The Clarity House
The Science of Reiki
The Science of Reiki
For those of you who love to ask why, and need concrete answers to those questions (trust me, I totally get it - I asked a lot of questions before becoming a practitioner), here is a brief summary of the research I’ve found regarding the benefits of Reiki.
First and foremost, Reiki can not harm you. It involves light touch, soft sound and relaxation, so unless you have a condition that advises against those things - it’s perfectly safe! Reiki is a gentle, and profoundly relaxing healing modality that is offered by healers that have undergone extensive (1 - 3 year) training and practicums and received an attunement from a Reiki Master Teacher to become a Level 2, Reiki Practitioner (Calling in the energy) or Level 3, Reiki Master (Being the energy).
Research on the benefits and efficacy of Reiki is limited - but it is growing!
Studies cost money, which is why you will find tons of western medical practices funded by wealthy drug companies, hospitals or brands, and fewer on holistic wellness modalities like Reiki, which are typically offered by conversely humble practitioners. Research studies are often conducted by PHD graduates, psychologists and doctors, who are more concerned with their specific trades than research on the efficacy of holistic medicine. I am in no way shunning doctors - we need them! I must stress that Reiki is not a substitute for medical attention or treatment, but can be a great addition.
As a Queens Bachelor of Psychology graduate, I can tell you designing a study is hard work that can take months and sometimes years. Even providing the results of other people's studies (like I’m doing now) takes hours of time. Sadly, some studies, though successfully completed, are found to be flawed in the end, and as such the results aren’t as useful as intended. There are many reasons a study might produce inconclusive results. Namuun Bat’s 2021 study on Reiki’s effect on blood pressure, noted that they used too small a sample size and an incorrect target population due to improper inclusion and exclusion criteria, as well shorter than necessary treatment time, or not enough treatment sessions to produce a significant result. In cases like these it can be years before a study is reattempted with the correct controls, due to funding, time constraints, (or resilience after a bruised ego,) if it’s reattempted at all.
When Liu K. Et al conducted a similar study in 2025, with better controls, they found that 661 participants showed a significant enhancement in quality of life post-Reiki therapy, and that Reiki therapy interventions with a frequency of greater than 8 sessions and a duration of 60 min were most effective in improving quality of life.
Shirani et al. 2019, found that just 20 min of distant Reiki was equally effective in reducing pain and enhancing the quality of life for osteoarthritis patients compared to other forms of Reiki.
McManus, 2017 found reasonably strong evidence suggesting that Reiki attunement leads to a quantifiable increase in healing ability, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system, as measured by reduced heart rate, reduced blood pressure, and increased heart rate variability. He also found that for patients with chronic health conditions, Reiki has been found to be more effective than placebo for reducing pain, anxiety, and depression, and for improving self-esteem and quality of life. According to the neurovisceral integration model and the polyvagal theory, these effects are due to higher parasympathetic nervous system activity, mediated via the vagus nerve.
Phew! That’s a mouthful!
TL;dr Reiki has proven relaxation benefits! Reiki reduces heart rate and blood pressure, which reduces stress, which reduces inflammation, which reduces pain, mental health symptoms, self esteem and other health risks leading to better quality of life overall.
References:
Liu K, Qin Z, Qin Y, Li Y, Liu Q, Gao F, Zhang P, Wang W. Effects of Reiki therapy on quality of life: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Syst Rev. 2025 Mar 27;14(1):72. doi: 10.1186/s13643-025-02811-5. PMID: 40148929; PMCID: PMC11951753.
McManus David E. Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Oct;22(4):1051-1057. doi: 10.1177/2156587217728644. Epub 2017 Sep 5. PMID: 28874060; PMCID: PMC5871310.
Namuun Bat. The effects of reiki on heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and stress levels: A pilot randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled study, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Volume 43, 2021,101328, ISSN 1744-3881, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2021.101328.
Shirani N, Abdollahimohammad A, Masinaeinezhad N, Shahraki-Vahed A. The effect of Reiki energy therapy on the severity of pain and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized clinical trial study. Med Sci. 2019;23(96):205–10
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