Further to my recent post on Reiki and Alcohol I’ve had a few inquiries concerning drug usage, so I thought I’d take a moment to address that here. Needless to say this is another of those sensitive areas that is quite difficult to broach. I hope I don’t ruffle too many feathers in my attempt.

First off, I want to make it very clear that I am not condoning, approving or validating drug usage in any way, shape or form in this post. On the other hand I am not passing any judgments whatsoever on those that choose to use drugs. I am attempting to approach this from a completely neutral stance in order to explore the relationship between Reiki and Drugs without taking sides.

Drugs, for our purposes here, relates to any substances brought into the body for the sole purpose of changing the body’s normal functioning. In the case of many prescription drugs (which are becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society) the body’s normal functioning may be considered abnormal, and hence drugs are used to balance things out.

In its mildest sense drugs can include such things as aspirin, coffee and green tea. Moving up a rung on the ladder of effect are cigarettes, alcohol and many over-the-counter items found in most drugstores. Prescription drugs can range from mildly effective to quite dizzying while hard drugs (such as marijuana and cocaine) also have a considerable range in their effects.

In my Three Pillars Trainings and as discussed in The Three Pillars of Reiki I clearly delineate between the healing, energetic and spiritual aspects of Reiki. I’d like to examine this issue in turn from these three perspectives.

Drugs and Healing

The healing aspect of Reiki (including mental,/emotional healing as well as distance Reiki healing) involves the detection and treatment of dis-ease. Energetic balances which are virtually always at the root of these dis-eases are corrected with vital Reiki energy.

I have a very good Reiki Master friend in California who smokes marijuana on a regular basis, and has done so for many, many years. She insists that the drug amplifies her sensitivity to Reiki energy and makes her a more effective healer. While this may be true, I would never recommend someone try any drugs to see if it makes them a better healer. By far, the most effective healers I know need no such thing to be effective.

Shamanic healers of the Amazon, native American Indian medicine men and other such healers have historically used quite powerful hallucinogenic drugs in their healing rituals. I’m not sure that I would like to try any of these, but for hundreds (if not thousands) of years… they were considered state of the art medical practice.

Drugs have never been a part of Reiki healing, and I am of the opinion that if people want to experiment they should be free to do so. I’m not sure that I would like to teach, be taught by, or receive a Reiki treatment from any of them… that would be decided on a case by case basis… but there is nothing in the Reiki Rulebook preventing them from pursuing this should they choose to do so.

Drugs and Energetics

The energetic aspect of Reiki involves exercises designed to increase ones awareness of the Reiki energies. Having a greater understanding of, and control over, these energies can certainly lead to a better understanding of Reiki in general.

Since the energy work in Reiki is generally done solo, there is no need to worry about the viewpoints of other people as there is in Reiki healing where you are in direct contact with others. My Reiki Master friend mentioned above doesn’t really do any real energy work apart from her healing sessions, but I would venture to guess that shoe would find the same results, i.e., increased sensitivity to the Reiki energy.

As with healing, I would not be very interested in experimenting with any kind of drug usage in order to test or amplify the results I have achieved thus far without any type of help. And again, as above, there is nothing in the rulebook against it, so those that consider it advantageous are welcome to continue to do so.

Drugs and Spirituality

The spiritual aspect of Reiki involves progressing on one’s individual spiritual path and this is where I see the most possibility in this respect.

The heightened awareness reported by many drug users and the effects of such hallucinogens as LSD have been likened to a fully enlightened state. While I don’t know if the people making this comparison have ever actually been in a fully enlightened state, or if they are just imagining that is what it is like, and vice versa, if any enlightened masters have actually every tried these drugs I do not know. I really do doubt it though.

I really do not know much about either state, so I am only continuing here from full speculation. Going back to the Shamanic healers of the Amazon, native American Indian medicine men and other such healers referenced above, many of these led a very spiritual existence and they were the religious leaders as well as the physicians. It is from this tradition that the use of drugs in spiritual development played a key role.

I recognize the drug problem in America (and elsewhere) both of street drugs and prescription drugs and adhere to the principle that drugs, in and of themselves are not bad, drug abuse is bad. Needless to say, addiction to anything harmful is bad. Many people that abuse drugs (whether Reiki Practitioner or not) need help which they are not receiving which is no doubt why many of them turned to drugs in the first place. We, as Reiki healers, do our best to help them, and Reiki treatments are ideal for breaking through many of the mental and emotional conditions that led to such a self-destructive path. As healers, we are not there to judge, only help… should they want it.

For further explanation or discussion, your thoughts are most welcome and highly encouraged, please feel free to comment below!!!