The Online Publication of the Reiki University
The Future of Reiki Healing Is In Our Hands
by Ellen Louise Kahne
Recent attempts to regulate and legislate Reiki healing
and teaching in New York, Michigan, California, Texas, Florida, Minnesota
and other states have raised the level of public awareness of lobbying
attempts to control, regulate and dominate all spiritual healing through
legal (legislative/regulatory) and proposed organizational dominance or
“certification.” The history of attempts to control, dominate and
monopolize Reiki healing and all other forms of spiritual healing through
punitive governmental regulations form an insidious pervasive pattern
which threatens to override basic spiritual freedoms guaranteed to all
citizens under the first amendment of the United States Constitution.
This pattern may be discerned through a search of internet and published
articles, as found in detail on the following websites: www.ReikiPeaceNetwork.com
(see “Reiki Magazine” and “The Peace Project” “A Closer Look at New York’s
‘Bad’ Bills,” “Reiki and Regulation”) and www.sacredpath.com (see legislative
pages).
Reiki healing, which is spiritually guided laying on
of hands healing deriving from a 19th century Japanese Buddhist perspective,
has been practiced safely, effectively in Japan since the early 1900s
and in the western world and the U.S. by over one million people of all
faiths, cultures and backgrounds since 1937 without any demonstrable incidence
of harm, without prosecution of any individual U.S. Reiki healer or teacher
for the practice or teaching of Reiki healing, without any need for regulation
or legislative control or domination by any specific Reiki organization,
teacher or teaching methodology. That this is so is a testament
to the purity, cleanliness and empowerment stemming from the source of
Reiki healing, which abides in G-d’s healing energy, the wisdom of Universal
life force energy, prayer, meditation and healing intention.
Reiki works in concert with all other forms of healing.
Reiki healers do not “diagnose” or “treat” illness (unless medically licensed
and qualified), nor do they seek to replace qualified medical supervision
or care. So,why is there a “push” at this time to dominate,
regulate and control Reiki healing from both within and without the Reiki
healing community?
This push for legislation and “standardization” of
Reiki spiritual laying on of hands healing and of healing through prayer
has been linked to broader attempts by national and state lobbying organizations
for homeopathy and homeopathic schools to include a catchall of unlicensed
healing modalities in proposed so-called “health freedom” legislation
in the following states: New York, Michigan, California, and through
a national organization with the purpose and direction of spreading this
type of legislation to every state in the United States without either
the consent or knowledge of the majority of practitioners and teachers
who would be affected by these bills. Legislation has already passed
in Minnesota and there is legitimate concern (alarm) by members of the
Reiki and spiritual healing community regarding potential enforcement
(and abuse) of punitive provisions contained in this type of legislation
(see articles on regulation www.ReikiPeaceNetwork.com).
The concerted effort by unlicensed homeopaths to pass
legislation regarding all unlicensed healing stems from the fact that
this group wants the legal right to “evaluate” (or diagnose)
and “treat” illnesses without being either medically licensed or qualified
to do so. This type of practice is in violation of current state
laws which protect the public against the practice of medicine without
licensing. Attempts to supersede state legislated protections, to
propose “diagnosis” or “evaluation” and “treatment” by healers who are
not medically qualified or under medical supervision constitute a serious
potential danger to the public.
Reiki healers do not “diagnose” or “treat,” as Reiki
is spiritual healing and all spiritual healing stems from Universal Intelligence,
(known to most cultures as
G-d, the Creator, or the enlightenment which comes to the Buddha within).
Despite any claims to the contrary, there is not one known instance
of a Reiki healer ever having being arrested, prosecuted or disciplined
for practicing Reiki in the U.S. for the practice of medicine without
a license. This information was obtained through extensive research,
and through repeated requests by email and/or phone for any citation
whatsoever of prosecution of any Reiki healers for the “practice of
medicine without a license” in any state to the following individuals:
Caroline Rider (attorney, member of the “steering committee” of the NYNHP),
Diane Miller (attorney from Minnesota who heads national efforts by homeopaths
to pass state legislation), and William Rand (Reiki Master), all of whom
openly support regulation of Reiki through proposed so called "health
freedom" legislation and/or national “certification” (to control
the practice and teaching of Reiki spiritual healing)--measures which
have been proposed in New York, Michigan and California and other states
regarding all unlicensed healing modalities including Reiki. This
positioning is evident in “statements of purpose,” on websites and/or
in current articles, emails and “ezines” authored and disseminated by
these individuals and their associated groups.
