S103: Is Reiki Just a Placebo Effect? Here's What the Science Actually Says

When someone tells me that Reiki is just a placebo effect, I don't get offended. I get excited, because if you think it's a placebo, you already agree that it works.

In this episode, I break down what the placebo effect actually is, how modern medicine uses it every single day, and why it's not the insult skeptics think it is. I also dive into one of my favorite rabbit holes, open-label placebos, where people know they're receiving a placebo and it still works. And then I bring the receipts: peer-reviewed studies that prove Reiki is more than belief.

Your inner skeptic is welcome here. In fact, this episode was made for them.

In this episode:

• What the placebo effect actually is and why it's not a bad thing
• How doctors, therapists, and name-brand painkillers all use placebo effects
• Open-label placebos and why knowing it's a placebo doesn't stop it from working
• The peer-reviewed studies that prove Reiki isn't just placebo
• Why curiosity is more powerful than belief when it comes to Reiki

Studies Mentioned:

🔮 Reiki improves heart rate homeostasis in laboratory rats https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18435597/

🔮 Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5871310/

🔮 The effects of Reiki and hand massage on pain and fatigue in patients with rheumatoid arthritis https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35752581/

🔮 The Effect of Reiki on Anxiety, Stress, and Comfort Levels Before Gastrointestinal Endoscopy https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36272846/

🔮 Download the free companion workbook: https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook

🔮 Want to learn Reiki in a way that actually makes sense? Join the waitlist for Reiki 1: The Science of Self-Healing training:https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait