The Effect of Reiki on the Autonomic Nervous System as Measured by Entrainment Ratios of Heart Rate Variability

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to use the popular energy healing modality known as Reiki to reduce measurably the level of stress in a recipient. Specifically, the Reiki treatments would target an dement of the recipient's autonomic nervous system (ANS), namely the heart, and use heart rate variability (HRV) to measure the of the amount of stress reduction resulting from the Reiki treatments. The goal was to cause a change in the recipient's HRV, which is theoretically not under the subject's willful control, by a statistically significant amount, ideally to a "healthier level" from that experienced when Reiki was not applied.