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| Image by Okan Caliskan from Pixabay |
Well, first, allow me to offer some credentials. I'm not just making this up as I go along.
For just over thirty years, I have been able to channel the energy all around us for healing. I have channelled energy both with and without crystals. As an aside, I also channel energy for card readings. Feeling for imbalances in the auric body with my palm chakras; I smooth out wrinkles and repair tears in the aura. I also channel energy into the body for healing through the palm chakras. I do not direct the energy. I am a conduit. I channel energy and trust it to go where it is needed. I channel the energy for someone in my physical presence; I also channel over distance.
It was around twenty years ago that I first began using the internet. It was then that I was introduced to the concept of Reiki. I did a little reading up, but at this point in time, there was very little information available unless you could afford large sums of money for in-person attunements. I decided this was something I couldn't afford at that time, neither was it something I needed. I continued using the energy as I always had.
Fast forward to two and a half years ago. The availability of online resources and teaching platforms makes it much easier to learn almost anything. So I decided now was the time to learn a little more about this Reiki thing. The first affordable Reiki course I found was Dave Nelson's "Reiki Infinite Healer". I found there are only three differences to what I have been doing all along; hand positions, symbols and attunements. The first two, we are told, will be unnecessary with enough practice and focus. Of those, I assure you, I have enough. I have since studied Reiki and other energy healing modalities with other teachers: Lisa Powers, Nikolaos Baralos, Aimee Phlegar, and Alexander Fairman, to name a few. I also had attunements with some of those teachers.
During Mr Nelson's course, he claims that self attunement is possible. In fact, as he reminds us, Dr Mikao Usui himself was never attuned by a teacher or master. I have also read somewhere that Dr Usui himself never offered attunements. Dr Usui also taught all three levels together. He taught his students for longer, and advocated for self attunement. It was Dr Chujiro Hayashi, second Grand Master, who introduced a set formula for teaching Reiki in three levels. Madam Hawayo Takata, third Grand Master, made further changes to how Reiki is taught. Unfortunately, as she forbade students taking notes or recording lessons in any way, we cannot be sure what all those changes are.
The energy, and healing system, Dr Usui "found" has been around for centuries. Two notable names who had previously utilised this energy are Jesus and Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha). I am not religious. I have not done extensive research. However, what I have found is a similarity in the histories of the three:
- After his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus "like a dove". He then spent forty days in the wilderness. There he was tempted by the "Devil".
- Usui spent twenty-one days at the summit of Mount Kurama in meditation before praying to God to show him the light. According to his life story, he was hit directly in the third chakra by a brilliant, white light. He was then "tested" four times as he descended the mountain.
- Siddhartha Guatama lived an ascetic life for five years. He then spent several days in meditation, battling the demon Mara, before placing his hand on the earth and asking it to bear witness to his enlightenment.
Each of the three underwent a period of deprivation. Each was tested in some way. Each found enlightenment. Yes, OK, Jesus cheated by being enlightened before being tested. It's called nepotism. 😉
The point is, each achieved enlightenment directly from spirit; from the life energy which surrounds, and is a part of, us all. The baptism of Jesus could be likened to an attunement. However, this would imply that the son of God needed attunement from another.
So back to the original questions. What are attunements? And why do we need them?
In answer to the first question; an attunement connects a student to the life energy. It enables the student to channel healing energy for themselves and for others. Students are taught that they need to be attuned before being able to channel Reiki energy. Because of this teaching, this is what is believed.
All of that almost answers the question, "why do we need attunements?".
The full answer is; we don't. Every one of us has the innate ability to channel healing energy. Don't get me wrong, the attunements I have had have been wonderfully healing experiences. However, not one of them has made the slightest difference to the energy I channel. The channelling is neither stronger nor weaker. It is neither more focused nor more diffuse. I have, however, found that coffee now makes me ill.
It all boils down to what you believe. Belief in the necessity for attunements makes them necessary. Conversely, if you know you don't need attunements, you won't need them. In an amusing twist, many people don't know if they need an attunement until they already had one; unless, like me, they are channelling energy long before hearing the word Reiki.
