When the body itself begins to heal: What actually happens during a healing?
Are you one of those who have become curious about healing after hearing girlfriends or colleagues tell about their experiences? Maybe you're sitting right now considering whether healing could be something for you, but at the same time a lot of questions lurk in the back of your mind: What actually happens during such a treatment? Can it really be true that you can be helped just by someone holding their hands on or over the body?
You are not alone with your questions. Healing has become more and more popular in Denmark - the proportion of Danes who have used alternative treatment has grown from 44.4 pct. in 2005 to 54.8 pct. in 2017, and healing is one of the treatment forms that arouses the greatest curiosity.
Let's take a look at what actually goes on during a healing - both from the healers' own explanations and what science can tell us about the phenomenon.
What is healing really about?
There is no precise definition of what healing is. As a starting point, healing is based on the theory that the body has its own energy system, where the body is permeated by a life energy that circulates in specific paths or streams.
It is important that this energy is allowed to move freely, as it contributes to physical and psychological well-being. The theory is that if imbalances arise in the energy system, it can manifest as illness or in the form of blockages in various places in the body.
The word "healing" is English and means "healing" or to "heal". Healing is based on the perception that an energy, often called life energy, circulates in and around the body. Disease and suffering are seen as an expression that there are blockages and imbalance in the energy flow.
In the treatment, the healer will try to locate blockages and restore balance in the energy system by resolving the traumas that may underlie the imbalance. Typically, this will happen by the healer channeling energy through their hands or via other tools such as crystals into the person being healed.
How does a healing work in practice?
The first consultation typically lasts 1-½ hours. Treatment with a healer will start with a conversation where the healer asks you about: illness and symptoms, disease course and previous treatment, medication use, lifestyle.
Healers can use different tools such as crystals, music, pictures and bells, and they can either hold their hands directly on your body or heal completely without touching.
You lie on the couch with your clothes on and get a blanket over you. there will be lit candles and soft music. I start by holding you on the feet, starting the energy up.
Many healers believe that during a healing they function as a channel for an external energy. They often experience the energy as light or heat that goes through their body and further into the client or their aura. Other healers do not work with external energies, but with their own healing abilities. How these abilities are expressed in practice often depends on the healer's education and experience, therapeutic skills or religious and spiritual worldview.
What do people experience during a healing?
Healing is an individual experience, so there are many different reactions. Most experience a fantastic feeling of inner peace. Others see crystal clear colors and white light, or experience floating. A few also experience brief pains.
During a Reiki session you lie relaxed while the healer places their hands on or over your body. Many experience a feeling of peace, warmth and relaxation.
Common to all after a healing is a pleasant tiredness and a positive feeling. The healing liberates most people from negative feelings, blockages and leaves you with a feeling of new energy. Countless feel lighter and stress-free after a session.
When the healing is finished, you calmly sit up and get a glass of water and we talk briefly about what we each experienced. Most go home with lightness in the body, peace in thoughts and smiles in eyes and on face.
Are there side effects to healing?
There are no side effects to healing. It can be used as a supplement to other treatments and has no known side effects. Reiki only heals what is ready to be healed, so it always adapts to the recipient's needs and energy status.
Healing is a gentle and tender treatment form without side effects. There are no side effects to healing.
But some may experience after-reactions: It can happen that after receiving a healing one can become tired. Immediately after the healing is finished, but it subsides within a short time, but in the evening many can become tired.
Some experience a slight worsening of pain, but only for a short time. Most notice improvements up to 14 days and few may have days where they feel unwell. Some clients experience temporary worsening of existing symptoms after a Reiki session, as the body precisely reacts to the energy cleansing by releasing old toxins and blockages.
What does science say about healing?
At present, there is no scientific evidence that healing works. However, it is a recognized treatment form where practitioners can register in the National Board of Health's so-called RAB register (register of alternative practitioners), and it has become a more and more common treatment form in Denmark in recent years.
There is a lack of scientific studies of healing's effect and how healing works in relation to other forms of alternative treatment or therapy. There are no valid research projects that show that healing has an effect.
An interesting study from 2005 tested healing directly: In 2005, three Danish healers and cancer researcher Bobby Zachariae investigated whether healing works on cancer. In the study, they healed cancer cells from patients or animals directly in a petri dish. The background for the study was a claim that healing - like medicine - works directly on cancer cells regardless of the patient's own will, consciousness or psychological strength. The result was that the cancer cells were not affected by the healing and grew and divided exactly as quickly, whether they were healed or not.
User surveys show, on the other hand, that the contact and conversation in connection with healing can have a positive psychological effect. Healing has no effect on the development and treatment of cancer, but smaller studies have shown that healing can reduce fatigue and anxiety in connection with serious illness such as cancer.
Healing and the placebo effect
Christian faith healing claims to be a divine or spiritual force in healing. It is based partly on Post hoc ergo propter hoc, partly on the placebo effect.
The placebo effect is a real effect. And many agree that the placebo effect plays a large role in alternative treatment. Nevertheless, several researchers reject that alternative treatment has an effect.
Previous research shows that the placebo effect exists in connection with pain relief, so people actually experience feeling better when they believe that a treatment will work. But it appears that the body's endorphins are involved. Endorphins function somewhat like morphine and can therefore relieve pain such as the headache that follows a migraine attack.
Healing has nothing to do with placebo, many healers claim. But researchers point out that there is broad scientific consensus that alternative treatments lack the necessary scientific foundation, and their effect is either not proven or has been disproven. Many of the claims that exist about alternative treatments' effects are controversial, since the research is often of low quality and methodologically flawed. Selectively presented results (publication bias), marked differences in production quality and standardization, as well as some companies' undocumented claims, all raise questions about the effect of alternative treatments.
When can healing be used?
Typically healing is used against headaches, back problems, depression, grief, anxiety as well as side effects of cancer treatment. It is also used for personal development.
Reiki healing has also proven to be effective in relieving stress, anxiety and depression. By balancing the energy flow in the body, Reiki can help create emotional peace and mental clarity. Many people experience a greater sense of well-being and a deeper connection to their inner self after a Reiki session.
How many treatments you need varies, depending on what problem you want help with. Typically you need 5-6 treatments.
What should you be aware of?
Doctor visits must not be replaced by healing. If you feel sick, I will always advise you to see your doctor first. Even though reiki can help, it is important that Reiki never replaces vital treatments. Reiki is a supplement, a help to well-being, not a replacement for medical treatment.
It is a good idea to talk to the healer about the content of the healing session before treatment. It is the best way to ensure that the healer's techniques and methods are in accordance with the wishes you have for the treatment.
Choose a healer who is RAB-registered (registered alternative practitioner). There are no publicly approved healing educations, but several private schools teach various healing techniques and other related subjects such as anatomy, conversation psychology, meditation etc. Although these educations often end with an exam, there is in practice very great variation in the way healing is perceived and performed.
The holistic perspective
Healing is based on a holistic view of humanity: Body and soul are not regarded as two separate parts, but as equal and inseparable parts of the human being. Therefore, healing will also often include activities such as conversation, psychotherapy, training in meditation, prayer, creative expressions etc.
Many healers prioritize helping and guiding their patients to greater self-insight and better management of their emotional or thought patterns.
Whether you end up trying healing or not, it is important to remember that healing cannot replace medical treatment when you need it. But as a supplement to conventional treatment - or as a way to find inner peace and balance - healing can be an experience that makes sense for you.