Becoming a Reiki practitioner with the ability to self-heal and heal others is a beautiful path where you actually make the world a better place. It’s exciting to get an attunement in order to be at a higher frequency and increase your connection with the universal life force energy, but these attunements come with a price. Everyone experiences different side effects after getting an attunement on each Reiki level, some side effects can be easily tolerated and even enjoyed, while others can be an awful experience. 

In this article, you will learn all the different Reiki attunement side effects for each Reiki level and how to alleviate the negative side effects. But first…

What is a Reiki Attunement?

A Reiki attunement is an initiation or preparation performed by a Reiki master teacher to impart the knowledge to the student on how to access and transfer Reiki energy. The attunement creates the connection in the student with the universal light force energy in a moment of enlightenment. 

During the Reiki attunement, the student learns how to impart this energy to another person, as well as maintaining the tradition alive by following Usui reiki lineage.

Attunement effects can appear after 2 or 5 days after the attunement session.

Side effects of Reiki Level 1 Attunement

The attunement side effects of Reiki level 1 are mostly physical, due to the detoxing of your body and because it’s the first time you increase your vibration. Most negative side effects are part of the Reiki Healing Crisis which is not so common to happen after an attunement, but it has happened to some people.

Side Effects Of Reiki Level 2 Attunement

The attunement side effects of Reiki level 2 are mostly mental and emotional, meaning that your emotions are heightened by what you see, hear, or feel. Your connection with the universal life force energy is increased and you become aware of it.

Side effects Of Reiki Level 3 Attunement

The attunement side effects of Reiki level 3 are mostly spiritual, due to the higher connection with the universal life force energy and increased personal vibration.

Positive Reiki Attunement Side Effects

Most people experience positive Reiki attunement side effects from their first attunement to their last. They are left with a feeling of unconditional love and in complete harmony with the universal life force energy, which is why many students who are attuned to the first level of Reiki, end up getting all the attunements up to level 3 Reiki.

Here are the common positive side effects you can experience after a Reiki attunement:

1. You May Feel An Energy Rush Around Your Body 

This might be the most beautiful side effect of an attunement because you feel a huge energy rush of love, making you laugh and cry in pure happiness while feeling completely grateful for the fact that you are alive in this wonderful world.

2. You May Feel A Shift In Consciousness

This is a big one, as you start thinking differently with more gratefulness and consideration for all living beings. You will feel like you are a whole new happier person.

3. You May Start Crying

Crying is the ultimate release of stuck emotions, whether good or bad. It’s the best emotional detox you can experience and it will make you feel a whole lot better afterward.

4. You May Feel An Increase In Psychic Abilities

Due to the increase in vibration, you may become more sensitive to positive and negative energies. Overall it can heighten your senses, making you see and feel what other people can’t.

5. You May Feel A Stronger Connection To Nature And The Divine

With a higher personal vibration, you feel in complete harmony with nature and crave to spend time outside in nature, because spending time in nature feels like you are spending time with God himself.

6. You May Become Attracted To Certain People

When you increase your vibration, you feel the need to be and speak with other people at your same vibration level or higher because we attract the same positive energy. The same happens with people who are at a lower vibration, we feel the need to distance ourselves from them even though you used to hang out with them a lot.

7. You May Feel Like You Don’t Need To Eat Meat Or Fish Anymore 

Meat and fish, especially in the supermarket, tend to have a very low vibration due to the suffering of the animal in its final moment. When you are on a higher vibration you don’t want this meat or fish to lower your vibration the moment you eat it. That is why you start craving fruits and veggies after an attunement.

8. You May Feel The Need To Reduce Or Stop Drinking Alcohol 

Alcohol reduces your personal vibration and your body recognizes it as a big toxin. That is why you will not crave it as much as you used to and you will feel the need to limit its intake into your cleansed body.

9. You May Experience A Reduced Pleasure In Smoking 

Just like alcohol, your body recognizes tobacco as a huge toxin that is just really bad for you. Due to addiction to nicotine, you still have a craving for tobacco, but your pleasure of smoking is completely reduced.

10. You May See Colors And Patterns

When you see colors and patterns with your closed eyes, you are not actually seeing a color, you are seeing a representation of energy in a visual way as a color. It’s like the translation of your mind for the energy that you are experiencing.

11. You May Experience A Change Of Perception 

Once you increase your connection with the universal life force energy, you will feel the need to do something more meaningful with your life. Instead of seeking more material possessions, you will seek more meaningful experiences. The same goes for your job, if it doesn’t fulfill you, then you will want to do something more fulfilling even if it means earning less money.

12. You May Experience An Overwhelming Sensations Of Peace And Love

When you increase your connection with the universal life force energy, you become in complete harmony with life and all living beings. Making you feel completely at peace and filled with unconditional love.

Negative Reiki Attunement Side Effects (Reiki Healing Crisis)

When you get a Reiki attunement, especially your first attunement, your body goes into detox mode to remove all the negative toxins from your body physically and emotionally. The side effects of this detox can be very uncomfortable, and even scary when you experience a reiki healing crisis in which your body makes you feel very sick as part of your healing process. Even though very few people experience a reiki healing crisis, it’s always good to be prepared for it.

Here are the common negative side effects during the detox period and during a reiki healing crisis:

13. You May Feel Dizzy

It is very normal to feel dizzy after an attunement as your body and mind are adjusting to the new higher vibration in your body.

