REIKI
RESEARCH
by
Jody Neff, Traditional Usui Reiki Master
Recorded in Diane Stein's
book on Reiki is her account of an interview with a Buddhist
nun who was quite familiar with the Reiki symbols rediscovered
by Dr. Mikao Usui (recorded as existing in ancient Tibetan sutras)
but who had never used them for healing. She recognized these
symbols as keys to levels of enlightenment. (Those who are interested
in researching healing powers attributed to Buddha might read
The Healing Buddha, by Raoul Birnbaum. Shambhala. Boston:
1989.)
In his article "Reiki
Research," Reiki Master and scholar William Rand tells us
that a record of the founding of Reiki by Mikao Usui is inscribed
on a stone monument about four feet by ten feet tall near the
Saihoji Temple in Mt. Kurayama, Japan. Included in the inscription
on Sensei Usui's memorial: "He taught the Reiki of the universe
[universal energy]. Countless people asked him to teach them
the great way of Reiki and to heal them" . . . . "He
opened a clinic in Harajuku, Aoyama, Tokyo in April of the 11th
year of the Taisho period [1922]. He not only gave treatment
to countless patients, some of whom had come from far and wide,
but he also hosted workshops to spread his knowledge. In September
of the twelfth year of the Taisho period [1923], the devastating
Kanto earthquake shook Tokyo. Thousands were killed, injured,
or became sick in its aftermath" . . . . "His clinic
soon became too small to handle the throng of patients, so in
February of the 14th year of the Taisho period [1925], he built
a new one outside Tokyo in Nakano."
Aware of the need to
document scientifically the results of Reiki and other vibrational
healing modalities, Rand continues to gather research about the
history and efficacy of Reiki. "Scientific research in the
area of laying on of hands has been conducted for some time,"
Rand states in "Reiki Research," posted on the web
at
http://www.reiki.org/reikinews/research.html
and available through
the newsletter he publishes from his Reiki Center in Michigan.
"There are now quite a few experiments that validate the
usefulness of Reiki and Reiki like healing techniques,"
Rand continues. "Some of the more interesting results of
these experiments demonstrate that their positive results are
coming from more than just the placebo effect, while others indicate
that the energy is non-physical in nature in that the benefits
do not diminish regardless of the distance between sender and
receiver."
In her paper "Reiki Healing: A Physiologic Perspective,"
"Wendy Wetzel, a registered nurse, describes a Reiki experiment
she conducted. . . In her study, 48 people made up the experimental
group while 10 made up a control group. Both groups had blood
samples taken at the beginning and at the end of the experiment.
The Experimental group received First Degree Reiki [hands-on]
training. The control group was not involved in the Reiki training.
"The blood samples
were measured from hemoglobin and hematocrit values. Hemoglobin
is the part of red blood cells that carry oxygen. Hematocrit
is the ratio of red blood cells to total blood volume. The people
in the experimental group who received Reiki training experienced
a significant change in these values with 28 percent experiencing
an increase and the remainder experiencing a decrease. The people
in the control group who did not receive Reiki training experienced
no significant change. It is thought that changes, whether an
increase or decrease, are consistent with the purpose of Reiki,
which is to bring balance on an individual basis.
"One individual
experienced a 20% increase in these values. She continued to
treat herself with Reiki daily and after three months, her increase
had been maintained and in fact had continued to improve. This
improvement was appropriate for her as she had been experiencing
iron deficiency anemia.
"Another experiment
using a Reiki like technique has also demonstrated its ability
to increase hemoglobin values. A medical doctor, Otelia Bengssten,
M.D., conducted an experiment with a group of 79 sick patients.
Together the patients had a wide range of diagnosed illnesses,
including pancreatitis, brain tumor, emphysema, multiple endocrine
disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, and congestive heart failure.
Laying-on hands treatments were given to 46 patients with 33
as controls. The treated patients showed significant increases
in hemoglobin values. The effect was so pronounced that even
cancer patients who were being treated with bone marrow-suppressive
agents which predictably induce decreases in hemoglobin values
showed an increase. The majority of patients also reported improvement
or complete disappearance of symptoms. [Italics mine.] Both this
experiment and the one above," Rand concludes, demonstrate
that healers are able to induce actual biological improvements
in the patients they treat rather than simply create a feeling
of well-being."
In his article, Rand
also covers the results of experiments performed at St. Vincent's
medical Center in New York by Janet Quinn, assistant director
of nursing at the University of South Carolina; by Daniel Wirth
of Healing Sciences International in Orinda, California; by Dr.
John Zimmerman of the University of Colorado; and Dr. Barnard
Grad of McGill University in Montreal. (Regarding the efficacy
of distant healing, see Rand's article re: an experiment conducted
by Dr. Robert Miller with psychic healer Olga Worrall.)
Other
Research
"Recent
Research and experimentation has also proved that the human vibrational
field can be measured and evidenced in scientific terms. Dr.
Valerie Hunt, and other scientists from U.C.L.A. have completed
a fascinating study on the human energy field and its relationship
to neuromuscular and emotional energy..."
Some
LINKS:
"Science and the Human
Energy Field"
(Reprint)
Scientific Studies