Although this paper is about the form of energy healing called Reiki, it is from the loins of this paper that launched me into the world of energy and physics. I was more than fascinated by the basic concept in this paper and to this day continue the search for more answers on these topics. Today a majority of my research involves yoga, mind, and consciousness. There is also a power point presentation that I gave at Stanford which delves more in to the scientific validation of meditation and the role that the human mind and consciousness plays in energy work of almost all forms. I will post it along with this paper.
I have completed the first level of teacher training for yoga and I am now in the throes of therapeutic yoga teacher training. I will likely be studying yoga for the rest of my life.
Brooke Smith
Professor Korber
English 1A Independent Study
© Copyright 2002
Revised and presented at Stanford Bay Symposium 18 April, 2008
Improved Health Care with Help from the Ancient Ones
The United States has been staring a demon in the face for quite some time now. That demon is our health care system. In light of this, it may prove to be prudent to look to the ancient healing traditions of our planet to help solve some of our modern-day health care problems. Our ancestors relied on innate wisdom passed from one generation to the next for survival. Today we have the ability to tap into the same wisdom to allow us to make optimal choices for our health care. One of the options available is an ancient healing tradition called Reiki.
Reiki (pronounced ray-kee), is an ancient Tibetan form of hands-on healing (Tompkins 4). It has been around for at least 2,500 years, with some claims showing the roots going all the way back to 620 B. C. E. (Stein 9-11). One of the methods used in transmitting the healing energy of Reiki from the practitioner to a recipient is through the use of sacred symbols. Signs and symbols have proven to be significant to the human race throughout millennia (Arrien 11-12; Tompkins 67-70). In ancient times only Buddhist monks were permitted to administer Reiki. The monks so closely guarded the sacred symbols, that when they were to begin a session of Reiki, they drew the symbols on the roof of their mouths with their tongues so that no one could see the symbols. The Reiki symbols are still considered to be sacred today. An example of this is in the ancient tradition of oral transmission from teacher to student; the student is allowed to see the symbol and is then given time to practice drawing it (Attwood). Admission to a higher level of Reiki is not permitted until the student can draw each of the Kanji symbols, explain how they are used in a multitude of differing circumstances, and expound on the spirituality of the symbols. This process can take many years (Attwood).
According to Reiki Master Terry Attwood, the history of Reiki has been shrouded in mystery for centuries (Yeshe 294). Thanks to the efforts of Reiki Master, noted author, and leading authority on Reiki Frank Arjava Petter, the true history is unraveling. We now know that Reiki’s roots are in Tibetan Buddhism. It was re-discovered near the end of the 19th century by Dr. Mikao Usui, but an exact date is still unavailable. Through a series of transitions over many years, Reiki was finally brought to the United States by Hawayo Takata. She eventually earned the title of Grand Master and granted mastership to 22 students of her own before her death in December 1980 (Haberly 112).
Even though the history of Reiki is foggy, the future of Reiki is looking sunny and clear. Thanks to many of the brilliant minds of scientists, physicists, and mathematicians from all over the world, many unanswered questions that have been asked by skeptics and critics are now being resolved. This is due in large part to quantum physics and understanding the complex concept of energy and how to harness these powers in healing (Tiller x-xv).
The discovery of quantum physics took place in the early part of the twentieth century. Leading scientists, physicists, and mathematicians from some of the highest ranking schools in the country, including Princeton and Stanford Universities and other top institutions worldwide, have all produced impeccable information and experimentation. Their experiments have pushed the limits on a number of tenets that, at the heart of modern science, are held sacred. In a very brief analogy, French philosopher Rene’ Descartes’ revolutionary notion that we, being represented by our minds were separate from our bodies, was replaced with Newton’s law of motion, which removed the human race from the fabric of the universe (McTaggart XIV). This is where quantum physics enters the picture. Pioneers such as Erwin Schroedinger, Werner Heisenberg, Niels Bohr, and Wolfgang Pauli discovered that electrons were connected everywhere in the universe. This discovery enables humans to attempt to grasp the deeper truth about the odd subatomic world in which we live. These scientists represent just one small group of rebels in the advancing field of quantum physics.
