Hello. 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.
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.
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.
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.