"Judith" : came for a Reiki treatment for a migraine, from which she had suffered for several days. She reported developing awareness of the cause of her headache during the Reiki.

"David" : reported that "quite a few problems" resolved for him during the Reiki.

"Kylie" : came in distraught and sobbing. During Reiki had an image of herself as a paperbark tree shedding its bark [she said the tree was herself - spiky but soft]. This image had meaning for her. The following week during Reiki, Kylie saw roses dying and regrowing, and herself as a fairy flying over mushrooms. She was entranced with the beauty of the imagery, and said she understood the meaning.

"Elizabeth" : experienced, during Reiki, a vision of herself as a child, and telling her child that everything would be alright. She said also that "a lot of stuff came up and I made some decisions". She said that she had been very sad when she came in, but now "feel more relaxed and connected that I have felt for ages".

"Jason" : "during the Reiki had a lot of thoughts about people I hadn't thought about for a long time". Because of this, Jason said he had been able to make a couple of important decisions.

"Jake" : "a lot of thoughts came up. I now realise there is a reason for everything. Can't believe how positive I feel" and after a pause " I feel that I've been forgiven by the Great Spirit".

These treatments were given without any intervention by the practitioner. The role of the practitioner in listening from the heart after each treatment was however of great importance.

The case studies are only a small sample of many similar experiences of empowerment and development of the Reiki recipient through their own experiences.

It is interesting to note that people, who have received Reiki "readings" in previous treatments, have reported that receiving Reiki without such practitioner intervention has given them a much more powerful experience, including their own experiences.

Having completed my Reiki 1 initiation out of Melbourne, I did not know any Melbourne practitioners, so when I felt the need for a Reiki treatment, I chose a fairly well known Reiki Centre in my area. I was given a Reiki by two women, who were welcoming enough, but who did not ask me about any issues I might be working through, either before or after the treatment.

After the Reiki was over, one of them handed me a piece of paper saying this was a message she had received for me. It said words to that effect: "There is a wall - it is of your own making - you can destroy it".

Whereas I now see it as a message which could apply to any number of us at any stage in our quest for our deeper selves, at the time it both distressed and angered me. I was quite fragile emotionally, and it fed my overwhelming sense of inadequacy - "You are not doing enough, or you are doing the wrong thing ....... you'll never get any better......etc.......". And I was angry because there was no other contact other than the Reiki [which is of course a very powerful one, but on a very different level] between these women and me, and they offered no support. I still remember standing in the street after the treatment thinking "I shouldn't feel like this after a Reiki!"

Thinking about it later in the light of Jungian psychology, I could not help wondering how many of these "messages" actually come from the practitioner's unconscious, and are in fact projections.

I have now accepted that, at some level, I needed the experience, and I have let it go, especially as the Reiki treatments I have received since have been in complete contrast to that first one. I feel that questions have been asked gently, I have been listened to with great respect, the time before and after the Reiki has been as deeply nurturing as the Reiki itself, and there has been no "message"!

The Reiki opens very deep doors within ourselves, and I feel we have to be very careful about what we let in while the doors are open. This is one of many unfortunate experiences that have been reported to us; it illustrates clearly the dangers raised by this practice.

"H.L.'s" letter provides a graphic account of the unfortunate experience of the receiver of an unprofessional Reiki treatment.

"H.L." [who has Reiki 1st Degree] had recently been diagnosed with a non-malignant breast lump and non-malignant cervical cancer cells. She sought a Reiki treatment, and mentioned to the practitioner [who also was a Master] her medical condition. When she also mentioned that she did not regularly self-treat with Reiki, she was verbally abused by the practitioner [she was called "a silly bitch"]. The result was that at the commencement of the treatment she felt "guilty, ashamed, depressed, and most importantly - spiritually violated."

"H.L" says that the experience of the treatment itself was ...

"... nothing like I have ever experienced, it felt like someone was sucking the very thoughts out of my mind. She told me things about myself that no one knows, my personality, character, my present relationship with [my partner]. The outlook was very negative and I felt emotionally violated. She had no right without a professional background to say some of the things she did. I was recently diagnosed as having Post Trauma Syndrome, and the statements she was making were disturbing me greatly".

We invite comment on the content and direction of these papers from practitioners of Reiki who either are already working, or are contemplating working in the professional field, such as in hospital, hospice, or clinic situations.

We are also creating a dossier of case studies dealing with the effects of psychic practice in Reiki - both harmful or otherwise - and will appreciate the receipt in writing of any relevant case studies. We would stress that confidentially will be maintained in these case studies: where appropriate, names of persons involved will be omitted or changed.