Awareness and Use of Reiki, Reiki Research, Energy Healing, and Complementary Medicine amongst Australian Health Professionals and the Community

TL;DR

This study explores how aware and how much Australians use Reiki and energy healing, finding high awareness but limited knowledge about the research supporting these practices.

Contribution

The study provides the first Australian data on Reiki and energy healing awareness and use among health professionals and the community.

Findings

Nearly all Australians (99%) were aware of Reiki and 98% of energy healing.

Only 43% were aware of Reiki research, and many held misconceptions about its efficacy.

Massage therapists and nurses used CAM the most, while medical practitioners used it the least.

Abstract

Reiki is a non-invasive energy healing therapy originating in Japan. It is believed that a trained therapist can transmit energy to the patient to activate the body’s capacity to heal itself, restore balance, and promote well-being. Despite a growing body of research supporting Reiki’s efficacy, there are few international studies, and no studies in Australia, examining people’s awareness of and use of Reiki. This study aimed to explore the prevalence and awareness of Reiki and energy healing in the Australian population and to see whether these findings reflected recent trends in the use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). It also aimed to explore differences between health professions and the Australian community regarding the prevalence and use of this.

This exploratory study used a quantitative cross-sectional design using an online, anonymous survey. From a sample of 457 Australians, nearly all were aware of Reiki (99%) and energy healing (98%), 78% had used energy healing and 69% had used Reiki. This suggests a higher-than-expected level of awareness and use, which may have been influenced by response bias. Despite this, only 43% were aware of any Reiki research, and 73% of the sample held beliefs about research on Reiki’s efficacy that did not align with the current state of Reiki research. This was mainly due to an underestimation of the research on Reiki’s efficacy (30%) or to having “no idea” (28%) of its current state.

Differences between groups were discussed. Medical practitioners used Reiki, energy healing, and CAM less than other professions and the general community. Massage therapists and Nurses used CAM the most, and Massage Therapists used Reiki and Energy Healing the most. Most users of Reiki and energy healing were highly educated. More education about Reiki research and its current status is recommended.

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