Touch is essential for survival. This has already been found out in numerous studies with animals and humans. The hormone, which is set free with body proximity, is called Oxytocin and has a positive influence on the central nervous system and thus on the entire body. It reduces stress and inner turmoil and causes the body and mind to relax.
A 2015 study by scientist Elaine L Bukowski explored what effects the self-massage technique Reiki has on the human psyche and overall health. The scientist started a 20-week structured self-Reiki course at the request of a group of students who wanted to lower their stress levels. In this course, the students learned some relaxation and stress-reduction techniques to help themselves.
Twenty Stockton University students were recruited and participated in the study, which they could do themselves from home. This involved Reiki self-massage performed twice a week over a period of 20 weeks. At the beginning and after 4 weeks during the study, all participants were asked to complete a questionnaire in which they were asked to fill out their baseline before Reiki, an expectation scale, and a stress scale. A summary questionnaire followed at the end.
It was found that all but three participants had been satisfied with the Reiki application. They stated that they perceived Reiki as a trustworthy and meaningful technique that reduced stress levels. During the first week of the study, all participants still complained about excessive stress levels. By the end of the applications, the indication of the stress level of the subjects decreased. Also, a correlation between the self-assessment and the final improvement of the results could be observed. It was also observed that even after 20 weeks of Reiki application, all but one of the participants continued to report lower stress levels.
The results of this study support the hypothesis that the stress-reducing effects of Reiki can be achieved through its application. It can be concluded that touch in the form of self-massage contributes significantly to improving both physical and mental states.
Citation
- Bukowski EL. The use of self-Reiki for stress reduction and relaxation. J Integr Med. 2015 Sep;13(5):336-40. doi: 10.1016/S2095-4964(15)60190-X. PMID: 26343105.