Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese form of energy healing that uses palm healing or hands-on healing to transfer universal energy to encourage emotional or physical healing. It is a pseudoscientific healing technique based on qi or life force energy, which has not been scientifically proven to exist. There is no clinical evidence that reiki is effective in treating any medical condition. Reiki's originator, Mikao Usui, taught the method to over 2,000 people during his lifetime. Reiki is used as an illustration of pseudoscience in academic journal articles. Safety concerns for reiki are minimal, but it is not recommended for life-threatening conditions. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has declared that reiki is incompatible with Christian spirituality and lacks scientific credibility. There is no central authority regulating the use of the words reiki or reiki master, and certificates can be purchased online. At least 60 hospitals in the US offer reiki. Cancer centers and hospices in the UK offer free or low-cost reiki for people with cancer. The cost per session varies widely.