THE HEALING POWER OF REIKI

Personal accounts of reiki, a type of therapeutic healing.

Reiki, writes Keyes, is "a form of gentle energy transmission administered through the hands of a practitioner…the energy of pure, unconditional love." The author, a reiki master, shares a variety of personal, emotionally moving experiences from her practice in this restorative medicine. She brings to light an ancient technique that is rapidly gaining acceptance in the modern, scientific world—Keyes details accounts of working with heart and transplant surgeons to aid the recovery of patients. She has performed reiki on skeptical professional athletes to help them overcome chronic pain, and she has helped cancer patients conquer the nausea and fears surrounding their illnesses and even seen the cancer go into remission. Keyes also spent nearly a year at ground zero, aiding the firefighters and policemen involved in the search for victims of 9/11. Through reiki, she was able to help numerous workers return to their grisly work each day. Soldiers and victims of abuse suffering from PTSD have also found relief through this method. Keyes honestly explains her experiences with her personal spirit guides, who aid her in this healing technique, as well as her exposure to spirits who have passed on who wish to convey messages to those still living. The author combines these accounts with meditations readers can perform to summon their own spirit guides and feel the benefits of reiki. She provides a no-nonsense approach to this restorative and soothing process, but the writing is workmanlike and occasionally overwrought.

Many readers will find the New Age platitudes tiring, but these intimate stories will draw the attention of New Age seekers and those interested in alternative medicine.