Reiki Distant Attunements, Do They Work?

My Personal Reiki Lineage

Distant attunements are a controversial subject among Reiki practitioners the world over. With very strong views on both sides.
The International Reiki Organisation accepts practitioners and master/teachers who have had distant attunements. The International Association of Reiki Professionals also have no restrictions on those who have distant attunements, indeed they welcome practitioners of all Reiki paths and recognise the validity of diversity.
The Association of Australian Reiki Professionals insist members have 'hands on' training and attunements in Usui Reiki with a proven lineage leading back to Master Mikao Usui; as do The Reiki Association and the UK Reiki Federation.

So what's the big deal? Well, that depends which side of the fence you are sitting on.

Those who have had their attunements done 'hands on' or 'in the physical presence of' a Reiki master have almost positively paid a small fortune for the privilege. There is also a very strong possibility these same people have recouped a lot, or all, of that cost by charging their own students similarly exorbitant amounts of money. This has been going on for decades, since Madame Takata returned to Kauai in the summer of 1937, gained her Master attunement and certification from Master Hayashi in February 1938, and subsequently opened her own clinic on Hilo in October of 1939. She was a very gifted healer and teacher, although her refusal to allow students to take notes or provide any training materials means we have only word of mouth verification for much of her work. She is, however, single-handedly responsible for bringing Reiki to the western world.

With first the inception and then the progression of the internet and our ability to use it for many purposes came the ability to impart information and receive payment for the sharing of that information in the form of online courses. And, apparently, the ability to scoff and laugh at those who thought they were actually learning or receiving something of value; despite our search for spiritual knowledge specifically teaching that this behaviour is beneath us.

You see, what it all boils down to is the arguably limiting belief that while Reiki energy, or life energy, can heal over long distances, and indeed transcend time and space, it is just not possible to attune a person in the same manner. Why? Through all the articles I have read, all the discussions, debates and arguments I have seen I have yet to find a believable, reasonable explanation for this view on the matter; other than the desire to keep the cash flow flowing.

Distant healing sessions using  CKR and HSZSN are commonplace once you have been attuned to Reiki level two, or advanced practitioner level, or Okuden if you prefer. All you need is the ability to draw or visualise the symbols, and connect to the energy, and you can send Reiki healing to any point in time or space. Reiki energy, or life energy, is sentient; it knows your intention and brings healing energy to the person, situation or place you intend it to go to. All the energy needs in order to work is for your intention to be clear, and for the highest good, and for the recipient to be open to receiving the energy. This is true whether you are doing an 'in person' session or a 'distant' session. Those who are not yet familiar with Reiki, feel free to read over this paragraph again; I want you to be sure you understand the principle of sending Reiki energy, even if you have no intention of ever being attuned and are merely reading to kill some time.

The attunement to Reiki level three, or Master/Teacher level, or Shinpiden, comes shortly before or after taught DKM, the master symbol. We are now able to teach and attune other's to all three Reiki degrees, or levels. We can do this traditionally or we can choose to take a more modern approach. Madam Takata prefered a singularly oral approach where Master Hayashi and even Master Usui himself provided written materials.

Many masters are now finding they can spread the message and healing of Reiki much more effectively by using online training platforms to reach a wider audience. Many of these individuals offer their courses at very reasonable and affordable prices. Some provide comprehensive training manuals that would take many lessons to go over and learn 'in person' but can be read between lessons and referred back to should one wish, some have no written manual and are delivered in the oral tradition via video lessons. I have trained with three Reiki masters in all, two who provided similar but not identical manuals and one who stuck to the oral tradition. Those offering online Reiki training generally also offer distant attunements, after all what's the point of learning it all if you then can't use it, right? Some charge extra for the attunements, others include it in the cost of the training.

My personal collection of Master/Teacher certificates

Now, if Reiki energy is sentient and only needs your clear intention for the highest good and the recipient's openness to receiving the energy; and we can send this energy through time and space using the HSZSN and the CKR, or the DKM alone; tell me again why distant attunements can't work? Surely if a Reiki master is attuning one of their students they are doing it with the intention that the student be attuned and for the attunement to be for the student's highest good, right? And if a student is having a distant attunement we can safely believe they asked for the attunement and are open to receiving that attunement, right? Obviously both sides of the argument agree that Reiki energy works, otherwise they wouldn't really have a view on the argument to begin with. So why do some people believe that Reiki only works over distance for healing? Hmmmm...

We are taught that during a session we are merely channels for the energy. We allow the energy to flow through us, we use the symbols to amplify the energy and help us channel it, we release the energy to the recipient so their bodymind can use the energy for their highest good. This works whether we are in the same room or on the other side of the planet. We can use HSZSN to send energy through time, forward to an upcoming exam or surgical procedure for example, or backward to help us deal with a past trauma. We are told, over and over, to let go of our ego, we personally do nothing more than act as a conduit for energy. The energy itself, we are taught, knows where we want it to go and what we want it to do when it gets there. We are also taught that intention is key, we set our intention, gather the energy, channel it and let it go. Another lesson we learn is that our perception of reality becomes our reality, if we believe it will work then it will work, if we limit ourselves with our beliefs then we limit our possibilities.

Maybe that last lesson is really the key to the whole argument. Those who believe in distant attunement find that distant attunements do in fact work, exceptionally well. Those who are clinging to the limiting belief that only an 'in person' attunement can work find they are stuck with this reality. It is this disbelief in distant attunements that prevents some masters utilising this wonderful way of reaching and attuning more prospective Reiki practitioners and masters. This limiting belief keeps them tied to the old way of charging exorbitant rates for a service that is needed less and less as more of us become aware of greater possibilities.

Just as an afterthought - Master Mikao Usui himself never had an 'in person' attunement. How could he? He is the founder of Reiki, there was nobody to attune him to the symbols or the life energy. Master Usui was attuned to life energy and the Reiki symbols through meditation; indeed Dave Nelson of Reiki Infinite Healer holds the firm belief that anybody can self-attune with training, knowledge and the desire to do so. Our perception of reality becomes our reality.

Reiki, life, energy is sentient, intention is key...