Recent research indicates that Reiki may help reduce stress, anxiety, pain, and other health-related symptoms, though conclusive evidence for its role in physical healing remains limited. In an interview with Dr. Natalie Dyer of the Center for Reiki Research, findings from various studies, including large-scale and distance Reiki research, highlight its potential as a complementary therapy. Despite promising results, ethical and methodological challenges make it difficult to isolate Reiki’s direct effects. Continued investigation is needed to understand better how Reiki fits into both conventional and holistic health care models.
Key Takeaways
- Reiki has been shown to reduce symptoms like stress, anxiety, pain, and fatigue, making it a potentially valuable complementary therapy in various health settings.
- Large-scale studies, including remote Reiki sessions, report consistent symptom relief, suggesting Reiki’s benefits may extend beyond placebo in certain cases.
- There is still no conclusive evidence that Reiki directly heals specific diseases, due to ethical and methodological constraints in research design.
- Challenges in Reiki research stem from its nonmaterial, energy-based nature, which doesn’t easily fit within traditional scientific models.
- Further investigation is needed to explore Reiki’s long-term effects, optimal treatment dosage, and integration with conventional medical care.
Reiki research is nascent yet offers valuable insight on measurable results. Further exploration on the effects of Reiki may award more validity to the work of energy practitioners.
In an interview with Natalie Dyer, PhD, a research scientist with Connor Whole Health at University Hospitals, author of “Expanding Science: Visions of a Postmaterialist Paradigm” and president of the Center for Reiki Research, Reiki master Aiyana Fraley, a regular contributor to MASSAGE Magazine, dove into a conversation about Reiki’s efficacy as indicated by research, and the implications for Reiki’s contribution to physical healing.
This interview precedes the Center for Reiki Research’s second annual International Reiki Research Conference which was held on June 1-2 2024 online.
While existing Reiki research studies suggest its positive effects on various health-related symptoms, the conclusive evidence for Reiki’s direct role in physical healing remains elusive due to ethical and methodological challenges.
The research studies hyperlinked throughout this article highlight the need for continued investigation into Reiki’s potential alongside conventional medical care.
Among the multitude of claims and testimonials surrounding Reiki’s benefits, this interview aimed to unravel the scientific standing of Reiki in the field of such holistic practices as massage therapy. Exploring its impact on stress, pain, and overall well-being, this discussion sheds light on the complexities of conducting research in an area that intersects energy, spirituality, and health.
Aiyana Fraley: Let’s dive right in. Give us an overview of the current state of research on the effectiveness of Reiki for physical healing.
Natalie Dyer: There is much more research that needs to be done to make any claim about physical healing, or healing at all for that matter. What we do know is that Reiki is beneficial for many health-related symptoms, including stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, pain, fatigue and nausea.
However, in terms of healing specific diseases we are just not there yet. The primary reason being it would be unethical to withhold conventional medicine from those with disease and an ethics board would never approve Reiki in place of, say, chemotherapy.
The research is Reiki plus usual care, rather than Reiki compared to standard treatment.
AF: Can you discuss any notable studies that explore Reiki’s influence on reducing anxiety or stress levels?
ND: One high-quality study published last year applied to patients before upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, which reported Reiki to improve comfort levels, stress and anxiety compared to sham Reiki and controls.
Also, in our large-scale effectiveness study of 1,411 Reiki sessions, which is the largest Reiki study to date, we found reductions in anxiety and other symptoms, including pain, depression, and fatigue, following a single Reiki session.
There is also some evidence that this is the case for distance Reiki as well. This year, we published a study on a remote Reiki program for health care professionals—physicians, nurses, and paramedics—in the UK. We observed decreased stress, anxiety and pain, and increased well-being and sleep quality following four consecutive distance Reiki sessions.
There are many other studies that show Reiki reduces stress and anxiety in various populations.
AF: Are there variations in research outcomes depending on the specific techniques or practices within Reiki that are utilized?
ND: There has not been much, if any, research on this yet.
AF: For example, is there research on the effectiveness of hands-on Reiki versus distance Reiki?
ND: There has been one study, and one that has yet to be published. In the published study, there was no difference between in-person and distance Reiki on depression and stress.
AF: Is there research on the minimum amount of time needed to receive Reiki for it to be effective?
ND: Not yet, but this is an area of investigation that comes up a lot in conversations and Q-and-As at webinars and research talks. As far as I know, no one has published a dose-response of Reiki.
AF: Is a full-body sequence of Reiki healing needed for the improvement of health conditions in patients?
ND: We do not know yet.
AF: How does Reiki complement conventional medical treatments, according to the findings of existing research?
ND: As a complementary therapy, Reiki seems to enhance conventional treatments. For example, in a study of patients undergoing knee surgery, those who received Reiki in addition to usual care improved in their pain, anxiety and blood pressure following surgery beyond sham Reiki and care as usual.
AF: Are there any emerging areas of Reiki research that show promise for future applications in health care?
ND: Targeting objective markers of inflammation is an important area given the role of chronic inflammation in nearly every disease. There is some evidence that Reiki reduces inflammation.
Reiki seems to improve symptoms in nearly all patient populations. I think its use in palliative care is particularly important. It is also useful for improving pain and can therefore prevent use of pain medications like opioids that can have serious effects.
AF: Can you shed some light on whether the research indicates that Reiki’s effects extend beyond a placebo effect, and if so, what evidence supports this distinction? Additionally, have studies explored whether Reiki demonstrates similar effects to a placebo in any particular circumstances?
ND: Yes, Reiki’s effectiveness has been demonstrated beyond the placebo effect in many studies; however, some studies do not show a difference between sham Reiki and real Reiki, and the reasons are up for debate.
Usually, the sham Reiki group improves a bit but not as much as real Reiki, because the placebo effect is a real effect. There is a lot going on in a sham Reiki session to influence the outcomes.
Being cared for matters, being touched matters, and thinking you are going to improve can increase the likelihood that you will improve. But we do see that usually, Reiki is significantly more beneficial than placebo Reiki.
AF: Why is it challenging to conduct research on Reiki, and what are some of the inherent challenges or limitations researchers face in studying its effectiveness?
ND: I would say that the main challenge is trying to conduct research on a phenomenon that does not fit within an (outdated) reductionist, materialist view of reality, especially when it comes to distance Reiki.
Reiki, if real, implies that we are connected energetically, informationally in a meaningful way that can promote health. It is not that far-fetched really. We know the positive power of love, affection and social connection on health; however, distance Reiki implies that that connection is also nonlocal, meaning it transcends space-time.
Well, that is not so far-fetched either when we look at the quantum world. What we do not have evidence for yet is that those quantum properties operate on a macroscale of, say, a person. But if consciousness is the key for energy healing, and consciousness operates within quantum fields, it could be the case.
We are waiting for medicine to catch up to the research and biophysics. This can make it challenging to get institutional support, such as from the health care or the academic center where the research will take place. Other challenges include obtaining funding to conduct the research, often for the same reasons as above, and use of appropriate controls—for example, a sham Reiki placebo control group.
About the Author
Aiyana Fraley, LMT, is a freelance writer and health care professional with more than 20 years of experience in the massage field. She teaches yoga and offers sessions in massage, Reiki, sound healing and essential oils. Her articles for MASSAGE Magazine include “Yoga Nidra for Self-Care.”
