Reiki and Meditation Research
Reiki Research
For a selection of scientific studies that provide evidence of the therapeutic effectiveness of Reiki, please click here.
Research about bioenergy therapies (such as Reiki) grows
A 2018 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine demonstrated that in hospitalized patients in New Hampshire, a single session of Reiki substantially reduced pain, nausea, fatigue, anxiety and depression.
Another 2018 study in the Journal of Evidence Based Integrative Medicine, Reiki and physical therapy were equal in relieving the pain of a herniated disc in the low back as well as increasing activities of daily living. However, those treated with Reiki therapy responded faster. Both Reiki and physical therapy were more effective than the usual medications used for pain.
Link: Research-about-bioenergy-therapy-grows
Reiki to reduce depression and stress
Shore (2004) showed that 30 people needing treatment for mild depression or
stress, and who received hands-on Reiki or distance Reiki once a week for six
weeks, experienced significant reduction of mild depression and stress and the
beneficial effects lasted for at least one year following treatment.
The measures used in this experiment were the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale.
The 15 patients in the sham distance Reiki group who were told theywould receive distance Reiki but actually did not, reported no significant change in their depression or stress.
Link: European Reiki Group
Reiki for pain reduction
A frequently reported benefit of Reiki is that it reduces pain.
Vitale and O’Connor (2006) showed that Reiki significantly improved preoperative
relaxation and reduced postoperative pain in women undergoing hysterectomies.
The 12 women in the Reiki group received a 30-minute treatment immediately before surgery and 24 hours and 48 hours post surgery.
The 10 women in the control group received standard care only. There was no sham Reiki group.
Data were collected using the State component of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and a visual analog scale for pain measurement.
The Reiki group reported significantly less anxiety pre-surgery and significantly less pain 24 hours post-surgery than the control group. Interestingly, the time duration of the surgery was shorter on average for the Reiki group (59 minutes) than the control group (72 minutes).
Link: European Reiki Group
Michael’s book “Understanding Reiki” was published in 2004. → CLICK HERE for a FREE eBook DOWNLOAD.
Meditation Research
Breast cancer patients can benefit most from yoga and meditation, says new guide. The top ‘A’ rating was awarded to meditation, yoga, and relaxation with imagery, which had the strongest evidence supporting their use.
Click here to see the full article in the Daily Mail Online.
Meditation increases happiness
Meditation is an interesting method for increasing one’s sense of happiness because not only has it stood the test of time, but it’s also been tested quite extensively in the lab. Part of the effect of mindfulness meditation is to quiet the mind by acknowledging non-judgmentally and then relinquishing (rather than obsessing about) unhappy or stress-inducing thoughts.
New research by Judson Brewer, MD, PhD and his group at Yale University has found that experienced meditators not only report less mind wandering during meditation, but actually have markedly decreased activity in their DMN (= “default mode network”, the part of the brain that is active when our mind is wandering and flitting from one life-worry to the next).
Last year, a Harvard study confirmed that there’s a clear connection between mind wandering and unhappiness. Not only did the study find that if you’re awake, your mind is wandering almost half the time, it also found that this wandering is linked to a less happy state.
Link: www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2011/09/21/eat-smoke-meditate-why-your-brain-cares-how-you-cope/
Study Shows Meditation Improves Brain Structure
Participants in an 8 week mindfulness meditation class experienced structural brain changes including increased grey-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, and in structures associated with self-awareness, compassion and introspection.
This is the first research to document meditation-produced changes in the brain.
Link: www.sikhnet.com/news/study-shows-meditation-changes-brain-structure-just-8-weeks
Meditation Programs in Schools and Outcomes
Several studies have tested the effects of meditation using randomised controlled trials in primary and secondary schools with promising outcomes.
Research in US high schools found that meditation decreased class absences, misbehaviour and suspensions and even reduced students’ blood pressure.
Another study from Arizona State University in two primary schools (Napoli, Krech, and Holley 2005) found that meditation improved attention skills and social skills and decreased test anxiety.
A study in Western Canada in 12 primary schools (Schoenert-Reichl and Lawlor 2010) found that mindfulness education increased positive emotions and attention in class and reduced aggressive behaviour.
Link: www.edutopia.org
Meditating Moms: A Silent Revolution
Meditation is especially important for mothers because kids are sensitive to their mothers’ stress. Studies show that when a mother is overworked, anxious or depressed, her children have higher stress, too….
