Animals roles in our lives evolve

My neighbor invited me into her house the other day to look at the home improvement projects they had recently completed. We were busy looking at bathroom fixtures and light fixtures and I had been in the house at least 5-10 minutes when their dog Cricket finally realized I was there. (He had been sound asleep and his hearing doesn't work too well anymore, as he is over 15 years old, so he didn't know someone had come in). Once he saw me though, it was all wags and kisses and I spent some time giving him love and attention.

As I was petting him, my neighbor said, "He isn't much of a guard dog anymore, is he?" She went on to describe how someone could break into the house and he'd never know, etc. I felt bad for Cricket and didn't want him to feel that he was being criticized, so with a smile on my face I gently said, "Maybe that's not his job anymore . . . maybe he has another job."

I wasn't sure how my neighbor was going to respond . . . she was quiet for a minute or two . . . and then she said, "You know, I think you are right. His job is to take care of my daughter and he does a wonderful job."

It made me smile in a deep, from the toes sort of way. Her daughter is five years old and I love seeing she and Cricket together. They are the best of friends. There are times where I am in my backyard and she and Cricket are in their backyard and I find myself fighting back giggles when I hear her conversations with him.

She talks to him constantly, plays with him, lays with him, sneaks him extra treats when no one is looking, etc. Cricket gives her constant companionship, he makes her laugh, lets her do just about anything to him and he is happy to play along.

It made me happy to know that Cricket's mom was seeing that he does have another job to do now and it's probably more important than being a guard dog. I believe that the impact he is having on her daughters life right now, will stay with her and remain a positive for the rest of her life.

It got me thinking about the fact that the role our animals play in our lives can change and evolve over time . . . based on our needs. They may come into our lives to teach us something and once we've learned what they came to teach us, they may teach us something else, or they may play a role in another family members life or non-family members lives.

Several years ago, I met a woman whose dog had gone blind at a very early age. I remember her telling me that he still loved to play fetch in the water with sticks. She told me stories about the people they met who were astounded that he could find a stick in the water, even without being able to see. She told me that she thought part of his job was to help people see that it was possible to still life a full life, even with a disability. When they first adopted him, they had other expectations for the role he would play in their lives, but she fully embraced the new role he began to play after he lost his sight.

The one thing that I always trust is that animals know . . . they know why they are here, and they know what is needed most, even if we don't see it at the time. What magical creatures they are and what a blessing it is for us to have them in our lives.

Dream Interpretations

Sometimes our dreams just seem weird and don't seem to make any sense at all, but because I believe our dreams offer us a multitude of insight into what is going on in our subconscious mind, I have been more inspired lately to try to understand what my dreams are telling me, regardless of how weird they are. :-)

It all started a few months ago, when I was telling a good friend of mine about a recurring dream that I was having again. We couldn't figure out what it meant but shortly after our conversation, she came across a website, www.dreambible.com and told me about it. I was blown away the first time I used it, as I plugged in various elements of my recurring dream and over and over, my jaw dropped as I saw what each element meant. It painted a picture so clear, there was no denying what my subconscious mind had been trying to show me.

This website has opened the door to understanding more of the dreams that I could never make sense of . . . and from that, I found the insights and guidance my dreams had been trying to give me. I have found myself consulting the website several times a week lately, to understand symbols from new dreams that I am having and seeing what gems are there for me.

However, sometimes we may not think there is a need to analyze our dreams. If our dream seems pretty straightforward, we can assume that there is no way to misinterpret it's meaning, but on occasion, our dream may not be telling us what we think it is telling us.

Recently, I had a session with some former clients of mine and their new puppy. Losing their previous dog was incredibly hard on them and I think they feared their hearts would stay broken forever, but when this new puppy entered their lives, he showed them that it was OK to smile again.

The puppy, while he appeared to just be goofy, mischievous and full of life, carried some deep sadness inside him and a feeling of responsibility and guilt I couldn't quite put my finger on. They told me he had been the only survivor of a litter of twelve puppies and then it all started to make sense. He felt guilty that all of his siblings had passed away, and that he had been the only one to survive. He carried a burden that he should have or could have done more to try to keep the rest of the litter alive.

