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Reiki is said by its practitioners to be a form of complementary or alternative medicine, developed (or rediscovered) during the Meiji period (the late 19th century) by Mikao Usui in Japan. It has gained widespread popularity throughout the Western World.
The name Reiki comes from two Japanese characters that describe the energy itself. 'rei' ( meaning "universal") and ki ( meaning life force energy). Common translations are therefore "universal life force energy". The Japanese symbol "rei" denotes all the things under heaven, and the character "ki" denotes the spirit or "breath of life".
The noun "Reiki" is often incorrectly used as a verb and adjective in the West, however this is widely accepted, unlike the Japanese term which is merely a noun. In Japan however the term is commonly understood as describing as merely a generic term for "ghostly power" and is not interchangeable with the "Usui Method of Reiki Healing" (in Japanese - "usui reiki shiki ryoho").
Practitioners claim that they are able to act as channels for "Reiki" energy, which they allege flows from the universe through their bodies and primarily from the palms of their hands, to specific parts of their own or others' bodies in order to facilitate healing. Some claim that Reiki energy can also be channelled through other parts of a practitioner's body (for example their feet, fingers, or through their eyes) if they wish to. They say the primary method to focus the desired flow of the energy is the practitioner's intention.
Many scientists, health care workers and others dispute the effectiveness of Reiki, claiming that there are no objective studies confirming the existence of this specific Reiki energy or practitioners' claims that this Reiki energy has the capacity to facilitate healing beyond that expected from the placebo effect.
Theories and practices
In some traditions, Reiki energy is believed to enter the initiate through his 7th (crown) chakra, fill his aura and flow through his hands into the body of the recipient. In other traditions, it is said to enter through the 1st (root) chakra, fills his aura, is centered at the 4th (heart) chakra, and flows out through his hands. The Reiki energy is believed to have a form of intelligence, and "knows what to do". Thus, if the recipient´s body needs it and is ready to heal, it may use the Reiki energy for healing. If the body does not feel that the energy is needed, it will not absorb the energy. Some traditions teach that Reiki "spirits" keep watch over Reiki energy. Many teach that any intention to do harm will not facilitate the flow of Reiki energy. The doctrine is that Reiki energy is incapable of doing harm.
"Treatment" is traditionally done similarly to the laying on of hands. The clothed recipient is asked to lie down and relax. The practitioner then acts as a channel for Reiki energy, theoretically allowing the energy to be channelled through the practitioner to where the patient requires it. Usually the practitioner applies his hands to various parts of the patient's body. Some practitioners touch the body or hover their hands above it. Some patients report feeling various sensations: heat, cold, pressure, etc. Practitioners often attribute these sensations to Reiki energy filling the body and aura of the recipient and acting: filling up energy deficiences, repairing and opening the energy channels (meridians), pulling out "negativity" and dissolving the blockages of stale energy. Others report feeling little or no change.
Reiki is purported to be a form of Oriental medicine and it defines full health as total harmony of body, mind and spirit. Some traditions label these as Body, Emotion, and Soul and are taught the technique said to be for each in that order: Reiki I, Reiki II, and Reiki III (see below).
History
Reiki was claimed to have been "rediscovered" by a Japanese man named Mikao Usui, a Tendai Buddhist. After long meditation, fasting and prayer, Usui claimed to have gained the knowledge and spiritual power to apply and attune others to "Reiki" healing energy through a mystical revelation. While some believers in Reiki claim that access to this energy is fairly limited for the majority of people, they claim that Reiki is available to everyone to some amount. Some go so far as to hold that the energy system Reiki flows through and works with was integrated into our basic energy body (or aura) and that every person has the ability to channel this energy. Attunement to the energy is said to enhance and refine the ability to connect with this already occuring natural process. Mikao Usui claimed that he could enable his students to enlarge their access to the energy through certain initiations. Through such initiations, students become clearer channels for Reiki energy and this, in turn, enhances the quality of treatments that student (or practitioner) provides to the patient.
It is said that while Mikao Usui was actively pursuing the art of healing before he developed his Reiki method he studied Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Qigong and Yoga. He claimed that the awakening of Reiki and development of the set of accompanying techniques is something entirely different, however. Nonethless Reiki seems to be based loosely around Taoist ideas of qi. The "ki" in "Reiki" being the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character.
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 he claimed that it is their mindset that keeps them ill even when they were "treated" by him time after time. This gave rise to the principle that there should be an "energy exchange" in return for a Reiki treatment. This may take the form of payment or a trade of some sort. The idea is that the patient regards the treatment as having a value and is prepared to invest himself/herself in the healing process. He was also a great admirer of the literary works of Emperor Meiji, and later on summarised some of his works into five ethical principles, one rendering of which is:
"Just for today, do not worry.
Just for today, do not anger.
Honor your parents, teachers, and elders.
Earn your living honestly.
Show gratitude to everything."
