Reiki is considered safe and beneficial for most individuals, and more and more, is being embraced within mainstream modalities, however, some skeptics raise perceived disadvantage to cast a shadow over Reiki. As the concerns raised are often based on misconceptions or misunderstandings, I felt it was important to sift through and debunk some of those claims:
Lack of Scientific Validation:Â Probably the most common claims about the disadvantages of Reiki is that there is limited scientific evidence to support the efficacy of Reiki.
Contrary to this claim, there is a growing body of research indicating the positive effects of Reiki (including objective measures such as blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol levels etc) and studies which negate the placebo affect. As testimony to this, there are now over 900 mainstream hospital and hospices (and growing) around the world (including Mayo Clinic and Charles Hopkins) offering Reiki to their patients and many have engaged their own internal studies finding incredible benefits for patients receiving Reiki (shorter stays, less pain, decreased stress, faster recover and increased mental health benefits. Reiki is even used in surgeries to reduce anaesthethia and to promote better outcomes and faster recovery.
With this growing body of research and use in hospitals, this idea propagated by some that there is no evidence of its efficacy simply cannot be reasonably supported.
Subjective Nature of Experiences:Â Another perceived disadvantage of Reiki, is that people's experience of Reiki can vary widely from person to person (what works for one person may not necessarily work for another) and as a result, they question Reiki's consistency and reliability.
Taking a closer look at these claimed disadvantages of Reiki and we can see that they are unfounded.
Firstly, Reiki is a holistic practice that works on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. It is not like taking a pill to mask a pain with a set dose. The journey to healing is unique for each individual, which quite opposite to being a disadvantage, is one of the greatest benefits of Reiki. Reiki has a Higher Intelligence and the energy (and healing) goes to where the healing is most needed at any given point in time. So whilst in one sense it is true that people's experience of Reiki will be varied, it is what makes Reiki so incredible and desirable as a healing modality because it targets the unique individual's Highest needs when it comes to their healing as opposed to treating everyone as the same where their underlying needs may be vastly different. As a result, it may seem like different people experience different results, but that's simply that their needs were different.
Lack of Formal Regulation - Potential for Misuse or Exploitation:Â The potential of misuse or exploitation has been cited as another potential disadvantage of Reiki. Unlike conventional healthcare professions, Reiki is often said to lack standardized education, training, and certification requirements enforced by regulatory bodies. This lack of formal regulation may raise concerns about practitioner competence and accountability.
Reiki is somewhat unregulated and some say there is a risk of individuals misrepresenting themselves as Reiki practitioners without proper training or credentials. This could lead to substandard or ineffective treatments and potentially harm vulnerable individuals seeking healing.
Reiki Practitioners fall under the umbrella of non-healthcare professionals and are therefore are captured by the 'National code of conduct for general health workers'. There are State equivalents. This requires that people only provide services that they are trained for. Practitioners are required to make their clients aware of the Code.
There are also Reiki Associations, such as The Australian Reiki Alliance and Reiki Australia, which, although voluntary, require specific and recognised training of their members. This is another fallback to ensure your Reiki Practitioner has been properly trained.
In terms of that question of education and training, there are factors outlined here that can be considered to make sure you find the best Reiki Practitioner for you.
So despite the perceived disadvantages of Reiki that Reiki is unregulated, there are definite accountability mechanisms for Reiki Practitioners, covered by the relevant codes and Associations in terms of competence, which safeguards against any potential for misuse of exploitation.
Here are some tips when looking to engage a Reiki Practitioner and questions to ask them:
Have they received full in-person training (avoid anyone who has only had online training).
Does their Reiki lineage trace back to Mikao Usui.
Are they aware of their obligations under the National and State Codes of Conduct for Non-medical health professional?
Are they part of a professional Reiki Association.
Here are some of the most important factors when looking for the best Reiki Practitioner and some extra little tips here.
So whilst Reiki is, for the most part, unregulated, this supposed disadvantage of Reiki is cured by certain clear safeguards to prevent you engaging a Reiki Practitioner who is not qualified or properly trained, eliminating any risk of misuse or ineffectiveness of treatment.
Perception of Placebo Effects:Â Some skeptics attribute the perceived benefits of Reiki to the placebo effect rather than any inherent healing properties, citing this as a disadvantage of Reiki. They argue that the positive outcomes experienced by recipients may be due to psychological factors rather than the actual efficacy of Reiki.
Firstly, this criticism fundamentally recognises the efficacy of Reiki. They may said it is efficacious because it is all in the mind, but they are necessarily acknowledging that it is effective.
Secondly, there has been some important studies that dispel this myth, showing Reiki is effective beyond placebo.