Wolfgang Pauli began examining the Jewish Quabbalah, psychoanalysis, and archetypes while his comrades Bohr, Schroedinger, and Heisenberg explored and applied the theories of mathematics, the Tao, Chinese, and Hindu philosophy, as well as the Platonic theory of ancient Greece. These theories led them to Zero Point Field (McTaggart XVII). Zero Point Field is described as microscopic vibrations that lie in the spaces that are in between everything and all subatomic particles (McTaggart XVII). This concept of the energy that is present at the emptiest possible state of space – the closest that subatomic matter ever gets to zero – stands to alter our scientific understandings and could prove that the very underpinning of our universe is actually a massive sea of energy: one continuous, vast, quantum field, that is constantly in motion. If this is the case, then everything in the universe is connected to everything else, including humans (Braden). Many scientists now believe that we, as human beings in our most elemental form, are not chemical reactions, as formerly suspected, but we are actually energetic quantum charges, and we are constantly exchanging information with this never-ending sea of energy (McTaggart XII, XVII). In Reiki terms, this energy is known as the Universal Life Force (Haberly vi), and it is something that everyone has the ability to use with a little practice and focused attention. Webster’s Dictionary describes focused attention as “1. Close or careful observation or heed: Mental concentration. 2. The ability or power to concentrate mentally” is the first step for Reiki practitioners and other subtle energy healers to achieve in healing sessions. In addition, the healer then sets their intention for the session, which is described by Webster’s as “A concept regarded as the product of attention directed to an object of knowledge”. The focused attention that is embodied by Tibetan Monks offers science an opportunity to explore whether years of practice could push the brain beyond its usual limits. The practice of focused attention has raised some interesting questions. Does the practice of focused attention change the physiology of the brain? Does training and experience enable one to become a better creator of intention? Are the skills of intention that are embraced by the Buddhist monks achievable by ordinary people like us? What is the effect of focused attention on the brain? Are the neural structures of our brains determined from birth or are they malleable due to thoughts and intentions? (McTaggart) These are questions that have kept the neuroscience community on its toes for years. We stand on the threshold of exciting times as we take momentous steps towards finding answers to at least some of these questions.
Dr. Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist and psychologist at the University of Wisconsin’s Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience conducted recent tests regarding the activity of the brain during meditation. Dr. Davidson is an expert in “affective processing,” which is the processing of emotions in the brain and the resulting communications between the brain and body. Conventional thought has been that the brain slows down during meditation, leading to a predominance of either alpha or theta waves (McTaggart). However, more recent testing is giving us a glimpse to other understandings.
Davidson’s work captured the attention of the Dalai Lama who wanted to better understand the biological effects of intensive meditation. His Holiness sent eight of his most experienced practitioners of meditation to Davidson’s lab in Wisconsin. Exhaustive studies were conducted in order to record electrical activity from a large number of different areas in the brain as the monks performed different types of meditation. In one of these studies, 256 Electroencephalograph (E. E. G.) sensors were attached to each of the monk’s scalps. According to the Electroencephalograph readings, within 15 seconds of entering a meditative state the monk’s brain wave activity started speeding up rather than slowing down. The monitors displayed unprecedented levels of gamma brain wave activity emitted by the monks. The levels were so high that neither Davidson and his team nor any other scientists had ever witnessed such results. The monitors also showed that the monks were able to sustain bursts of gamma-band activity (Gamma waves are the most rapid of the brain wave frequencies at 25-70 hertz per second). In fact, the monks were able to rapidly shift from alpha to beta then into gamma. The monks that held the longest recorded levels of gamma activity had also been performing meditation the longest and were even able to achieve gamma levels of brain activity during rest periods. Later when Davidson and his colleague were writing up their study, they realized that they had recorded and were reporting the highest measures of gamma brain wave activity of people who were not insane. In more recent studies conducted by Davidson and his team, they have demonstrated that meditation has the ability to alter brain wave patterns, even among beginners. New practitioners showed an increase of brain wave activity after only eight weeks of practice (McTaggart). Clearly there can be no comparison between the power of the mind of a Tibetan Buddhist monk and the mind of a Reiki practitioner, but if only eight weeks of practice can show increased levels of brain wave activity, it makes one wonder just how much a lifetime of practice can do.
