Reiki Treatment & the Need for Permission...

REIKI TREATMENT & THE NEED FOR PERMISSION
[Copyright 2005/7 James Deacon]


A question that frequently arises is:

Do we need to ask an individual's permission before 'sending' them Reiki ?

[For: "'sending' them Reiki", I feel we should read: "giving them a distant Reiki treatment" - afterall, that's what it is]

I usually reply something along the lines of:

Well, would you grab hold of someone and give them a hands-on Reiki treatment with out asking (and getting) their permission?

No, of course not.

So why should a 'non-contact' treatment be any different?

[NOTE: here I am specifically talking about situations in which the individual is capable of giving a response to an offer of Distance/Absent Reiki Treatment. I will leave situations where the individual is incapable of response to another article]

And why would you want to treat an individual without asking their permission first?

Is it that you are actually unwilling to ask their permission?

Are you perhaps embarrassed in case they think you some sort of 'new age weirdo'

Are you afraid to ask because you already know they will refuse?

Do you think that you know best - that you have the right to decide for them?

Many people seem take the stance that it is OK to 'send' Reiki ( - give an absent Reiki Treatment) without the individual's permission, so long as it is done with the intention that the individual's 'higher self' only accept it if it is for that individual's 'higher good'.

IMO sending without permission to an individual's '"higher self' should only be even considered - let alone acted upon - as a very last possible resort.

OK, so the thinking seems to be that the individual's 'higher self' knows what's best for them, and will only accept the Reiki on these terms. But even if the 'higher self' does indeed know what's best for them, does this justify your intervention?

We all (well, almost all) consciously know what is best for us - not drinking alcohol, not smoking, not eating too many cream cakes, etc. Making sure we get plenty of sleep, exercise, water, and so on.

But what if I don't want what's best for me?

(well, at least not all the time)

What if I choose to compromise between what is ultimately 'for my higher good' and what makes me happy - in the 'here-and-now'?

What if I don't want someone to Reiki away every little ache or pain that lets me know I'm alive?

What if 'just for today' I want to feel a little miserable - want to be childish and wallow in a little self-pity concerning how ill I feel cos I got some itsy bitsy complaint (well, it is the prerogative of the 'male of the species', after all!).

Surely it is my right to make this choice?



In my personal experience, I have come across more people who are consciously willing to accept Reiki when it is offered than people who choose not to accept it.

So, if someone refuses Reiki, I honour their right to do so - and move on.

If I ask twenty people and they all refuse, so be it.

Eventually, someone will accept the offer of assistance.



In Reiki, there should be no ego

- no belief (conscious or otherwise) that being a Reiki practitioner means you know what is best (or even simply what is timely*) for another sentient life-form

- no belief (conscious or otherwise) that being a Reiki practitioner gives you the right to dishonour another by imposing your will on them

- no fear of clearly asking for anothers permission to treat them
- no fear of rejection, should they choose to say no

[* just because someone chooses to reject your offer of Reiki now, doesn't mean they might not choose to accept it at a later time]



One of the greatest lessons that Reiki can teach us is the power of letting go - the power of learning to transcend the need to interfere: the need to 'do something' - to attempt to 'fix' things
- the realisation that sometimes, much as it may pain us ourselves, the greatest help we can be to the particular individual, lies, not in intervention, but in honouring the divinity of their existence by accepting their right to live through the experience of their unwellness/injury/dis-ease, rather than attempting to 'heal it all away'
[a desire that - if we are true to ourselves - may be perceived on occasion to have as much to do with liberating us from their suffering as it does with liberating them]
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I agree. I don't sit with the energy for any specific person unless they've asked for it. Sometimes, seeing their situation, I do offer it, but only sit for them if they request me to.

On the flip side, I will sit with the energy for situations. If it is meant to, the energy can help break down barriers between people and allow them to come to a more meaningful resolution of a situation.

But I agree, part of the path is about surrendering and realizing that you can't, and shouldn't help everyone all the time. Sometimes even if the person is outwardly asking for assistance, it doesn't mean that they actually want, need, or should receive the help spiritually.