I worked with him, to try to help him release those feelings of responsibility and guilt. I talked to him about the fact that there was a reason that he survived, that he must have very important work to do here and reminded him that life here is meant to be enjoyed.

Even though I could feel a lightness come back to the puppy, I could sense that his mom was still feeling a heaviness in her own heart. I asked her what was going on, as I was picking up worry and concern from her but I didn't understand why. She told me that several times, since they adopted him, she had vivid dreams of ME holding him. She said in the dreams, he seemed very content to be with me and she worried it was a sign that *I* was supposed to be the one who adopted him, not she and her husband. She admitted that she felt a little bit of guilt that maybe they had adopted a puppy who was meant for me.

While I could understand how she had interpreted the dream that way, I also knew in my heart that what the dream meant was that he wanted to have a session with me, to help him heal the sadness he carried in his heart. I knew he wasn't supposed to be MY dog, but instead my client. I believed someone was telling her, in her dream, that it would help him to see me, but she had misinterpreted the dream.

As I explained to her what my interpretation of her dream was, and how I sensed that someone wanted her to bring this little guy to see me, so he could release that sadness now, and live a life free of that pain . . . I could feel a lightness come back to her. She let go of the worry she had been holding for the last few months and embraced the idea that he really was supposed to be with she and her husband.

I felt bad that she had carried that worry around for so many months but I also trust that everything happens for a reason and I knew the important thing was that they had come to see me. Not only had we been able to help their new puppy, but we had also been able to put that worry to rest for her.

Our dreams occur *for* us, to give us insights and guidance, to help us heal the past and take the right steps in the present. I really believe they are a gift. I hope you will allow your dreams to guide you as well.

Communicating with my mom

A few weeks ago, my dad asked me to come over to the house and look through my mom's clothes. He wanted to see if there was anything of hers I wanted before he began donating anything. Given that it has only been four months since my mom passed away, I wasn't sure who I was more worried about . . . me or my dad. I knew it was going to be potentially overwhelming for both of us.

Much to my surprise and relief, it ended up being a very pleasant experience. First of all, we only went through one of her closets and one dresser. When I realized my dad was going to take his time with this, I felt so much calmer. It was a relief that we didn't go through everything, especially since my mom has three closets, plus my old childhood bedroom that was basically turned into a walk-in closet. (To say my mom loved clothes and loved to shop is a giant understatement). I felt good knowing this wasn't "it" - we weren't going to be closing this chapter for a while. Secondly, we talked a lot, which I don't always get to do with my dad. We shared stories about my mom, laughed a bit, and talked a lot about her wonderful sense of style. It was a relaxing and enjoyable evening and it felt good to have a few things of my mom's to remember her by.

The next night, I went over to my friend Sue's house to see she and her puppies (my god children), Mingus and Nina. They are seven months old now and growing non-stop. They are absolutely darling. So full of energy and developing their own distinct personalities. Mingus goes back and forth between being sweet and silly and then being stubborn. We joked that he is taking after Sue's boyfriend Steve. Nina, on the other hand is often more serious, more contemplative, which is more like Sue. They both go back and forth between being totally wild and crazy and then peaceful and angelic. Typical puppies I suppose. :-)

While we were in the backyard playing with the puppies, I told Sue about my experience the night before. She was equally glad that it ended up being a positive experience, as she knew I was worried about whether or not it would be too overwhelming for my dad and I. Later in the evening, when we were having dinner, she and I were talking about how I keep hearing "In the air tonight" and how I know it's my mom letting me know she is around. All of the sudden, I thought "Wow, that's really odd that I didn't hear the song when I left my dad's house that night." I mentioned it to Sue and she agreed that it seemed strange that, of all times, my mom wouldn't let me know she was around when we had been going through her clothes. I joked with Sue that I hoped it wasn't a sign she was upset over the items I chose to take home.

