| Usui Mikao is quoted saying in the Reiki Ryôhô | | | | resistance at three acupuncture points on hands and |
| Hikkei that the mind and body are one. Recent | | | | feet. At the cervical/thoracic point the measurements |
| studies in the world of science are beginning to finally | | | | went from 25% below normal to the normal range. |
| comprehend that statement. Brainwaves and body | | | | The adrenal measurements went from 8.3% below |
| pulses and their role in stimulating healing can all be | | | | normal to normal - some time between the middle |
| measured today allowing the concept of Reiki, as | | | | and last measurements. The spleen measurements |
| spiritual energy, to be more widely understood by | | | | went from 7.8% below normal to normal after only |
| the medical community. The growth of the system | | | | three sessions. All the patients reported increased |
| of Reiki is benefited by this community awareness | | | | relaxation after Reiki treatments, a reduction in pain |
| and acceptance. | | | | and an increase in mobility. |
| The introduction of Therapeutic Touch by Dolores | | | | These trials are concerned with the effect of Reiki |
| Krieger into nursing in the 1970s has increased | | | | on pain relief and other symptoms. |
| interest in other energetic systems such as Reiki. This | | | | Pain, Anxiety and Depression in Chronically Ill Patients |
| in turn has boosted the amount of research that has | | | | with Reiki Healing Linda J. Dressen and Sangeeta |
| recently been undertaken using Reiki and other forms | | | | Singg Published in Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine |
| of energetic work. | | | | Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1: 1998 |
| The system of Reiki is also being accepted into | | | | Purpose: To measure the results of Reiki and its |
| hospitals across the world. Patients can often either | | | | effect on pain, anxiety, and depression in chronically ill |
| bring their Reiki practitioner with them or Reiki is | | | | patients. |
| made available to them. | | | | Procedure: 120 Patients who had been in pain for at |
| The article ‘The first Reiki Practitioner in our O.R.' | | | | least 1 year were trailed. Their complaints included: |
| by Jeanette Sawyer in 1988 in the AORN Journal | | | | headaches, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, peptic |
| describes the steps that were taken to allow a Reiki | | | | ulcer, asthma, hypertension and HIV. Four different |
| practitioner into the theatre at the request of a | | | | styles of treatment were performed on 3 groups of |
| patient during a laparoscopy. | | | | 20 people. The 4 styles of treatment were: Reiki, |
| Also in 1988, patients were given the opportunity to | | | | Progressive Muscle Relaxation, no treatment and |
| experience a 15minute pre- and post- surgery Reiki | | | | false-Reiki. Each of the groups received 10 |
| treatment. More than 870 patients took part and as | | | | thirty-minute treatments, twice a week over 5 |
| a result there was less use of pain medication, | | | | weeks. Patients were examined before and after the |
| shorter stays in hospital and increased patient | | | | series of treatments. Reiki patients were examined 3 |
| satisfaction. This was discussed in the article, | | | | months after completion. Findings: Reiki proved |
| ‘Using Reiki to Support Surgical patients' by | | | | significantly superior (p.0001-.04) to other treatments |
| Patricia and Kristin Aladydy in the Journal of Nursing | | | | on 10 out of 12 variables. At the 3 month check up |
| Care Quality. | | | | these changes were consistent and there were highly |
| Heart surgeon, Dr Mehmet Oz, has worked with Julie | | | | significant reductions in Total Pain Rating Index |
| Motz who used Reiki on his patients. These patients | | | | (p.0006) and in sensory (p.0003) and Affective (p.02) |
| had received heart transplants and had experienced | | | | Qualities of Pain. |
| open-heart surgery. She treated 11 patients in total | | | | Conclusion: Significant effects of Reiki on anxiety, |
| and none of them had the usual post-operative | | | | pain and depression are shown here. Some possible |
| depression. The bypass patients had no | | | | variables were not controlled. |
| post-operative pain or leg weakness and the | | | | Using Reiki to Manage Pain: a Preliminary Report |
| transplant patients experienced no organ rejection. | | | | alta.karino@cancerboard.ab.ca Cross Cancer Institute, |
| Julie Motz has written about this experience in her | | | | Edmonton, USA Published in Cancer Prev Control |
| book, ‘Hands of Life'. | | | | 1997;1(2):108-13 |
| Listed below are a number of trials tested on Reiki. | | | | Purpose: To explore the usefulness of Reiki as an |
| For more research details there are some Reiki | | | | alternative to opioid therapy in the management of |
| books with relevant research material, or personal | | | | pain. This was a pilot study. |
| observations, that have been written by both | | | | Procedure: 20 volunteers experienced pain at 55 sites |
| doctors and nurses. ‘Spiritual Healing' by Daniel J. | | | | for a variety of reasons, including cancer. A Level 2 |
| Benor has listed a number of Reiki trials as well as | | | | practitioner provided all Reiki treatments. Pain was |
| some very interesting trials on distant healing and | | | | measured using both a visual analogue scale (VAS) |
| healing through touch in general. | | | | and a Likert scale immediately before and after each |
| There are many aspects of Reiki that are being | | | | Reiki treatment. |
| researched today. Some to see if Reiki speeds up | | | | Findings: Both the instruments showed a highly |
| healing, others to see if, how and whom it relaxes, to | | | | significant (p 0.0001) reduction in pain following the |
| measure biomagnetic fields and to verify the concept | | | | Reiki treatments. |
| of distant healing. | | | | This trial is interested in finding out if it is possible to |