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. The States proved to be fertile ground, as Mrs. Takata applied the American spirit of enterprise to Japanese tradition. Mrs. Takata claimed that she was appointed Grandmaster of Reiki through the sucession of Mr. Chujiro Hayashi, and that there were no surviving teachers of Reiki to be found in Japan after World War II. Her claim of Grandmastership and no surviving teachers remaining in Japan have been found to be incorrect as lineages through people other than Hayashi have been found. Additionally the title of "Grandmaster" has been found not to exist or be recognised in Japan, never having been conferred on any Reiki teacher.
Nowadays, Reiki is comparatively rare in Japan, but flourishing in the West. There are essentially two broad groups or schools, the traditional schools and the independent schools. The traditionalists claim to teach and practice Reiki strictly as it was taught from Usui's time until Mrs Takata's time, though newer research suggests that training under Usui differed greatly from the way Mrs. Takata taught. Another seperate branch of traditionalists teach adhering to the (now rediscovered) Japanese school's methods. The independant schools are experimental schools and vary greatly in their practices and methods.
Nontraditional Reiki
The independent movement 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. 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 Christianity, 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. In some ways this more flexible form of Reiki was initially developed in opposition to the stricter Reiki practices that Mrs. Hawayo Takata claimed were the authentic method, which demanded strict obedience to her prescribed forms. Many of the independant schools of Reiki are said to differ from mainstream Reiki by the inclusion of "skhm" or "seichim energy" and symbols into their teaching which is often said by its adherents to make the experience and practice of channelling Reiki energy significantly different. "Karuna Reiki" and "Terra Mai Reiki" are examples of Reiki forms that have incorporated skhm energy.
Courses
The method developed by Mikao Usui spread over the world. Though controversial, correspondence courses over the internet even offer distant training. To achieve a complete education in the "Usui method of Reiki Healing", 3 courses are necessary: the 1st degree course, the 2nd degree course and the master course. The specific contents of each of these courses vary widely from one teacher to another, depending on personal philosophies. A typical set of courses is something like the following.
1st degree Reiki courses teach the basic theories of how to work with Reiki energy. The channel through which Reiki energy passes to the 7th chakra is said to be widened through an initiation by the teacher, to let the Reiki energy be strong enough to heal. Students learn the manner in which to place their hands on the body of the recipient said to be most successful in the healing process.
In the 2nd degree Reiki course, a symbol for mental healing is purportedly taught, training students to say that they can treat even deeply ingrained problems like fears, depression, addictions and the like. It is also taught how to supposedly direct the energy to a certain point in time, to a specific person or place or a specific issue. The issue can be something like a particular health problem of an individual, or it can be a more abstract or general issue such as world peace. This is said to be made possible through three symbols taught at the second initiation. The channel is believed thereby to be opened even more.
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 case the third level is broken into smaller stages of attunements from the teacher, as well as being taught the attunements for the first second and third level in stages. A teacher has completed practical training when told 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.
The first and second stages can also be broken up into smaller levels of attunements and received symbols, however this is very rarely done and teachers often do not know how to do this. It is generally found to be impractical so is not widely practiced, taught or known.
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, when the student is expected to apply new learnings before taking the next degree. Before offering Reiki treatments to the public, a student is often advised to take a second degree course.
Reiki community
While there is no single standards organization and practitioners practice as they will, some practitioners choose to form Reiki communities to bring together often diverse knowledge and experience. Some of these communities have grown out of informal groupings of practitioners who organized Reiki circles for working together, while others have formed around a particular school or teacher. Many are based around claims of Takata's many student teachers competing as the true "Grandmaster" of Reiki. Many of these communities emerged due, in part, to the expanding popularity of the internet. Global initiatives have been introduced (like healing the planet or global peace fostering) and a great deal of online services (like training and healing) are available.
Controversies
The existence of Reiki energy has not been scientifically proven, and anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of Reiki therapy is commonly ascribed to the placebo effect and a combination of post hoc reasoning and the regressive fallacy by critics. Proponents of Reiki claim that they can detect and manipulate this energy, but a means to measure it or even objectively demonstrate its existence to the satisfaction of the scientific community has yet to be found. The predominant opinion among the scientific community is that the sensations felt by practitioners and patients of Reiki are psychologically subjective or the result of self-deceit.
Many practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine are also skeptical of the claims of Reiki practitioners.
Many doctors, academics, and consumer advocates find it worrying that patients with serious diseases such as cancer are choosing Reiki solely as a means of treatment over trained doctors. In some cases people reject conventional medicine completely and solely practice Reiki, and this is deemed as a highly untrustworthy and potentially dangerous practice even within the Reiki and wider alternative health community. While it is understandable for patients to seek non-mainstream remedies when conventional options seem ineffective or untrustworthy, many doctors say that Reiki, like many other forms of alternative medicine, is simply exploiting the fear and hope of people with serious illnesses for money while offering no demonstrable help. Reiki practitioners claim in answer that Reiki is a reliable and effective treatment which is being unfairly dismissed by conservative Western scientific research. A complementary approach to conventional medicine would be the most prudent and responsible means of treating any illness, and some Reiki teachers and students promote this, much like many other alternative medicine advocates suggest.