Others will say, what's the difference, we pray for people without asking them if they want to be prayed for. Sending Reiki is no different

chi_solas wrote:Others will say, what's the difference, we pray for people without asking them if they want to be prayed for. Sending Reiki is no different

Indeed, but a huge part of the equation in energy work, is that the recipient be ready and/or willing to heal themselves. If they, for some reason, aren't ready or willing, then it will either be superficial or won't happen. A good way to make sure they are ready or willing is by asking them, or better yet, wait for them to come to you.

Bridget has a point. It's common practice to pray for other people. This begs the question also then. Is it correct to pray for other people, and what is a prayer?

It's widespread to pray for other people, and has been common practice for a long time. What does a prayer do though? It's a technique, a spiritual technique, to ask for divine intervention.

Someone who gives Reiki treatments without permission can help me out with this one, as i don't understand the mechanics of it...

..I give a Reiki treatment. The person expereinces this Reiki. They have verbally sought it. That's that.

In a case where the person hasn't asked for it, how does one know it is not wanted? Does the Reiki 'bounce' back to the practitioner? Or, are they somehow able to 'follow' something from their hands, to the 'recipient', and on to the ground or something?

What i'm saying is that a prayer is merely a request for spiritual help. We pray and leave it up to the divine. Whereas a Reiki treatment is an act. In Reiki we access our own divinity, and act out on it. It's much different.

Attempting to treat folks without permission is another reason, imo, why Reiki folks have been having issue getting into hospitals, etc. It goes against medical ethics. And within spirituality, one should have more ethics than science, of which medicine is a part, imo, :-) .

take care
Wayne

I know that some folks ask others to pray for them or do a novena for them cause they feel the other person has a better relationship with God and s/he will answer
the requested prayer from another.

Some folks think that praying is begging. In my later years it was brought to my attention may have been a George Carlin skit;why do folks pray to Mary/Saints who is this God that some folks fear and go through others to get their request answered.

Reiki sessions imo does not call on God to assist; others may disagree on that point. The person requesting a Reiki session is personally involved; most times they are expecting immediate results I prefer to be asked to send distant Reiki so the person is ready to welcome and give time to focus/receive it in a relaxed setting as if they were having a one on one Reiki session in person.
Most people I know welcome Reiki. I know a few like the Bishops who resist. I just leave it at that when they're ready they will come to Reiki.

Many hospitals here do have a Reiki Practitioner Volunteer service to offer their patients; you need to be a Practitioner 2 to participate.

I believe that the same ethics for Reiki should be applied to praying. Just because people pray for others without permission, doesn't mean its immediately ok.

I think that much of the organized religion teaches a bit of arrogance about faith. That if you are faithful, it is your job to pray for the unfaithful. I know many folks who do not have faith in that particular brand of dogma, who would be offended to know that someone was praying to the Christian God for them.

Its all a matter of perspective I suppose.

One other comment... Reiki is essentially another form of Faith Healing.

Thaak wrote:I believe that the same ethics for Reiki should be applied to praying. Just because people pray for others without permission, doesn't mean its immediately ok.

Well, i think along the same lines, but did hesitated saying, hehe. I watched an interesting film by Greg Braden. It was about the lost method of prayer. He went into quite a bit of detail, drawing on expereinces from shamans, holy men, native american folks, etc. Suffice to say that he beleives the orginal way to pray was slightly more detailed than we do now. I suspect you've done things along these lines in your shamanism work.

For me, it makes sense that prayer should be more detailed. That we have to put a little more effort into it. After all, we are asking divinity to in essence change reality for us. This is a major deal. And perhaps a reason why so many prayers seem unaswered is because we don't place enough value, and sacredness on the technique.

Thaak wrote:
One other comment... Reiki is essentially another form of Faith Healing.

Ohhhh, hehe. Maybe a little can of worms that one bro! Perhaps it warrants another topic? :-) .

take care
Wayne

Milarepa wrote:

Thaak wrote:
One other comment... Reiki is essentially another form of Faith Healing.

