I’ve been trying to write what I thought would be the final newsletter article for 2025.
The topic was about trusting that Reiki energy will deliver what you need—even when it’s not what you want.
I haven’t been able to finish it and it’s been bothering me for a long time. Now I understand why.
A more important Reiki topic has shown up, and it needs to be addressed.
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When Beliefs Turn Into “Facts”
Everyone comes to Reiki with their own ideas, beliefs, and biases.
There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s part of what makes life interesting.
But a problem has been quietly growing.
Over time, many untrue ideas have slipped into conversations about the origins of Reiki—especially around how and why Reiki came to the West. In some cases, practitioners have filled in gaps in their knowledge with personal assumptions that have no factual basis. Eventually, those assumptions harden into “truths” and get passed on to others.
Meanwhile, solid, evidence-based research into Reiki history has continued to emerge. This research offers clearer and more accurate insight into Reiki’s journey from Japan to the U.S., and then to the rest of the world.
As this information became available, three distinct responses began to appear.
• **Group 1** This group adjusts their understanding of Reiki and teachings to align with evidenced based information that can be fact-checked.
• **Group 2** isn’t sure yet. They take a wait-and-see approach before deciding what they will accept.
• **Group 3** This group holds tightly to what they were originally taught and defend it strongly—even when new evidence shows some of their long-held Reiki ideas may not be accurate or completely untrue.
From what I’ve observed, people in Group 3 often form an emotional attachment to information they were taught. Later, that information becomes part of their identity. When this happens and new information comes that says what they have accepted is unreliable or untrue, this revelation feels like a threat not just to what they know, but to their entire existence.
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The Misplaced Blame on Mrs. Takata
I’m bringing this up because I’ve noticed a strong dislike toward Mrs. Takata, the person who learned Reiki in Japan and is the person responsible for bringing Reiki to the America and the rest of the world
This dislike often comes from the belief among some Reiki practitioners that Mrs. Takata had impure motives when she adapted Reiki to the culture of the USA between 1937 and her passing in 1980.
One common claim—especially on social media—is that Mrs. Takata removed the “pure” Japanese spiritual Reiki teachings and replaced them with chakras, angels, crystals, NLP, and other New Age or metaphysical ideas so Reiki would appeal more to Americans.
While it is true that Mrs. Takata adapted Reiki from how she was taught in Japan—she is not the person who put metaphysics into Reiki.
To put it plainly:
**History says Mrs. Takata did not introduce chakras, angels, tarot cards, NLP, or similar material to Reiki.**
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What the Research Actually Shows
To bring clarity to this topic, I reached out to Dr. Justin Stein on December 12th, 2025 for his perspective.
Dr. Stein teaches East Asian—especially Japanese—culture, history, and society, and is a historian of religion who studies modern Japanese practices in a global context. He is also the author of *Alternate Currents: Reiki’s Circulation in the Twentieth-Century North Pacific* (University of Hawai‘i Press, 2023), a detailed academic study of Reiki’s development and transmission.
In short, he knows what he’s talking about on this topic.
I sent Dr. Stein two screenshots containing accusations directed at Mrs. Takata. Before I could even ask my question, he replied:
“Takata never did chakras"
(The smiley face is his.)
He then added:
> “Robert Fueston, in his book *Reiki: Transmissions of Light*, mentions that chakras, crystals, etc., are ‘not traditional as taught by Takata.’ I know John Harvey Gray taught about chakras, but I don’t know if he was the first. The copy I have of *The Reiki Handbook* by Larry Arnold and Sandy Nevius discusses chakra balancing. The Baginski/Sharamon book, published in German in 1985 and English in 1988, also discusses chakras.”
Note: The “Baginski/Sharamon book” Dr. Stein is referring to is “Reiki” by Bodo J. Baginski and Shalila Sharamon. According to Dr. Stein, when this book was translated into English in 1988, “It was definitely an important book back in the day.” And “A lot of libraries had it as their ONLY book on Reiki.” THIS is the book that introduced chakras and other ideas into Reiki, not Mrs. Hawayo Takata.
Dr. Stein summarized it clearly:
> “Short answer: Takata didn’t teach it (chakras). Some of her students—and their students—later began integrating chakras and other metaphysical material like NLP, angels, ‘Tibetan’ symbols, and crystals.”
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Why This Matters
I’m sharing this because untrue statements about Reiki still circulate widely. These misunderstandings are part of why some people hesitate to receive Reiki sessions or pursue Reiki training.
By sharing accurate, informed, and verifiable information, we can help clear away misunderstandings, myths and misconceptions that act as barriers. Doing so makes it easier for people to approach Reiki with openness and curiosity—and to experience what it actually offers.
Important Historical Footnote
To understand why Mrs. Takata made adaptations to Reiki, it is important to understand what she was facing. There is a new resource that helps us do just that.
Go to wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify etc.) and type in the words, “Burn Order.” Listen to the first 2 or 3 episodes. While I highly recommend you listen to all 6 episodes, the first 3 will give you details that explain WHY Mrs. Takata made the adaptations that would allow herself and Reiki to survive. I personally believe the details there are important for all Reiki practitioners to know.
UPDATE: This is being added January 16, 2026.
When I first wrote this article, I recommended that readers who wanted to better understand why Mrs. Takata may have made certain adaptations listen to the podcast “Burn Order,” specifically the first two or three episodes. In my eagerness to share a helpful resource, I may have unintentionally given the impression that this podcast is about Reiki.
To clarify, Burn Order is not a Reiki podcast. It focuses on the political and social climate in the United States before, during, and after World War II. I mentioned it because it offers an important historical context for the environment Mrs. Takata was living in at the time.
As I listened to the early episodes, I found myself thinking about the position she was in—considering what she might have been witnessing and experiencing. It led me to ask a simple but important question: If I had been a Japanese American, with the knowledge of Reiki at that time and I was exposed to the same circumstances, how might I have responded? This is the value of listening to the podcast Burn Order. It allows us to see through the eyes of the people who lived at that time. I apologize for any confusion I might have caused.
Thank you for reading this article.
