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    Newbie in the house, with a question on what is, and is not, involved in Reiki

    ReikiBeginner
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    Post by ReikiBeginner Sat Nov 26, 2011 4:39 pm

    Hello. Smile I plan to become attuned to Reiki level 1 in the near future.

    I'd like some clarification as to what Reiki is, and isn't.

    My understanding is Reiki is not dependent on religion or any set of religious beliefs/practices.

    However, I know there are some who say that Reiki is dependent or at least based on religious practices. Mainly born again Christians, which I am one of. The fact that I am a Christian may surprise some folks since as I've gathered many, at least the more conservative (and I do have conservative leanings), believe Reiki to be of the devil because of its association, and supposed dependence upon, paganistic/buddhist/etc. religious practices.

    Basically, I'm a fairly conservative, born again Christian who just doesn't quite buy into the idea that Reiki *requires* adherence to other religions. I would probably baffle most other Christians. However, being a Christian, I do believe I need to be careful about what I'm getting into, and consider the concerns many Christians have.

    I want to pause here and say I realize not everyone here will believe the same as I do, theologically, and I mean no disrespect to those with different beliefs than mine.

    Anyway, I found a youtube video recently that brings up some concerns (from a Christian perspective), that, if what this gentleman is talking about actually is what Reiki is, would concern me.
    I would post a link, but it appears I cannot do so since I'm a new member here. I'll give the gist of it below, but for those who would actually like to see the video, it is called "Concerns About Reiki: Things You Should Know".

    Some concerns he brings up:

    1. Quoting a Reiki level 1 manual (he used non-Christian sources to avoid folks saying it's just a bunch of Christian propaganda), he said that there are Reiki guides that you are supposed to pray to when starting and thank when finishing a session. He states that it doesn't really even say what or who these 'Reiki guides' are.

    Unless I am free to pray to and thank who I, from a Christian perspective, to be God, then this is a major concern. If there are these 'Reiki guides' flying around that I must associate with, that's a major concern for me.

    2. Kind of a corollary to the above, he says that in the manual it states that many people receiving a Reiki treatment feel multiple people's hands on them even though there's only one person (the practitioner) physically doing the treatment, implying that there are other spirits/'Reiki guides' doing things. If Reiki actually involves this, that's another concern.

    3. He reads from a magazine article where someone attuned to Reiki said that one day, she was doing Reiki and suddenly found herself speaking in some voice that sounded like an Indian chief from a John Wayne movie, and that she tried but was unable to stop. Her Reiki master who attuned her told her she was chosen by guides/spirits to work with her.

    So, not only do we have these unspecified 'Reiki guides', but they also take control of the person who is attuned and make them speak in a different voice. Shocked What a Face

    Now from my understanding thus far of Reiki, and why I still am mostly okay with the idea even though a Christian, is that the above concerns shouldn't be happening if Reiki is unadulterated. Basically, I suspect the Reiki master who wrote the manual this gentleman quotes put his own religious "flavor" into it. Not sure what the feeling of multiple people's hands on the person being treated is all about, but I suspect that probably isn't pure unadulterated Reiki. And the person whose voice was taken control of? Uhhhh, that's not unadulterated Reiki, is it? Does one attuned to Reiki "lose control" like that?

    Basically, I'm wondering if these concerns the guy brings up are in fact par for the course with Reiki, or if they're things that have been added in by the attuning masters.
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    Post by LightBody Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:32 pm


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    Hello. Smile I plan to become attuned to Reiki level 1 in the near future.

    I'd like some clarification as to what Reiki is, and isn't.

    Hi ReikiBeginner, welcome.

    I am a Knight Templar, and will respond from that perspective (and as a disclaimer, must state that my views are entirely based on my personal experience do not reflect the views of the KT organization as a global fraternity or other KT’s).


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    My understanding is Reiki is not dependent on religion or any set of religious beliefs/practices.

    That’s technically correct because of the modern origins of Reiki, but in practice some Reiki practitioners--including some authors-- heavily integrate it their religious beliefs and practices.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    However, I know there are some who say that Reiki is dependent or at least based on religious practices. Mainly born again Christians, which I am one of. The fact that I am a Christian may surprise some folks since as I've gathered many, at least the more conservative (and I do have conservative leanings), believe Reiki to be of the devil because of its association, and supposed dependence upon, paganistic/buddhist/etc. religious practices.

