William Lee Rand issues rebuttal to bishops on Reiki, others preparing responses

It's been nearly two months since the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' new guidelines denouncing Reiki, and now some of the best-known names in Reiki are issuing responses. 

William Lee Rand, executive editor of Reiki News and president of the International Center for Reiki Training in Southfield, Michigan, issued a prepared statement earlier this week. The statement began with words of caution about Internet research:

"When considering the value of the bishops’ statement, it’s important to note the sources they accessed. Much of their research came from information published on Internet Web sites. Overall, the Internet isn’t a good source of factual information because there is no requirement that information published there be checked or approved for accuracy. Anyone can set up a Web site and publish anything they wish," the statement said.

"What often happens is that authors of sites copy from each other, so if inaccurate information is published on one site, it can easily spread to many sites across the Internet. If one makes use of the Internet for research, one must use a developed set of selection criteria that limits one to only the most respected and reputable Web sites. Otherwise, one runs the risk of accepting rumor and misinformation as fact.

"This is especially true for Reiki Web sites. Reiki information has been riddled with inaccurate ideas from the beginning of its practice in the West. Many Reiki practitioners, teachers and authors fail to check the accuracy of the information they base their teaching and writing on, and this has had a detrimental effect on the quality of information published both on the Internet and in Reiki books."

Rand's statement goes on to correct some common misinformation about Reiki and cite several scientific studies on humans and animals that found Reiki to be helpful for various conditions. He also cites the American Holistic Nurses Association's response to the bishops' guidelines.

The statement concludes:

"Reiki is practiced by followers of many religious traditions. Although some practitioners integrate Reiki into their existing religious beliefs, Reiki is not a religion, doctrine, or dogma. Reiki is grounded in the principle of compassionate action, which is common to all religious traditions. While each religion has the right to create its own rules, it’s within the nature of human dignity and free will for each person to decide which path to follow and what activities are appropriate for them."

Meanwhile, in Australia, Frans and Bronwen Stiene of the International House of Reiki have announced that they "busy getting ready a VERY long article about Reiki and the Catholic Bishops" as many of their students have been asking for a response from them.

We'd like to hear from other Reiki teachers and practitioners: have you prepared a response to the bishops' guidelines to give to clients, students, and/or your local media, or posted a statement on your blog or web site? If so, please send us a link. The Reiki Digest has become a hub of information about the controversy and we'd like to make our collection of news items and comments on the subject as comprehensive as possible. 

Send your statement or comments to editor@thereikidigest.com, or add them as comments to this post on our web site.