There have been several positive studies, for example, utilising distant Reiki. This is where Practitioners Channel Reiki for a recipient over space and time. The recipient is not present in the room or location as the Practitioner and the recipient is unaware that they are receiving Reiki. In these studies, the distance Reiki yielded positive results for the recipients, supporting that Reiki's efficacy surpasses placebo. Further, In 'Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy' by David E. McManus, 13 peer reviewed studies were selected for review of this question and the study concluded that Reiki is better than placebo in activating the parasympathetic nervous system, as measured by reduced heart rate, reduced blood pressure, and increased heart rate variability. For patients with chronic health conditions, Reiki has been found to be more effective than placebo for reducing pain, anxiety, and depression, and for improving self-esteem and quality of life. According to the neurovisceral integration model and the polyvagal theory, these effects are due to higher parasympathetic nervous system activity, mediated via the vagus nerve.
Further, in 'Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats' Ann Linda Baldwin, Christina Wagers, Gary E Schwartz, labs rats were used to study Reiki's efficacy (where there is no placebo effect) and Reiki was shown to be effective in modulating heart rate in stressed and unstressed rats, supporting its use as a stress-reducer in humans.
Based on these studies, the perceived disadvantage of Reiki that Reiki is merely placebo, cannot be reasonable supported.
Limited Insurance Coverage:Â Another perceived disadvantage of Reiki, is that Reiki treatments often aren't covered by health insurance, making Reiki inaccessible to some people who rely on insurance for healthcare services. This could pose a financial barrier to accessing Reiki for those who may benefit from it.
This is an issue that Reiki Associations and advocate groups are continuing to work on. With the growing use of Reiki in mainstream hospital and hospice settings, hopefully this will change in time.
In the meantime, there are Reiki groups who offer Reiki for free or for a small donation, for those who cannot afford to have paid Reiki Sessions. Research in your local area for Reiki community offerings, or call some local Practitioners, even Reiki Associations, to locate these offerings near you.
Potential Discomfort or Emotional Release:Â One of the most intriguing perceived disadvantages of Reiki is that some people may experience temporary discomfort or emotional release during or after a Reiki session. Despite these experiences often being a signs of healing, they may be perceived as undesirable or unsettling by some recipients.
I find this perceived disadvantage curious. It's like saying a disadvantage of counselling is that you might cry during a session or that a disadvantage of physio is that it might hurt and be uncomfortable why the physio is helping me fix your sore knee. With any healing, there can be discomfort associated. And Reiki is no different.
Imagine a stream of water with muddy sediment at the bottom. That muddy sediment can represent aspect of or within ourselves that need healing (on a physical, emotional, mental or spiritual level). If you agitate the water, the sediment rises and make the water murky. Reiki can work in a similar way. Each Reiki session agitates the water, bringing the sediment (the stuff that needs healing) to the surface and it skims and removes the top layer of that murky sediment (representing a layer of healing) and then after Reiki, the sediment settles back to settle at the bottom, rendering the water clear again. In the next Reiki session, the Reiki agitates the water again, causing the muddy sediment to rises up, more is skimmed off and then it falls back down to settle at the bottom and so on until eventually there is no more muddy sediment and the water is clear. This is repeated until the there is no more sediment on the bottom of the stream.
The muddy sediment is the troubled areas, stagnations, impacts of trauma and toxins etc that we store in our energy bodies. This is an analogy of how Reiki works and so sometimes, clients may experience some uncomfortable side effects from the agitated murky water. This may be mild flu-like symptoms, headaches, nauseous or fatigue but these are not common, they are transient and usually move through swiftly and most of all, it is a positive sign of deep healing.
It is not common for clients to experience these symptoms and when they do, they are usually transient and move through quickly. Far from being a disadvantage of Reiki, these experiences are a real way to experience the healing effects of Reiki.
CONCLUSION
Every healing modality, from mainstream to alternative approaches have advantages and disadvantages. It's important to approach these perceived disadvantages with a critical yet open-minded perspective and to follow what resonates with you. While Reiki may not be suitable for everyone, many individuals have experienced profound benefits from this gentle and non-invasive healing modality and with its growing use in mainstream hospitals and hospices, it is increasingly being embraced as such.
If you have any further questions, or want to chat to more about Reiki please contact me and we can arrange a time to chat. If you would like to book a Reiki session in Melbourne (or distance Reiki worldwide), you can book an appointment here or if you would like to learn Reiki yourself, sign up for a Reiki course here. I look forward to connecting with you for Reiki!
Warmest,
Fiona x
Fiona Phillips
Certified Reiki Shihan (Teacher) and Practitioner
Komyo ReikiDo in Melbourne
Within The Space