This is a unique time in the evolution of our civilization. Armed with the recent knowledge that science is presenting, we may now begin to approach the issues that are bogging down the health care forum. Technology and pharmaceuticals have proven themselves to be a formidable dilemma, while the public is demanding reduced costs and improved care. Reiki is taking its place in the American health care forum, as Health Maintenance Organizations search for methods of reducing health care costs and people search for more natural methods of attaining better health. Reiki is sweeping the nation because it works, and in many cases, the results are dramatic and immediate (Attwood). With this in mind, some hospitals have begun to incorporate Reiki and other alternative health choices and make them available to their patients (Frost, 14). The average American is considering alternative and complementary health care now, more than ever before (Attwood). In a study conducted in 1990 out of Boston’s Beth Israel Hospital, it was discovered that more than $14 billion dollars were spent by one in every three Americans to privately finance their own alternative health care in one year alone! In January 2007, Cranky.com, a website devoted to the interests of Baby Boomers, rated Reiki as the 4th most popular internet search in the U. S.
Belief systems play a major role in the effectiveness of any medical practice. During the last several decades, our society has come to believe that there is a pill for everything and that we no longer have to worry about or take responsibility for our own health. One of the many uses of Reiki is in the arena of treating animals and children. Animals are naturally drawn to the healing energy of Reiki. An interesting point to mention about treating animals is that they seem to understand when they have had a sufficient amount of Reiki energy and will then just pull away from the practitioner. Children rarely have the opportunity to develop positive or negative belief systems in the medical fields, unless it involves getting an injection. Since Reiki is non-invasive and children thrive on safe touch, Reiki practitioners are able to make great strides in helping to treat many childhood ailments, including Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and an even more perplexing disorder, Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). When Reiki is combined with a technique called guided imagery (Naparstek 207-208), children are able to achieve calm, quiet relaxation without the use of drugs. With each subsequent therapeutic session, the periods of calm last longer, and the child eventually learns how to get to a quiet place on his or her own. This, of course, is not the case for every child afflicted with these disorders, but if only a portion of children are helped, without the use of Ritalin and other Class III drugs, then this is a therapy to seriously consider. According to Attwood, Reiki is now offered in more hospitals and clinics all over the country, then ever before. Hospitals such as the Tucson Medical Center in Tucson, the Columbia Presbyterian Center in New York, and the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, and medical schools such as Stanford, Yale, and Harvard are offering Reiki as a complimentary therapy, and have taken the lead in this race.
The Tucson Medical Center is the home of The Reiki Clinic, which is staffed with several Reiki practitioners. The Reiki Clinic program first started in the Cancer Care Unit. The attending physicians and Reiki practitioners work side-by-side with the patients in the clinic. Sessions are offered by two-person teams, beginning with a question-and-answer period, which helps the patient feel comfortable, confident and relaxed. Once this is accomplished, the patient signs a consent form and the session can be given to the patient in the comfort of his or her own bed. As of 2002, there were about 20 practitioners in the program. The clinic’s staff has reported many beneficial effects for the patients, including reduced pain, increased relaxation, better sleep, and increased appetite. All in all, the program has been well received by other members of the hospital staff, who now acknowledges the value of Reiki and believe it is fulfilling an important role for the patients in the aspect of hospital care. Many claims have been made that Reiki is capable of reducing health care costs, but now these claims are being supported by hospitals, medical doctors, and the Holistic Nursing Association. In the Journal of Advanced Nursing, several studies were conducted showing a shortened amount of time spent in the hospitals after surgery, less anxiety experienced prior to and following surgery, and faster recovery time with less pain medication (Wardell 439). In one report, an anesthesiologist had commented that he was amazed that it had taken much less anesthetic to put a patient to sleep and less time had elapsed before the patient had regained consciousness. All of this information is pointing to less time in the hospital and fewer drugs administered during and after surgery. In the long run, this should prove to be a financial relief to the government and taxpayers around the country.
