Reiki is most often used as a technique that aids the body "in releasing stress and tension by creating deep relaxation" (Gifford). A study was done by Diane Wardell and Joan Engebretson (2001) in which the physiological and biochemical correlates of relaxation, "conceptualized as the reverse of stress," were investigated. This study examined the "balancing of energy within the body through the healer's hands" by looking at the subjects' stress and anxiety levels before and after Reiki treatment. Stress was chosen because the body's stress response is complex and includes physiological effects on both the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), such as blood pressure, skin temperature, and galvanic skin response, and the neuroendocrine responses, such as cortisol levels and immune system functioning. Anxiety was also studied for the cognitive effects of Reiki, as well as muscle tension. The anxiety levels, measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, blood pressures, temperature, skin conductance, cortisol levels, and immunoglobulin (IgA) levels from saliva - to gauge the immune system's functioning - of twenty-three subjects were all collected before, some during, and all after the Reiki treatment. Treatments were given in the afternoons and early evenings, so as to avoid the natural circadian rhythm changes of cortisol levels. It was concluded from the data collected that Reiki significantly lowered the state of anxiety and significantly lowered blood pressure, however, treatment did not have a significant affect on galvanic skin response or skin temperature. Fifteen of the twenty-three subjects did demonstrate a decrease in salivary cortisol, although not one of significant value, which indicates but does not conclude a possible increase in immune function. From this study, Reiki treatment can be accurately associated with relaxation and lowering of the stress response, as was demonstrated in the reduction of anxiety scores, lower blood pressure, and a suggested increase in humoral immunity.
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