Many people often misunderstand the Reiki or healing with energy. Below is a list of some of the more common myths associated with Reiki.

1. Reiki Healing is a Cult or a Religion

This is completely wrong. Reiki is all about spirituality; there is nothing religious about it. There isn’t any Reiki church or a priest who gives sermons on it. The foundation of Reiki lies in its principles that have been laid out for its practicing students. These principles are not at all connected to religion but rather come from a Japanese Emperor. The ability to heal totally corresponds to the ethical code. Although Reiki principles aren’t usually communicated with the person receiving it, they might be in some cases. This communication fully revolves around the well being of the recipient.

2. Mikao Usui was a Christian minister.

Usui came from a Buddhist family and may have practiced Tendai Buddhism.

3. Mikao Usui studied in America at the prestigious, University of Chicago.

Usui never studied at the University of Chicago. In fact, he probably never even visited America. Usui was certainly well-educated and well-read, but it is likely that most of his education came through self-study.

4. Mikao Usui was a physician and that is why he is often referred to as Dr. Usui.

Usui was highly respected as a teacher and mentor. Hence, he was given the title, sensai. “Sensai” was probably changed to “Dr” to make his teachings more palatable to Western students.

5. The Reiki Practitioner Heals the Recipient.

No, not really. This can be explained easily, a person practicing Reiki is the one who pours Reiki energy or universal force of life onto the person receiving it so that they are able to heal their mind, body and spirit. The Reiki healing energy is passed on through the practicing individual and is passed on to the recipient. Here, the Reiki practitioner happens to be only a medium for the healing process. No one has the ability to heal you but yourself. The whole task of healing cannot be designated to someone else.

6. Reiki is a One Time Healing Procedure.

It would be very helpful if this were true. Although there are times those recipients get healed and cured with one short healing session. However, chances of that happening are very rare.

Healing isn’t a one-time thing; it’s holistic, a process, and a path that you need to walk on to see results. To get worthwhile results and experience real changes, Reiki recipients are usually recommended to go through at least 3 to 4 sessions. Typically what clients do is they go through a few sessions, get a break, and come back again in a few months. However be the approach to the problem, the point remains the same, that healing is an ongoing process.

7. Reiki only helps people who believe in it.

Wrong. A patient/client is not required to believe that Reiki works the way it is said to work. Reiki healing energy will go where it is needed. It can help “nonbelievers”, as well as “believers”.

8. Reiki only “works” if you pay for it.

Wrong. This myth was probably started as a way for Takata and other early masters to justify the fees they charged their students. Reiki practitioners certainly have a right to charge for their services — everybody has a right to make a living — but, a Reiki healing session will help the recipient whether it is paid for or is received free of charge.

9. A Reiki Treatment Deserves to Be Free

Reiki is universal, it’s a divine art and complete life force energy – thus it should be free. However, it cannot be provided free of cost unless and until the practitioner himself offers it as a gift or for some charity purposes.

When you are paying to a Reiki practitioner he should be completely prepared to offer the treatment. He must be eligible and have the skill and the ability to direct the Reiki energy for the purpose of your healing. In short, he must put in all the effort required to be a professional, well-equipped service provider. This is the reason why you should be paying for Reiki, just the way you pay for any other health service or surgery.

10. Healing Means Getting Cured.

Curing may be a part of the healing procedure. However, if you do get healed, it does not necessarily mean you’re cured.

Healing is different than curing, in fact they are opposite in their approach towards wellness. Curing works by working on getting rid of the symptoms of the health condition and its physical causes, whereas healing directly attacks the main cause of the health problem. Reiki healing is all about spiritual, emotional and mental re-balancing and unblocking. It works on dissolving the root cause of the condition, which leads to alleviating the symptoms as on the whole.

11. Reiki can replace conventional medical practices.

No. Reiki practitioners agree that serious illnesses, accidents, and other acute medical conditions require traditional medical interventions. However, they do believe that Reiki can be usefully applied to a wide range of physical and mental disorders. They believe that the application of Reiki can help the body heal itself. But, Reiki practitioners generally see Reiki as something that should be combined with conventional treatments.