Ohhhh, hehe. Maybe a little can of worms that one bro! Perhaps it warrants another topic? :-) .

take care
Wayne

chuckle... probably. But think about it, if you have no faith that Reiki works, whether recipient or facilitator, then do you really think you are getting the most out of it?

It's quite interesting. We're all taught a person doesn't need to believe in Reiki in order for it to work. I know i've been in situations were sceptics have expereinced Reiki, then believed something is there. That's not exactly what you are talking about but?

you're suggesting, if a person doesn't fully beleive in Reiki, they won't be fully accepting of it?

take care
Wayne

Milarepa wrote:It's quite interesting. We're all taught a person doesn't need to believe in Reiki in order for it to work.

Takata-sensei taught that while the client doesn't need to believe, in order for the Reiki treatment to be truly effective, the Practitioner does need to believe.



[afterall, what would be the point of practicing something you didn't believe in?]


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Hi

we can offer reiki if we partake it like some prayer, since we do pray for others we feel close without asking their permission...

but does this end the question 'is permission needed' ?

certainly not!

sending reiki without permission stems out of our compassionate nature where we wish to alleviate some others' pain, or to straighten things for him/her by sending reiki, and while in this gesture of 'acting God', we sometimes forget that gifts are not sent unwelcome, and postitively speaking, reiki is a sacred act, it is previliged for somebody showin respect and gratitude towards it..

what we do within reiki ?? we request the divine through the capabilities invoked/bestowed to us through symbols, to come forward for helping somebody...we hear the words 'channeling' reiki, meaning that we dont happen to construct the channel (as it is always there), rather we request something to keep pouring out in this channel to reach receipient...


if we can understand that channeling reiki is not an element of commanding it to flow, rather it is the act of requesting it to flow, we can sit very easily to the bottom of the long-held proposition that sure! permission in needed...

some people say that sometimes people are not in a position to understand what is in the best interest (e.g., addicts, alchoholics, etc. ) and that sending reiki to these people is like serving them, helping them and offereing them great service... even in those cases, why we have to forget that the light of wisdom sure shines in themselves too, and once they have elcted to be defiant to it, what better can reiki serve to them, even if offered ?

to people in lunatic asylums, coma, etc. i can see that offering reiki makes good point, but why not to resort to prayers instead of sending reiki, since reiki must not be 'tampered' or used by intent for purposes other than for which it was bestowed to Usui Sensi...

great regards to all inputs... i was sharing what i feel about sending reiki just!

take care

salman

my views on this is that sending reiki when asked for by the individual is not a problem... but sometimes you get relatives who want reiki sent to the concerned persons who does not believe in it then where do we go??? we have permission from a relative but not from the individual concerned.

another situation is person in a coma, accident. these persons cannot tell you they want reiki or they dont.you have to send, it would be against my conscious not to.

what i do in the previous situations is to send reiki if acceptable to the higher selves of the concerned individuals. and if i feel that it is not likely to be accepted, i enclose it in an envelope with the intent that it be made available to the persons when necessary.

maybe i am wrong but i think i feel it to be right

renu

renukakkar wrote:my views on this is that sending reiki when asked for by the individual is not a problem... but sometimes you get relatives who want reiki sent to the concerned persons who does not believe in it then where do we go??? we have permission from a relative but not from the individual concerned.

another situation is person in a coma, accident. these persons cannot tell you they want reiki or they dont.you have to send, it would be against my conscious not to.

what i do in the previous situations is to send reiki if acceptable to the higher selves of the concerned individuals. and if i feel that it is not likely to be accepted, i enclose it in an envelope with the intent that it be made available to the persons when necessary.

maybe i am wrong but i think i feel it to be right

renu

renu, we generally go along with our own intuition. we do as we see best not as others tell us. We are each our own boss in every situation. IMO there is no right or wrong when using ULE.

Hi Folks,

I`m always suprised when I see reiki compared to prayer. I see many differences in the two.....but thats another discussion.

How do we know that it`s not the divinity which resides inside of us/ that intent which makes a prayer seem effective?....We pray to God for intervention,like Gods a seperate entity from ourselves. I don`t believe god is a seperate entity. I think we may all contribute little pieces of divinity which in effect makes God complete. I do believe that life and our experential reality is totally about creativity...which is somewhat "God like"......So....if I pray, I`m praying to everyone and everything, including myself....

If someone asks me for Reiki...They are making a creative choice about their life experience....I will use an idea from the Christian bible to prove a point...." We are given freedom of choice, god will not intervene" So when I send someone Reiki without their permission , am I not choosing to affect their path and their life choices? To me, it`s their experience, why would I think I know whats best for them? If they ask for it...it`s still their experience....If I force it on them I`ve assumed i know whats best for them....I don`t do that. I know many rely on the idea that Reiki can do no harm....so whats the difference....Well....I think one would be making decisions for another without an invitation...to send without permission seems a little arrogant and short sighted....If one really feels it is their path to effect the world with prayer or positive intention, more power to them...pray to end famine....pray for world peace....That seems alot different to me than trying to cause effect to one individual through your personal need to remedy a situation....I love helping people...but I`m detached from their pain...I never presume to know whats best for them...and i would never make a decision that could affect their life without their knowledge.....a strong opinion i suppose, and I hope none find it offensive...it`s not meant to be....but the question of permission, to me at least, has always had an obvious answer.

RJ

I have my own set of beliefs and how I like to conduct myself when considering being a facilitator of a healing process. I also have my beliefs on what may or may not happen should someone try to facilitate a Reiki session without permission. That it might do nothing at all because the recipient isn't engaged in the process.

Am I right? I don't know. I'm not sure it matters. This belief only really matters when it concerns what I choose to do.

If someone's intuition guides them to do something, far be it for me to countermand that. I would always listen to my own intuition before following a dogmatic set of rules.

Of course, though, common sense should always be applied.

Thaak wrote:
If someone's intuition guides them to do something, far be it for me to countermand that. I would always listen to my own intuition before following a dogmatic set of rules.

Of course, though, common sense should always be applied.

Jumping in late here...I tend to agree. I think it's important to be sensitive to a situation and not just make assumptions that Reiki will be accepted by another person. I have one friend who rejects it on grounds that he can't find a non-spiritual explanation that presents an absolute truth and another who feels it conflicts with her understanding of Scripture and relationship with Jesus. Both of them will find their own path to healing and wholeness, but it may not happen through Reiki and that's fine. I'm there if they change their mind, but even if they never accept Reiki, they will always have my love and compassion.

Yet, I have listened to my intuition and have given Reiki when it felt very strongly to me that I should. My mother was near-death last year in the ICU after having a reaction to pain medication (compounded by a MRSA infection in her lungs and blood.) She was on life support and unconscious most of the time. I did give Reiki to her and never questioned whether or not I should. It went beyond the fact that she was my mother. I just knew it was needed - either to help her make her transition or help her fight back to health. In this case, she has made a miraculous recovery and has since expressed interest in learning Reiki. (We don't live in the same state, or I'd have given her the attunements already.)

I do believe that Reiki can do no harm, so maybe what it boils down to is having respect for other people's preferences and privacy whenever possible. There are many different paths to healing; Reiki is only one of those paths.

Rlei_ki wrote:

Milarepa wrote:It's quite interesting. We're all taught a person doesn't need to believe in Reiki in order for it to work.

Takata-sensei taught that while the client doesn't need to believe, in order for the Reiki treatment to be truly effective, the Practitioner does need to believe.



[afterall, what would be the point of practicing something you didn't believe in?]