That night, when I was leaving Sue's house, I had made a U-turn in front of her house, and as I reached up to wave goodbye to Sue, with the other hand, I hit a button on the radio and boom - there is was - the first couple notes of 'In the air tonight." I had a grin on my face a mile wide as I drove down the street. I thanked my mom for checking in and letting me know she had heard me.

The next weekend, I was heading over to my dad's house again, this time for a block party on their street. My family has lived in that house for over forty years and several of the families that we grew up with still live there as well. All three of us kids made a point of going to the block party this year so that my dad wouldn't be alone. We knew it could potentially bring up a lot of memories of mom and we wanted to be there to support him. As I pulled into the development, I was thinking about the fact that I haven't seen most of these neighbors since my mom's funeral and wondered if it would be awkward. And then, as if on cue, "In the Air Tonight" came on the radio. I said out loud, "Oh good mom, I am glad you are going to be at the block party as well."

It felt good to know she was there and it made it easy to talk about her in casual conversation . . . like when my dad said, "We don't really need a table cloth do we?" and I said, "You know what mom would say." He just smiled and pulled the table cloth back out out of the drawer. Even though she isn't still physically here, it only seemed right to still follow her etiquette rules. :-)

A Little Communication Can Go A Long Way

Last Saturday night, I got home after being out for the evening. I decided to check email before I went to bed and I found an email from my friend Judy. We consider each other good friends, as we have known each other for probably 11 years, although we have never met in person.

We first connected when she and her husband adopted a german shepherd puppy named Angus from a rescue organization. Angus was having some issues but they weren't getting any support from their rescue group, so they decided to try another german shepherd rescue group. I happened to be volunteering for a group here at the time and worked the "hotline" (picking up messages from our main number and returning people's calls). We hit it off immediately and I became friends with Judy and her husband, and of course, developed a connection with Angus too. Over the last 11 years, we've stayed in touch, sometimes more than others, but always knowing we'll be there for each other if one of us needs something.

So back to the email . . . she said she was very concerned about Angus, because he hadn't been wanting to eat for the last week or so. She asked if I could do something to help them. It was late and I was tired, so I knew it was best to do an official session with him in the morning after I got some rest, but I decided to at least check in with Angus before I went to sleep.

When I connected to him I felt some pain in my lower right jaw that felt like a tooth ache. I made a mental note to mention that to Judy the next day and then focused on telling him what was going on. I explained that his mom had contacted me and that she was very worried about the fact that he hadn't been wanting to eat, fearful that it was something serious. I told him that I was going to check back in with him in the morning for a 2 way conversation, but wanted to give him a heads up that I was going to do that and let him know his mom wanted to know what was going on with him.

The next morning, when I got on the computer there was an email from Judy waiting for me. She said she was sure that I must have already communicated with Angus because when she got up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, Angus followed her in there and then kept pushing his face into hers. At first she was slightly annoyed but Angus wouldn't let up. Eventually, she looked more closely at his mouth and noticed some puss on his gums. Upon closer inspection, she realized his tooth was infected.

After reading the email, I immediately called her and we compared notes. Sure enough, the tooth that looked infected was in the lower right part of his mouth, where I had felt some discomfort. She asked what time I communicated with him and I told her it was around midnight. She laughed and said, "Well that makes sense, I think it was about 1am when I got up to use the restroom." We laughed over the idea that Angus must have decided he could handle the communication with his mom and didn't need to wait until the next day when I connected with him again.

After thinking about it, Judy realized that Angus had been "getting in her face" a lot lately but she didn't put it together until now. He had probably been trying to show her his tooth, but she didn't get "the message" he was trying to deliver . . . that is until the night before when he was even more insistent than he had previously been.

It reminded me that animals really do try to communicate on their own. Sure, it's great that there are animal communicators out there to assist in delivering messages, but I think they would probably prefer to be able to talk to their guardians themselves. If only we could "hear" them better! :-)

Understanding things from their perspective

I have a friend whose dog developed an aural hematoma on his ear (a hematoma occurs when blood collects between the skin and the cartilage of the ear flap). They have had to drain it a couple of times and until it completely heals, his poor dog has been forced to wear a cone (e-collar) around his neck.

