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Reiki
Concludes that there is no evidence that Reiki's effects are due to anything other than suggestion. Article by William T. Jarvis, Ph.D. (National Council Against Health Fraud)
Effects of reiki in clinical practice: a systematic review of randomised clinical trials
"In total, the trial data for any one condition are scarce and independent replications are not available for each condition. Most trials suffered from methodological flaws such as small sample size, inadequate study design and poor reporting…In conclusion, the evidence is insufficient to suggest that reiki is an effective treatment for any condition. Therefore the value of reiki remains unproven." Lee MS, Pittler MH, Ernst E, International Journal of Clinical Practice (June 2008)
Is reiki beneficial for pain management? (Systematic review)
"Reiki is a therapeutic modality involving laying on of hands and is claimed to promote or facilitate self-healing in the patient. Reiki is also officially recommended by some NHS Trusts and The Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health for the management of pain and other conditions. However, no evidence-based evaluations of reiki for pain exist. The objective of this systematic review was thus to assess the evidence for reiki in pain conditions." The review concludes that the evidence is insufficient to suggest that reiki is an effective treatment for pain conditions. Myeong Soo Lee, Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies [FACT] (June 2008) [Includes a summary of RCTs of reiki for pain conditions.]
Reiki
"Reiki is considered to be scientifically implausible, does not meet professionally accepted standards, and lacks research and literature for efficacy and/or utility." Clinical practice guideline from American Speciality Health Inc. [ASH] (February 2006) [pdf]
Experiencing Reiki treatments: patients' and practitioners' perspectives
Trust and communication in the patient-practitioner relationship are identified as core to successful Reiki treatments. Report in Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies [FACT] (December 2004)
Reiki
"Practitioners use a technique similar to the laying on of hands in which they claim that they act as channels for Reiki energy — which they say flows through their palms to specific parts of the body in order to facilitate healing..... The existence of Reiki energy has not been scientifically proven, and thus the scientific community ascribes anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness of Reiki therapy to the placebo effect and a combination of post hoc reasoning and the regressive fallacy..... The predominant opinion among the scientific community is that the sensations felt by practitioners and patients of Reiki are psychologically subjective or the result of self-deceit." Includes information about Reiki's origin and history, theories and practices, non-traditional Reiki (Celtic Reiki, Reiki Tummo and Shakti Bija Mantra Reiki), and controversies including opposition from religious groups, internal controversies, secret teachings and the "Reiki Grandmaster". Wikipedia
Reiki
"In the absence of any effect which can be replicated by researchers without an axe to grind, there is no reason to suppose that Reiki is more than a pretentious and expensive way of waving one's hands about." Skeptic Wiki (The Encyclopaedia of Science and Critical Thinking)
Reiki
The Skeptic's Dictionary