Home Podcasts Science of Reiki - Reiki, Energy Healing, Nervous System Regulation and the Research Behind It

Science of Reiki - Reiki, Energy Healing, Nervous System Regulation and the Research Behind It

Molly Donlan 11 Episodes May 7, 2026

A science-backed exploration of Reiki and energy healing, hosted by Reiki Master Teacher and former skeptic Molly Donlan. The podcast delves into how Reiki affects nervous system regulation, the placebo effect, neuroplasticity, and distance healing. It combines personal experience with research, avoiding spiritual bypassing in favor of evidence-based discussion. Episodes are designed for skeptics, scientists, and curious listeners wanting to understand the mechanisms behind Reiki.

Episodes

BONUS: Reiki for Anxiety: How a Former Corporate Skeptic Went From Flight Panic to Total Calm May 7, 2026 00:20:11 After September 11th, Michelle's relationship with flying was never the same. Nearly three years ago, her anxiety had gotten so bad she watched her entire family board a plane without her and knew something had to change.Four months into her Reiki practice, she booked a flight, got on the plane, and her husband asked her the whole way, "Are you okay?" Not because she seemed nervous,

S108: How to Start a Reiki Practice: The Science of Ritual & Why It Reduces Anxiety May 7, 2026 00:14:53 What if the simple act of creating a ritual around your Reiki practice was enough to reduce anxiety before you even start?In this season finale, I geek out about the science of ritual and what the research actually shows about ritualizing any practice. I walk through what you actually learn in a Reiki training, what a consistent practice can look like in real life, and why two minutes of intention

S107: How Reiki Rewires Your Brain: The Science of Neuroplasticity & Long-Term Healing May 7, 2026 00:18:52 Two minutes of Reiki a day is more powerful than sixty minutes once a month. Here's the brain science that proves it.In this episode, I introduce one of my favorite teaching tools, the sledding hill, to explain how neuroplasticity actually works and why consistent Reiki practice physically rewires the neural pathways in your brain over time. I break down the long-term signs that your practice is w

S106: Is Your Reiki Practice Actually Working? May 7, 2026 00:16:14 If you've ever finished a Reiki session and thought "I didn't feel anything, so did it even work?" this episode is your answer.In this episode, I break down why we're so fixated on the big, dramatic sensations, the heat, the tingles, the full-body transformation, and why those aren't actually the signs that matter most. I walk through every sense that Reiki can show up th

S105: Reiki Myths Debunked by a Former Skeptic Who Used to Believe Them Too May 7, 2026 00:26:25 Is Reiki demonic? Do you need a special gift to do Reiki? Does Reiki replace therapy or medication? Can Reiki only work in perfect conditions? Does distance Reiki even make sense?I've heard every single one of these, and in this episode I'm rapid firing through the biggest Reiki myths and misconceptions one by one. No holding back. As someone who used to believe a lot of these myself, I&#3

BONUS: Reiki for Vertigo & Concussion Recovery: A Real Story With Jade Omardeen May 7, 2026 00:22:14 At 24, Jade Omardeen fell during an acroyoga session and hit her head on cement. What followed was one of the most challenging periods of her life, relearning how to walk, talk, and read, while managing a severe concussion and bilateral benign vertigo so bad her specialist called her the worst case she had ever seen.This is the story of how Reiki found her in the middle of all of it, and what happ

S104: What Does a Reiki Session Feel Like? A Science-Based Breakdown May 7, 2026 00:22:49 Thinking about booking your first Reiki session but have no idea what to expect? This one's for you.In this episode, I demystify exactly what happens during a Reiki session, what the practitioner is doing, what you might feel, and the one thing most people get completely wrong about who's actually doing the healing. I also walk through the full sensory experience of Reiki, from heat and ti

S103: Is Reiki Just a Placebo Effect? Here's What the Science Actually Says May 7, 2026 00:18:07 When someone tells me that Reiki is just a placebo effect, I don't get offended. I get excited, because if you think it's a placebo, you already agree that it works.In this episode, I break down what the placebo effect actually is, how modern medicine uses it every single day, and why it's not the insult skeptics think it is. I also dive into one of my favorite rabbit holes, open-label

S102: The Science Behind Reiki for Anxiety, Chronic Pain & Stress May 7, 2026 00:22:24 Your nervous system doesn't know the difference between a tiger chasing you and your WiFi buffering before a Zoom call. And that's kind of the whole problem.In this episode, I break down the science of your nervous system, sympathetic versus parasympathetic, fight-flight-freeze, and why so many of us are stuck in survival mode without even realizing it. I also touch on the history of Reiki

S101: The Beginner's Guide to Reiki: Science, Energy & Why It Works May 7, 2026 00:19:50 What is Reiki, really? Not the woo-woo version. The actual science-backed explanation that even the biggest skeptic can get behind.In this first episode, I break down what Reiki is from a scientific perspective, starting with particle theory and the physics of energy and frequency. You'll learn why everything in our universe, including you, is made up of vibrating particles, what that has to d

The Science of Reiki Podcast by Molly Donlan May 1, 2026 00:02:26 If you've ever been curious about Reiki but your inner skeptic won't let you fully lean in, this podcast is for you.I'm Molly Donlan, Reiki Master Teacher, bestselling author of Mundane Magic, and a former skeptic who spent nine years working with survivors of sexual violence before chronic pain, anxiety, and burnout sent me searching for answers my doctors couldn't give me. Reiki was the only thi

Science of Reiki - Reiki, Energy Healing, Nervous System Regulation and the Research Behind It

Episodes

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