Recently my friend told me he had been teasing his dog about how funny he looked and how uncoordinated he was, trying to maneuver around the house with the cone on. He probably wasn't really teasing his dog. I think he told me that because he knew he'd get a rise out of me. (All my friends know that I don't believe in ever teasing animals or saying unkind things to them). We have the kind of relationship where we kid around a lot and give each other a bad time, so this was more playful banter than serious conversation.

I suggested that he try the cone on and wear it around the house for a while, and see he how HE liked it. :-) I thought he might develop some more empathy for his dog, if he knew exactly what his dog was experiencing with that awful thing around his neck. I jokingly told him I thought it was important for him to know how a cone affects how things sound, how challenging it is to do just about everything, things as simple as walking and eating, and suggested he not just try the cone on, but wear it for a whole day.

He emailed me a week later and told me he had worn the cone (although he didn't say for how long) and had been properly educated about what an unpleasant experience it is. He vowed to never tease his dog about the cone again. I told him I wouldn't believe he had worn the cone unless I saw it for myself. That wasn't really true, but I thought it would be funny to see if I could get him to wear the cone in front of me.

Last weekend, a mutual friend of ours had us over for dinner. I suggested he bring the cone and wear it during the evening. Amazingly, he did bring the cone with him, although understandably, he was hesitant to put it on at first. After dinner, he was a good sport though (after much goading) and put the cone on. He even let us take pictures. We were all laughing so hard, I am surprised any of the pictures turned out.

I didn't feel too bad about giving him such a bad time because I personally have worn a cone before. I did it because I wanted to understand why it scared Lucky so much. After that experience, I got it and from them on, I went out of my way to avoid making Lucky wear the cone. When she had hot spots on her hips, I put boxer shorts on her to keep her from licking the hot spots. I figured wearing boxers was a far better alternative to the cone and she definitely seemed happier.

For as silly as we all were being, I do think it is very important to understand things from our animal's perspective. I know they appreciate it when we put forth a little extra energy to see things through their eyes.

In The Air Tonight

When I was growing up, my parents disliked most of the music my siblings and I listened to. They were constantly telling us to "turn that noise down" and I remember my dad being especially critical of our music because they "sang the same line over and over again" and "obviously lacked creativity". :-)

So, it was particularly noteworthy, in 1981, when my mom decided she loved one of the songs we were listening to. It was "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. She liked the song so much, she would even let me put my album on her stereo downstairs, instead of the stereo in my bedroom. Us kids viewed it as a major breakthrough, a sign that we finally had something in common with at least one of our parents. :-)

When we were planning my mom's funeral a few months ago, we decided to put together a slide show of pictures of my mom's life to show during the service. There was no question in anyone's mind, we were going to play "In The Air Tonight" along with the pictures. No one even suggested an alternate song. We all just knew that was the right song to play.

Since my mom's funeral, I have heard that song almost every week, on at least seven or eight different radio stations and it's impossible for me to believe anything other than it's my mom letting me know she is still around.

The first time I heard it, it was a week or so after the funeral. The family had gathered together at my dad's house to celebrate mother's day and it was definitely not an easy day. I felt her absence so intensely. As I was driving towards the freeway on my way home, the song came on. I got goose bumps up my arms and teared up as I thought about my mom and how much she loved that song. I wondered if my mom was letting me know she was around but I wasn't ready to believe it yet.

The next week, I was driving up 280, on my way to an appointment, and the song came on again. At almost the same moment I realized it was that song again, I also realized I was driving past the exit you would take to go to the cemetery where my mother's remains reside. It made me tear up and I thought for sure, she must be letting me know she was around. A couple weeks later, when I was driving the other direction on 280, the song came on again, in almost the exact same spot, when I was about the pass the exit to the cemetery.

Almost every week, I hear the song, which I find odd, because it's not like it is a new song that you would expect to be overplayed on the radio. It is a thirty year old song - and yet, I keep hearing it again and again - and each time, it makes me smile.