All need to control, regulate, or dominate Reiki and
other forms of spiritual healing are generated by groundless fears and/or
motivated by individual and collective greed and (attempts at) monopoly.
These fears are not grounded in fact or substantiated by any evidence
that Reiki healing is harmful. Reiki healers have never violated
medical practice laws, nor have Reiki Masters or practitioners been prosecuted
for practicing Reiki.
These groundless fears, and attempts to dominate, control,
program or “standardize” Reiki teaching and healing are based on unhealed
areas of dysfunction expressed by a small percentage of healers and through
fear and greed in the unlicensed healing community and (unfortunately)
within a small proportion of the Reiki community itself.
Sadly, disturbing attempts have been made to control
and limit Reiki healing by various Reiki organizations and by a few prominent
Reiki healers. Technically, these attempts may not be “illegal,”
but isolated incidents of abuse of power have plagued
the Reiki community, such as proposed legislation of Reiki in Texas which
would have delegitimatized all independent Reiki teachers and healers
in that state (excepting two groups which require $10,000 for training
Reiki Masters). This same fear based controlling mindset applies
to currently proposed legislation in New York, Michigan and elsewhere,
which is punitive of healers and which would override and obliterate constitutional
protections and inalienable rights which Reiki spiritual healers and all
Americans currently enjoy.
Spiritual abuses of power and power “grabs” in the
Reiki community, while not “illegal,” are hardly unknown. These
abuses have included the following:
1. Attempts by individuals and/or corporations to trademark
or copyright “Reiki,” “Usui Shiki Ryoho” (“the Usui System of Natural
Healing”), or specific forms of modern Reiki healing.
2. Attempts to coerce independent Reiki Masters to provide “licensing”
fees to private Reiki organizations (which are not arms of the government)
and/or to force independent Reiki Masters to turn over student mailing
lists, or email lists to a dominant/controlling organization for purposes
including commercial solicitation.
3. Attempts to require all Reiki certificates and certification
of independent Reiki Masters (in specific Reiki lineages) to be processed
for “required” fees through a central organization which is neither democratically
derived nor controlled by teachers of that organization or independent
Reiki Masters descended from these lineages.
4. Requirements (as a condition of receiving Master level) by specific
Reiki organizations for all Reiki Masters of a particular lineage to sign
contracts which require a “kick back” percentage of all future tuition
earnings which come through that teacher or all of that teacher’s prospective
students.
5. Attempts to superimpose on the entire Reiki community so-called
“standards” by vetting or certifying “boards” (with the power to “blackball”
or exclude teaching Reiki Masters who oppose board policies) in order
to mandate use of specific texts, techniques, and curricula, or fees (in
order to control Reiki teaching and healing).
6. Attempts to delegitimize the teaching and practice of Reiki Masters
and practitioners, or other spiritual healers who have not paid $10,000,
or other high fees, as a requirement for Reiki Master level or who do
not belong to a specific teaching lineage, methodology, religion, group
or have not achieved teaching “certification” status through that lineage
or are not in agreement with the methodologies of a specific controlling
group or Reiki Master.
7. Attempts to disempower and/or control or dominate Reiki Master/teachers
or practitioners by organizations and/or individual Reiki Masters by requiring
students or colleagues to “turn over” their power and/or Reiki empowerment
and skills without question to a controlling Master or organization.
Such abuses of others are not acceptable in the Reiki
(or healing) community and are not in keeping with the spirit of Reiki
healing energy or of Reiki healing principles. It is the responsibility
of wise leaders in our community to recognize that this collection of
controlling behaviors is a violation of both the Reiki empowerments which
we have received and the lineages through which we teach.
