostering" for example) and online Reiki training services are available.

Criticism

An article published by the National Council Against Health Fraud claims there is no evidence that Reiki's effects are due to anything other than suggestion. Many scientists, health care workers and others dispute the effectiveness of Reiki, because studies have shown that it does not facilitate healing beyond that expected from the placebo effect. Many in the scientific community ascribe anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of Reiki therapy to the placebo effect and a combination of post hoc reasoning and the regressive fallacy [3].

Doctors, academics, and consumer advocates have expressed concern when patients with serious diseases such as cancer choose Reiki as a means of treatment over trained doctors. Opponents of Reiki claim that Reiki is exploiting the fear and hope of people with serious illnesses for money while offering only a placebo effect, noting that in some cases people reject conventional medicine and solely practice Reiki or other "alternative" therapies [4]. However, safety-conscious Reiki teachers and practitioners should advocate using Reiki as a complement to conventional medicine, never as a replacement.

Roman Catholic priests have also denounced Reiki as "opening the door to evil and occult forces which have later side effects". [5]

Internal controversies

With the many varied ways that have been used to teach Reiki, there have emerged points of controversy between different groups, teachers and practitioners. Controversies exist on topics such as the nature of the Reiki energy itself, fees charged for courses and treatments, training methods, secrecy of symbols and attunement methods.

Various claims are made about 'legitimacy' or 'authenticity' between various schools of Reiki. Political disagreement exists between some schools; so for example a practitioner of one teacher may be unwelcome to practice Reiki with another teacher's Reiki group. A Reiki school might discourage the participation of outside students and teachers, particularly when a school considers their practices to be the only correct approach. This occurs amongst both traditional and non-traditional schools. As a lesser form of discrimination, a practitioner considered unorthodox might be required to retrain before being accepted.

The "Reiki Grandmaster"

Many conservative schools are based around claims of Hawayo Takata's many student teachers competing as the true "Grandmaster" of Reiki or teaching exactly as Takata herself taught. In recent years, however, many teachers connected in some way with Hawayo Takata do not strenuously claim to be appointed as the "Grandmaster of Reiki" as they once did in the past. Phyllis Furumoto (the granddaughter of Takata), for example of the "Reiki Alliance" seemed to cease claiming this title around the same time that it was found that historically no such title ever existed once the Japanese schools were discovered by Western Reiki schools. Barbara Weber Ray of the "Radiance association" still makes the claim. Often these "Grandmasters" attempt to patent the term "Reiki" in their particular country or countries of interest. Such actions are very unpopular in the wider Reiki community and no patents have ever been granted in any country except Germany. However, Phyllis Furumoto obtained this patent and holds it in trust for the greater Reiki Community. In the UK and many other countries the term 'Reiki' is deemed to be in the public domain and not patentable.

See also

• Johrei another form of Japanese faith healing similar to Reiki.

Partial bibliography

• The Reiki Sourcebook, Bronwen and Frans Stiene, O Books, Hants, 2003, ISBN 1-903816-55-6
• The 'Reiki' Factor in The Radiance Technique(R), Dr. Barbara Ray, Radiance Associates (falsely claims to be the first book written on the "intact system", 1983; current Expanded Edition (c) 1992) ISBN 0-933267-06-1. A dogmatic rejection of everyone else but her own method.
• Original Reiki Handbook of Dr. Mikao Usui, Usui and Petter, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin ISBN 0-914955-57-8
• REIKI TUMMO An Effective Technique For Health and Happiness, Irmansyah Effendi, Yayasan Padmajaya Press, first edition 2004, ISBN 979-98529-0-0
• Hayashi Reiki Manual: Traditional Japanese Healing Techniques from the Founder of the Western Reiki System, Petter, Yamaguchi and Hayashi, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin ISBN 0-914955-75-6
• Reiki Healer: A Complete Guide to the Path and Practice of Reiki, Ellyard, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin ISBN 0-940985-64-0
• Human Hemoglobin Levels and Reiki (Journal of Holistic Nursing, 7(1)pp.47-54 1989)
• Biological correlates of Reiki touch healing, Wardell, D.W., Engebretson, J., J. Advanced Nursing, 33(4): 439-445 (2001)
• Spiritual Healing: Scientific Validation of a Healing Revolution, Daniel J. Benor, M.D., Vision Publications (MI) (December 2000) ISBN 1-886785-11-2
• Reiki For Dummies, Nina L Paul PhD, Wiley Publishing Inc, ISBN 0-7645-9907-0 (November 2005) ISBN 0-7645-9907-0

• Reiki: A Comprehensive Guide by Pamela Miles, Tarcher/Penguin (April 2006) ISBN 1-58542-474-9
• Reiki: Review of a Biofield Therapy-- Miles, P., True, G., Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine (March/April 2003), 9(2) pp 62-72

External links

• Radiant Energy: A history, background and explanation of Reiki
• National Council Against Health Fraud article on reiki
• What is Reiki and who are Reiki Healers and Masters?
• Reiki - What is it and how does it heal?
• The International House of Reiki Many articles on Reiki, resources, and news
• The International Reiki Center Many articles on Reiki and research into Reiki
• Reiki 4 All Internet forum devoted to Reiki related topics
• Reiki Therapy Information and Articles about Reiki Therapy and healing
• Should Reiki Be Considered A Massage Therapy?
• It is the site to propagate the Yoga blended with Reiki