Ancient cultures have acknowledged another world of vibrating and tangible energy, and now the west is catching up. While the contrasting meta-narratives of science and fundamentalism seize the headlines, the sub-streams of occult thought are as popular as they've ever been, merging with the psuedo-secular and enabling a richer range of experience to inform contemporary life.
While the likes of Wilhelm Reich, a sophisticated and acknowledged expert upon psychotherapy and the human condition, recognised and conducted a series of experiments proving the existence of a universal energy called Orgone, the Hindus glyphed this very energy in its discourses about Prana, and the Chinese possessed sciences based upon recognition of Qi.
Wilhelm Reich was ostracised from the scientific community, evidence perhaps of the massive impact that his theories would have had upon global culture had they been recognised as 'legitimate'. But independent thought enables individuals to make these decisions for themselves based upon their own experience. Based upon this evidence, 'Orgone', or 'prana' or 'qi' are very real energies which can be tapped into to widen one's experience of life and maintain a healthier awareness of what's going on in our minds and bodies.
Energy healing systems, apart from the inundation of Chinese therapies like acupuncture and systems like Tai Chi and Qi Gung, have been developing in the West since the early eighties and the introduction of a modern Japanese healing system, Reiki.
Mikao Usui is widely credited as the first Reiki master. Born in 1865 Usui was a devout student of Buddhism and metaphysics. After a twenty one day retreat of meditation and fasting Usui became spontaneously aware of a powerful energy upon the crown of his head. While precise accounts of everything that led up to the discovery and/or creation of the healing system of Reiki are lacking, it is probable that Usui experimented with the energy, discovering perhaps that it could be directed about the body at will and also channeled into another. Chinese Qi Gung, Pranayama Yoga (Yoga of the breath) and also practices incorporated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, encourage the circulation, in time with breath and visualisation, of the bodies subtle energies. Usui was able to spontaneously tap into an infinite source of this energy and create a rubric around its invocation and transmission. The title Reiki translates as “Universal Life Energy”, indicative of its familial links with Prana, Qi and Orgone.
Originally, the first Western masters allegedly each had to fork out $10,000 for the privilege of being empowered as Reiki Masters , but that initial price has seen a wave across the globe of people becoming empowered in this therapy, which channels energy through the top of the skull then through the practitioners hands into the patients body. Sekhem was another energy healing system which was initially available only to Reiki masters but has subsequently been divorced from its parent system, while maintaining strong links with it. Patrick Ziegler experienced this energy after spending the night in the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Originally spelling the word Seichim, thereby creating a number of systems through the same experience and subsequent transmissions onto other students. At the present time, Patrick Ziegler teaches a system called SKHM, but the systems of Sekhem, Seichim and Seichem all seem to have originated with his initial experimentations with transmitting the energy he first experienced in the Great Pyramid, and have taken a variety of forms and titles. Their transmission, as mentioned, is often linked in with Reiki training using similar symbols and a rubric of healing specific parts of the body in a specific order. But Sekhem has very much taken on a life of its own, linking deeply with a worldwide explosion of the Cult of Sekhmet, the Patron Goddess of Healing and Destruction, originally an Ancient Egyptian goddess but returning with a strong presence in the modern global pagan community to become a significantly contemporary one.
During an energy healing session with above mentioned systems, some people experience the energy as a light tingling, or a warm feeling, while others will feel floods and waves of energy passing through their body, dependent it seems as much upon the practitioners unique style as the sensitivity of the client. Eighty years on from the initial development of the Reiki system, knowledge and/or experience of Reiki is wide-spread, and can serve as a gateway into consistent experiences with alternative therapies. What seems to occur with many clients, however, evidenced by its growing appeal and the widespread, regular empowerments, is an instant desire to become empowered oneself, thereby taking on the responsibility of being your own healer. This can only be encouraged, as introduction into Reiki seems to have a wealth of positive benefits for the person, however this may come about.
If you've never experienced Reiki before, or any of the other systems mentioned within this article, visit your local metaphysical bookshop (or New Age shop depending upon your preferred terminology) and go to the notices. You should find one available, and if not ask someone! This author's advice for anyone seeking empowerment in the therapies is go for it! But try to avoid 'crash-course' weekends offering lots of degrees at once. This is sometimes a suitable option for a candidate who has extensive experience with energy work, but 'Master' is not just a title bought for hard cash, but rather an accumulatory experience.
