Short answer: a Reiki attunement is an energy ceremony where the teacher helps a student connect to Reiki energy. At Om Reiki, Jeremy O'Carroll teaches that the attunement does not create a power you never had. Rather, it activates an innate healing capacity that is already within you and helps you start channelling Reiki much more quickly than ordinary effort alone.
This matters because many people searching for a Reiki course in Melbourne or Victoria are understandably unsure about what an attunement actually is. Some imagine something mysterious or theatrical. Others worry they will receive the wrong number of attunements and somehow miss out. In practice, the attunement is one important part of a larger Reiki training that also includes meditation, self-healing, hands-on practice, precepts, and, at higher levels, symbols and mantras.
In The Perfect Reiki Course, Jeremy describes an attunement as a kind of energy ceremony in which the Reiki teacher "tunes you in" to Reiki energy.
A helpful way to think about it is this: the attunement is not trying to manufacture something artificial. It is more like switching on a system that is already built into the human body. Jeremy's view is that the body already has the machinery to channel Reiki. The attunement helps awaken that natural ability so the student can begin using it straight away.
That is one of the reasons Reiki can be learned comparatively quickly. Instead of spending years trying to force open an energetic connection through effort alone, the attunement accelerates the process and gives students a direct experiential start.
The outer form can vary from teacher to teacher, but the inner purpose is consistent: to connect the student more deeply to Reiki energy.
Students often notice that an attunement feels calming, centring, emotional, spacious, or quietly powerful. Some people feel a lot; others feel very little in the moment and still go on to channel Reiki perfectly well afterwards. Jeremy's emphasis is that the value of the attunement should be judged by the quality of the connection and the student's ongoing practice, not by how dramatic the immediate sensations were.
In his teaching, the attunement is also an opportunity for students to become more receptive, more present, and more energetically sensitive. That is one reason preparation matters. The more settled and receptive you are at the course, the more deeply you are usually able to experience the meditations, healing sessions, and attunements themselves.
This is one of the biggest sources of confusion for new students, and Jeremy addresses it directly in The Perfect Reiki Course.
His practical conclusion is simple: you need at least one proper attunement for each Reiki level, but you do not need endless repetitions for the Reiki to "stick".
For Reiki Level 1, Jeremy now teaches that one attunement done well is enough. Earlier in his teaching career he used four, because that was how he had been trained. Over time, however, he found that students could already channel Reiki after the first attunement, and later confirmed through teaching experience that one strong Level 1 attunement was sufficient.
For Reiki Level 2, Jeremy still likes to teach three attunements, one for each symbol, because it gives each symbol proper space and helps students absorb the level more deeply. Even so, his broader point remains the same: the number by itself is not the essence. The quality of teaching and the student's energetic readiness matter more.
For Reiki Master Level, one attunement is generally enough, because there is one necessary Master-level symbol in the traditional system. Additional ceremonies may still be beautiful or supportive, but they are optional rather than essential.
Jeremy's answer is no. A properly given attunement does not fade simply because the student received fewer ceremonies.
What often confuses people is that energetic development still depends on practice. If someone has a wonderful Level 1 attunement but then never practises self-healing, rarely meditates, and does not develop sensitivity, they may feel disconnected from Reiki later on. That is not because the attunement disappeared. It is because Reiki is a living practice, not a one-time event that replaces all effort forever.
In other words, the attunement opens the door. Practice teaches you how to walk through it well.
One of Jeremy's most useful observations is that Reiki levels build on each other. Level 2 is not simply "more power"; it works best when the student has already lived with Level 1 long enough to develop steadiness, sensitivity and energetic capacity.
That is why Om Reiki does not rush students into higher-level material before they are ready. The point is not to collect ceremonies. The point is to absorb the system properly so each attunement lands more deeply and supports real long-term change.
This same logic also explains why second and third attunements can feel stronger for a student than the first. It is not necessarily because those later attunements are inherently more magical. Often the student is simply more open, more practised, and more able to receive.
If you are comparing Reiki courses in Victoria, the most important question is not "How many attunements do I get?" The better questions are:
Does the teacher have real long-term teaching experience? Is the course structured so students actually practise? Is there enough time for meditation, self-healing, questions, and integration? Does the training build properly from Level 1 to Level 2 to Master Level?
Jeremy's view is that students should not be frightened by hype around attunement numbers. A teacher who does one attunement well may be offering a stronger course than a teacher who multiplies ceremonies but leaves little room for the rest of the system.
At Om Reiki, attunements are taught as part of a complete training path rather than as isolated mystical events. The aim is not only to help students channel Reiki, but also to help them become grounded, skilful, and confident practitioners.
That is why Jeremy's courses connect the attunements with hands-on healing, energetic sensitivity, Japanese Reiki principles, meditation, and ongoing practice. It is also why many students describe the courses as grounded, practical, supportive and deeply transformative. The ceremony matters, but so does everything around it.
If you are new to Reiki, the attunement is the beginning of your direct relationship with Reiki energy, not the end of your learning. In Reiki Level 1 you learn to channel Reiki for yourself and others. In Reiki Level 2 you deepen the connection and learn the symbols, including distant healing work. In Master Level you take the final traditional step and, if appropriate, learn how to pass the system on.
If you would like to experience this in person, you can explore the current Melbourne Reiki 1 courses, Melbourne Reiki Level 2 courses, and Melbourne Reiki Master Level training, or browse the course calendar for upcoming dates.
Reiki attunements are one of the most distinctive parts of the Reiki system because they let students connect to healing energy quickly and directly. But the healthiest way to understand them is neither to dismiss them nor to exaggerate them.
They are powerful, important, and often beautiful. They are also part of a bigger path that includes practice, maturity, and the gradual development of energetic capacity. When those pieces come together, the attunement becomes what it is meant to be: the beginning of a real Reiki practice.
(Article by Jeremy O'Carroll)
Reiki 1 (Melbourne) · Reiki 1 (Daylesford) · Reiki 1 (Brisbane) · Reiki 2 (Melbourne) · Reiki 2 (Daylesford) · Reiki 2 (Brisbane) · Reiki Master (Melbourne)
Mastering Your Chakras · Mastering Your Mind · Redesigning Your Energy Body · Meditation Teacher Training
Sign up for our weekly Reiki newsletter and receive '18 Things You Need to Know About Reiki' for free.
If you're looking to take a Reiki course, you need to read this ebook first!
Learn the critical mistakes prospective students make. Ensure you find the course that best suits your needs.
© 2025 Om Reiki Centre. All Rights Reserved.