A podcast for skeptics, scientists, and squiggly-brained humans who want to understand how Reiki actually works. I'm Molly Donlan: Reiki Master Teacher, bestselling author of Mundane Magic, and former skeptic who spent a decade digging into the science of why Reiki works. Expect honest, science-backed conversations about nervous system regulation, the placebo effect, neuroplasticity, distance Reiki, the Japanese history most teachers skip, and why 2 minutes a day beats a 60-minute ritual. No spiritual bypassing. Just science, spirit, and evidence your brain needs.
Science of Reiki - Reiki, Energy Healing, Nervous System Regulation and the Research Behind It
Claim This Podcastby Molly Donlan
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11 episodes
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Podcast Overview
A podcast for skeptics, scientists, and squiggly-brained humans who want to understand how Reiki actually works. I'm Molly Donlan: Reiki Master Teacher, bestselling author of Mundane Magic, and former skeptic who spent a decade digging into the science of why Reiki works. Expect honest, science-backed conversations about nervous system regulation, the placebo effect, neuroplasticity, distance Reiki, the Japanese history most teachers skip, and why 2 minutes a day beats a 60-minute ritual. No spiritual bypassing. Just science, spirit, and evidence your brain needs.
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Publishing Since
5/1/2026
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Recent Episodes
May 7, 2026
BONUS: Reiki for Anxiety: How a Former Corporate Skeptic Went From Flight Panic to Total Calm
<p>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.</p><p>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, but because she was the calmest he had ever seen her.</p><p>In this bonus episode, I sit down with Michelle Montgomery-Gardes, self-described recovered corporate drone, and now a key member of my teaching team, to talk about how two minutes of Reiki a day helped her manage anxiety, quit a 30-year corporate career, and finally feel present in her own life.</p><p>This is a story for anyone who's burned out, skeptical, and wondering if something this simple could actually work.</p><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li>Michelle's story of flight anxiety, corporate burnout, and finding Reiki</li><li>How two minutes a day created a total 180 in her nervous system response</li><li>The moment on the plane that proved Reiki was working</li><li>Why she quit her corporate job and what Reiki had to do with it</li><li>How presence became the biggest and most unexpected gift of her practice</li></ul><p><br></p><p>🔮 Download the free companion workbook: <a href="https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook">https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook</a></p><p><br></p><p>🔮 Ready to learn Reiki for yourself? Join the waitlist for Reiki 1: The Science of Self-Healing training:<a href="https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait">https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait</a></p>
May 7, 2026
S108: How to Start a Reiki Practice: The Science of Ritual & Why It Reduces Anxiety
<p>What if the simple act of creating a ritual around your Reiki practice was enough to reduce anxiety before you even start?</p><p>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 intentional Reiki beats a 90-minute session you'll never actually do. Plus, two studies that prove ritual alone creates measurable, physiological changes in anxiety levels.</p><p>This is your invitation to take the next step.</p><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li>The science of ritual and why it reduces anxiety on a neurological level</li><li>Two peer-reviewed studies on ritual and anxiety reduction</li><li>What you actually learn in a Reiki training and what it's not</li><li>Why consistency and structure matter more than duration or effort</li><li>How to begin your own Reiki practice starting today</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Studies Mentioned:</p><p>🔮 The role of ritual behaviour in anxiety reduction: an investigation of Marathi religious practices in Mauritius <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7423266/">https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7423266/</a></p><p>🔮 Don’t stop believing: Rituals improve performance by decreasing anxiety <a href="https://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/jschroeder/Publications/Rituals">https://faculty.haas.berkeley.edu/jschroeder/Publications/Rituals</a> OBHDP.pdf</p><p>🔮 Rituals decrease the neural response to performance failure <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5452956/">https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5452956/</a></p><p><br></p><p>🔮 Download the free companion workbook: <a href="https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook">https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook</a></p><p>🔮 Want to learn Reiki in a way that actually makes sense? Join the waitlist for Reiki 1: The Science of Self-Healing training:<a href="https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait">https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait</a></p>
May 7, 2026
S107: How Reiki Rewires Your Brain: The Science of Neuroplasticity & Long-Term Healing
<p>Two minutes of Reiki a day is more powerful than sixty minutes once a month. Here's the brain science that proves it.</p><p>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 working, why your body whispers before it screams, and how to start noticing the one-degree shifts that are quietly changing everything, even when it doesn't feel like much is happening.</p><p>This is the episode that makes the science of consistent practice click.</p><p>In this episode:</p><ul><li>What neuroplasticity is and how Reiki creates lasting change in the brain</li><li>The sledding hill analogy and why it explains everything about habitual thought patterns</li><li>Why your body whispers before it screams</li><li>Long-term signs your Reiki practice is rewiring your stress response</li><li>Why consistency is more powerful than duration, every single time</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>🔮 Download the free companion workbook: <a href="https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://mollydonlan.com/sor-workbook</a></p><p><br /></p><p>🔮 Ready to learn Reiki for yourself? Join the waitlist for Reiki 1: The Science of Self-Healing training:<a href="https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://mollydonlan.com/reikiwait</a></p>
11 total episodes available
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- What is Science of Reiki - Reiki, Energy Healing, Nervous System Regulation and the Research Behind It?
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