14. You May Get Diarrhea

The first thing your body does after elevating its vibration is removing the toxins that are currently in your body. Most toxins are found in your digestive system and the best way to remove these toxins is by literally flushing them out of your system fast.

15. You May Get A Cold

If you have lived an unhealthy lifestyle, getting a cold after an attunement can be very normal because your body is switching from a very low vibration to a high vibration, provoking a stronger detox. It’s like resetting your body.

16. You May Feel Achy

When you go to the gym one day and stimulate your muscles, you will feel very good and strong. Until you wake up the next day feeling in complete pain around your body. The same can happen after a Reiki attunement, as the higher frequency can stimulate your entire body and make you feel achy afterward, but at least it’s a small ache, unlike the suffering from a gym workout. 

17. You May Feel Drained

This is one of the most common side effects, as your body changes its vibration and you feel a switch of energy during the attunement process, you are left feeling tired afterward. This is how your body adjusts to the new higher vibration.

18. You May Get A Bloody Nose

This happens to people who have the precondition of a common bloody nose and it’s nothing to be scared or worry about. It’s a normal reaction of your body releasing toxins.

19. You May Get Short Term Insomnia Or Restlessness

Just like drinking a cup of coffee for the energy burst, the attunement does the same, giving you a burst of energy that doesn’t let you sleep because your body and your mind are too active. This will not last more than a few days or even just one day.

20. You May Experience Some Abdominal Pains 

As mentioned before, most toxins are found in your digestive system and your body starts removing all toxins after an attunement, making you experience some abdominal pains which can lead to diarrhea.

21. You May Get A Blocked Or Runny Nose

By now you have understood that the first attunement is all about detoxifying your body and you can get a blocked or runny nose during this detox period without getting a cold.

22. You May Feel Constipation

We all have different experiences after a Reiki attunement, most people get diarrhea, but some get quite the opposite and feel constipated. It’s still quite normal and it won’t last for long.

23. Your Body Temperature May Increase

Due to the higher vibration, the increased energy can make your body warmer and make you feel hot. This is just your body adjusting to the new vibration.

24. You May Gain Some Weight

The higher vibration from the attunement can make you feel hungry as it requires more fuel for the extra energy you are feeling. For this reason, it is very common that people experience overeating after an attunement which leads to gaining some weight. 

25. You May Feel Heaviness On Your Limbs

Some people can physically feel the weight of the new increase in energy in their arms and legs, making them feel heavier than usual. 

26. You May Feel Headaches

The Reiki healing crisis affects chronic preconditions in its process of healing, causing headaches to people who suffer from migraines. This can also happen to people who don’t hydrate enough after an attunement.

27. You May Feel A Tingling Sensations

The adjustment to the new energy can make you feel a tingling sensation on your hands, almost like feeling the energy itself with your own hands.

28. You May Feel A Sore Throat

Just like a blocked or runny nose, this can be a symptom of detoxification of your body without actually getting a cold.

29. You May Feel Chest Pain

With an increased vibration and burst of new energy, you can feel pressure on your chest as your heart is the main energy source from your body. This can also happen due to the reiki healing crisis affecting chronic preconditions in your body.

30. You May Feel Like You Can’t Eat

After your body goes through all the detox, the last thing you will want is to eat foods that contain toxins, making you feel like you can’t eat them or even crave them.

31. You May Experience Mood swings

When adjusting to the new vibration and burst of energy, you can experience mood swings making you feel drowning in joy or crying in sadness during short periods of time. This is part of the emotional release you will experience and it’s completely normal.

32. You May Experience Spiritual Disillusionment

When you feel the universal life force energy flow through your body, it’s normal to question religious beliefs that you have learned since childhood. This can lead you to a path of spirituality separated from religion or get a new understanding of God.

33. You May Feel Completely Out Of Your Body 

This is the most common feeling you get after an attunement. You may have a feeling that things are not right, and it’s okay, it’s your body adjusting to the higher vibration and entering the detox phase.

34. You May Experience Emotional Releases

We all have suppressed emotions of anger, resentment, and fear that will come out in order to release them from our bodies like an emotional detox. This will make you feel emotional ups and downs during the day and even provoke an emotional breakdown that will allow you to cry out all that pain away.

35. You May Get Blurred Vision

This is not so common, but some people get temporary blurred vision when they are adjusting to the higher vibration.

How To Alleviate Reiki Attunement Side Effects

There are 4 main methods to alleviate most Reiki attunement side effects and help a lot with a Reiki healing crisis. Doing them all together can produce the best results and they will definitely improve your mood.

1. Drink Tons Of Water

Hydration is always important, especially during a detox phase because it can speed up the detoxification process in your body.

2. Welcome The Emotional Release With An Affirmation 

Affirmations are a way of telling your body that you give permission to detoxify and keeps you in the right mindset during the detoxification phase. 

Example: I ask for this energy to flush out anything that no longer serves me. 

3. Stay Grounded

Walk barefoot on grass in your garden in order to ground yourself to the earth’s magnetic field which will help you reduce some physical symptoms.

4. Spend Time In Nature

Being in nature is always the best medicine for your body, mind, and soul. After getting an attunement your body will crave spending time in nature and it will make the emotional detoxification a whole lot easier.

Comment below if you have experienced a Reiki Attunement side effect and share your experience with us!