Reiki For The Scientific Mind

I am very often asked to explain Reiki . For those coming from a Metaphysical background, it can usually be easily understood as the balancing of energies within the human body through the laying on of hands. For those from a Spiritual background, it can be understood as opening to the power of Spirit to manifest its will in the form of healing. And for those who do not have either of these reference points, it can take a little extra explanation.

Reiki is simple in its application and simple in its concepts, and yet to the novice, it can easily sound complex or like wishful thinking. The reason for this is due to the attempt to balance a scientific model of reality with a more spiritually based reality. The rational mind wants to understand how things work and seeks "proof". The intuitive mind simply tunes into what feels true. With Reiki , we often must simply trust. And when we are asked to trust something that sometimes cannot be felt or seen, this can seem overwhelming to the rational mind.

In all fairness, I believe that we should demand direct experience as proof from life, but we also have to be open to what experience is really revealing. If our expectations of light shooting out of hands and miraculous cures for major illnesses blind us to more subtle awarenesses such as peace and tranquility, improved sleep, an expanding sense of love, or warmth moving through the body, then the direct experience offered as proof of Reiki's efficacy is overlooked in favor of a false measuring stick.

In order to allow for direct experience, one must dismiss all expectations and allow for an authentic experience of what is really happening. If I only look to the left, and deny that anything on the right exists, well, it is quite easy to see that a well rounded investigation has not been pursued. In the same way with Reiki, if I look for some grand earth shaking experience, and fail to acknowledge the more subtle things, then I have not investigated with a fair and scientific approach.

So what is a fair way to investigate Reiki? First, one must have a general understanding of the principles behind what Reiki is and how it works. Then one must proceed with fair, open minded experiences to determine what is to be discovered. As direct experiences of the energy or changes in the body/mind system are observed, then a deepened sense of trust and faith awakens, which allows for subtler perceptions.

So let us begin our investigation with an explanation of what Reiki is and how it works.

The body is composed of energy. This has been scientifically demonstrated. This energy has been measured around the body, as well as photographed through Kirilian photography. This energy makes up the body, and also pervades it in more subtle forms. This energy, sometimes called the " aura ", corresponds to the health of the body, as well as the state of emotions and mental activities.

Reiki, like Chinese medicine and other Eastern models of wellness , believes that imbalances in the energy field correspond to various levels of illness. The energy becomes imbalanced first in the energy field, and later manifests as illness or imbalance in the physical body or the emotional and mental health of the individual. Reiki seeks to rebalance these energy fields in order to restore health to the individual at all levels.

How does Reiki do this? Reiki practitioners are attuned to higher vibrations of energy that correspond to healthy states of being, as well as higher states of consciousness (as defined by spiritual advancement techniques such as yoga and meditation ). Reiki practitioners are trained to become channels for these higher vibrational energies and during a session they bring these energies into the energy field of the recipient. When these strong vibrations are introduced, the recipient's energy field also begins to vibrate at those frequencies. This is much like a tuning fork being struck and the same note on surrounding instruments would be triggered. The higher vibrational frequencies then "correct" and balance the energy field of the recipient.

This explanation is a somewhat scientific or medical model way of explaining what is happening. It can be summarized by saying that the "bad" energy is removed and replaced with "good" energy. You can think of the energy field being "cleaned" of "garbage" allowing it to flow freely. Think of the energy system like a stream or river, and understand that "trash" will pollute it and will sometimes cause dams and prevent correct flow. Reiki opens the flow and cleans out the garbage.

At this point, the rational mind can say "Yes. That makes sense. I could understand how that would work and how it could help. But is it real?" This takes us to the next phase of our investigation: experiencing it directly.

Scientists will usually investigate a subject from many perspectives through multiple experiments and experiences before they will draw a conclusion. Reiki deserves the same respect. Before Reiki is experienced, all one can truthfully say is "I do not know." You may have friends who recommend it and say they love it, but you have no experience yet. You may be skeptical about it, but you have no experience yet. And without experience, you just do not know.

