Pseudoscience: Consists of statements, beliefs, or practices that are claimed to be both scientific and factual but are incompatible with the scientific method (unproven, not testable, or opposed to the consensus of traditional science).
Reiki
Definition: Reiki is an alternative healing practice developed in Japan during the early 20th century by Mikao Usui. It involves a practitioner placing their hands lightly on or just above a person’s body with the intention of transferring or directing a supposed universal life energy to promote healing. Practitioners claim that this invisible energy can restore balance, reduce stress, relieve pain, and stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities. Some proponents also claim that Reiki can help treat serious illnesses, including cancer and chronic diseases, or that healing energy can be transmitted over long distances. Although Reiki is sometimes offered as a complementary relaxation therapy, its central claim that practitioners can manipulate an invisible healing energy has not been scientifically demonstrated.
Reasoning: Scientific research has not established the existence of the energy field that supposedly enables Reiki healing. According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), there is no scientific evidence supporting the existence of the energy field proposed by Reiki practitioners. The agency also reports that Reiki has not been clearly demonstrated to be effective for any health-related purpose, noting that studies examining pain, anxiety, and depression have produced inconsistent results and frequently suffer from methodological limitations.
Further, a Cochrane systematic review examining randomized trials found insufficient evidence to determine whether Reiki effectively treats anxiety or depression. A 2026 review published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine examined the use of sham Reiki in clinical research. Of 154 randomized controlled trials identified, only 35 included sham Reiki control groups. Several of these studies found improvements among participants receiving sham treatments, indicating that placebo effects, physical contact, and human interaction may contribute to reported benefits. However, some individual studies have reported positive findings.
For example, a 2025 randomized trial involving 58 cancer patients reported reductions in pain, anxiety, and stress following Reiki treatment compared with sham Reiki and relaxation exercises. Such preliminary findings warrant further investigation but do not demonstrate the existence of a supernatural energy field. Similarly, a 2026 systematic review of 15 clinical trials found possible improvements in postoperative pain and anxiety while emphasizing limited sample sizes, variable evidence quality, and the need for more rigorous sham-controlled research. Importantly, even if Reiki sessions provide relaxation or temporary symptom relief, this does not establish that practitioners transfer healing energy or can cure underlying diseases. The primary medical concern is that patients may delay or abandon proven treatments in favor of unsupported energy-healing claims.
More Information
- Reiki: What You Need to Know – National Institutes of Health
- Reiki for the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression – Cochrane
- Investigation and Assessment of Sham Reiki Protocols in Reiki Research – Complementary Therapies in Medicine
- The Effectiveness of Reiki in Surgical Care: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- The Effect of Reiki Applied to Cancer Patients on Pain, Anxiety, and Stress Levels – Seminars in Oncology Nursing
Conclusion: Reiki is a pseudoscientific energy-healing practice because its central claim that practitioners can channel or manipulate an invisible life force lacks credible scientific evidence. Although some clinical studies report improvements in relaxation, pain, and anxiety, the overall evidence remains inconsistent and does not demonstrate that these benefits result from energy transfer. There is no reliable evidence that Reiki can cure cancer, reverse disease, or replace conventional medical treatment. While Reiki sessions may provide subjective comfort or relaxation, their proposed supernatural healing mechanism remains scientifically unsupported.
Last Updated on November 11, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check
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