Reiki Won't Stop Trending on TikTok — But Does It Work?

Into the multiverseReiki Won't Stop Trending on TikTok — But Does It Work?Gen Z is trying to shift your energy through their phones, and they're mimicking a very real energy healing practice.

By Emily Rekstis

February 15, 2022

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By now, chances are high that you've fallen victim to the habit of mindlessly scrolling through TikTok for an hour (or two). Deep inside this black hole of entertainment, you might come across a variety of wellness trends from aesthetically-pleasing morning routines to healthy food recipes. One of these new Wellnesstok mainstays goes beyond visual appeal and taps into a much larger spiritual journey: the art of Reiki.

 As I write this, #Reiki is tagged in more than 646.1M of the app's videos. Click and you'll find what seems like endless loops of people performing cleansings with crystals, reading auras, and "plucking" and "pulling" away negative energy with quick, mesmerizing hand motions that move in and out towards the camera. Some of these are backed by trending songs that beckon in viewers from their respective "For You" pages, while others may use a form of ASMR whispers and long nail taps to guide viewers through their experience. But as appealing to the eyes and ears as these videos may be at face value, many of them have little to with the ancient energy healing practice they're claiming to embody. 

What, exactly, is Reiki?

For those who might not be familiar with Reiki, the practice is a form of energy healing developed by Japanese healer Mikao Usui in 1922. During a Reiki session, a practitioner "channels energy from the universe to support the body's natural healing abilities," Reiki master Serena Poon explains. "Reiki healers help guide energy through a person's body to find balance and harmony." Energy itself exists on a universal — and scientific — level, but as Jonathan Jarry puts it in a 2019 McGill article, it's difficult to define. However, he notes that while it can't be created or destroyed, "it can be transformed or transferred."

So what does a typical Reiki session look like? "The person being healed lies down, usually in a dark room with a calming atmosphere," explains Poon. "The practitioner connects to a flow of universal energy, and over the course of about an hour, helps to restore a healthy flow through the person's body through light touch or floating hands." Though this may sound a little out-there to some, a 2017 study found that Reiki has impressive potential as a "safe and gentle complementary therapy that activates the parasympathetic nervous system to heal body and mind."

Could Reiki really help with anxiety?

Even for skeptics, clinical psychologist Dr. Chloe Carmichael M.D. relays that there isn't really any harm in giving it a try. "If somebody is interested in trying it, then why not?" she says. "I personally have known people that have really felt helped by it, and I've also known people that [haven't]. Because the research is inconclusive, people have to maybe do their own research [to see if] it works for them." This includes finding the right Reiki practitioner. 

"Having seen a couple of different Reiki practitioners myself, some of them I felt were really incredible. Some were not," she says, noting that this could also be said about psychotherapists. ​"For people that are curious, I would also just encourage them to not let one practitioner represent the entire practice to them."

Is distance Reiki legit?

Though it can be beneficial to physically attend these sessions in person to experience the practice in a soothing environment, distance Reiki has become especially popular as the pandemic continues and the world navigates a more virtual existence. "The idea behind distance Reiki is that energy is not confined to time or space, so can be sent anywhere," Poon says. "Unlike a massage, you can easily work with someone’s energy centers from afar." Therefore, a person doesn't have to be in the same room as someone else to give or receive energy, nor do they even have to be synced in time.

With that said, there are a few things that need to be implemented in order for the energy healing to work. First and foremost, the person sending the energy has to set an intention. "One of the things I say to students is that energy healing is 90 percent intention and 10 percent effort," Reiki master Song Atthajaroon explains. "So as long as you're putting the intention out there, the Reiki sends itself." Though this is especially important for the person sending the energy, it's also important for the person who is receiving it. "T​​he ones who are more intentional [and say] 'yes, I'm gonna receive this,' it becomes more impactful." That's why the random TikTok video that pops up on your For You Page might not be as effective: Although the person sending out the Reiki might have set a clear intention — like getting a good night's sleep or getting rid of negativity — chances are you didn't open the app with that same singular intention in mind. This is where one-on-one distant Reiki sessions with a practitioner can come in handy: You're able to cater it more towards your needs. 

The other key to successful Reiki —  and distance Reiki, specifically — is permission. Mystique Awakening, Reiki master and one of Tiktok’s most popular Reiki content creators with a hefty 1.3 million followers, discussed this in a pinned video from July 2021. She starts by explaining the importance of free will in reiki: if a person is not willing to receive the energy she is sending, they simply will not receive it. "Healing only happens with the amount that you're able to receive," she says. She then continues to explain the importance of consent. Even though people who are not open to receiving her Reiki will simply not receive it, she understands that explicit permission may be important to some of her followers. To honor this, she asks for these people to write their consent in the comments on her future videos.

Can you learn Reiki on your own?

It's not just Reiki masters doing all the plucking and pulling on TikTok. For every certified Reiki master (the highest status one can attain in their Reiki practice) there's also an amateur creator using these keywords and motions to gain followers and likes.  To become a Reiki master, a person must earn their qualifications through courses. "​​In order to become a Reiki master, you need to complete three consecutive levels of training," Reiki master Beth Eiglarsh explains. "During the courses, you learn the history, the concepts, the symbols, and the application." It's not until you complete level 3 that you're able to refer to yourself as a Reiki master. While you're completing levels 1 and 2, you're referred to as a Reiki practitioner. 

With that said, Eiglarsh and other Reiki masters agree that one doesn't have to study Reiki to practice it. "Reiki is less about studying and more about practice, commitment, and intention." The training, though, does help when it comes to guiding energy efficiently and responsibly. "There may be different kinds of healing qualities based on the level of experience that the practitioner or master has that is transmitted through their reiki," Atthajaroon explains. She also points out that energy healing can be especially draining for those who aren’t properly trained. "Reiki allows you to have a system to tap into [the universal] life force energy rather than [drawing from] your own energy. I advise those who go into healing to just make sure they have a clear distinction and are not depleting themselves."

So, is TikTok Reiki actually benefiting people, or is it just another form of appropriation? According to the Reiki masters and practitioners we spoke to, there's a lot of good to come out of it.

"Generally, I feel pretty positive about it," Reiki master Nadia Irshaid tells us. "Energy work, at its core, is simply a modality of allowing yourself to tap into the universal energy field around you, allowing it to channel through you to another person." She notes that this could seem completely unfamiliar to those who scroll upon it, but then again, that's just the beauty of the virtual world.

"I think it's great to have people dip their toe into energy healing. I feel like social media is a good platform for getting the information out there," Atthajaroon says. "Is it the same effect as getting a one-on-one healing session with a practitioner? I wouldn't say so. When you do a one-on-one session, it's a lot more customized to what's going on with that person."

Poon agrees that, while the exposure is great, there's also people who may simply want to hop reiki because it's a hot new trend. "Like with anything, it's important to do research into whose advice you're listening to before trying anything new, especially when your health is concerned," she says.

Beginning your own spiritual journey? Start here: 

• Therapists Say Gratitude Journals May Live Up to the TikTok Hype
• A Guide to Angel Numbers and What They Mean
• Numerology 101: How to Find Your Life Path Number

Now, see the signs you're most compatible with romantically

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KeywordsreikiTikTokspiritualityenergyhealingwellnesssocial mediaTrendstechnology