Reiki

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Reiki[a] is a pseudoscientific form of energy healing, a type of alternative medicine originating in Japan.[1] Reiki practitioners use a technique called palm healing or hands-on healing through which, according to practitioners, a "universal energy" is transferred through the palms of the practitioner to the client, to encourage emotional or physical healing. It is based on qi ("chi"), which practitioners say is a universal life force, although there is no empirical evidence that such a life force exists.[2][3]

Reiki is used as an illustrative example of pseudoscience in scholarly texts and academic journal articles.[2][3] The marketing of reiki has been described as "fraudulent misrepresentation",[3] and itself as a "nonsensical method",[4] with a recommendation that the American government agency NCCAM should stop funding reiki research because it "has no substantiated health value and lacks a scientifically plausible rationale".[5]

Clinical research does not show reiki to be effective as a treatment for any medical condition, including cancer,[6][7] diabetic neuropathy,[8] anxiety or depression.[9] There is no proof of the effectiveness of reiki therapy compared to placebo. Studies reporting positive effects have had methodological flaws.[2]


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  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Bellamy_6/12/2014 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Barrett_6/23/2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference ACS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cancer Research UK was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bril2001 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Joyce_Herbison_4/3/2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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