HEALING
THE RESULTS REVEALED Reiki was shown to be more effective than placebo in eight of the 13 selected studies. Five of these were physiological studies, looking for measurable changes in things like heart rate and blood pressure, including the two rat studies. These trials showed that reiki was more effective than placebo in inducing a physically relaxed state, as measured by reduced heart rate, increased heart rate variability and lower blood pressure. The other 3 trials were conducted
with people living with long-term health conditions, and included patients with chronic illnesses and blood cancer, and residents of an aged care facility. These studies found reiki to be more effective than placebo, resulting in reduced anxiety and depression, and improved self-esteem and quality of life. In four of the 13 studies there was no
measurable difference between reiki and placebo. In these cases, it was questionable whether the measurement tools used to quantify patients’ subjective responses were sufficiently sensitive to differentiate between reiki and placebo, so no firm conclusion was possible. The only study in which neither reiki nor the placebo provided any tangible benefit was on patients with fibromyalgia, a very painful condition for which there is currently no effective medical treatment. In this case, the study only looked for reductions in pain intensity, but did not consider other ways that reiki may have helped patients cope with their condition.
A SCIENTIST’S CONCLUSION My conclusion was that the available evidence provides reasonably strong support for reiki being more effective than placebo, particularly for inducing a deep sense of relaxation. The observations showing that reiki was more effective than placebo for reducing anxiety and depression, and for improving self-esteem and quality of life, were consistent with much of the reiki literature. At first, I could not see a link between deep relaxation and a better ability to
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cope with life’s problems. However, I did some more research and found that the observed benefits of reiki could be explained using some established physiological models, namely, the polyvagal theory and the neurovisceral integration model. Without going into the details here, it turns out that the common factor relates to reiki’s ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. But why does it work? During every moment of our lives,
the state of the body is governed by the dynamic tension between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems; between the well-
//REIKI IS A GENTLE BUT EFFECTIVE WAY TO ACTIVATE THE RECUPERATIVE FUNCTIONS OF THE BODY, HELPING THE BODY TO HEAL ITSELF. //
known ‘fight or flight’ response and the recuperative ‘rest and digest’ mode. reiki is a gentle but effective way to activate the recuperative functions of the body, helping the body to heal itself. It seems that deliberate activation of
the parasympathetic nervous system can have quite profound physical and mental health benefits, and researchers are currently exploring new treatment options based on this insight. Reiki is a very simple and gentle method to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, in a way that is complementary to all other therapies and medical procedures. I believe that we are only just beginning to understand the potential of reiki for human healing, and that much more research is needed, especially into the benefits of long-term treatment.
A SCIENTIST’S DILEMMA For me, the consensus from the clinical trials with reiki is both reassuring and challenging. It is reassuring that the evidence supports the reiki teachings that the ability to transmit ‘universal life force energy’ is transmitted by personal attunements from a reiki master in a direct lineage from the founder, Mikao Usui. It is challenging because there is currently no accepted scientific understanding of how this might be possible. Reiki has recently been recognised
as a valid therapy under the National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers. The science now shows the importance of reiki practitioners being correctly attuned. If you are interested in trying reiki for yourself, ask the practitioner about their qualifications, lineage, and membership of a reiki association. You should also ask these questions of reiki teachers, so that you receive valid instruction and certification. My review paper, called ’reiki is better
than placebo and has broad potential as a complementary health therapy’, has recently been published in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine and is freely accessible online for anyone to download. l
REFERENCE: McManus, D. E. (2017). Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy. Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. First published online, 5 September 2017.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ full/10.1177/2156587217728644
Connect with other readers & comment on this article at
www.livingnow.com.au
David McManus PhD is a chemical engineer and Tibetan Buddhist. As a member of the Australasian Usui Reiki Association
(AURA) Inc., he is working towards the professionalisation of Reiki in Australia.
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