Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comment
. 2023 Nov-Dec;19(6):797-802.
doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2023.03.012. Epub 2023 May 25.

Client experiences of virtual energy healing

Janet M Marinelli  1 , Carol C Geisler  2 , Briley A Hale  3 , Emma J Munson  4
Affiliations
Comment

Client experiences of virtual energy healing

Janet M Marinelli et al. Explore (NY). 2023 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Context: During the COVID-19 pandemic medical and holistic health practitioners turned to utilizing virtual healthcare. As energy healing practitioners and educators who shifted to an online format, it seemed important to document descriptions of client experiences of virtual energy healing.

Objective: To describe client experiences of virtual energy healing sessions.

Design: Descriptive pre-post intervention design.

Setting and interventions: Two experienced and eclectic energy healing practitioners developed a protocol and conducted energy healing sessions via Zoom.

Participants: A convenience sample of Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) Consociates, people of diverse life-styles and spiritual traditions who are committed to living the mission of the CSJs in the St. Paul Province.

Main outcome measures: Pre-post 10-point Likert scale rating of relaxation, well-being, and pain. Pre-post primarily qualitative questionnaires.

Results: Results indicated significant pre-post differences: pre-session relaxation (M=5.036, SD = 2.9) and post-session relaxation (M=7.86, SD = 6.4): t(13)=2.16, p=.0017*; pre-session well-being (M=5.86, SD = 4.29); post-session well-being (M=8, SD = 2.31), t(13), p=.0001*; pre-session pain (M=4.0, SD = 6.15) and post-session pain (M=2.25, SD = 3.41), t(13)=2.16, p=.004*. Thematic analysis revealed six themes related to client experiences of virtual energy healing: 1) embodied sensations, 2) relaxation, 3) release - a letting go of tasks/anxieties/worries, 4) sense of peace/joy/calm, 5) connection to themselves, others, and something larger, and 6) surprise that virtual energy healing works.

Limitations: This was a descriptive study using a convenience sample, therefore, there was not a control group, a large sample size, and the sample might be more prone to report better results than the general population because of their spiritual perspectives. Results were not generalizable.

Implications: Clients reported positive descriptions of virtual energy healing and say they would do it again. However more research is needed to understand the variables that influenced the results and the underlying mechanisms of action.

Keywords: Biofield therapies; Energy healing; Energy medicine; Healing Touch; Reiki; Therapeutic Touch; Virtual healthcare.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment on

References

    1. Leskowitz E. A cartography of energy medicine: from subtle anatomy to energy physiology. Explore (NY) 2020;18(2):152–164. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2020.09.008. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jain S., Hammerschlag R., Mills P., et al. Clinical studies of biofield therapies: summary, methodological challenges, and recommendations. Glob Adv Health Med. 2015;4(Suppl):58–66. doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2015.034.suppl. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rubik B., Muehsam D., Hammerschlag R., Jain S. Biofield science and healing: history, terminology, and concepts. Glob Adv Health Med. 2015;4(Suppl):8–14. doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2015.038.suppl. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Eden D., Feinstein D. Development of a healthcare approach focusing on subtle energies: the case of Eden Energy Medicine. Adv Mind Body Med. 2020;34(3):25–36. PMID: 32931459. - PubMed
    1. Levin J. Energy healers: who they are and what they do. Explore (NY) 2011;7(1):13–26. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2010.10.005. - DOI - PubMed