Reiki
What Is Reiki, and How Does It Work?
Reiki is a hands-on or hands-near practice developed by Mikao Usui in Japan in the 1920s. Practitioners describe it as channeling a universal life energy through their palms to support a person’s own healing. How it might work is the contested part: the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says there is no scientific evidence that the energy field Reiki is based on exists.
What does the word mean?
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, as cited in the Wikipedia article on Reiki, the English word comes from the Japanese reiki, combining rei, “universal,” and ki, “vital energy.” Ki is the Japanese reading of the concept known in Chinese as qi.
How do practitioners explain it?
The NCCIH page on Reiki describes it as a complementary health approach in which practitioners place their hands lightly on or just above a person, with the goal of directing energy to help the person’s own healing response. It is based, NCCIH says, on an Eastern belief in an energy that supports the body’s natural healing abilities.
The Wikipedia article puts the practitioners’ account this way: a “universal energy” is transferred through the practitioner’s palms to the client, to encourage emotional or physical healing.
What happens in a session?
According to the Wikipedia article, a session usually lasts about an hour, with the practitioner placing a hand or hands on or near various parts of the body for several minutes at a time. Practitioners trained to the second level may also offer sessions at a distance, with no contact.
What does the research say about whether it works?
The NCCIH page says Reiki has not been clearly shown to be effective for any health-related purpose, and that most research on it has not been of high quality, with inconsistent results. It also says Reiki has not been shown to have any harmful effects. A 2022 review of placebo-controlled trials reported possible benefits for some mental health symptoms, while describing its own findings as inconclusive.
How should you think about trying it?
As a complement you choose because you find it pleasant, never as a substitute for medical care. Tell your doctor about any complementary practice you use, keep taking prescribed treatment, and be cautious of anyone who suggests Reiki can diagnose or cure a condition.
This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation.