Reiki

Reiki (霊気, /ˈreɪkiː/) is a form of alternative medicine called energy healing. Reiki practitioners use a technique called palm healing or hands-on healing through which a 'universal energy' is said to be transferred through the palms of the practitioner to the patient in order to encourage emotional or physical healing. Reiki is a pseudoscience, and is used as an illustrative example of pseudoscience in scholarly texts and academic journal articles. It is based on qi ('chi'), which practitioners say is a universal life force, although there is no empirical evidence that such a life force exists. Clinical research has not shown reiki to be effective as a treatment for any medical condition. There has been no proof of the effectiveness of reiki therapy compared to placebo. An overview of reiki investigations found that studies reporting positive effects had methodological flaws. The American Cancer Society stated that reiki should not replace conventional cancer treatment, a sentiment echoed by Cancer Research UK and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Developed in Japan in 1922 by Mikao Usui, it has been adapted into varying cultural traditions across the world. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English alternative medicine word reiki is etymologically from Japanese reiki (霊気) 'mysterious atmosphere, miraculous sign' (first recorded in 1001), combining rei 'soul, spirit' and ki 'vital energy'—the Sino-Japanese reading of Chinese língqì (靈氣) 'numinous atmosphere'. The earliest recorded English usage dates to 1975. The Japanese reiki is commonly written as レイキ in katakana syllabary or as 霊気 in shinjitai 'new character form' kanji. It compounds the words rei (霊: 'spirit, miraculous, divine') and ki (気; qi: 'gas, vital energy, breath of life, consciousness'). Ki is additionally defined as '... spirits; one's feelings, mood, frame of mind; temperament, temper, disposition, one's nature, character; mind to do something, intention, will; care, attention, precaution'. Some reiki translation equivalents from Japanese-English dictionaries are: 'feeling of mystery,' 'an atmosphere (feeling) of mystery', and 'an ethereal atmosphere (that prevails in the sacred precincts of a shrine); (feel, sense) a spiritual (divine) presence.' Besides the usual Sino-Japanese pronunciation reiki, these kanji 霊気 have an alternate Japanese reading, namely ryōge, meaning 'demon; ghost' (especially in spirit possession). Chinese língqì 靈氣 was first recorded in the (ca. 320 BCE) Neiye 'Inward Training' section of the Guanzi, describing early Daoist meditation techniques. 'That mysterious vital energy within the mind: One moment it arrives, the next it departs. So fine, there is nothing within it; so vast, there is nothing outside it. We lose it because of the harm caused by mental agitation.' Modern Standard Chinese língqì is translated by Chinese-English dictionaries as: '(of beautiful mountains) spiritual influence or atmosphere'; '1. intelligence; power of understanding; 2. supernatural power or force in fairy tales; miraculous power or force'; and '1. spiritual influence (of mountains/etc.); 2. ingeniousness; cleverness.' According to the inscription on his memorial stone, Usui taught his system of reiki to more than 2,000 people during his lifetime. While teaching reiki in Fukuyama, Usui suffered a stroke and died on 9 March 1926. Reiki's teachings and adherents claim that qi is physiological and can be manipulated to treat a disease or condition. The existence of qi has not been established by medical research. Therefore, reiki is a pseudoscientific theory based on metaphysical concepts.