Visions During Reiki: What Seeing Images Means

Are you or a client experiencing visions during Reiki energy work sessions, or are you a practitioner learning to interpret them? Seeing pictures behind closed eyes is an important and beautiful phenomenon, and nothing to be worried about! Read on to learn, firsthand, what these Reiki images mean, and how to work with them for greater clarity and wellbeing.

First, some background about the credentials that lead me to write this article. My name is Lillie, and I’m a Reiki practitioner in Boston who is certified in three kinds of Reiki, and has worked with over 100 clients since 2018. My analysis in this article is from hands-on experience, plus my training and research.

Seeing Visions During Energy Work

During my years as a Reiki professional (and a receiver of energy work from other practitioners), both my clients and I have seen visions behind closed eyes during the session. Here is the big thing I want you to understand about these visions: Even if they seem random or irrelevant, THESE IMAGES ARE IMPORTANT. Pay attention to what pops up! They provide clarity and insights.

Images Behind Closed Eyes

Let me give you a few examples of how to understand seeing visions that really happened during my Reiki sessions. Notice that sometimes the images appear for the practitioner, and sometimes for the client — but both are worth sharing with each other for analysis, either during the Reiki session or after Reiki, because they bring messages and guidance.

1. Images to Clarify the Present.

I was doing a Reiki session with a female client, when I kept getting an image in my head of a terrible date I’d been on, myself, in the past. The vision seemed random and off-topic (much like visions during meditation I’ve had), but I took the chance and said, “I could be off-base here, but have you been experiencing frustration with romance and dating?”

The woman began crying, and affirmed that, yes, her great sadness was she could not seem to find someone kind to date. This vision, and the discussion it spurred, provided a clarifying point for understanding the principal challenge at stake, and gathering our intention to manifest a brighter future of love. (See my article about how a headache after Reiki may be caused by confronting these realities, and how to make it better.)

2. Images to Process the Past.

I was doing couples Reiki with a pair of best friends, when I got an extremely strong vision of the two men walking near a rhododendron bush. I shared the image with them and they laughed, explaining with happiness that they first met many years ago at an outdoor summer camp.

This image affirmed their friendship because it celebrated their years of connection, and the role that nature played in creating and sustaining it. When they left, they vowed to head out to a nearby park for a stroll, since it had been many months since they enjoyed the outdoors. (This is the same pair that spurred my article about making requests.)

3. Visions as Suggestions for Future Healing.

One evening while doing energy work with a woman, I got a strong vision of the client dressed in a beautiful outfit, going out to a restaurant with an adoring partner. I shared this image with her, and tears welled up; it had been too long since she had had that kind of loving attention from her spouse. This vision was giving help for a path forward. Getting this type of attention again WAS possible to achieve: it just needed support of the intention, plus effective communication. Voila: Reiki as life coach!

Visions During Reiki

The focus in my examples was on images I saw behind closed eyes, myself, during Reiki sessions on behalf of clients, but I shared them because they’re still instructive in thinking through how to interpret the visions that YOU experience. The key is to not discount anything that pops into your mind; it’s all important, and has helpful messages.

The nice thing about Reiki is that the practitioner is right there next to you for discussion. What about seeing colors instead of visions? See my full analysis of aura colors.

Something to keep in mind: People sometimes get freaked out by the idea of visions suggesting something creepy for the future, but I really see them as overall illuminating and beneficial. Just as dreams help us process our past experiences, present situations, and future dreams, visions during Reiki can assist our subconscious in guiding us towards happiness.

So what have your experiences been with seeing visions during Reiki sessions? Do share!

Want to read more? Browse my articles on shaking during Reiki, “Is Reiki real?” and Reiki session cost guidance.