The cool thing is, I am not the only one who is hearing it. I have had friends, who were at my mom's service, call and email me to tell me that they heard "the song from the slideshow" on the radio and that it made them think of my mom.

And on the subject of "signs from the other side" . . . a few weeks ago, it was Lucky's birthday, so I took the afternoon off and went to our favorite beach. It was what we always did on her birthday, so it seemed only right that I would keep up the tradition. It was a beautiful day and I enjoyed walking along the beach, watching and listening to the ocean but I felt a slight amount of disappointment that I didn't see a single German Shepherd the whole time I was there. I wanted to know that she was still around me.

As I was getting ready to make my way back up the big staircase to where my car was parked (there are about 90 steps), I looked up to the top of the stairs, and took a deep breath to gear myself up for the walk up all those steps. Just then, at the top of the staircase, I saw a beautiful German Shepherd, excitedly waiting for her guardian to take her leash off, so she could make her way down to the beach. I just stood there, smiling . . . and waiting for her to make her way down the stairs . . . and feeling like it was Lucky's sign to me that she was still around.

When the Shepherd and her guardian got to the bottom of the stairs, I asked the guardian if I could pet his dog. He was very nice and kindly introduced us (her name was Lyka). She said hello and then wandered away when some smell caught her attention. Female shepherds tend to be a bit aloof, so I didn't expect her to visit with me too long, but when I told Lyka's guardian why I was at the beach that day (that it was Lucky's birthday and that I had lost her almost two years ago), Lyka came right over to me and was suddenly very friendly, even giving me a kiss when I leaned down to pet her. At that moment, there was no doubt in my mind that my sweet girl was giving me a sign that she was around me, that she was celebrating her birthday with me.

Losing someone is hard. Regardless of whether the someone is two legged or four legged, we feel the loss and their absence can make our hearts ache . . . and yet, I believe they are always around us, trying to comfort us and let us know they are still with us. I believe they want us to be happy, that they want us to live in the "now" and embrace the present for what it is.

I feel very blessed to know that my mom and Lucky are both making an effort to reach out to me and let me know they are still a part of my life, even if they aren't still physically here. I know they aren't the only ones . . . and if you have lost someone, I bet they are trying to give you signs as well. Open your heart and let the signs come in!

ps - I wrote this blog on 7/24. On 7/25, I got into the car to drive to an appointment and guess what song came on??? Yep - "In The Air Tonight"!! I think my mom was letting me know she enjoyed my blog!!!

Scientific Studies on Reiki

One of my friends sent me some interesting articles this weekend on Reiki and the effort that is being made to scientifically prove that Reiki actually works. While I personally haven't needed any "proof" other than what I have witnessed myself, I know there are a great many people who DO need that proof, so in many ways, this is a positive sign. I was going to cut and paste a few examples, but this whole article was so interesting, I decided to include the whole thing. If you know someone who isn't sure they "buy into this whole energy thing" maybe they would be interested in seeing some of the data that is being collected.

The article references a book called "Hands of Life" by Julie Motz. One of my clients loaned me her copy of the book and it was a fascinating read. Julie has worked in hospitals doing energy work before, during and after transplant surgeries, working with breast cancer patients, etc. She has had some incredible experiences and has bravely gone with energy where most others have been afraid to go, straight into the medical community. If you were interested in learning more about energy and the ways our bodies respond to it, I highly recommend the book.

- Scientific Studies On Reiki

(Excerpt from The Reiki Sourcebook by Bronwen and Frans Stiene)

Usui Mikao is quoted saying in the Reiki Ryôhô Hikkei that the mind and body are one. Recent studies in the world of science are beginning to finally comprehend that statement. Brainwaves and body pulses and their role in stimulating healing can all be measured today allowing the concept of Reiki, as spiritual energy, to be more widely understood by the medical community. The growth of the system of Reiki is benefited by this community awareness and acceptance.

The introduction of Therapeutic Touch by Dolores Krieger into nursing in the 1970s has increased interest in other energetic systems such as Reiki. This in turn has boosted the amount of research that has recently been undertaken using Reiki and other forms of energetic work.