On the other hand, maybe you have tried it, but you did not really notice anything from it. It is possible that nothing happened, but it is also possible that you looked left when something happened to the right. It is also possible you were biased against it working and did not allow for a truly objective experience.

Whether you are going to Reiki for the first or the hundredth time, in order for it to be truly objective, you must have no agenda, no preconceived notions, no biases, no judgments, and no expectations of any kind. So throw all of those out the window, and then you are ready to experience Reiki.

While you are receiving your Reiki session, become a silent witness. Feel the hands touching your body. What do you notice? Warmth? Tingling? Relaxation ? What emotions or thoughts arise in your awareness? What images arise? Colors? Sounds? What sensations are in your body? Watch. Feel. Observe.

People's awarenesses of the Reiki energy are different. A few people experience nothing that seems unusual. Others will feel at least heat or perhaps an electric tingle. People who are more sensitive may see colors or visions or have more intense physical experiences. Other experience can happen as well. To those less sensitive to Energy it can be easy to overlook one very common experience which is a sense of peace and relaxation . This comes about because the vibrations of the Reiki draw the recipient into a higher state of consciousness: closer to meditative states.

After the session is over, one still needs to be willing to watch and observe. After all, people use Reiki to improve health and quality of life. So, we must observe how we feel after the Reiki Session as well. Do you feel calmer? Do you sleep better? Are you more patient with co-workers or family and friends? Is your pain less? We must be willing to lift every stone of our experience and look to see if there may be a change or a shift. Sometimes Reiki brings about dramatic changes and healing. Those are easy to notice. More often, it brings about subtle changes, and we must be present enough to see the effects.

I can speak with honesty and truth when I say that when I first learned Reiki, I believed I could not feel a thing. I was not sure if anything was really happening. I kept using it though. It was the experiences of my clients that became confidence builders for me. Some saw colors and felt strong sensations in the body. Their health changed, they felt calmer, more peaceful. Pain went away. Their confidence, passions and connections to life were renewed. It was by witnessing their experiences that I developed faith in Reiki. And then slowly over time, I realized I was expecting Reiki to be a certain way. I was looking left, when the experience was on the right.

I finally learned that I had to throw out expectations and be present. In that presence of watching, I began to really experience the Reiki Energy. I then became more confident that I was not just imagining the vibrations in my hands and I began to experience the energy directly in many different ways. I realized by expecting the energy to be a certain thing, I limited the experience of what it really was.

Over the past 10 years, my relationship to Reiki has deepened. I experience the energy distinctly and I continue to watch my Reiki Students and clients transform in body, mind and spirit under its gentle yet powerful healing. Additionally, it became a spark which ignited the fire of Spiritual growth and transformation in my own life.

Reiki is a tool of healing. It can be blended with any other form of treatment and is not limited to any particular religion or spiritual path. It can heal and it can also be used as a tool to deepen awareness of self, life and spirit.

Reiki is one method of healing and transformation . It does not claim to be "the Way" or the ultimate method. It does not claim to be a magic bullet that will magically change your whole life in one session. But many people all over the world have experienced its powerful effects. If you have never experienced Reiki, then try it without expectations and give it a fair chance. If you have tried it before without noticing much, try again with fresh eyes and be willing to explore the subtle ways it creates healings. Try it Two, three or even Four times or more before you draw a final conclusion. Be fair. Until then you do not know.

Through direct experience, we can begin to satisfy the rational and scientific mind that changes are happening. Healing and transformation is taking place. When the rational mind becomes satisfied, it begins to let down its guard and allow the intuitive mind more access. As the strength of the intuitive mind is increased, the ability to perceive more and more subtle aspects of the energy develop. Before you know it, the power of Reiki as a healing method becomes your direct experience through scientific investigation. You have watched, observed and experienced it from many angles, and what you once did not know becomes known. You have discovered for yourself the power of Reiki.