24 min read

Last Updated on January 13, 2023

Introduction and Context

In recent decades a vast array of “energy healing” modalities have become common. From my perspective, there’s nothing inherently “right” or “wrong” about any of them, and I’m sure many provide benefits, and they all serve a purpose. Everything has its place and function in our Great Mother’s creativity. I originally titled this article, “The Dark Side of Reiki and many forms of energy healing”. I’ve since changed it to what you see now. With my use of the word “dark” in the title of this article, and the many others in the “Dark Side” series, I am not implying “evil” or even something “negative”, “wrong”, or “bad”. In this context “dark” is simply referring to the unconscious and the shadow (i.e., repressed) aspect of the psyche. That which is not seen, remains unconscious, and is obscured by ignorance or naivety, or at times by deception. Just as “light” would be a reference to “the lucidity and luminosity of consciousness”, the illuminating Presences of the spirit, the I Am-ness accessible within us, and the “sight” and clarity that Presence of I Am brings forth. I have changed the title because I am aware many people who engage in practices made common by the New Age movement see only negative connotations with the work “dark”, and may experience feelings of judgement if that word is associated with a practice they are invested in and, I presume, love and enjoy.

Since my mid-teens (when my interest in spirituality and wellness emerged enough for me to recognise it) I’ve intuitively avoided receiving Reiki sessions, and a wide array of so-called “energy healings”. There have been a few instances where I went against my discernment around this, and it was in dealing with the consequences of this that I had my discernment elucidated with greater insight. Once was when I received Deeksha (aka. a “Oneness Blessing”) from a married couple who were doing those sessions in the early 2000s. You can read about my views on that here. Another was when I was offered a Reiki by someone I knew, which I accepted, but felt something was energetically “off” afterwards. I learned of Reiki in my late teens, and it was one of the many modalities I very briefly considered learning. I ultimately felt not to, so I didn’t.

Today, many years of insight, spiritual enquiry, and deep self-investigation later … I see that it is generally not necessary to receive channelled “healing energy” from third-parties in order to “heal”. I realise such a statement is going to seem odd to a great many people influenced by the last few decades of New Age phenomena. From my perspective our state of health arises quite naturally from within the human soul and the human Spirit. From my perspective, it’s only when we’ve forgotten our true nature as divine beings, as a creation and emanation of God (our Divine Mother / Father Creator) that the apparent (yet ultimately false) “need” for channeled energy or third-party life-force will appear to be necessary and helpful. I’ll expand on this in the Alternatives and Options? section below.

Remember … there’s ultimately no “right” and “wrong” or “good” and “bad” in our Supreme Mother’s creativity. In nature and in creation there is simply that which is life-affirming and that which is life-degrading. Even those two distinctions are only relative “points” in the broader spectrum of Life, as experienced through certain levels of consciousness. My intention in sharing what follows is to support you in making choices for yourself and your well-being that are as life-affirming as possible, and to help you avoid situations that may inadvertently be life-degrading. This applies to those seeking support with healing, and those who are offering it. Please also keep in mind this is a deep and vast subject, and this article only speaks to the fundamentals I have the time and inclination to address in this format and at this time.

Artificial Energy Implants

From where I stand, the symbols used in Reiki (which are typically implanted or “installed” into the practitioner’s energy field by the “Reiki Master” who initiates them) are artificial and are therefore ultimately an imposition on our natural state of being. Aside from my own perception of this, it’s also been brought to my attention by close friends. Over the past ~20 years, at different times, I’ve known two different women who were highly clairvoyant. One since childhood, and the other through extensive training. Both of them (independently, and years apart) described to me that when working with clients who were Reiki practitioners (initially unbeknownst to them) they could see “unusual symbols” in their energy field or “luminous body”, and they felt the symbols were linked to something that wasn’t spiritually “good” for the person. After further discussion with such clients, it would become known the client was a Reiki Master or practitioner. Both these friends came to realise the symbols they were seeing are those installed into people through their Reiki initiation(s). Consider this: If the Divine Mother didn’t create human beings with those symbols in our energy field, what makes us think we would ever need them?

It’s easy for the ego, in its need for validation, substantiation, and specialness, to think a Reiki initiation or a treatment with energy channelled from higher beings, etc., is desirable, important, or helpful. From my perspective the circumstances surrounding such practices are much the same as those I often see associated with channelling. You can read about my perspective on The Shadow Side of Channelling here. I have reasons to suspect many Reiki sessions unwittingly involve connections to deceptive spirits that are not directly empowering to the human Spirit.