As a spiritual healing community, we need not and must
not turn over our Divinely guided power (and empowerment) to fear based
controlling energies. We all need to recognize and acknowledge that
the spiritual healing energies and principles which enliven us, which
flow through us to help others are not ours to control, dominate or abuse
at any time.
We need to “trust” and to honor the energy of spiritual
healing, G-d’s energy, as it flows through our students, through those
of other Reiki and spiritual healing lineages and teaching traditions
who heal in faith.
“Unhealed” State Legislation
Proposals
Typical of proposed so-called “health freedom” legislation,
New York’s proposed bills (A8704 and S4857) are dominated by eleven pages
of punitive provisions which seek to override constitutional protections
for all unlicensed healers against unreasonable search and seizure,
first amendment rights, rights to due process, and fifth amendment rights
against self incrimination. Such proposed legislation makes it easy
for anonymous “consumer” complaints to be filed by anyone with a “grudge”
against any unlicensed healer. The burden of proof (of innocence)
and the burden and cost of defense would fall squarely on the healer.
And, unlicensed healers would have to increase costs for services due
to increased legal liability. Dedicated and gifted Reiki healers
and spiritual teachers could be shut down by one false, malicious claim
to the NY State Health Commissioner.
Note: the office of New York State Health Commissioner
has a history of disciplining (and referring for prosecution) licensed
medical practitioners who choose to offer alternative and complementary
medicine to their patients in lieu of allopathic treatment, in spite of
the fact that such treatment is accepted practice under New York State
law.
To say that proposed legislation is merely restrictive
of Reiki and all spiritual healing would be a gross understatement.
These proposed bills (and possible future amendments) open a Pandora’s
box of future invasive regulatory intrusions into the spiritual beliefs
and practices and rights of all American citizens and seek to supersede
articles of the U.S. Constitution specifically designed to protect us.
First amendment rights have allowed people of diverse cultures, religions,
ethnicities and faiths to coexist in the U.S., since the founding of this
republic. The first amendment of our Constitution validates the
right to do spiritual laying on of hands healing in faith, to heal through
prayer, to empower through G-d, these are inalienable rights which have
been available and safely utilized for thousands of years.
Supporters of these bills have attempted to confuse
the issue of our basic freedoms and rights--the right to practice and
teach spiritual healing--with possible incidents which “might” occur of
sexual abuse, fraud, civil and criminal violations by individual spiritual
healers. Sufficient provisions exist under the law to protect us
and the public from violations and criminal abuses of individuals.
Violation by an individual concerns specific criminal, unethical, or illegal
behavior of that individual. Such behavior is not a function of
Reiki healing or teaching.
No Reiki teaching curriculum encourages, permits
or allows sexual, criminal or any type abuse of others.
Reiki healers are taught, enjoined and encouraged to live by basic Reiki
principles to: “honor every living being,” and to “work with integrity.”
Reiki healers and other spiritual healers and teachers
do not need to be singled out as a profession for special legislative
treatment: for prosecution, curtailment of constitutional rights
to worship, practice, pray or teach or lay on hands in faith or to have
their Constitutional rights curtailed (sic) rights to due process, protection
of privacy (unreasonable search and seizure), rights and guarantees against
self incrimination which we presently enjoy.
Members of the New York State healing community
have overwhelmingly opposed proposed punitive legislation, A8704 and S4857,
despite professional lobbying efforts for these bills. Legislators
have been flooded with mail, email, phone calls and visits from constituents
opposed to this legislation which is currently in the Higher Education
Committee of the NY Assembly.
Members of the healing community and the general
public in New York, Michigan, and California are strongly urged to contact
your state legislators and governor immediately to voice your strong and
concerted opposition to attempted regulation of Reiki and/or spiritual
healing and to remain awake and aware of all attempts to pass punitive
regulations or so called "health freedom" legislation which
could affect your right to receive spiritual healing and/or your constitutional
rights to heal in faith.