Reiki Research: Effect of Reiki Treatments on Breast Cancer Patients
December 4, 2025
Reiki Research: Effect on Workplace Stress in Software Professionals
Randomized Controlled Trial with Placebo Comparison
Breakthrough Placebo-Controlled Design
First study to compare hands-on Reiki, distance Reiki, placebo Reiki, and control groups for workplace stress
Key Findings
✅ Hands-On Reiki Works
Significant reduction in perceived stress after 21 days of daily hands-on Reiki sessions
📡 Distance Reiki Works
Distance Reiki was equally effective as hands-on Reiki in reducing workplace stress
🎯 Not Placebo Effect
Placebo group (told they were receiving Reiki but were not) showed NO stress reduction
📊 Control Group Stable
Control group with no intervention showed no changes in stress levels over the same period
Stress Reduction Comparison: Which Groups Improved?
Only hands-on and distance Reiki groups showed statistically significant stress reduction (p < 0.05). Placebo and control groups showed no significant change.
Why This Study Matters
This rigorous design proves Reiki’s effects go beyond placebo. By including a placebo group (participants told they were receiving distance Reiki but were not), the researchers controlled for expectation effects. Since only the actual Reiki groups improved, this demonstrates Reiki has genuine therapeutic effects on workplace stress.
Study Design
This was a randomized controlled trial with 4 parallel groups:
Who Participated?
- 120 software professionals from a software firm in Bangalore
- All experiencing work-related stress
- Met specific inclusion/exclusion criteria
- Randomly assigned to one of four groups (30 per group)
- Assessor was blind to group assignment (didn’t know which group participants were in)
Four Study Groups
Received traditional in-person Reiki with practitioner’s hands on or above body
Group 2: Distance ReikiReceived Reiki remotely (practitioner sent healing at a distance)
Group 3: Distance PlaceboCritical control: Told they would receive distance Reiki but did NOT receive any healing energy
Group 4: ControlNo intervention, just pre and post assessments
Reiki Treatment Protocol
- Duration: 5 minutes per session
- Frequency: Daily for 21 consecutive days
- Hands-On Reiki: Traditional hand positions on or above the body
- Distance Reiki: Practitioner sent healing energy remotely at designated times
- Placebo Group: Participants were told they would receive distance Reiki but no energy was sent
- All treatments delivered by trained Reiki practitioners
Outcome Measurements
- Primary Measure: 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)
- Additional Measures: Coping Checklist, WHO-5 Well-Being Index, Stressor Inventory
- Timing: Pre-assessment (baseline) and post-assessment (after 21 days)
- Analysis: Paired t-tests (within groups) and ANOVA (between groups)
- Blinding: Assessor did not know which group participants belonged to
Results in Detail
Stress Level Changes by Group
Perceived Stress Scale scores: Lower scores = less stress. Both actual Reiki groups showed significant improvement.
Rigorous Scientific Design
- Randomized assignment eliminates selection bias
- Placebo control group rules out expectation effects
- Blinded assessor prevents measurement bias
- Multiple comparison groups test different delivery methods
- Adequate sample size (120 participants) provides statistical power
Workplace Application
This study demonstrates Reiki can be effectively integrated into workplace wellness programs. The short 5-minute daily sessions are practical for busy professionals, and distance Reiki offers flexibility for remote workers.
For Your Practice
- Distance Reiki is validated: You can confidently offer remote sessions with expected results equal to in-person work
- Short sessions are effective: Just 5 minutes daily showed significant benefits
- Workplace wellness opportunity: Corporate stress management is a growing market for Reiki services
- Evidence-based practice: Use this placebo-controlled research to explain Reiki to clients and referral sources
- Consistency matters: Daily practice over 21 days produced measurable change
Client Education
This study provides strong evidence to share with skeptical clients or healthcare providers. The placebo-controlled design addresses the most common criticism that “it’s just placebo effect.”
Strengths
- Randomized controlled design
- Inclusion of placebo group to control for expectation effects
- Blinded outcome assessment
- Adequate sample size (n=120)
- Validated measurement tools (14-item PSS)
- Real-world setting (actual workplace)
- Comparison of multiple Reiki delivery methods
Limitations
- Single workplace setting (Bangalore software company)
- No long-term follow-up to assess lasting effects
- Short session duration (5 minutes) – longer sessions may have different effects
- Specific to software professionals – generalizability to other occupations unknown
- Cultural context (India) may influence results
- Replication studies in different cultural contexts and industries
- Dose-response research: Compare different session durations and frequencies
- Long-term follow-up: Track stress levels 3, 6, and 12 months after intervention
- Biomarker studies: Measure cortisol, heart rate variability, or other physiological stress markers
- Cost-effectiveness analysis: Compare Reiki to other workplace wellness interventions
- Mechanism research: Investigate how Reiki produces stress reduction effects
- Comparative effectiveness: Compare Reiki to meditation, mindfulness, or other stress management techniques
Read the complete research:
Vasudev, S. S., & Shastri, S. (2016). Effect of reiki on perceived stress among software professionals in Bangalore, India. International E-Journal of Advances in Social Sciences, 2(6), 720-728.
Available at: Academia.edu and open access repositories
DOI: 10.18769/ijasos.280373
