Reiki FAQ - Frequently asked questions
What does Reiki do ?
The simplest explanation is that Reiki helps the natural healing process of the body.
The slightly more complicated answer is that Reiki energy, emitted from the hands of a Reiki therapist, resonates at particular frequencies, notably 0.3 - 30 Hz, which is known to stimulate healing in the body; i.e. 2 Hz encourages nerve regeneration, 7Hz bone growth, 10Hz ligament mending, and 15 Hz capillary formation. [4].
The end result is that the recipeint of Reiki feels relaxed, energised and ready to deal with the stress that modern life brings.
How does Reiki work ?
The simplest explanation is that energy is emitted from the hands of the Reiki therapist[5]. However, how this exactly happens has caused much debate in the scientific community for many years. See our science page for more details
Can Reiki cure cancer ?
Reiki, in itself, does not cure diseases and ailments such as cancer, it merely assists the self-healing mechanism of the body. One needs to bear this in mind when dealing with evangelists and sceptics alike.
Why does Reiki make me cry ?
Reiki works on many levels: mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. If there are underlying issues in the life of the recipient that are being suppressed, a Reiki session will often bring those feelings to the fore and allow the recipient to release emotions that otherwise, when bottled up, could be damaging in the long run.
For example, if a person was experiencing emotional stress within the workplace and had not been able to raise a grievance with their superior, feelings of anger and rage could be experienced during the session. This can be considered normal as Reiki allows those feelings to come to the fore so that they can be expressed in a quiet and relaxing surroundings; therefore reducing the level of stress that the recipient is experiencing[3]. This is further explained in a research paper written by Katriona Mitchell of the University of Saskatchewan, Canada in 2006. The paper can be read in full here.
A professional and caring Reiki therapist should always ask their client about any feelings and emotions that may have been experienced during the Reiki session. The therapist should listen to and, if necessary, discuss those feelings before allowing their client to leave. This ensures that the client is safe to return to their daily life.
Wikipedia states that there is currently no scientific evidence that Reiki works ?
Whilst wikipedia reports on several clinic trials that occurred in the last 10 years or so, it is stated that the evidence from these trials often suffer from incorrectly managed studies and poor reporting. Therefore, it is not to say that Reiki is ineffective, rather than the clinical trials have difficulty in reporting what Reiki does and how it is effective in a way that satisfies a larger medical community.
However, it should be noted that trials are continuing to be carried out regularly, almost on an annual basis[1],[2] and therefore one could conclude that Reiki must be of some benefit, otherwise people would not waste their time and large amounts of money trying to prove, disprove or measure its effects.
For a list of succesful clinical trials into Reiki, see our science page.
References
1- Lee, M. S., Pittler, M. H. and Ernst, E. (2008), Effects of reiki in clinical practice:
a systematic review of randomised clinical trials. International Journal of Clinical Practice,
62: 947–954. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-1241.2008.01729.x
2 - Sondra vanderVaart, Violette M.G.J. Gijsen, Saskia N. de Wildt and Gideon Koren. The Journal of
Alternative and Complementary Medicine. November 2009, 15(11): 1157-1169. doi:10.1089/acm.2009.0036.
3 - K C Mitchell. (2006) Patients and practitioners experiences, perceptions and beliefs pertaining to the use of Reiki in dealing with chronic illness. April 2006. University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
4 - Seto et al - 1992 - Detection of biomagnetic fields.
5 - Zimmerman – 1990 – Laying-on-of-hands healing, therapeutic touch: a testable theory.