The system of Reiki is also being accepted into hospitals across the world. Patients can often either bring their Reiki practitioner with them or Reiki is made available to them.

The article ‘The first Reiki Practitioner in our O.R.’ by Jeanette Sawyer in 1988 in the AORN Journal describes the steps that were taken to allow a Reiki practitioner into the theatre at the request of a patient during a laparoscopy.

Also in 1988, patients were given the opportunity to experience a 15 minute pre- and post- surgery Reiki treatment. More than 870 patients took part and as a result there was less use of pain medication, shorter stays in hospital and increased patient satisfaction. This was discussed in the article, ‘Using Reiki to Support Surgical patients’ by Patricia and Kristin Aladydy in the Journal of Nursing Care Quality.

Heart surgeon, Dr Mehmet Oz, has worked with Julie Motz who used Reiki on his patients. These patients had received heart transplants and had experienced open-heart surgery. She treated 11 patients in total and none of them had the usual post-operative depression. The bypass patients had no post-operative pain or leg weakness and the transplant patients experienced no organ rejection. Julie Motz has written about this experience in her book, ‘Hands of Life’.

Listed below are a number of trials tested on Reiki. For more research details there are some Reiki books with relevant research material, or personal observations, that have been written by both doctors and nurses. ‘Spiritual Healing’ by Daniel J. Benor has listed a number of Reiki trials as well as some very interesting trials on distant healing and healing through touch in general.

There are many aspects of Reiki that are being researched today. Some to see if Reiki speeds up healing, others to see if, how and whom it relaxes, to measure biomagnetic fields and to verify the concept of distant healing.

Here is a well-known trial completed using Reiki to examine its effect on human blood levels.

Human Hemoglobin Levels and Reiki
Reiki Healing: a Physiologic Perspective
Wetzel, Wendy (1989).
Published in Journal of Holistic Nursing 7(1), 47-54.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Reiki on human hemoglobin and hematocrit levels.

Procedure: The hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of 48 adults participating in a Level 1 course were measured. Demographics and motivation were also examined. An untreated control group was used to document the changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit under normal circumstances.

Findings: Using a t-test there was a statistically significant change between the pre- and post-course hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of the participants at the p > 0.01 level. 28 % experiencing an increase and the remainder experiencing a decrease. There was no change for the untreated control group within an identical time frame.

Conclusions: That Reiki has a measurable physiologic effect. The data supports the premise that energy can be transferred between individuals for the purposes of healing, balancing, and increasing wellness. Some individuals found that their blood levels went up while others went down which is consistent with the concept that Reiki is balancing for each individual.

This trial tests Reiki on patients with chronic illnesses using electrodermal screening.

The Efficacy of Reiki Hands on Healing: Improvements in Adrenal, Spleen and Nervous Function as Quantified by Electro-Dermal Screening
Betty Hartwell and Barbara Brewitt
Published in Alternative Therapies Magazine, July 1997, Vol. 3, No. 4, p. 89

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic effects of Reiki treatments on chronic illnesses using electrodermal screening.

Procedure: This study was carried out on five patients with life-threatening and chronic illnesses: lupus, fibromyalgia, thyroid goiter, and multiple sclerosis. Eleven one-hour Reiki treatments using 4 different Level 2 practitioners and one Reiki Master were performed over a ten-week period. These Reiki practitioners systematically placed their hands over the same body positions including the neurovascular regions on the cranium, neurolymphatic points on the trunk and minor chakra points on the limbs. No new conventional or alternative medical treatments were given during this period. Initially, three consecutive treatments were given and then one treatment per week for eight weeks.

Findings: The patients were tested three times during the study. 1.Before the study commenced. 2.After their third treatment. 3.After their tenth treatment.
Each individual was measured for skin electrical resistance at three acupuncture points on hands and feet. At the cervical/thoracic point the measurements went from 25% below normal to the normal range. The adrenal measurements went from 8.3% below normal to normal - some time between the middle and last measurements. The spleen measurements went from 7.8% below normal to normal after only three sessions. All the patients reported increased relaxation after Reiki treatments, a reduction in pain and an increase in mobility.

