After I became a Reiki Master I began hearing of a different version of the Reiki energy. According to some of my sources, this energy was supposed to have been retrieved by Sathya Sai Baba from the “inner planes” (later it was revealed to be NOT Sai Baba). Intrigued, I decided to contact the source of this information, and find out for myself. She told me that a fellow Reiki master and friend had traveled to India in January of 1991, to see the Indian avatar, holy man, and guru, Sathya Sai Baba. He is reported to have many psychic abilities including incredible healing skills, the ability to bi-locate and multi-locate, and the ability to manifest holy ash. Her frined stayed at his ashram and in a meditation a “highly evolved being“ appeared to her. He told her that over half of the initiation procedure, as well a symbol had been left out for each of the Reiki initiations. He said he would go into the "inner planes" to retrieve them.

Her friend came back to Los Angeles and they met at a conference in February, 1991. During this time, the “highly evolved being“ appeared to them “as brown skinned, dressed in orange, and wearing an Afro hairstyle”. They believe that he “had found the same Universal Empowerment, Universal symbols and Universal knowledge that Dr. Usui had when he made his conscious raising journey into the inner planes” This being suggested modifications to their current Reiki attunement system and gave them an energy (symbol) called Zonar. He then instructed them to initiate each other. They went back home re-initiated all of their interested students who also discovered an increase in energy.

In May, 1991 the being appeared again  and told them that the guides wished to increase the vibration of the Reiki ray. To this end, the spirit being gave them two more symbols (Harth and Halu), and again told them how to modify their attunements.  In 1995, this Reiki process was trademarked in the USA asTera-Mai^TM Reiki. 

Gradually, over a period of months, the spirit guides introduced other elemental healing rays; Sakara (fire) and Sophi-el (water), which are also found in Buddha's original Sutras, and Angelic Light (air & spirit). These are presented in 3 sets of additional attunements that make up a system called Tera-Mai^TM Seichem.

On March 25, 1995, I was attuned to all 3 levels of what is now called Tera-Mai^TM Reiki by the system originator, and I learned how to pass this system onto others (including updates presented in Fall, 1996).  A couple of years later only registered masters were allowed to use the trademarked Tera-Mai^TM name for their training.  Since they are allowed to teach and use only the Tera-Mai^TM  attunements, to the exclusion of all other Reiki attunements, I decided not to register. 

Many people write me and ask how Tera-Mai^TM Reiki differs from Karuna Reiki^TM, and why they have similar symbols. Unfortunately I have not yet taken the Karuna training, but I have received the Karuna^TM  attunements, and talked to Reiki Masters who have taken the training. Originally, William Rand (founder of The Center for Reiki Training and of Karuna^TM  Reiki) periodically held an advanced class for Reiki Masters that assisted them in improving their skills as a teacher and in improving their Reiki practice. When William was shown the Tera-Mai^TM  process (in 1992, I was told) he was guided to create his own attunement process using the primary Tera-Mai symbols and a couple others used in the classes. Since William already had a standardized process for Reiki training, he added this enhanced energy to this post-master level class.

Another Reiki Master/Chi Kung Master, Glenn Derrick, told me he found other uses (and names) for some of these symbols. A friend of mine attended a June, 1994 Karuna class(it was then called Sai Baba Reiki) in which William invited Glenn to teach these additional symbols to the class. William added these to the second Karuna attunement process, and has since added a few more symbols.

Reiki Masters who have taken both the Tera-Mai^TM  and Karuna^TM  training report a different feel to the energy of each attunement process, indicating that it is not just the symbols that makes each process unique. I have found this to be true as well.

Which one is best? Well if all energy were ice cream, and Reiki was the flavor chocolate, then perhaps Tera-Mai^TM  is chocolate mousse while Karuna^TM  is chocolate mint. Which one is better depends on the individual's preferences. 

Both schools require registration with the respective owners in order to be a licensed user of their Reiki name.

Personally I prefer the Threshold Reiki energy <smile>.