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Try this on for size, James: When I first heard of Reiki, I didn't want to believe in it, nay, I refused to believe in it, because it was "obviously" unscientific superstition. However, I was forced to believe in it, whether I wanted to or not, simply because there was obviously something there that had an effect on my sense perceptions (and how could my senses be affected if there was nothing there to affect them?). Granted, only very weakly the first time (I felt like I was ever so slightly drunk after my first attunement, and wasn't sure if I should be driving), but as I had more and more experience giving and receiving reiki, and I came to perceive reiki more and more clearly, I came to realize that just because I couldn't explain it in terms of what I had been taught in school doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. My point is that once I actually experienced reiki, I didn't get to choose whether to believe in it or not. I only had that luxury when I had not yet had the experience.

Now, I suppose there are people who never feel/see/hear/smell/taste/sense reiki in any way when they are learning it. Yet even for people like that, who would really be in a position to doubt it thoroughly, would they still be able to, seeing the effect it has on the people they work on, or even on themselves?

And, of course, there are those would say that I am deceiving myself when I "perceive" something that "isn't there". To which I have to reply that, although I have an excellent imagination, it's not so good that I can lie to myself so convincingly as to have a hallucination.

It just seems to me that reiki, whatever else it may or may not be, is a real "force" in our world, and denying it would be like denying gravity or the air we breathe. We may not be aware of it until someone points it out to us, but its reality is undeniable. So I don't see how it's possible that a practitioner *could* disbelieve in Reiki, whether s/he wants to or not. IME, YMMV and other standard disclaimers, of course. ;-)

Love and Light,

Garry

Milarepa wrote:Bridget has a point. It's common practice to pray for other people.

I know some devout Christians who are adamant about it being appropriate to pray for others regardless of whether those others have given permission to be prayed for. But many of those same devotees are also adamant about their right not to be mentioned in prayers to, e.g., the Lord Shiva. Go figure.

Attempting to treat folks without permission is another reason, imo, why Reiki folks have been having issue getting into hospitals, etc. It goes against medical ethics. And within spirituality, one should have more ethics than science, of which medicine is a part, imo, :-) .

I've long stated that there's no justification for us to be less ethical than physicians. But I think difficulty with getting into hospitals probably has more to do with incredulity about reiki than it does with ethics.

Bruce

hiya Bruce,
good to see you here! .

take care
Wayne

Reikijim wrote:Hi Folks,

I`m always suprised when I see reiki compared to prayer. I see many differences in the two.....but thats another discussion.

Since reiki has no dogma and is not attached to any religion, nor is it a religion, I feel it cannot be compared to, nor should be attached to prayer.

I agree with James wherein I have come across more people who are consciously willing to accept Reiki when it is offered than people who choose not to accept it.

There have been times when someone has asked me to give or send reiki to someone else they feel needs it. When that arises I ask the person to please ask their friend or relative if that is what they would like and if so, to inform me of their consent and desire and I will start sending reiki. Most people are considerate and respectful of my request for permission in advance.

Love, light & healing,
Rose

your absolutly right!
a man that do not want your help who are you to force him?
who are you to say what is right ro wrong for anothr person?
your opinion makes no difference.
all you do is offer him your help if he will accept it good for him
if not just let go off it ro ask agin later.

Light and Love.
Cohav

I have a question regarding to this topic.

What if you ( or I ) so happen to be in mediation just to reflect on the day that has passed and then out of no where ending up hearing someone (lets say a friend for example) that is crying (while in mediation).. once there.. you let that person know that you are there to help and you asked if they would need help or comfort.. in return they did say yes.. would this be a form of permission?

Thank you.

TWolfsong wrote:I have a question regarding to this topic.

What if you ( or I ) so happen to be in mediation just to reflect on the day that has passed and then out of no where ending up hearing someone (lets say a friend for example) that is crying (while in mediation).. once there.. you let that person know that you are there to help and you asked if they would need help or comfort.. in return they did say yes.. would this be a form of permission?

Thank you.

I would say yes. Just because it is not a physical conversation does not mean that it is not permission.

However, you should be careful that it isn't your ego or your drive/need to help that is skewing the "answer" you get.

Thank you. I wanted and needed to know for sure.