These trials are concerned with the effect of Reiki on pain relief and other symptoms.

Pain, Anxiety and Depression in Chronically Ill Patients with Reiki Healing
Linda J. Dressen and Sangeeta Singg
Published in Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1: 1998

Purpose: To measure the results of Reiki and its effect on pain, anxiety, and depression in chronically ill patients.

Procedure: 120 Patients who had been in pain for at least 1 year were trailed. Their complaints included: headaches, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, peptic ulcer, asthma, hypertension and HIV. Four different styles of treatment were performed on 3 groups of 20 people. The 4 styles of treatment were: Reiki, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, no treatment and false-Reiki. Each of the groups received 10 thirty-minute treatments, twice a week over 5 weeks. Patients were examined before and after the series of treatments. Reiki patients were examined 3 months after completion.

Findings: Reiki proved significantly superior (p<.0001-.04) to other treatments on 10 out of 12 variables.

At the 3 month check up these changes were consistent and there were highly significant reductions in Total Pain Rating Index (p<.0006) and in sensory (p<.0003) and Affective (p<.02) Qualities of Pain.

Conclusion: Significant effects of Reiki on anxiety, pain and depression are shown here. Some possible variables were not controlled.

Using Reiki to Manage Pain: a Preliminary Report
alta.karino@cancerboard.ab.ca
Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, USA
Published in Cancer Prev Control 1997;1(2):108-13

Purpose: To explore the usefulness of Reiki as an alternative to opioid therapy in the management of pain. This was a pilot study.

Procedure: 20 volunteers experienced pain at 55 sites for a variety of reasons, including cancer. A Level 2 practitioner provided all Reiki treatments. Pain was measured using both a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a Likert scale immediately before and after each Reiki treatment.

Findings: Both the instruments showed a highly significant (p < 0.0001) reduction in pain following the Reiki treatments.

This trial is interested in finding out if it is possible to gauge the experience of a Reiki treatment using normal trialing procedures.

Experience of a Reiki Session
Engebretson J, Wardell DW
University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, USA
Published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 8: 48-53, 2002

Purpose:To explore the experiences of Reiki recipients so as to contribute to understanding the popularity of touch therapies and possibly clarify variables for future studies.

Procedure: All Reiki treatments were 30 minutes long and performed in a sound proof windowless room by one Reiki Master. There were audio taped interviews immediately after the treatment in a quiet room adjoining the treatment room. The recipients were generally healthy volunteers who had not experienced Reiki previously.

Findings: The recipients described a conscious state of awareness during the treatment. At the same time, paradoxically, they experienced sensate and symbolic phenomena.

Conclusions: Conscious awareness and paradoxical experiences that occur in ritual healing vary according to the holistic nature and individual variation of the healing experience. These findings suggest that many linear models used in researching touch therapies are not complex enough to capture the experience of the recipients.

This particular trial is not specifically about Reiki but deals with the effectiveness of distant healing which is relevant to Reiki practitioners.

A Randomized Double-Blind Study of the Effect of Distant Healing in a Population with Advanced Aids
Fred Sicher, Elizabeth Targ, Dan Moore II, and Helene.S. Smith
Published in the Western Journal of Medicine, December 1998, Vol. 169, pp. 356-363.

Purpose: To find the effect of distance healing (DH) on AIDS patients during a six-month double-blind study.

Procedure: Forty patients with advanced AIDS were randomly divided into two groups. Half the patients received DH in addition to their usual medical care. They were not told they were being given DH. 40 healers from various locations throughout the U.S. with an average of 17 years of experience were used. The healers practiced a variety of healing methods including Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Native American, shamanism, meditative, and bioenergetics. Each of the treated subjects received DH for one hour a day for six days from each of a total of ten different healers, and this was performed over a period of ten weeks.

Findings: After six months, treated patients had significantly fewer outpatient visits and hospitalizations, less severe illnesses, fewer new illnesses, and improved mood.


Further Research
This page is an excerpt from The Reiki Sourcebook.