If you'd asked me what I thought about Reiki in my twenties, I probably would've rolled my eyes.
I was seeing a psychotherapist who also happened to be a Reiki Master, and she suggested we try a Reiki session. I agreed because I trusted her, not because I believed in it. Honestly, I thought it all sounded pretty ridiculous.
Then something happened that I couldn't explain...
As she held her hands above my body without touching me, I felt powerful spikes of static electricity, and the hair on my body stood on end. My skeptical mind immediately started searching for a logical explanation.
What fascinated me wasn't that I had this experience. It was that I had it despite not believing in Reiki at all. I wasn't expecting anything to happen. In fact, I was silently making fun of the whole thing in my head!
That experience didn't convince me of anything overnight. But it did make me curious enough to stop dismissing Reiki and start asking better questions.
So, if you're skeptical, I get it. My intention isn't to convince you to believe anything. Ever. It's simply to explain what Reiki is, where it came from, and why even many scientifically minded people have become curious about what the research is beginning to show.
The Basics
Reiki is a Japanese healing practice that supports the body's natural ability to restore balance.
During a session, the practitioner places their hands lightly on, or just above, different areas of the body. There's no manipulation of muscles or joints, and you don't have to do anything except relax. Some practitioners use light touch, while others, like the therapist I saw years ago, never physically touch the body at all. Reiki can also be performed remotely and across time and space.
Most people describe Reiki as deeply relaxing. Some notice warmth, tingling, or a feeling of energy moving through their body. Others simply leave feeling calmer, more grounded, or better able to cope with whatever they're facing.
The word Reiki comes from two Japanese words: rei, often translated as "universal" or "spiritual," and ki, meaning life energy. If you've heard of qi in Chinese medicine or prana in yoga, they're describing a similar concept.
Whether you think of that as an actual energy, a helpful metaphor, or simply something science hasn't figured out how to measure yet is entirely up to you.
A Quick History Lesson: Mikao Usui
The form of Reiki most commonly practiced today was developed in Japan by Mikao Usui in the early 1920s.
Usui spent years studying medicine, psychology, spirituality, and different healing traditions before developing a practice that ordinary people could learn. In 1922, he opened a clinic in Tokyo where he both practiced and taught Reiki. After a devastating earthquake struck the region the following year, Reiki gained wider recognition as Usui and his students helped care for those affected.
Before his death in 1926, he had trained more than 2,000 students. Those students carried the practice forward, and over time Reiki spread around the world, evolving into the styles practiced today.
OK... But Does the Research Actually Back This Up?
This is usually the part people are most interested in.
Here's the honest answer: scientists have not confirmed the existence of the energy field that Reiki practitioners describe. Organizations like the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health are very clear about that. They also point out that while the research is encouraging, it isn't yet strong enough to conclude that Reiki is an effective treatment for any specific medical condition.
I actually appreciate that honesty.
Rather than asking people to simply believe Reiki works, researchers have started asking a different question:
When people receive Reiki, do measurable outcomes change?
Over the last couple of decades, a growing number of randomized controlled trials suggest they sometimes do.
Researchers have found reductions in pain and anxiety among surgical patients, people living with cancer, and older adults. Other studies have reported improvements in mood, depression, and overall quality of life. A 2025 meta analysis that pooled data from more than 600 participants also found improvements in quality of life, particularly when people received multiple sessions over time.
None of this proves how Reiki works.
It doesn't prove that life energy exists.
And it certainly doesn't mean Reiki should replace conventional medical care.
What it does suggest is that something meaningful may be happening for at least some people, even if we don't yet have a complete explanation for why.
To me, that's worth paying attention to.
The Takeaway
Since becoming a Reiki practitioner myself, I've found my curiosity has only grown.
My experience is still relatively limited, but there are patterns I've noticed. Whether someone is receiving Reiki on my table or from a distance, I often hear remarkably similar things afterward. People tell me they feel calmer, more relaxed, and that they sleep better that night. They describe feeling like they've released something they can't quite put into words. Many say they're pleasantly tired afterward, almost as if their body has been doing important work while they simply rested.
I don't know exactly why those experiences are so consistent.
What I do know is that I've heard them often enough to keep paying attention.
Science is an incredible tool. It helps us ask better questions, test our assumptions, and refine our understanding of the world. But history is also full of examples where we observed something long before we understood the mechanism behind it.
I don't see science and practices like Reiki as being at odds with one another. I think there's room for both rigorous scientific inquiry and genuine curiosity about experiences we don't yet fully understand. The fact that we can't currently measure every aspect of something doesn't necessarily mean it has no value. Sometimes it simply means our understanding is still evolving.
Maybe future research will explain Reiki in ways we can't yet imagine. Maybe it won't.
In the meantime, I'll continue paying attention to both the research and the lived experiences of the people I work with.
Because, for me, there's room for all of it.
Bowden, D., Goddard, L., & Gruzelier, J. (2011). A Randomised Controlled Single-Blind Trial of the Efficacy of Reiki at Benefitting Mood and Well-Being. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2011, Article 381862. DOI: 10.1155/2011/381862
Liu, K., Qin, Z., Qin, Y., et al. (2025). Effects of Reiki Therapy on Quality of Life: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Systematic Reviews, 14, 72. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-025-02811-5
Richeson, N. E., Spross, J. A., Lutz, K., & Peng, C. (2010). Effects of Reiki on Anxiety, Depression, Pain, and Physiological Factors in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 3(3), 187–199. DOI: 10.3928/19404921-20100601-01
Thrane, S., & Cohen, S. M. (2014). Effect of Reiki Therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Adults: An In-Depth Literature Review of Randomized Trials with Effect Size Calculations. Pain Management Nursing, 15(4), 897–908. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmn.2013.07.008