Reiki
From Occult Forum.org wiki
Incomplete article
This article is considered a work-in-progress, and as such is not complete.
You can help this article by adding more content to it.
Reiki is a system of spiritual healing, which involves the use of a channeled energy to assist the mind, body, and soul to heal themselves.
The word is generally translated as "Universal life energy"[1][2][3][4], however this is not entirely accurate. Rei can be translated as "Universal", but also implies God-Consciousness, Spiritual Energy, Divinity, or the supernatural.[5][3][6] Ki translates as "Life energy" or "Life force", and is comparable to the terms Chi, Prana, etc.[5][3]
Contents |
History
Attunements
The ability to channel Reiki is granted unto the student by a Reiki "Master". There are a number of different methods for this ritual, which can vary from master to master. Generally, the ritual involves healing/cleansing the student, and tuning their energy to the Reiki energy.
It is believed that this makes the Reiki energy flow through the student permanently, and that once attuned it can not be undone, and is with you for life.
This process can occur in stages, or all at once, depending both on the Student and the Master. When done in stages, it is often broken into "Levels", and separated by cleansing periods, during which the newly-attuned Student will heal their self. This is sometimes known as a "Cleansing period".
Lineage
Students of Reiki are often presented with a certificate of Lineage upon receiving their attunements. Because Reiki is gifted from master to student, each person who is legitimately attuned should be able to trace their lineage back to Dr. Mikao Usui.
This is presented in the form of a list of names, with Dr. Usui at the top. Many traditionalists will argue that without a certificate of lineage, there is no way to be certain that what you have been taught is, indeed, Reiki.
Degrees
Various schools of Reiki use some differint degrees, for example in the Takata style there are three degrees, whereas in the Rand style there are four degrees. The number of different grades varies greatly depending on source, up to 13 individual grades have been known to be used. [7]
I focus here on the 3 or 4 grades most widely used.
The first degree
In this grade, students are taught the Cho Ku Rei symbol, and learn to channel Reiki energy through touch, line-of-sight, and breath. This level is a basic initiatory level, and the student is often directed to follow this attunement with a 21-day cleansing period. The cleansing period is to help them to prepare to become a Reiki Master, sometimes a lesson in dilligence and patience, and of course to let them get used to working with Reiki.
At this level, the focus of Reiki is primarily on a physical level.
The second degree
In this grade, students are taught Sei he ki and Hon sha ze sho nen symbols, which are used for mental/emotional healing, and distant healing, respectively. The practitioner is taught how to heal deeper-seated issues than the first grade, and distant healing methods are imparted. This is also often followed by a cleansing period.
The third/fourth degree
In Takata-style Reiki, only three degrees are taught: the third and fourth degrees are merged into one: the master level. Students of a William Lee Rand lineage are given "Master-Student" degree as the third, and "Master-Teacher" degree as fourth. Typically, the time period between the third and fourth degrees is far greater than the period between other degrees, and the student will not be permitted to take the maximum level attunement until the master feels they are ready.
At this level, students are taught Dai ko myo, the master symbol. This allows for healing on a spiritual level, but sometimes is reserved exclusively for passing attunements.
Healing crisis
Due to the Reiki energy flowing through the student constantly, a person who is attuned to Reiki is believed to be permanently self-healing. This can cause some spiritual, mental, and physical upheaval, as the "Toxins" are brought to the surface, and pushed out of the student by the Reiki energy.
This can cause periods of intense emotions, or even sickness, as the body addresses issues which may have been overlooked previously, in an effort to attain balance.
It is perfectly normal, and you should be prepared to ride it out should this happen to you.
The price
Reiki attunements can cost huge amounts of money, however not all Reiki Masters will charge for the service. Some believe that Reiki should be freely available to everyone, however there are still an abundance of Reiki Masters who will charge you for attunements and tuition.
Generally, the Reiki Masters who charge the most money will tell you that Reiki balances Karma, and that the monetary payment is to offset the act of liberating you from your karmic debt.
