The Evidence for Reiki

When I received Reiki, my need for a logical explanation of its mechanism of action fell away. The direct experience was enough. At some point in my journey after becoming attuned, I came across some published peer-reviewed research on Reiki healing. Even through the evolution that life moulds, the left-brained, rational tendencies of this character, Christina, do still appreciate this type of evidence.

“Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy” by David E McManus was published in 2017 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. This was a review of 13 studies, 11 with human subjects, and 2 with rats. 8 studies found Reiki to be more effective than placebo, including the rat studies. I find this particularly interesting, as the objectivity of the results seems profound. The results here included minimized blood vessel damage, and curbing of stress-related increase in heart rate.

A 2019 study (Dyer et al) showed “statistically significant improvements were observed for all outcome measures, including positive affect, negative affect, pain, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, appetite, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, and overall well-being.” A later study (2021, Demir Dogan) revealed that Reiki healing led to a reduction in pain scores. A 2022 study (Zadro & Stapleton) showed that “Reiki consistently demonstrates a greater therapeutic effect over placebo for some symptoms of mental health.” These benefits were highest for stress and depression. Another 2022 study (Graziano & Luigi) showed “an increase in relaxation, an improvement in mood, a sense of relief, and in general an increase of well-being.”

I encourage to look into these studies in more detail if they pique your interest, or better yet, conduct your most powerful experiment of direct experience with Reiki healing, and feel for yourself.