How Reiki Impacted a Coma Patient

This blog was written by Elizabeth Martin, Reiki Master Teacher

I will never forget his Spanish girlfriend who appeared on my doorstep, with eyes red from crying and a voice quavering with hope… 

 My Reiki office was in our house at the time, 3 blocks from Enloe. She had walked over to ask if I would come and see her boyfriend who had been carjacked and beaten badly. 

 He had been in a coma for 3 weeks, and she loved him fiercely…that I could certainly tell just from the way she held his name on her lips. 

 I agreed, she thanked me profusely, and we made the short walk back to the hospital together. 

 On the way, she gave me a little background on what had happened, but mostly she spoke of happier times; falling in love with him, choosing to stay in the U.S. for him, their adventures over the summer, their plans for the future… 

 We arrived and she guided me to his room, introducing me to the nurses and telling them that I was there as a Reiki Master to help heal her beloved. 

 I was surprised by how easily the staff accepted me. A younger nurse nodded and smiled in familiarity…at least one of them knew about Reiki  

 The young Spanish woman, let’s call her Ana, led me to her boyfriend’s bedside, hugged me again, and sat quietly in a chair against the wall, leaving me space and quiet to work, and also (judging from the tired slope of her shoulders) giving herself a break from the vigilance of willing him to stay. 

 The boyfriend, let’s call him Luis, was intubated and thoroughly attached to all sorts of beeping-booping machines. I could feel the trauma of the attack still rippling through his energy body, and by the look of his physical form it was no wonder…whoever had done this had no mercy at all! 

 3 weeks later and he was still bruised all over his face and legs, thick scabs on his knuckles and one forearm… they likely had left him for dead. 

But he was still here, still breathing, and still cherished by this woman so much that I could feel the tether of that, too. 

 That was a night of firsts for me…first time doing Reiki in a hospital, first time working on a coma patient, and first time feeling someone more out of their body than in it! 

 It was a strange sensation; massively fractured energy, confused pathways, and the copper tang of panic lingering in a faint underlayer. 

 I didn’t physically touch him that day, he was too raw energetically, and I didn’t think his body would tolerate touch from a stranger. Even though he was unconscious, I didn’t want to scare him or irritate him in any way in such a sensitive state. 

 I returned many times over the next few weeks, working on him every 2-3 days, finally touching him physically about a week into it. 

 His heart monitor spiked for a minute then, but settled again as I spoke quietly to him, as I had been doing with every session. 

 His girlfriend’s devotion never flagged, and on the very rare occasion that she was not there, some member or two of his family had taken up the post. 

 He slowly made little improvements but still lay unconscious and energetically fractured. 

 One night, I think it was in the 4th week of working on him, Ana seemed to be feeling despair for the first time since I had met her. 

The doctors had told her that if and when he woke up, he would likely never walk again, maybe even never be able to feed himself again or talk clearly if at all again. 

 Despite her heroic efforts to remain positive and hopeful, that night was just one of those nights when the full weight of what happened to one she loved with her whole heart came crashing in on her. She excused herself, to have a good cleansing cry somewhere I hoped, and I settled in for the session. 

 This time, though, I spent it building a gently curving staircase in my mind’s eye from the crown of Luis’s head up into a space of quiet light, and I spoke to him. 

 I reminded him of his sovereignty, that he had choice in this matter as with all things, and also that he was deeply loved in this dimension, that if he chose to return fully to this body, he would find his girlfriend by his side as she had been, his mother, father, and siblings indescribably joyful at his return. 

 I did work on his bodies that night, which I could feel were indeed getting stronger and clearer with every session, but I made sure to leave the staircase open and protected, just in case. 

 The next time I came, his eyes were open and Ana was feeding him, such joy and excitement pouring from her…no more tube!! 

 When I approached the bed, Luis looked straight at me with such piercing presence and recognition, my breath caught in my throat.  

“Welcome back”, I whispered in my mind. 

 Our sessions became less frequent with his improvements and eventually they moved him to a care facility in Sacramento.

 I continued to send the couple Reiki on occasion, having an open invitation to do so, but they were busy with Luis’s recovery, and I didn’t want to intrude, so we only messaged sparsely here and there. 

 Months and months went by and then the final message came from Ana… a video of her and Luis walking toward the camera, even if a bit shakily, and Luis thanking me in a clear, strong voice, the silvery glint of tears in his eyes. 

 My heart overflowed for them as I watched and rewatched the video. 

I sat in awe of their tenacity and love for one another…what amazing, wonderful people! What gifts to this world they are! 

 I was absolutely humbled by this experience and will carry it with me, always. As for Ana and Luis, wherever they are, I wish them the very best.