Reiki trained healer, Julie Motz has worked with noted cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz at Columbia Presbyterian Center in New York during 11 heart transplants. While working in the operating room, Motz is able to balance the energetic patterns of the patients, and it was reported that none of the 11 patients that she assisted with experienced the usual post-operative depression, pain or leg weakness. Organ rejection can be a serious consideration during transplants, but none of the 11 patients experienced organ rejection. Organ transplant of any type is an exorbitant expense, and a 100 percent success rate spells out huge savings in eliminating repeat surgeries, costly hospital stays, and more expensive medications. Right here in the Bay Area, Motz has worked with doctors from Marin General Hospital in Marin County and from Stanford Medical Center. While performing Reiki on patients in the hospital, Dr. David Guillion stated, “I feel we need to do whatever is in our power to help the patient. We provide state-of-the-art medicine in our office, but healing is a multidimensional process….I endorse the idea that there is a potential healing that can take place utilizing energy”. This may be true, but a Reiki practitioner is taught in the early stages of healing that they are not responsible for the healings that take place. The practitioner is only acting as a messenger. It is the universal energy that is responsible for the healings. Egos are not encouraged in this ancient art (Attwood; Petter 64).
Reiki can seem a bit too abstract for those who think more logically. This non-logical approach to healing the human body, let alone an energy system within the human body, makes it difficult for Reiki to be received in some areas of the country. In one study conducted at a hospital in the Bay Area, out of all of the doctors that received a Reiki session, only two percent gave negative feedback. However, only five percent of the doctors returned for additional sessions (Attwood).
It is a well known fact that the mind has tremendous power over the body. In the beginning of a Reiki session, you and the practitioner will discuss what needs attention first and what to expect at follow-up sessions. Patients who experience extreme physical or emotional pain are treated in a most delicate and respectful manner. Usually the hands, feet, and head are the areas that will be treated in these cases. One of the most commonly noted benefits of receiving Reiki is that it allows your body and mind to slow down enough to achieve deep relaxation. It is believed in many healing and medical practices around the world that the body, under the right conditions, can actually heal itself. This is the main concept behind Reiki, that in its simplest form, through deep relaxation of the body, mind, and spirit, the body is capable of using the universal energy to heal itself. It is in our DNA, so to speak.
As for the future of Reiki in hospital settings, institutions could learn from the California Pacific Medical Center, which is one of the largest hospitals in Northern California. The Health and Healing Clinic is staffed by two physicians and many practitioners. The clinic is equipped with six treatment tables, and they offer care for both acute and chronic illnesses, using other alternative health options such as Chinese medicine, hypnosis, biofeedback, acupuncture, homeopathy, herbal therapy, and aromatherapy, as well as Reiki. Several physicians and other professionals are on a waiting list to join the team. Currently, Reiki is not covered by insurance (Rand), but clinical research is being conducted by Dr. Michael Cantwell and several other medically supervised clinics around the country in the hope of convincing insurance companies that complementary care is viable and will save them money. Cantwell, who is one of the attending physicians in the clinic, claims, “I have found Reiki to be useful in the treatment of acute illnesses such as musculoskeletal injury/pain, headache, acute infections, and asthma. Reiki is also useful for patients with chronic illnesses, especially those associated with chronic pain” (qtd. in Rand). From a therapeutic standpoint, the patients that respond well to Reiki are referred for basic Reiki training so that they can learn about treating themselves on a continuing basis. The family members of the patient are also encouraged to take training so that home care can be provided in between office visits with their physicians. The training is simple, easy and affordable. Best of all, it lasts a lifetime (Attwood). Training for the first level of Reiki is usually completed in a single eight-hour session where the first Reiki initiation, or attunement, is performed by the Reiki master. The Reiki energy is then passed on to the student in an ancient, time-honored tradition (Kelly 137-145). The process of the initiation is symbolic and acts as a directive which then provokes a response for the Universal Life Force Energy.
We, as a nation, have exhausted all affordable avenues in health care with the exception of the alternative options. We have a responsibility to ourselves and to the generations who will follow after us to take the health care dilemma of our nation by the horn and get it under control. As a result, more research needs to be conducted around the country to explore how the ancient art of Reiki will help save money in the future of health care in the U.S. Someday we will be seen as the ancient ones who turned an important corner in medical history. Therefore it is up to us to make the right choices today for the health of all of us tomorrow.
© Copyright 2002 Brooke Smith
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Brooke Smith. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
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