A common criticism about Reiki energy treatments is that there is no scientific evidence to prove that such “energy” exists. Scientists aren’t able to identify exactly what Reiki energy is, and therefore (to some in the scientific community), it simply can’t be real. However, just because we don’t yet understand why or how it works, does this discount the positive results that have been studied and reported? For those who have received Reiki treatments and benefited, definitive explanations may not be so important. On the other hand, if it really bothers you that we can’t identify the exact physics behind Reiki energy, then you should probably stop reading – I’m not going to convince you. But if you’re still feeling open-minded, read on!

Unfortunately, because research funding tends not to go toward therapies unless they can be patented or profited from, we’re unlikely to see the huge large-scale, high-tech studies we would need in order to explain how and why Reiki works. However, this doesn’t mean that you need to just suspend your disbelief. There have been hundreds of smaller research studies aimed at measuring Reiki’s effects. This article will highlight several.

In a recent study of 1411 patients with various health concerns, statistically significant improvements were measured in patients’ reported levels of pain, drowsiness, tiredness, nausea, appetite, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression, and overall well-being after just one Reiki session (Dyer, Baldwin & Rand, 2019). While this is a fairly large sample size (number of participants), smaller studies have shown similar results.

For example, in 46 patients who had undergone knee surgery (compared with those control groups receiving “fake” or conventional treatments), only the Reiki group showed significant reductions in pain, blood pressure, respiration rate, and anxiety levels (Baldwin et al, 2017). Similarly, another study showed that post-cesarean section, women experienced reduced pain intensity, anxiety, breathing rate, and less need for pain medication (Sagkal Midilli & Eser, 2015) after Reiki sessions.

Cancer treatment centres have also started to research Reiki’s effects on patients. In a study following 118 patients receiving chemotherapy, patients reported improvement in overall well-being, relaxation, pain relief, sleep quality, and reduced anxiety levels. (Birocco et al., 2011). A randomized controlled trial of 110 pre-surgical patients with breast cancer also found reduced anxiety and mood improvement in the Reiki treatment group (Chirico et al, 2017).

Finally, Reiki is being studied as a complimentary therapy for patients with dementia. For example, in a 2006 study, 12 participants with mild dementia were exposed to 4 weeks of weekly treatments of Reiki (12 participants received no treatment at all). Results indicated that Reiki may be helpful for improving behavior, mental functioning, and memory in these patients (Crawford, Leaver, & Mahoney, 2006).

So while science is just starting to investigate the effectiveness of Reiki, preliminary studies look promising in a variety of health conditions. Because Reiki is non-invasive and can be used safely in conjunction with other therapies, it may be worth giving it a try. At the very least, you should experience deep relaxation during your session, and we do know that a reduction in stress levels is very beneficial for healing!