[Reiki--Japanese art of curing and its position in schemes of holistic therapeutics in Poland]

Reiki is a healing practice, rised in Japan in the mid XI'th century. The philosophy of this art of cure assumes that human health depends on the level and harmonious flow of the vital energy, called "ki". Therefore the main aim of this practice is to remove all energetic blockades in individual's body. Owing to that process the natural, in the practicioners' opinion, human's ability of healing by transfer the ki is restored. Certain steps of initiations increase practitioners skills. In the contemporary euroamerican culture, Reiki has begun to unfold since the beginning of 1970's. Expanding in those days New Age philosophy has supported its adaptation in our society. In Poland this method appeard in the late 1980's and is still rather unknown as a culture occurrence. Author's research, conducted among practicioners' from Olsztyn and Poznań, was to broaden the knowledge about the method and people, who are involved in it. The results show that Reiki is one of the holistic treatment's practices but it has also its unique character. For instance, it assumes the particular role of healer, who is a guide for his patient, helping him to understand and cure himself. According to the practitioners Reiki is the way of comprehensive development, identified with the drift towards holistic health.