At the level of our soul (and in the astral realms in general) it’s important to pay attention to the “links” that energetically bind and connect people, spaces, energies, etc. To what or who is this practitioner linked (in spirit)? With what are they psychically entangled? Chances are, if I am motivated by a state of consciousness in which it seems desirable and necessary to be channelling (and selling) what Reiki refers to as “universal energy” via artificial symbols, in order to heal people, I am spiritually blind-sided, and are very likely affected by life-degrading entities. Keep in mind, most people, to some degree, are affected by life-degrading spirits / entities. It’s not something radical or unusual, although I realise for people not familiar with the nature and function of the soul it can seem outlandish and perhaps a little frightening. If I call upon the assistance of people for channelled healing energy it’s highly likely whatever life-degrading forces that healing practitioner is unwittingly linked to will be involved and entangled with the energy I receive from them. From my point of view, it’s simply a question of, ‘Why bother?

It’s also important to note that the person performing the healings isn’t necessarily any less confused about life and healing and spirituality as most other modernised people alive at this time. We live in challenging times, where human perception is conditioned by erroneous concepts of materialism, which in effect cuts the conscious mind and awareness off from ~99% of what’s in front of us (and around and within us) in any given moment. Most of the Universe is non-material energy, and can not be engaged with through material means. It is first and foremost a vast field of consciousness, within which a vast array of spirits and metaphysical forces exist. You and I are first and foremost immortal spirits. Most of what affects us—causing us to feel certain ways, and think certain thoughts—is not tangible or material. It’s arising from the metaphysical realms our consciousness is emerging through and into human form.

What About Jesus Performing Healings?

As far as I can determine, Jesus mostly performed (or “demonstrated”) what’s today known as “spiritual healing”, which is different from “energy healing”. The demonstration of spiritual healing results from a state of consciousness which transcends the illusion of imperfection, disease, and suffering. It is a form of healing directly carried out by Divine Will operating through the so-called “healer”. For example, according to the accounts in the Bible, when Jesus encountered the man who was unable to walk (John 5:2-9), he didn’t attempt to channel energy into him in order to correct, fix, or heal his body. Rather the embodied Christ consciousness within him saw right through the illusion of the man’s human conditioning, and said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” When Jesus encountered the man who was born blind (John 9:1-7), again he didn’t get involved in trying to fix or correct the man’s eyesight. In that particular account, he reportedly made some mud with his spit and dirt, anointed the man’s eyes with it, and instructed him to wash it off in a near-by pool of water. In doing so, he could again see. When the leper came to him (as detailed in Matthew 8:1-4) Jesus simply said, “I am willing; be cleansed,” and the man was healed. Through his embodiment of “Christ Consciousness” (aka. the  human Spirit), Jesus’ transcendent consciousness pieced right through the apparitions of disease, and recognised only the loving perfection of God, and that perfection reemerged into the reality of those who he “healed”.

I do get the impression there were also times when Jesus assisted people through what I would describe as direct spiritual transmission, and I propose the Divine Mother (aka. Holy Spirit) was behind this. What enabled Jesus to heal and spiritually assist people was his state of consciousness, and, very importantly, his inner relationship with the Divine Mother, which orthodox Christianity somewhat ambiguously (perhaps deceptively) refers to as the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. In the time of Jesus She was also referred to as Sophia and the Mother of Wisdom, and various other female names in the languages common at that time. Jesus was often described as being filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the Divine Mother. If interested, you can read a presentation on the Divine Mother in the Bible here. You could also read the Gospel of Thomas, which makes numerous references to the Divine Mother, and attributes to Her his ability to forgive sin and his power to heal. It was the Mother assisting people’s souls, because the human soul is an aspect of the collective soul of the Earth, which She birthed into being.

Our Natural State of Being

In your natural state of being, all the life-force (aka. “power”) you require in any given moment is made available to you by God, either directly (through the silver chord linking your spirit to Source) or through the Divine Mother, which for the majority of people is most readily accessed through the natural world (aka. “Mother Nature”). As mentioned, in the Bible the Divine Mother has been obscured with the terms “Holy Spirit” and “Holy Ghost”. The core essence of your spirit is the same divine presence referred to as Christ or the Christos. Your body and soul are both made up of “substance” from the Divine Mother. Who better to help restore and heal your body than She who created it?