Reiki as a cult
There are various religious groups opposing Reiki. Fundamentalists condemn Reiki as promoting pagan practices. Once such group is the Unification Church, which cautions its adherents to avoid Reiki on the grounds that Reiki involves channeling the energy of evil spirits. Some individuals and groups (like Dominicans from the Roman Catholic Church) actively advise believers against it. Reiki has been called a cult or an attempt at sorcery. Some Reiki adherents would reply that there is no strict structure, guru or chain of command in the Reiki community, so it doesn't fit the modern sense of a cult. It should be pointed out however that although it may be claimed that the practice of Reiki in itself does not appear to cultish, some instances of teacher's behaviour has fallen into what would be commonly agreed to be cult like behaviour and often a great deal of religious and outlandish spiritual beliefs are proffered along with the Reiki techniques. In many cases the experience of hot or cold sensations in the hands whilst giving and receiving Reiki is put forward as a validation of the groups particular religious ideology however far fetched or different to another Reiki group. Many (perhaps the majority) of Reiki groups also for instance believe that they can never grow ill if they practice Reiki regularily and have a positive outlook, and are often disappointed and shocked when their teacher (or they themselves) become mortally ill or die. The Reiki energy is almost unanimously believed by practitioners and teachers to be the actual power of life, so claiming to possess this power in itself seems like a very outlandish and cultish claim.
Critics point to the often substantial fees charged by Reiki practitioners for their teachings as deeply troubling, as well as the blind obedience and outrageous claims that many teachers demand of their students. Chujiro Hayashi's students are for example called "disciples", which strongly implies a religious overtone. Some Christian practitioners of Reiki claim that the source of power that is directed through them is the Holy Spirit, or go so far as to say that Jesus was a Reiki master. These claims would perhaps be considered tasteless and possibly blashphemous to the majority of Christians. Hawayo Takata similarily claimed for instance that she had used Reiki to raise a person from the dead. Such a claim seems outside even the ordinary claims of alternative health, infact comparing with the New Testament miracle of Lazarus. Such a claim is disturbing in it's outlandishness and scientifically unsubstantiated, however generally believed throughout the Reiki community whether traditional or non-traditional schools.
Within the Reiki community, numerous 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, to name but a few. Also a great deal of effort is spent criticising various schools and their differing practices. A great deal of effort is spent by some schools using Japanese affectations and phrases and criticise non Japanese schools. A few organisations have also appointed themselves the only authentic school or the true ancient teaching (such as the Hawayo Takata's Grandaughter's Reiki Alliance (Phyllis Furumoto) et cetera, and the official Grandmaster of Reiki, thereby engaging in a great deal of infighting and mud slinging whilst bolstering their claims. Some claim to posess hidden teachings and symbols unknown to other schools. Other schools criticise schools that criticise other schools whilst speaking of their own good conduct. Much of the controversies likely stem from the vague and poor way in which Reiki has been taught and it's many unanswered questions, which possibly lends teachers to filling in the gaps, and students thinking that these ideas are an orthodox part of the system.
Reiki by it's health claims and promises, is often embraced by extremely vunerable people who are desperate for hope that their terminal or chronic health and mental problems may be miraculously cured. Some teachers and practitioners have as a result set up very succesful businesses through Reiki by providing teaching and services to these people, and their friends and families. Whether they exploit or help these vunerable people is a matter of debate.
Speculation on Reiki's origin
A great deal of the practices in Reiki are unexplained and undocumented both in the East and West, and little is known of the Reiki system's and symbol's creation and the means by which Usui received the energy he claimed he manipulated. Translation of two of the Reiki system however reveals Chinese Taoist and/or Buddhist philosophical influences in terminology used in the symbols, by translation of the (often garbled) distant healing and master symbols. This is not to say however that Reiki is in fact a Buddhist practice, as Reiki fails the standard test of whether a teaching is Buddhist or not, by examination through the three "Dharma Seals" or the "Three marks of existence". Buddhist teaching states that any teaching or practice that does not extoll these three core ideas is said not to be a Buddhist teaching, and Reiki does not concern itself with these ideas. Similarily, most Taoists would strenuously deny that Reiki was a Taoist art. The words used in these symbols however show that the person (whether Usui or someone else) was exposed to these ideas.
Some may conclude that the Reiki system is a piecemeal collage of other practices, hence it's lack of explicit history and theory, as it may have drawn from older more recognisable and extensively documented sources. Others may postulate from the same lack of clear provenance that Usui simply invented Reiki. Whichever the case, Usui's motivations and whether Reiki was entirely spiritually received, rediscovered, fabricated, or patched together, can only be guessed at due to lack of sufficient documentation.
See also
Partial Bibliography
- Original Reiki Handbook of Dr. Mikao Usui, Usui and Petter, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin ISBN 0-914955-57-8
- 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
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