    Well, Reiki is not dependant upon paganism, buddhism, or any religion, but the Reiki practitioners, in an attempt to understand their experiences, use their understandings of religion to define/explain it.

    There seems to be more than one Reiki practitioner who became dissatisfied with the cumulative actions of the organized, systematic version of their religion, but believes strongly in the religious principles of that religion... being unable to find peace with the organized version of their religion, simply weaves those ideals into their Reiki practice (and possibly books/manuals).

    A question for you to consider exploring on your own time (and no response is expected here): Regarding being of the Devil, have you researched the evolution of language at all, and compared that evolution to previous generations ability to translate documents? That’s an important question because some believe that the translators of today possess a better grasp of languages and linguistics than those who translated the now popular King James version of the Bible... so what then becomes more correct... a modern translation with a more accurate look at the language the bible was written in, or a translation made a couple hundred years ago that is better just believed than questioned?


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    Basically, I'm a fairly conservative, born again Christian who just doesn't quite buy into the idea that Reiki *requires* adherence to other religions. I would probably baffle most other Christians. However, being a Christian, I do believe I need to be careful about what I'm getting into, and consider the concerns many Christians have.

    I fee that the only part of Reiki as a systematic practice is the belief and/or use of what some believe to be “power symbols”. Perhaps you’ve glanced through a book like “Reiki For Dummies” and seen some fancy squiggly characters with tiny arrows guiding the reader to be able to draw them in the air... these “symbols” are commonly called ChoKuRei, SeiHeiKi, HonShaZeShoNen, and DaiKoMyo. Two of them, HonShaZeShoNen and DaiKoMyo, are clearly Japanese Kanji chacters while the other two have controversial origins (controversial in the respect that people argue and discuss the origins proclaiming their origins but really don’t know)

    My experience is that the symbols are unnecessary, but admist that some find them helpful and that others religiously require them.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    I want to pause here and say I realize not everyone here will believe the same as I do, theologically, and I mean no disrespect to those with different beliefs than mine.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    Anyway, I found a youtube video recently that brings up some concerns (from a Christian perspective), that, if what this gentleman is talking about actually is what Reiki is, would concern me.
    I would post a link, but it appears I cannot do so since I'm a new member here. I'll give the gist of it below, but for those who would actually like to see the video, it is called "Concerns About Reiki: Things You Should Know".

    I would like to watch that video. Please feel free to try to PM it to me, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll PM you my e-mail.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    Some concerns he brings up:

    1. Quoting a Reiki level 1 manual (he used non-Christian sources to avoid folks saying it's just a bunch of Christian propaganda), he said that there are Reiki guides that you are supposed to pray to when starting and thank when finishing a session. He states that it doesn't really even say what or who these 'Reiki guides' are.

    Some Reiki practitioners believe in and “use” Reiki Guides, while others have no experience with them whatsoever.

    Reiki Guides are a modern addition to the practice of Reiki during the late 1970’s and 1980’s when Tibetan Mysticism was being integrated/taught as a part of “traditional” Reiki.

    Reiki Guides are not a part of original Japanese Reiki.

    Reiki Guides correspond with Guardian Angels.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    Unless I am free to pray to and thank who I, from a Christian perspective, to be God, then this is a major concern. If there are these 'Reiki guides' flying around that I must associate with, that's a major concern for me.

    Reiki Guides are not required.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    2. Kind of a corollary to the above, he says that in the manual it states that many people receiving a Reiki treatment feel multiple people's hands on them even though there's only one person (the practitioner) physically doing the treatment, implying that there are other spirits/'Reiki guides' doing things. If Reiki actually involves this, that's another concern.

    Sometimes that happens, sometimes not. I think it really depends on the dynamic of the treatment combined with what the person receiving the Reiki treatment wants to feel that helps them feel better about their life.