So, from my perspective, the most important question when experiencing disease and other difficulties is something along the lines of, “What am I doing or not doing that results in my state of consciousness, and therefore my trajectory, being out of alignment with Life?“. Although it’s not necessarily something we are “doing” per se. What I’m really referring to is patterns of energy within our energy field. My conditioning, for example, forms an energetic pattern. My beliefs are an energetic pattern. What we refer to as trauma is also an energetic pattern. Saṅkhāras (a Sanskrit word) are energetic patterns … and so on. Karma (another Sanskrit word) refers to the imbalances of power or life-force caused by the patterns we enact or live out, which must, one way or another, be brought back into balance. Ideally, in the process of facing the fruits of our karma we become conscious of the patterns we’re being challenged to clear and transcend. These patterns predispose us to certain tendencies, attributes, and states of mind. The mystic journey of facing these patterns, and bringing them into the light of consciousness is all part of the formative and emergent process of the human spirit and soul coming into a manifest union.

A small note on blame and guilt: Blaming myself or others for having to face and overcome limitations in consciousness is about as pointless as a unhatched baby bird blaming itself for having to struggle against the inside of the egg, the caterpillar blaming itself for having to struggle out of its chrysalis. Such a potentially daunting and constricting encounter is the very thing necessary for those forms of life to emerge into their full and natural glory. It’s hard to ask deep questions of self-enquiry around our challenges in life, and to be totally open to what’s revealed, when we buy into feelings of judgement, guilt, blame, and shame. Life is a challenge, whether totally ignorant or totally enlightened. Ultimately it’s a challenge of how we utilise and integrate the power granted to us by our Mother Father God or Creator.

I have digressed … and I’ve covered this topic extensively in my 2007 book Peace, Power, and Presence.

Coming back to the topic at hand …

Approach to Healing

I wish to make it clear I am not suggesting all forms of “energy healing” are spiritually deceptive or negative or are always under the influence of entities. What I am proposing for consideration is that it may be developmentally helpful to pay greater attention and loving discernment to what’s playing out metaphysically (in the subtle realms) with regards to energy healing practices—whether you’re a recipient or practitioner. As human beings we naturally have life-force flowing through us. Commonly referred to as chi, ki, prana, etheric energy, vital energy, etc.. We are able to accumulate that life-force within the subtle dimensions of the body. Similarly, we are able to squander and waste it. This life-force is given to us by the Divine Mother, through the Earth which receives it from the Sun and other sacred spaces within Her creation. We are able to share that life-force with nature and with other beings (human, or otherwise), both intentionally and unintentionally.

There are many ways in which our life-force (and the pranic or etheric body) can be damaged, blocked, or constricted, just as our physical body can be damaged. The condition of the etheric body will (eventually) be reflected in the state of the physical body. It is perfectly natural that the life-force of one person can assist another person. In much the same way if the battery on your car goes flat, you can give it a boost from another sufficiently charged battery. Simply loving another human being deeply and unconditionally is likely to give them a boost of subtle support. All of this is within the scope of how our Great Mother has organised herself. It’s very similar to how human beings, when aligned with the Mother and her creativity, are able to spiritually and energetically support places and spaces within nature, through offerings of their love and high-vibrational energy. As an act of loving service we are naturally quite capable of doing the same for other people.

This is a complex matter, and I’m very much simplifying it all for the sake of brevity (EDIT.: although it’s still resulted in a massive article). What I will add though is that there are numerous ways in which “energy healing” can get out of balance, and introduce potential issues that might not be recognised by those involved. This issues can affect us in ways that may not be immediately apparent, and, once apparent, their true source is typically not recognised. I’ll list the main issues that come to mind:

