Speakers - WNSC 2024

Abstract

Experienced, highly stressful situations leave a deep imprint on the spiritual-psychological state of a person. Nevertheless, Reiki, along with other ancient Eastern techniques of body self-rehabilitation, can act as effective bioenergetic therapy, leading to a significant reduction in unwanted psycho-emotional/affective-behavioral reactions; thus, it can be applied as a means of health improvement, public nursing, and healthcare.

The aim of this research was, first, to identify the emotional-therapeutic effect of Reiki on the human body and, second, to explain its psycho-emotional somatic-physiological operative mechanism.

Our results established a multifaceted connection between the use of Reiki and leveling various negative symptoms: it was repeatedly confirmed that Reiki improves the somatic-physiological functioning of the body, has a positive effect on subjective well-being, enriches the quality of life, activates the person’s defense mechanism, optimizes social inter-actioning. However, traditional medicine does not recognize the Reiki benefit despite evident Reiki efficiency. Moreover, Reiki is still being studied only at the clinical-medical level without any psychological analysis, not a single work reveals Reiki psychological genesis, Reiki psychological roots are not considered, nothing is known about its operational psycho-emotional-physiological mechanism.

This study is the first analytical investigation of the Reiki technique. It was carried out within the author’s explanatory-functional psychological paradigm: the psychological essence of Reiki is clarified, and an adequate explanation of its psychological-functional mechanism is given to reveal how Reiki improves the somatic-physiological functioning of the body, replenishes protective-compensatory resources, unblocks the circulation of psycho-bioenergetic flow which, consequently, normalizes physiological-somatic indicators. Currently, the use of Reiki techniques seems to be relevant everywhere. There is an urgent need for training/rehabilitation of military personnel and professional specialists of law-defense enforcement agencies and for improving the population's health. The results obtained and the accompanying psychological-analytical substantiation of Reiki may be useful for further, more consistent large-scale coverage of the problem posed.

Keywords: ancient-Eastern Reiki technique; stress-resistance; protective-compensatory resources; self-rehabilitating of the human body; psycho-energetic flow; biofield.