Science Behind Reiki For Cancer Care
What was once considered ancient wisdom or ‘woo-woo’ is now entering the scientific conversation; meditation, acupuncture, yoga, tai chi, herbalism, cupping therapy, and now energy work. This is something I can make thousands of posts on (and in time, I will), but for today, I’ll just start with one. Trust me, there are many studies lined up to share.
When I came across this podcast, Talk Tracks Ep. 17: The Healing Power of Consciousness with Deepak Chopra and Dr. Shamini Jain,
I was instantly, and uncontrollably, thrown down a tunnel of research and internet worm holes. In this podcast episode, Dr. Shamini Jain shares pioneering research from the Consciousness and Healing Initiative, revealing how energy work and biofield science are quietly transforming cancer care. Alongside her, musician and healer Madhu Anziani recounts his remarkable recovery from quadriplegia through sound and energy practices, defying every medical expectation placed on him.
I’ve linked the full research paper at the bottom of the post, but I’ve also summarized it below for anyone who doesn’t have the time, or brain power, to wade through the entire scientific paper.
‘Complementary medicine for fatigue and cortisol variability in breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial (2012)’ Dr Shamini Jain & others.
In a placebo-controlled trial with breast cancer survivors, Dr. Shamini Jain compared professional energy practitioners with “mock healers”, individuals with no experience in energy work, meditation, yoga, or spiritual practice. Survivors received eight sessions over the course of a month, returning to the same practitioner each time, and were asked after every session whether they felt they had received touch or energy work. The design was double blind.
The results were powerful. Participants who received energy healing experienced fatigue reductions so significant that their energy levels returned to those of healthy individuals.
“The number one complaint among cancer patients and survivors is fatigue, unfortunately, a third of people who receive cancer experience debilitating fatigue both during cancer treatments and even after. And sometimes that fatigue lasts up to 10 years or more post treatment.”
SUMMARY OF KEY INSIGHTS
Reduced Fatigue & Improved Function: Biofield therapy showed statistically significant reductions in fatigue, which is often a debilitating symptom for cancer patients, more effectively than "mock" healing or standard care.
Physiological Changes (Cortisol): Patients receiving active biofield therapy demonstrated better cortisol regulation, suggesting a positive impact on stress reduction mechanisms.
Enhanced Quality of Life: While both real and "mock" healing groups showed some improvements (indicating the power of human connection and touch), the active biofield group experienced a higher, more consistent improvement in overall quality of life.
Pre-clinical Evidence on Cancer Cells: Research associated with CHI has shown that biofield therapies can inhibit the growth and invasion of cancer cells in laboratory models (PANC-1 cells).
While women who received mock healing did experience some relief from fatigue - unsurprising, given the healing power of touch - the contrast between the two groups was striking. Normalized cortisol rhythms appeared only in those who received energy healing.
“What we have now discovered with the latest research of biofield healing in cell and animal research is profound. With the cell studies, we have now learned with different kinds of healing with external qi gong, with therapeutic touch, and with other types of energy healing practices, that a healer can be in the same room with cells - not know which cells they are directing energy to whether they are healthy cells or non-healthy cells - when they send the healing to the cells, and by the way the person doing the analyses doesn’t know what kind of cells they are either, that’s why it’s double blind.”
“What we have seen in three different labs, with three different kinds of healers, with different models of cancer cells, is that healthy cells receiving energy healing won’t decrease in number, sometimes they even increase in number - they proliferate, they grow in response to this healing energy. But if they are cancer cells, they actually decrease in number. They stop growing.”
Quote by Nikola Tesla, Inventor & Futurist
"The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence."
KEY CONCEPTS IN BIOFIELD SCIENCE
Dr. Jain describes the biofield as an organizing field of energy and information that surrounds and permeates the human body. In her book, Healing Ourselves: Biofield Science and the Future of Health, she explains that:
Energy as Information: Energy work is not just "relaxation," but rather a way to interact with the body's electromagnetic and subtle energy systems to facilitate self-healing.
Complementary to Conventional Medicine: These therapies are designed to work alongside, not replace, standard cancer care (such as chemotherapy and radiation), helping to manage side effects like pain, anxiety, and immune dysfunction.
Mind-Body Connection: Her research emphasizes the importance of addressing the psycho-spiritual, as well as the physical, aspects of cancer to improve patient outcomes.
It’s common for people to try Reiki once and expect immediate, dramatic results. While meaningful shifts can occur in a single session, sustained and noticeable change is more likely with ongoing sessions.
Transforming Cancer Care
CHI is dedicated to "accelerating the science and practice of healing" by bringing together scientists, healers, and practitioners to validate and implement these techniques in clinical settings. The goal is to move beyond a purely chemical model of health ("life as chemistry") to a more integrated, holistic approach that includes "life as energy".
The research emerging suggests that healing is far more layered than we once believed. As studies continue to unfold, biofield science may help reshape how we support the body, not by replacing conventional care, but by expanding what’s possible and accelerating recovery through the integration of Western and Eastern medicine. Too often, we fall into a black-and-white debate: Western approaches are valid, Eastern approaches are not - or vice versa. Yet true power arises when we bring them together, much like harmonizing mind and heart.
Whether you’re navigating illness, supporting someone you love, or simply curious about the deeper mechanics of healing, energy healing invites us to listen more deeply to the body’s intelligence and ease bodily symptoms that infect our day to day lives with discomfort.
Whether you’re navigating illness, supporting a loved one, or simply curious about the deeper mechanics of healing, energy work invites us to listen more deeply to the body’s intelligence, gently easing the discomforts and symptoms that can affect our daily lives.