Reiki
Really Works - A Groundbreaking Scientific Study
Excerpt
from Green Lotus
After
decades of often disputed validity, the effectiveness of Reiki,
a holistic energy treatment, is gaining new respect within the medical
community. Not only are highly reputable medical facilities throughout
the U.S. offering patients alternative healing programs such as Reiki,
those facilities are analyzing the benefits of their programs and are
submitting them for review and compilation. The results are nothing
short of remarkable.
A
Brief Explanation of Reiki
- Reiki is
an energy healing treatment that works holistically; on the
whole body, mind and spirit. Not a system of religious beliefs, Reiki
is simply a relaxing treatment whereas natural healing vibrations are
transmitted through the hands of a Reiki practitioner (acting as a
conduit) to the body of the recipient. The purpose of a Reiki
treatment is to relieve stress and pain, induce relaxation,
release emotional blockages, accelerate natural healing, balance
subtle bodies energies and support other medical modalities including
traditional therapies.
The
International Center for Reiki Training
has estimated that there are 4,000,000 people throughout the world who
have taken at least one level of Reiki training. There are three
traditional levels of expertise. Today, Reiki is offered free of
charge in more than 800 American Hospitals as a means to accelerate
the healing process and to alleviate pain.
Why
Reiki has been discounted
- For
years Reiki, along with other methods of holistic therapies
were looked upon with disdain, even contempt from medical
associations, practitioners, mainstream scientists and clerics. The
idea that the human body was permeated or surrounded by an invisible,
etheric body of "life force energy" was considered to be no
less than nonsense.
These
negative conclusions were formulated on the premise that “life
energy” fields such as those accepted in China as Chi or Qi,
in Japan as Ki and in India as prana, were “unseen”
and “immeasurable” by traditional research or scientific
instrumentation.
But
now all that is changing.
Controlled
Experiments, Improved Reporting
- There's
never been a comprehensive list of controlled, evidence-based
research that was accessible to the holistic, medical, and scientific
communities. It wasn’t until 2005 when William Lee Rand, founder and
president of the International Center for Reiki Training and a pioneer
in worldwide Reiki awareness formed the Center for Reiki Research and
developed what is now known as The Touchstone Process.
The
Touchstone Process
is actually a peer review method for analyzing the current state of
scientific studies done on Reiki programs in hospitals, clinics and
hospice facilities throughout the United States. The process of
critique is rigorous, impartial, and consistent and incorporates the
best practices for scientific review.
The
Touchstone Process is unique. Never before have there been so
many worthy studies of Reiki gathered, analyzed and evaluated within a
single source.
What
Are The Findings?
- Testing
in humans performed between 1993 and 2006 showed ratings from
Satisfactory to Excellent, all suggesting that the benefits of Reiki
treatments were positive in controlling pain levels in humans.
There were some “confounding variables”, which is typical in
hospital (as opposed to laboratory) studies; however, the placebo
Reiki treatments in this experiment were by contrast ineffective in
controlling pain.
Vital
Signs
- At
New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Campus, one
particular study was
performed to determine the effectiveness of Reiki treatments on the
autonomic nervous system. This “blind, random study” included a
Reiki treatment group, a “sham” treatment group and a
“control” group. The testing began with all participants at
“baseline” autonomic nervous systems levels. The results within
the Reiki treatment group showed a lowering of these levels including
heart rate, respiration and blood pressure.
It’s
interesting to note that Columbia/Presbyterian was one of the first
hospitals to offer Reiki as part of their Integrative Medicine Program
(CIMP). The now famous cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Mehmet Oz brought
tremendous attention to Reiki when he invited Reiki practitioners to
treat patients during open heart surgeries and heart transplant
operations. Dr. Oz is often quoted as saying, "Reiki has become a
sought-after healing art among patients and mainstream medical
professionals."
As
of 2009, The Touchstone Process has evaluated 25 test studies
that appeared in peer-review journals evaluating the merits of Reiki
Treatments. Taking into consideration only the most rigorously
controlled studies, the team reported that 83%
showed moderate to strong evidence in support of Reiki as a viable,
therapeutic healing modality.
In
a press release dated Sept. 15th, 2008, The American
Hospital Association President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock stated,
“"Complementary and alternative medicine has shown great
promise in supporting and stimulating healing. It's one of the many
tools hospitals look to as they continue to create optimal healing
environments for the patients they serve."
According
to a 2008 AHA survey, 84 percent of hospitals indicated patient demand
as the primary rationale in offering complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM) services including Reiki and 67 percent of those
surveyed stated “clinical effectiveness” as their top reason.
Conclusion
- A
spokesperson from Columbia Integrative Medicine Program at the New
York Presbyterian Hospital (CIMP) perhaps expresses it best, saying,
“I
find the practice of Reiki very rewarding, as a practitioner. Patients
have reported deep relaxation and a sense of profound healing, after
one session. I feel that Reiki is a huge asset for any hospital
setting, because patients sense that they are in a truly caring
environment."
As
Reiki continues to become "a huge asset" for the hospital
setting, analytical reporting such as The Touchstone Process continues
to add to the much needed pool of evidence that Reiki is indeed a
worthy, effective method for facilitating the healing process; one
that can contribute to the betterment of patients everywhere and to
the betterment of our health care systems.
These
are excerpts taken from the article by Lotus Press. For a full copy of
the article, visit:http://greenlotus.hubpages.com/hub/Reiki_Really_Works-A_Groundbreaking_Scientific_Study
Quote of the Month
"A new idea is first condemned as ridiculous
and then dismissed as trivial, until finally,
it becomes what everybody knows."
William
James
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