Reiki is considered an energetic form of healing, as well as a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. Reiki is administered by laying on hands and is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through and around us and is what causes us to be alive. This energy is seen by Chinese culture as Chi Energy, and by Indian culture as Prana Energy. If one's life force energy is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress. If this life force is high, we are more capable of being balanced and healthy. Reiki treats the person as a whole including body, emotions, mind and spirit. Through the use of this technique, practitioners are transferring Universal energy (i.e., reiki) in the form of Ki (or Qi) through the palms of their hands, which allows for healing and a state of balance or equilibrium. Reiki has three levels of study with three separate initiations or battlements which attune the practitioner's energetic system to the specific frequencies of Reiki. This creates a clear channel through which the Reiki energy can flow as well as initiating a process of growth and transformation for the initiate. Many people experience a detoxification process after receiving a Reiki attunement and suddenly give up smoking, drinking or other unhealthy habits. What makes Reiki distinctly different from other hands-on healing modalities is the use of ancient symbols. These symbols carry instructions for healing which are recognized in the body and energetic field. They are like a sacred code, a language which was designed to bridge cultural and historic barriers.