What is Reiki, and does it work?

A practitioner of Reiki may softly place their hands on or over a patient's body to treat or cure a variety of conditions. This form of alternative medicine is also commonly referred to as palm healing or hands-on-body healing.

 

The practice of Reiki, also known as palm healing or hands-on-body healing, is a form of alternative medicine in which a practitioner rests their hands lightly on or over a patient's body to assist the healing process of the patient.

 

The Japanese and Chinese word characters for "rei" (which can mean spiritual or supernatural) and "ki" are combined to form the term "reiki" (vital energy). According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, one of the fundamental beliefs held by individuals who engage in the practice of Reiki is the notion that this vital energy may be directed in such a way as to support the body's innate capacity to heal itself (NCCIH).

 

According to the NCCIH, there is no definitive proof that Reiki is beneficial for any health-related purpose, nor is there any scientific evidence to support claims that so-called vital energy genuinely exists. In addition, there is no evidence to support claims that vital energy exists. However, even though Reiki is not useful in treating specific health concerns, this does not imply that the practice is in any way hazardous.

 

According to Ann Baldwin, a professor of physiology at the University of Arizona and a qualified Reiki master or practitioner, "Reiki cannot harm; the worst thing it can do is nothing."

 

Baldwin told Live Science that in recent years, Reiki has become incorporated into a variety of venues for providing medical care, including hospitals. According to the Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota, overlapping data from some of the more scientifically valid studies on Reiki suggests that this complementary therapy may play some role in reducing anxiety and pain, inducing relaxation, improving fatigue, and helping relieve the symptoms of depression. These findings were based on research conducted in Japan, the United States, and other countries (UMN).

 

Spiritual beginnings

 

Most people believe that the practice of Reiki may be traced back to the late 19th or early 20th century and the teachings of a Japanese monk by the name of Mikao Usui, even though the therapy's origins are occasionally debated. According to the Langone Medical Center of New York University, Usui based his treatment approaches on methods and philosophies borrowed from a variety of traditional Asian healing systems.

 

According to the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality & Healing, the idea that disease is caused by imbalances of vital energy in the body and that correcting these imbalances promotes healing is at the foundation of Reiki. This idea was once prevalent in Western medicine up through the Middle Ages, and it continues to be prevalent in Eastern medicine today.

 

It is stated that Usui "rediscovered" the old concept of an unending energy stream that can be tapped for therapeutic purposes. Usui is credited with developing the healing art of Reiki. A Reiki master (Usui was the first), who can teach others how to master this healing ability through a procedure called attunements, can pass on their knowledge to others. According to the International Center for Reiki Training, a Japanese-American woman named Hawayo Takata brought the practice of Reiki to the Western world in 1937 when she returned to her native Hawaii after an extended period of training in Japan. Hawayo Takata had received her Reiki education in Japan.

 

The workings of it

 

The patient will normally lie face down on a massage table for the duration of the Reiki treatment session. According to Baldwin, a Reiki practitioner will place their hands on the patient's body in a variety of postures, beginning at the top of the head and working their way down the body. These positions can also be performed directly on top of the patient's body.

 

Baldwin explained that the person receiving the Reiki treatment is the recipient of the energy that travels via the practitioner and out of their hands to the recipient who is lying on the table. She went on to say that the specific process by which Reiki energy is supposed to move from one person to another is unknown. In addition, some Reiki masters assert that they can heal patients even when they are not physically there with them; this method is referred to as "distance healing."

 

Baldwin stated that "nobody knows exactly how Reiki works," which is true. One theory is that Reiki may be connected to a form of energy that is similar to electromagnetic fields and that it may also interact with the electromagnetic field that surrounds a person.

 

According to research conducted at the University of Minnesota's Center for Spirituality and Recovery, a second theory proposes that Reiki encourages relaxation, which in turn reduces a patient's stress reaction and facilitates healing. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the overall efficacy of Reiki is not well grounded in the scientific literature.

 

What the research has found

 

The vast majority of medical treatments are evaluated using what is known as placebo-controlled, double-blind research. In these types of trials, different groups of patients are randomly assigned to receive either the actual treatment being researched or a placebo (such as a sugar pill). According to the Langone Medical Center, neither the patients who took part in the study nor the researchers themselves are aware of which individuals were given the actual treatment and which were given a "fake treatment."

 

It is not possible to perform a double-blind study on Reiki because the individual who is giving the treatment will invariably be aware of whether they are giving the real thing or a sham treatment. Because Reiki cannot be proven through the use of standard scientific procedures, some members of the medical establishment are quick to disregard it outright.

 

However, even those who carefully examine the research on Reiki and look for evidence that it is more effective than the placebo effect has not discovered any. A comprehensive analysis of all previous research on Reiki was presented in an article that was published in the International Journal of Clinical Practices in the year 2008. This study is considered to be one of the most extensive to date. The researchers concluded that the vast majority of studies on Reiki "suffered from methodological issues such as limited sample size, inappropriate study design, and poor reporting" and that "the evidence is insufficient to demonstrate that Reiki is an effective treatment for any ailment."

 

However, this does not appear to deter proponents of Reiki, such as Baldwin, who point to other studies that indicate, for example, the usefulness of Reiki in reducing anxiety in women undergoing hysterectomies and in relieving pain in patients who have chronic illnesses.

 

Baldwin explained that Reiki masters do not obligate themselves to guarantee that their patients will be cured of whatever ails them.

 

For instance, the purpose of administering Reiki to cancer patients is not to eliminate the patient's tumor. "The purpose of this is to make the patient feel more at ease while also reducing their level of pain and worry," Baldwin added. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study not too long ago and discovered that Reiki does fulfill that goal for some cancer patients.

 

Additional means at one's disposal

*Cancer Research UK provides more information on how Reiki can be used as a supplemental treatment for cancer.

*More information on the methodology that underpins Reiki can be found at the Center for Reiki Research, which Baldwin directs.

*In this article, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry investigates the popular psychology of Reiki.

Article source : https://www.livescience.com/what-is-reiki

Image source  : https://pixabay.com/id/photos/bulan-reiki-mindfullness-bidang-3837832/

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