If you type the title of this post into your search engine up pops many, many opinions about whether Reiki can connect you with “dark” or “evil” energy. Clicking on one of these links will lead you to a post where someone who believes themselves to be intuitive has had what they perceive to be a negative experience in connection with a Reiki session or Reiki practitioner. In some cases, the opinion will come from someone who has never actually experienced a session.

I am asked by many, many students about this. Questions such as, after my Reiki attunement will I be exposed to dark energies or, I am empathic – how can I protect myself from negative energy in my sessions?

Keep in mind that Reiki energy is a neutral and creative energy. It is what the universe is made of. It is impacted by our own intentions as recipients but can only be used to create for the highest good of all concerned.

As a recipient, if you do not wish to receive Reiki energy your bodymind does not draw it in. No one can send you any Reiki energy you do not wish to receive. Any dissonant energy you experience is not Reiki energy. Your ability to sense energy will increase but as you lose the desire to hold on to fear and label things as good or bad, energy will become just that – energy.

In cases where someone has had what they view as a negative energetic experience with Reiki, a couple of factors could come into play. The first is that this is a response from the bodymind as it balances what it is ready to work with. Emotions and beliefs can rise that have been previously buried and although it may be uncomfortable to look at them, gleaning the wisdom from the experiences connected to those beliefs and emotions can be powerfully trans-formative. Keep in mind that this is not your typical healing crisis that can occur with other modalities. Click here to read more about that.

Another factor that may be occurring is the the practitioner is using their own energy or an energy from another modality in their Reiki sessions. If a Reiki practitioner does not spend the adequate amount of time working solely with Reiki energy, they may be inadvertently using their own energy or the energy of other work they do. This can feel “negative” to the recipient because they were drawn to Reiki energy and requested that. Experiencing another frequency in a session may sound off alarm bells in their sub-conscious.

Keep in mind that dissonance or what you feel is negative energy may actually be what your bodymind needs to shift out of its current state and closer to your natural high frequency state. If you encounter a higher frequency and it is dissonant, your conscious/egoic mind may label it as “dark” just because it is energy that elicits change. The ego fears change and anything that results in you relying less on it so it will create thousands of reasons why you should not take steps to release your own baggage.

So, the short answer to the question – “is there a dark side to Reiki?” is No

Reiki can light the way and show us the shadow aspects of ourselves so that we can heal and balance. Some may project their own shadows on to Reiki and blame it for the aspects of themselves they are not willing to see, which only prolongs their own suffering. The key whenever you are reading or listening to an opinion about Reiki (or anything really) is to listen to your body.

How does it feel when you read and listen? Is your chest tightening? Is your breathing more shallow? Is your heart rate increasing? Do you feel fear rising or discomfort? Those are your body’s way of telling you this is not true for you.

Take a few deep breaths and seek more positive life and light around you. Find what and who resonates with you and immerse yourself.

Big Reiki hug,

Lisa