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We feel that there are certain fundamental aspects regarding the giving of a
Reiki treatment.
These are:
1. TRUST IN REIKI
That the practitioner does not intrude in the process of the action of Reiki.
By doing this we are empowering the receiver with his/her own experience. As
practitioners, we simply put aside our ego, thus making ourselves as 'empty' as
possible so as to be a pure channel for the Reiki energy. We do not take
responsibility for anything except to give the Reiki. If someone asks what we
as practitioners experienced, we simply give responsibility back to the client,
asking them to reflect on their experience.
Often clients have insights of their own, or images, which on discussion prove
meaningful to them - experiences which are empowering because they are their
own! Sometimes these experiences are subtle and become clear as the person
describes them. Such experiences could be obliterated from consciousness by a
practitioner imposing his/her perceptions, etc.
Our role as practitioners can
be very important as we listen to the client recounting an experience. It is
therefore important for us as practitioners to always be aware that Reiki does
the healing, and that those we treat also have this awareness. Giving
'readings', apart from anything else, places at least some of the focus on the
practitioner, rather than on Reiki itself, and on the client's own experience.
It is appropriate that we put aside our own ego [Mrs Takata did this in respect
of her own psychic powers. Refer
"Living Reiki" by Fran Brown Page 43
].
2. CLIENTS' & STUDENTS' NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES
This has been particularly the case where
the client has been given Reiki which included 'readings' by the practitioner;
these readings were perceived as intrusive and unwelcome by the receiver. Some
people describe the experience as being likened to someone else 'reading their
diary'!
3. THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY
As a Master, it is supportive to be able to be able to say that the Usui System
does not involve 'readings'. So where does it leave us as Masters, and what do
we say to people, who are alienated by a system that includes such a practice.
There are quite a number of instances where clients, or prospective students of
Reiki, have been put off receiving or learning the art of Reiki because of this
practice.
Students, who may perceive that they themselves lack any 'psychic' abilities,
may, through a desire to please the client, or to do what they think is
'correct practice', fall into the trap of 'inventing' - and perhaps with only
the best intentions - psychic or channelled information.
4. VALIDATIONS OF ADDITIONS to the practice of the Usui System. The question arises as to whether it is appropriate to validate such additions simply because in some areas they have been introduced ostensibly to 'improve' Reiki. To take this a stage further, should we validate all introduced practices in this way; we believe very strongly this is not appropriate, otherwise the practice very quickly ceases to be the Usui System.
5. PITFALLS FOR THE PRACTITIONER
As the practitioner gives a treatment to a client, it is possible for him/her
to enter a meditative state, during which time the practitioner's subconscious
may release images, etc. However, the multiplicity of such images that arise
are not true psychic readings, and without experience the nature of such images
may be very unclear and difficult to differentiate.
Responsible psychics claim
that it is necessary to have several years experience/ training before
practising as psychics; therefore, we feel that such practices are a very
inappropriate part of Reiki training. This is especially the case when 'psychic
practices' are taught, for example, in the course of the few hours that
comprise a 2nd Degree workshop!!!
There is far too much practised in this way in the name of the 'Higher Self',
which unfortunately, in some circles, is used to justify almost anything that
takes place during a treatment. Moreover, in the hands of some [the unstable,
etc] it is giving a dangerous level of power.
The fact that many people do develop some form of 'psychic ability' through
their practice of Reiki doesn't mean that they have an implied right to use
such 'abilities' in the name of Reiki. In any case, the growth of such
'abilities' is part of the practitioner's sensory development, but is often
only at the 'fledgling' stage.
6. CONCERNS OF HEALTH PRACTITIONERS
The introduction of such practices into Reiki over the last few years creates a
further problem, in that there may be a perceived need to accommodate people
who have learnt in good faith the practice of giving 'readings' as part of
their practice of Reiki.
If this issue is not addressed by the Master community
without delay, we foresee irreparable harm being done to the reputation of
Reiki, not only in the eyes of the public, but more importantly in the eyes of
health professionals such as doctors, psychologists, etc, who are now coming
round to an acceptance of the benefits of the practice. We will then find
ourselves placed in the category of "New Age mysticism", with all the
connotations that such a title can imply. Therefore, there is major, and
current, responsibility for the Master community to address these issues, and
to ensure the teaching of correct practices in Reiki.
There is an assumption by many of those practitioners of Reiki, who use this
practice of passing on 'readings' or 'messages', that the practice is by and
large a harmless one, and that it 'doesn't have to be taken too seriously', or
that the content can easily be subdivided into the accurate or relevant, and
what is obviously untrue or unimportant.
We feel this can be a highly dangerous
practice with certain categories of clients. These categories include drug
users, patients suffering from cancer, depression [including manic depression],
AIDS and HIV, schizophrenia, grief, and people under life change due to
relationship break-up, loss of employment, or other family crises, etc, etc,
etc.
7. EDUCATION OF THE PRACTITIONER
To address these concerns, we the authors of
this paper are looking to developing opportunities for practitioners to learn
skills in practising Reiki professionally.
Hitherto Reiki has basically been
practised as a folk art in which the practitioner has used Reiki to support
him/herself and family and friends.
Because there is a definite place for Reiki
in professional healing alongside other modalities, orthodox and complementary,
there is a need for the practitioner to have many of the ancillary skills that
are regularly taught in training courses for other modalities.
We therefore wish to create an awareness amongst Reiki practitioners that they
need to enhance their professional skills, and, to this end we are developing
an ongoing program in practitioner education.
This comes from experience that
Eileen Chapman has had with the Windana Reiki Clinic in Melbourne; this clinic
treats people from the Windana Detoxification and Assessment House where it has
been necessary to work in a strictly professional and caring manner with
clients that are often in an extremely vulnerable situation.
This has made the
need for additional skills apparent to both herself and to the team of
practitioners working alongside her.
The following points seem important to us:
8. TO SUM UP
In the case of psychic reading, we recommend that ...
Comments from professional therapists
This paper is offered to provide an alternative viewpoint to that which teaches that everything that comes to the practitioner's awareness, when giving Reiki, originates, as is often claimed, from a 'higher self' or 'guardian angel', etc. We invite comment on the content and direction of this paper 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.
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Mornington Peninsula Reiki Centre, PO Box 17, Bittern, 3918. Phone/Fax (03) 5983 9971. |
Reiki Journey Centre, Clifton Hill, 3068, Phone/Fax (03) 9482 5336. |
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