Reiki – Thoughts

Hi there, and welcome to another of my musings on life and the universe. It occurred to me today that I should write something concerning alternative therapies and the one that seems to be attracting a lot of attention these days is Reiki. Here’s a quote from reiki.org: “Reiki will improve the results of all medical treatment, acting to reduce negative side effects, shorten healing time, reduce or eliminate pain, reduce stress, and help create optimism.”

So, what do I think? Well, my creative side tells me there could perhaps be something in it simply because having experienced it first hand (and even requested it) I can attest that, yes, it appears certainly to have a beneficial, calming effect. However, my scientific side says this is placebo, anchored by weak suggestion and nothing more than that.

Now, before anyone starts jumping on the ‘you don’t know what you’re talking about’ bandwagon, I want to say upfront that my knowledge of Reiki is limited to a) what I’ve been able to pick up from the internet over a number of years, b) from talking to associates who are Reiki Masters c) having had Reiki performed on me on a couple of occasions and finally d) from having watched Reiki being both performed on others and taught in a class. So, I’m stating up front that I’m not trained in Reiki and writing this from a perspective of scepticism.

If I’m being objective about it (and kind) then I’d describe it as a pseudo-science, and I think even that might be stretching the point a little (if not a lot.) Now there seems to me an opportunity for those in the Reiki ‘community’ to prove the worth of their craft – for it is a ‘craft’ not a science – and I’m saying this for at least two main reasons: 1) previous studies of the effectiveness of Reiki in controlled trials have proven to be inconclusive. Note that I’m saying inconclusive and not failed, because the evidence of trials are so few and far between as to provide insufficient data to back up some of the claims I’ve heard being made for Reiki in recent times. 2) It is now possible to undertake a course in Reiki at least in part funded by tax payers money.1 The ILA Scotland site currently lists 14 courses the cost of which can be offset using an ILA account. Surely any course for which taxpayers money is used should at least be able to prove its worth in a basic, objective  trial?

And that’s where the problem lies, Reiki isn’t objective. Your experience may differ from mine, my experience may differ from session to session. Even the method by which Reiki is supposed to work isn’t objectively definable. Stephen Fry said talk of positive and negative energy is ‘such woolly thinking,’2 and he’s right. When a Reiki practitioner talks about ‘energy’, just what are they actually talking about? My perception of energy is one of a physical force that can be measured, quantified, understood, using principles and laws: if I talk about electrical energy I might say, ‘that x consumes 20 watts of power’, or, ‘that y puts out x BTU of thermal energy’ but I can’t quantify or define the energy that is ‘sensed’ by the Reiki practitioner. Perhaps that’s because not being trained in Reiki I’m not ‘attuned’ to the life force?  And therein lies the problem: if its not quantifiable, how can the practitioner state that it exists or is ‘felt’? And so we’re back to the premise that Reiki is simply placebo administered by suggestion, and from what I’ve been hearing often not particularly well delivered suggestion at that.

I’d like to consider further the purported ‘healing’ properties/benefits of Reiki. Can someone demonstrably prove that Reiki can contribute to the healing process?  Where is the proof of this (other than subjective opinion)? There are quite some claims made for the power of Reiki and I for one would like to see these proven in a controlled double blind trial over time using multiple subjects and control3. Surely, if Reiki practitioners have confidence in their craft then it shouldn’t be such a big deal to prove its worth?

Lastly, for this posting, I’d like to look at the preponderance of practitioners that have appeared in recent times offering not just Reiki, but a whole host of other alternative therapies. A quick search for reiki/holistic therapy practitioners produced the following ‘therapies’:  Reiki (various sorts), Crystal Healing, Slavic Massage, Raindrop Therapy, Space Clearing, Awakening the Goddess Within, Clinical Aromatherapy, Kinesiology, Foot Reading, Breathwork (Transformational), Resonance Therapy with Singing Bowls, Ayurvedic Medicine, Colour Therapy, Iridology, Magnotherapy, Marmatherapy etc, etc, etc And why should any of that matter? Well, it does, and here’s the reason: do a quick search on the ‘net for a solution to a health issue and you’ll find it, but when you start to indulge such alternative ‘therapies’  then you a) risk your health and bank balance and b) unproven ‘therapies’ cheapen the value of proven, demonstrable therapies and practitioners.

Indemonstrable ‘alternatives’ drag the therapeutic baseline down and call credibility into doubt. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m not up for trusting my health to someone who probably has less of a therapeutic background than a Haitian witch doctor. In fact I’d rather trust my health to Haitian witch doctor than some of the ‘therapists’ out there, but hey, what do I know, I’m probably only writing all this because I have low yin or maybe my qi isn’t quite up to standard.  There’s definitely something to be said for regulation.

1. Results obtained from ILA Scotland: http://www.ilascotland.org

2. Room 101 (2001)

3. As per anything else that purports to ‘heal’

Greetings everyone. Its been at the back of my mind for a few days that I’ve been somewhat lax with respect to my blog postings, do not fear, all is well. I’ve been working on a new relaxation and motivational program for the corporate sector. At the moment I’m thinking of a one day course combining deep relaxation, some self-exploration, rounding off the morning with a brief session on self-hypnosis. The afternoon session will  (subject to confirmation) consist of some basic EFT and, if demand is high enough a little Reiki. I won’t be taking the afternoon sessions myself but I will be there as a facilitator.

I’m still working out a pricing strategy for this, but I want to try to strike a balance whereby I can provide as much value as possible but at a sensible investment level for you the customer. Realistically, I’m thinking perhaps a minimum of 12 participants  to make the experience worthwhile. Maximum 30 for this course.

The object of the program is to introduce participants to self exploration, developing new perspectives of individual space, identity and respect, both for the self and each other. In doing so applying these learnings to the employee within the team structure. The key here is the opening of the doors of perception, and in doing so building and consolidating respect and team cohesion.

It seems to me that those organisations that see the value of structural consolidation and strengthening- especially at this time – will be those that emerge at the other end best placed to take advantage of the opportunities that I’m convinced will lie ahead. It’s win-win isn’t it?

If you are interested in learning more, head on over to my contact page and drop me a line: contact me

Speak to you all soon.

Alan