| Here is a well-known trial completed using Reiki to | | | | gauge the experience of a Reiki treatment using |
| examine its effect on human blood levels. | | | | normal trialing procedures. |
| Human Hemoglobin Levels and Reiki Reiki Healing: a | | | | Experience of a Reiki Session Engebretson J, Wardell |
| Physiologic Perspective Wetzel, Wendy (1989). | | | | DW University of Texas Health Science Center in |
| Published in Journal of Holistic Nursing 7(1), 47-54. | | | | Houston, USA Published in Alternative Therapies in |
| Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the | | | | Health and Medicine. 8: 48-53, 2002 |
| effects of Reiki on human hemoglobin and hematocrit | | | | Purpose:To explore the experiences of Reiki |
| levels. | | | | recipients so as to contribute to understanding the |
| Procedure: The hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of | | | | popularity of touch therapies and possibly clarify |
| 48 adults participating in a Level 1 course were | | | | variables for future studies. |
| measured. Demographics and motivation were also | | | | Procedure: All Reiki treatments were 30 minutes long |
| examined. An untreated control group was used to | | | | and performed in a sound proof windowless room by |
| document the changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit | | | | one Reiki Master. There were audio taped interviews |
| under normal circumstances. | | | | immediately after the treatment in a quiet room |
| Findings: Using a t-test there was a statistically | | | | adjoining the treatment room. The recipients were |
| significant change between the pre- and post-course | | | | generally healthy volunteers who had not |
| hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of the participants | | | | experienced Reiki previously. |
| at the p 0.01 level. 28 % experiencing an increase and | | | | Findings: The recipients described a conscious state |
| the remainder experiencing a decrease. There was no | | | | of awareness during the treatment. At the same |
| change for the untreated control group within an | | | | time, paradoxically, they experienced sensate and |
| identical time frame. | | | | symbolic phenomena. |
| Conclusions: That Reiki has a measurable physiologic | | | | Conclusions: Conscious awareness and paradoxical |
| effect. The data supports the premise that energy | | | | experiences that occur in ritual healing vary according |
| can be transferred between individuals for the | | | | to the holistic nature and individual variation of the |
| purposes of healing, balancing, and increasing wellness. | | | | healing experience. These findings suggest that many |
| Some individuals found that their blood levels went up | | | | linear models used in researching touch therapies are |
| while others went down which is consistent with the | | | | not complex enough to capture the experience of |
| concept that Reiki is balancing for each individual. | | | | the recipients. |
| This trial tests Reiki on patients with chronic illnesses | | | | This particular trial is not specifically about Reiki but |
| using electrodermal screening. | | | | deals with the effectiveness of distant healing which |
| The Efficacy of Reiki Hands on Healing: | | | | is relevant to Reiki practitioners. |
| Improvements in Adrenal, Spleen and Nervous | | | | A Randomized Double-Blind Study of the Effect of |
| Function as Quantified by Electro-Dermal Screening | | | | Distant Healing in a Population with Advanced Aids |
| Betty Hartwell and Barbara Brewitt Published in | | | | Fred Sicher, Elizabeth Targ, Dan Moore II, and |
| Alternative Therapies Magazine, July 1997, Vol. 3, No. | | | | Helene.S. Smith Published in the Western Journal of |
| 4, p. 89 | | | | Medicine, December 1998, Vol. 169, pp. 356-363. |
| Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the | | | | Purpose: To find the effect of distance healing (DH) |
| therapeutic effects of Reiki treatments on chronic | | | | on AIDS patients during a six-month double-blind |
| illnesses using electrodermal screening. Procedure: This | | | | study. |
| study was carried out on five patients with | | | | Procedure: Forty patients with advanced AIDS were |
| life-threatening and chronic illnesses: lupus, | | | | randomly divided into two groups. Half the patients |
| fibromyalgia, thyroid goiter, and multiple sclerosis. | | | | received DH in addition to their usual medical care. |
| Eleven one-hour Reiki treatments using 4 different | | | | They were not told they were being given DH. 40 |
| Level 2 practitioners and one Reiki Master were | | | | healers from various locations throughout the U.S. |
| performed over a ten-week period. These Reiki | | | | with an average of 17 years of experience were |
| practitioners systematically placed their hands over | | | | used. The healers practiced a variety of healing |
| the same body positions including the neurovascular | | | | methods including Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Native |
| regions on the cranium, neurolymphatic points on the | | | | American, shamanism, meditative, and bioenergetics. |
| trunk and minor chakra points on the limbs. No new | | | | Each of the treated subjects received DH for one |
| conventional or alternative medical treatments were | | | | hour a day for six days from each of a total of ten |
| given during this period. Initially, three consecutive | | | | different healers, and this was performed over a |
| treatments were given and then one treatment per | | | | period of ten weeks. |
| week for eight weeks. | | | | Findings: After six months, treated patients had |
| Findings: The patients were tested three times during | | | | significantly fewer outpatient visits and |
| the study. 1.Before the study commenced. 2.After | | | | hospitalizations, less severe illnesses, fewer new |
| their third treatment. 3.After their tenth treatment. | | | | illnesses, and improved mood. |
| Each individual was measured for skin electrical | | | | |