    Does it mean that spooky uninvited Reiki Guides are placing their spooky-hands on the person receiving to help with a treatment? I have no idea. Sometimes I have felt and even perceived angelic presences in the room during private and group treatments, sometimes I have seen beautiful white light emanating out from what appear to be arms and hands and landing on the person receiving while no one else in the room sensed or perceived anything of the sort. Sometimes I have not felt, sensed or perceived anything while others testify to something like I described in the previous sentence.

    My experience is that Reiki involves a HEALING environment, and that that in mind, I’ve never experienced any external entity that was ever present to harm anyone during a Reiki treatment.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    3. He reads from a magazine article where someone attuned to Reiki said that one day, she was doing Reiki and suddenly found herself speaking in some voice that sounded like an Indian chief from a John Wayne movie, and that she tried but was unable to stop. Her Reiki master who attuned her told her she was chosen by guides/spirits to work with her.

    That has not been a part of Reiki practice that I am aware of, and I’ve been actively involved since 1993. That doesn’t mean that it “can’t” be, but what people do with Reiki and put into it as a practice is ultimately up to them.
    l
    The process described is called Channeling, and Wikipedia has an article about it here:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediumship

    The Lighthouse has an excellent article about Channeling here, and scrolling down to the section titled THE DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF CHANNELERS is relevant to the experience described as it defines a few different types of channelling processes:
    http://thelighthouseonline.com/channel/whatchan.html

    Personally, I feel that no benevolent entity ever needs to take over a persons body (or mind) to get its message across, and that those entities that do take over a body/mind to the degree described above have a hidden agenda.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    So, not only do we have these unspecified 'Reiki guides', but they also take control of the person who is attuned and make them speak in a different voice. Shocked What a Face

    Yeah, I’m in agreement with you and feel that’s bad for all parties involved.


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    Now from my understanding thus far of Reiki, and why I still am mostly okay with the idea even though a Christian, is that the above concerns shouldn't be happening if Reiki is unadulterated. Basically, I suspect the Reiki master who wrote the manual this gentleman quotes put his own religious "flavor" into it. Not sure what the feeling of multiple people's hands on the person being treated is all about, but I suspect that probably isn't pure unadulterated Reiki. And the person whose voice was taken control of? Uhhhh, that's not unadulterated Reiki, is it? Does one attuned to Reiki "lose control" like that?

    There are no standards in Reiki as there are in the different types of Christianity... Christianity has been around a long time and people have had a lot of time to develop systems to practice and understand it.

    Reiki is new, becoming popular only in the 1970’s.

    Christianity emerged undergound, practiced in secret from authorities and was unorganized for hundreds of years. Reiki doesn’t need to hide itself as Christianity did, but like Christianity, Reiki is largely practiced in the homes of practitioners and small spaces (compared to that of a church).


    ReikiBeginner wrote:
    Basically, I'm wondering if these concerns the guy brings up are in fact par for the course with Reiki, or if they're things that have been added in by the attuning masters.


    Well... yes, to both questions. The things he brings up are not invalid because some Reiki practitioners do that and some Reiki people report such experiences, and a lot of what’s in Reiki has been added by attuning “masters.”

    Reiki began as an oral tradition in the 1970’s with a story that its founder was the Dean of a Christian Ministry in Japan (during the Tokugawa Shogunate, a time when Christians were ordered to be instantly beheaded wherever they were to be found). That story was later revealed to be a motivational story and not historically accurate, but it helped people understand the tremendous spiritual energy that flowed through them and helped them feel rejuvenated, helped them feel healed from their pain.

    Does Reiki physically cure people like Jesus is believed to heal others? No, but it helps some people gain a greater understanding of their life and to heal emotional pains, which are believed to help the body in its healing process.

    Is Reiki a Religion? Not yet, but I based on what I know of the evolution of religions and societies, it will be within the next few decades. It has all the makings of religion, and there are even a few interesting correspondences:

    Reiki / God
    Usui and/or Takata / Jesus
    Reiki Symbols / The Holy Cross, The Fish, the Dove
    The Reiki Practitioner / The Christian

    Reiki is not a religion yet, but I’ve met more than one person who practices it with a religious mentality, and I certainly understand and sympathize with the Catholic concerns about Reiki.