  1. Is the person offering energy / pranic / hands-on healing as their primary means to survive in the world? Or are they doing it purely as an act of loving service? Simply put, what is their motivation? I’m not suggesting there’s an innate problem with people charging money for healing services. I’m simply pointing out that it can and often does introduce an element into the picture that, let’s say, can complicate matters.
  2. Is the person offering the energy unconsciously seeking validation, importance, status, power, etc.? Are they playing out a saviour complex, and therefore most likely projecting their own repressed need for healing onto other people? Are they in deep need of their own healing and reintegration, and engaging in healing services as a shadow projection of what they would like to receive themselves (namely, a quick fix from a third party)?
  3. From where is the healer sourcing the life-force they are using to help patients heal themselves? Are they sourcing it from their own soul and spirit, which is life-force directly granted to them by the Mother? Or are they sourcing it from “third-parties” (be that “angels” or masters they believe they are connected to, etc.) or tapping into other sources and realms, and are they doing that in accordance with the way in which the Divine Mother’s has organised things? If it’s not coming directly from their own soul and spirit, how conscious are they of where they are actually sourcing it from, and what’s being done to ensure overall energetic balance is consciously maintained?
  4. For the person offering healing sessions … is that his or her true purpose in life? Is it part of their agreement with our Divine Mother to be “a healer” and using the gift of healing in that way? Is that what they emerged into this embodiment to do in this “life-time”? Or are they unwittingly selling or expending life-force / energy that’s actually being provided to them for some other function in our Mother’s creation? If the later is true, it’s very likely they are setting themselves up for painful difficulties in the long-term.
  5. Does the healer feel grounded? Do they feel integrated, balanced and steady (energetically and emotionally)? Do you feel their humility and compassion? Do you get the sense they are deeply connected to their hara (their lower belly), and deeply connected to their physical body?
  6. As human beings we already receive all the life-force we need to maintain a state of balance and health. It’s received through our soul and spirit, directly via the Earth and Sun. Generally it’s our unconscious misuse of that life-force that causes the soul to go into an energetic deficit, which (thankfully) results in pain and suffering. That pain is intended to make us aware of the situation. With this in mind, I invite you to consider this: If it’s in the highest interests of someone to receive additional life-force / energy beyond that which they are already being given in every moment from the aforementioned sources, in order to resolve a health issue, is the Divine Mother not perfectly capable of extending additional life-force to that person? Either directly (via the soul / spirit), or via any of the many angelic beings and spirits She naturally functions through? Remember, in matters of the human psyche, our Divine Mother typically operates through supreme silence, stillness, and potent emptiness (i.e. no-thing the human mind is likely to logically recognise), as opposed to a noisy, flashy, and ego-fascinating presentation of cosmic channels, “light beings”, and “higher” dimensional entities.

Remember: The human being is, in its true potential, already one of our Divine Mother’s most profound and powerful expressions of creativity.

In case you’re wondering … Yes, there are people who are legitimately here to assist others via hands-on healing. And … There’s also a lot of so-called “healers” who are unwittingly engaging in artificial (man made) practices they don’t see the whole picture of, and / or who are motivated by unconscious tendencies and unresolved issues within their psyche. I am not judging that as “wrong”, for all such judgement is mis-taken. I am simply sharing that there’s a deeper reality at play than what most people are typically aware of. If you’re looking for someone to support you in a truly life-giving way it’s wise to be discerning and to deeply connect with the wisdom in your own Heart around who can genuinely offer you that. If it were me, I would first check in with my Divine Mother, the Holy Spirit within my humanity.

Is this hard to digest?

Although I suspect very few, if any, fundamentalist Christians are likely to be reading my articles … I know some of what I’ve shared here (especially regarding Jesus) is likely to trigger those who adhere to the dogma that Christ is a singular entity or being (i.e., Jesus the Christ) who incarnated roughly 2000 years ago, and that Christ Consciousness is special and unique to that specific being. From where I stand, God doesn’t show it to me in that way. From my perspective, truly devoting yourself to Christ is akin to devoting yourself to the highest aspect of your own inner Being … the I Am Presence as living, loving, and luminous Spirit, which itself is a direct emanation of God. Remember, Jesus the Christ was not teaching people to be Christians. Like all formalise religions, that’s an artificial concept which was invented by humans some hundreds of years later. Rather, he shared with people a map (albeit, one that was most suitable for the state of consciousness of people he was encountering during his period in history) on how to be Christed (anointed, by the living spirit of God within them), in total surrender to Divine Wisdom or will, rather than living under the control and desires of ego-identification, and the unconscious pulls, aversions, and tendencies of the (yet to be illuminated or Christed) human soul.

I also realise what I’ve share here is likely to offend Reiki Masters and practitioners, and probably many “energy healers” in general. Please know that is not my intention, and I am sorry for any role I have played in such offence. I can only share on these matters in accordance with how I perceive them, and do so as sensitively as my present capacities will allow me. My motivation in sharing on this subject arises from a deep intention for people, whom I love, to realise and bring forth full conscious integration of their divine nature. The human spirit is so incomprehensibly powerful and loving, and in my experience it really has no need for artificial symbols and constructs, or the artificial channeling of energy, in order for it or the human soul it is in the process of illuminating to naturally unfold.

To reiterate the first section of this article: Know that I am not saying there’s anything “wrong” or “bad” about energy healing and Reiki. It all has its place and purpose in God’s creativity. I am, however, proposing that people will eventually wake up to recognising the true source of healing is within us, and is a blessing bestowed upon us by the Divine Mother / Holy Spirit / Great Mother. Sometimes what provokes such an awakening is the very act of contending with the unintended spiritual consequences of identifying with and engaging in practices such as Reiki, channelled energy healing, channeling, etc. Although, when the time is right, such awakening can also be facilitated by naturally opening up to a deeper perspective, such as those shared in this article—without contending with unforeseen limitations of misguided practices. At least that’s my intention in sharing this with you.