It is believed that this practice originated from Usui's first dojo. In order to pay rent on the building, and keep it well-maintained, Usui would invite students to live at the dojo, where they would do various chores in return for Reiki attunements and training.
As time went on, this turned more towards a second option: the option to pay for attunements and training in cash, rather than in manual labour. This became increasingly the preferred route, and led us where we are today.
Healing
Healing in Reiki can be done hands-on, or hands-off, even over great distances. [3][5][8][4]. Usually distant healing is taught at the second degree.
It is believed that Reiki energy directs itself to the location it is needed, and that no thought is required on the part of the practitioner. At times, Reiki will activate itself, and the attuned person may find themselves channeling Reiki without intending to.
Reiki is also said to follow the intentions of the practitioner somewhat, and can be directed to flow through any part of the body, but is usually directed through the hands, through line-of-sight, through focus on a remote person or object, or in the breath.
Protection
Some Reiki practitioners cleanse and protect the space in which the healing takes place. This can be an elaborate ritual in and of itself, however many of those who do protect the space before starting will simply "draw" the reiki symbols in the 4 corners of the space, and invite the energy in to do the rest.
Scanning
Reiki practitioners are often taught a technique called "Byosen" or "Byosen Reikan Ho"[9][5], this is a scanning technique where the practitioner holds their hands over the patient, or a likeness thereof, and "feels" the energy field for disharmony.
Practitioners soon learn to tell the difference between a healthy energy field, and the unhealthy field surrounding an injury, although this is not always easy, as subtle differences in energy fields mean that each case must be treated relatively. The key lies not in looking for sensations you associate with specific disorders, but in finding irregularities in the field itself.
As practice goes on, many Reiki Masters develop the ability to "see" the energy body, and can diagnose the problems without the use of their hands, although this is largely down to the individual, but Reiki seems to help the wielder to progress towards this goal with greater ease.
Hand positions
In many forms of Reiki, the practitioner will pass their hands over the body of the client in a predetermined path, stopping in certain fixed positions for a short period of time, and allowing the energy to flow.
There can be as many as 80 hand positions [8] however, most Reiki practitioners use no more than 20 of these.[4][5][10].
Some practitioners use predetermined combinations of the hand positions for specific ailments [8].
It is worth noting that some believe that there were originally only 5 hand positions [11], and still others use a more open approach: allowing their hands to be directed by the Reiki at the time of channeling, with no fixed positions.
Reiki symbols
'Types' of Reiki
In recent years, there have been a number of variations on "traditional" Reiki, such as "Kundalini Reiki", "Rainbow Reiki", and "Karuna Reiki"[12][13][14]. There is some debate over whether these truly constitute Reiki, and Reiki Traditionalists sometimes argue that because they do not follow the ways of Dr. Usui, they are not truly Reiki at all.[15]
The view that they are legitimate is becoming more widely accepted however, and there are far more open discussions on the topic taking place now. [16]
In practice, Reiki can complement a myriad of other spiritual techniques, and has been known to benefit spiritual development in general.
References
- ↑ http://www.answers.com/topic/reiki-3
- ↑ http://bowentouch.com/index.php/what-is-reiki
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Practical Reiki - Mari Hall 1997 Thorsons
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Understanding Reiki - Raymond R Bullock 2001 Caxton Reference
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Reiki: The Healing Touch - William Lee Rand 1991 Vision Publications
- ↑ http://www.hypno-therapy.co.za/?page_id=10
- ↑ http://www.aetw.org/reiki_grading.html
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 The original Reiki handbook of Dr. Mikao Usui - Frank Arjava Petter 1998 Lotus Press - Shangri-La
- ↑ http://www.aetw.org/d_byosen.html
- ↑ http://www.light-reiki.co.uk/Handpositions.html
- ↑ http://www.aetw.org/d_treatment_usui.htm
- ↑ http://www.reikipages.com/reiki-types/
- ↑ http://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/reiki/Reiki7.htm
- ↑ http://www.occultforum.org/forum?task=viewtopic&id=29613
- ↑ http://www.aetw.org
- ↑ http://www.sharereiki.org/sriforum/index.php/board,5.0.html