    It’s very common in many Reiki classes to be taught that Reiki is not a religion, and many Reiki practitioners have actively scolded me for saying that Reiki IS a religion because they were told in their Reiki class it is not, so I have to take their scoldings with a grain of salt and simply let things be as they are (and console myself knowing that actions speak louder than words).

    Ultimately, Reiki is what the individual practitioner makes of it. It’s an unorganized system that each person practices individually, and when teaching Reiki, each person teaches their individual perspectives of it.

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    Post by ReikiBeginner Sun Nov 27, 2011 10:23 am

    Thanks for the detailed response, LightBody. Smile

    PM sent -- had to tweak the link a bit to get it to send, and you'll have to copy/paste it into your browser without the space that's in it, but there in the PM is a link to the video.

    So basically, what I'm getting in a nutshell, is that while it's true that traditional Usui Reiki doesn't necessarily involve all those things, they can very well be stuff you'll find in what is now known as Reiki. Correct?

    Interesting about your comments about Reiki probably becoming a religion in the future.
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    Post by LightBody Sun Nov 27, 2011 11:17 am

    Hi ReikiBeginner.

    Thanks for the link. I'll share it here so others can view it and share their 2 cents as well:

    Concerns About Reiki: Things You Should Know
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlhKeph63D8
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    Post by ReikiBeginner Sun Nov 27, 2011 1:13 pm

    Interesting to read the comments on the video. Some thought it was good, some thought it was bad.

    Personally, I thought he did a good job of laying out his concerns with what he knows about Reiki. I think he may not know what Reiki is traditionally (i.e. before people added their religious flavoring). If all he knows about it is what he's learned from sources that describe religiously "flavored" Reiki, than from his Christian perspective I see why he's concerned.

    And from any perspective, Christian or non-Christian, I imagine that most people, and someone feel free to correct me if there's anyone who wouldn't see this as a problem, would likely be alarmed about the involuntarily speaking like an Indian chief thing. I get that that's channeling (which from a Christian perspective would be a concern), but whether or not you think channeling is problematic, I would imagine most folks would find involuntary channeling, at the very least, a bit too weird for comfort. Could be wrong though.

    Speaking of channeling, I guess a Reiki practitioner "channels" the energy, but I don't think that's necessarily the same as "channeling spirits" (whether one sees that as wrong or not)...I would see being a Reiki "channel" as pretty similar to, say, a channel that connects one lake to another lake.
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    Post by LightBody Sun Nov 27, 2011 3:37 pm

    ReikiBeginner wrote:Speaking of channeling, I guess a Reiki practitioner "channels" the energy, but I don't think that's necessarily the same as "channeling spirits" (whether one sees that as wrong or not)...I would see being a Reiki "channel" as pretty similar to, say, a channel that connects one lake to another lake.

    "Reiki Channel" was the term I was originally taught Reiki under, but not in the respect of an energy taking over one's body, but rather as one serving in the capacity of a television antenna that "channels" the appropriate healing energy determined automatically by the client. In my original training, the Reiki practitioner did not decide what healing energy to provide the client, but rather it was the client who decided what energies they needed to heal and the Reiki Practitioner simply served as a temporary conduit for those healing energies.

    I suspect that the term "Reiki Channel" drifted away because it was too similar to the channeling present in mediumship. Not certain about that, but it's a strong suspicion.

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    Post by LightBody Sun Nov 27, 2011 3:39 pm

    ReikiBeginner wrote:And from any perspective, Christian or non-Christian, I imagine that most people, and someone feel free to correct me if there's anyone who wouldn't see this as a problem, would likely be alarmed about the involuntarily speaking like an Indian chief thing. I get that that's channeling (which from a Christian perspective would be a concern), but whether or not you think channeling is problematic, I would imagine most folks would find involuntary channeling, at the very least, a bit too weird for comfort. Could be wrong though.

    Do you think that there's any relationship or similarities between this woman speaking like an Indian Chief and glossolalia?
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    Post by chi_solas Sun Nov 27, 2011 4:32 pm

    Lots of interesting reading. study Newbie in the house, with a question on what is, and is not, involved in Reiki 850837

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