Alternatives and options?

As far as hands-on healing practices, I’d say that massage therapy, physiotherapy, and other physical therapies (e.g., myofascial release, Rolfing, The Feldenkrais Method, etc.) without the addition of “channelling energy” is fine and is something that comes naturally. I would also suggest that for anyone seeking healing or greater well-being, aside from the loving support of physical therapies, it’s important to investigate your own soul, and (without judgement or guilt) identify what the disease, pain, and discomfort you’re experiencing is arising from. What’s it attempting to bring to your loving attention?

For some folk this may go without saying … but, as you may have discovered, it’s helpful to be aware that if your energy is in a higher (or more refined) state than the practitioner’s there’s always a chance some of your energy will transfer over to them during the massage, and you may notice your energy level will temporarily drop, especially if the practitioner is intentionally trying to open up to channelling energy during the massage session. If you (most importantly) and, ideally, the practitioner have sound energetic and emotional boundaries, this isn’t likely to be an issue. It’s simply something to be aware of, and not in fear of. Just pay attention to whether you feel uplifted and more grounded after the session, or less so. With regards to the practitioner channelling energy, you can ask them about this beforehand. There there are many massage therapists who (without telling you) will engage in trying to channel energy to you whilst doing the massage, perhaps with the notion this somehow increases the value and benefits of what they are offering. They see it as an added bonus they are adding into your session, without realising it may bring into the equation the involvement of entities and energies you’re better off without.

Craniosacral therapy (CST) and biodynamic craniosacral therapy (BCST) are also generally fine. It’s one of the modalities I can deeply relate to, and have some (minimal) training in, and occasionally receive. Again, so long as the practitioner doesn’t get into channelling energy (and they shouldn’t as that’s not called for in this healing modality). In CST and BCTS the practitioner is (in simple terms) attuning to various natural and subtle rhythms (of life-force, and associated fluids, fascia, etc.) within your body, and being lovingly present to that life-force in a way that assists your body to heal and reorganise itself. The practitioner is, in effect, maintaining a still-point in time and space, in which they are maintaining presence, attunement, and awareness for the natural healing intelligence of your body to unfold and reintegrate. They are not trying to change or “fix” you in some way. Rather they are supporting the innate wisdom of your body to heal itself, from within.

As mentioned above, there are also perfectly legitimate hands-on healers—people whom our Divine Mother works through in order to assist and heal people. She also works through sacred spaces in the Earth, including certain mountains, rivers, springs, etc., in ways that can be especially supportive to humans. She usually does this by imparting more life-force to those who enter such spaces (with an open heart, and in a state of humility and surrender), and by imparting organising intelligence (her Wisdom) to their subtle bodies. When our Great Mother works through a human being to support other people as a “healer”, it means that healer is well within their life-purpose to be engaged in hands-on healing. Which will typically mean they are not unconsciously engaging in practices that are creating further imbalance and spiritual discordance (aka. creating energetic imbalance; aka. creating karma, which must at some stage be rebalanced).

Being aware of the six considerations listed above (and it’s not an exhaustive list, but covers the more significant points) should be of some support in discerning whether or not a particular “healer” is someone that it’s in your (and their) highest interests to engage with for support.

As mentioned, my suggestion is to be discerning about any “energy healing” practitioners you work with. Again … in your Heart (the silent felt presence within you), do you notice they have a natural and calm vibrance about them, are they alert and self-integrated and balanced, and do they feel grounded (not spacey, airy, or floaty, jittery, dissociated)? Feel into (ask your inner self) whether they are primarily motivated by compassion and a deeply embodied soul level intention to be of service, or is it something else that’s motivating them?

My Invitation

Expand into this moment and recognise that you—your essential state of I Am-ness—are eternal spirit, (e)merging within soul and matter. Your Divine Mother is providing all that is required for your wholeness and health, without the need for the human mind and ego to invent new and fantastical stuff, ideas, and practices. Wholeness and healing is so incredibly natural and uncomplicated it can be difficult for the ego-mind to comprehend. So the ego-mind instead comes up with all sorts of concepts and practices that are little more than intriguing artificial inventions. There’s nothing “wrong” or “bad” about this. It’s simply that those who have a deep intention to be free of deception and ignorance will at some point have to expand beyond the inherent limitations such concepts and inventions represent.

I invite you to feel deeply within your soul, connect with the living wisdom of your creator there, and ask to be shown all next natural steps you can take toward adjusting your life and consciousness in order to be even more aligned with Her and Her profound and loving creativity.

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