The Truth About Reiki

 

 

“Do you know what Reiki is? Have you ever thought about practicing it or becoming attuned? Is it something you’ve explored, or are you just curious about its true origins and implications? In this video, we’ll delve into the deeper questions surrounding Reiki, its practice, and its existence in Japanese history and folklore. Let’s explore the topic together.

 

I recently read an article about how, despite my claims, they were taught that reiki means “energy,” so I thought I would break it down here:

 

While the kanji (Chinese character) 気 (ki) or qi (Mandarin) does indeed mean “energy” in a general sense, it only does so when used alone. By itself, it is not innately positive or negative. For ki to mean something more specific, it must be combined with another character or word to adjust its meaning.

 

霊 (rei), on the other hand, has nothing to do with energy and is solely associated with the supernatural. Depending on which other character it is combined with, the pronunciation can also change. Some examples of words that use the kanji 霊 and their meanings are:

幽霊 (ゆうれい, yūrei): Ghost, spirit of the deceased.

悪霊 (あくりょう, akuryō): Evil spirit or malicious ghost.

地縛霊 (じばくれい, jibakurei): Bound spirit.

怨霊 (おんりょう, onryō): Vengeful spirit.

呪霊 (じゅれい, jurei): Curse or spell.

And, of course, reiki.

 

Lastly, the term as a whole, 霊気 (reiki), can be found in Japanese dictionaries intended for native speakers. For example, here:

www.weblio.jp/content/霊気

 

A fairly accurate translation can be obtained using Google Translate. These definitions make no mention of universal energy or healing. Instead, the first term provided is mononoke, which refers to vengeful or restless spirits—a concept every Japanese person recognizes far more readily than “reiki.” It would be similar to asking a Muslim person about Djinn and how they affect human health.

 

While the character 霊 (rei) can carry positive connotations in certain contexts, such as in 御霊 (mitama, honored spirit), these meanings are specific to their combinations and not inherent to the word “reiki” itself. In Japanese, when 霊 is combined with 気 to form 霊気 (reiki), the meaning shifts entirely. It no longer refers to anything positive but instead aligns with concepts tied to the supernatural and spirits, such as mononoke or ghostly phenomena. This distinction is important as the positive uses of 霊 are rare and situational, and they do not reflect the meaning of reiki as understood in Japanese language or culture.”