Seichim Reiki and Sekhem are often discussed as if they were the same energy under two spellings. They are not. The names are related, and the histories overlap, but they refer to different systems, teachers, and lineage claims. Treating them as interchangeable makes it impossible to understand what a practitioner is actually offering.
The short version: Seichim is a modern energy practice associated with Patrick Zeigler and several later developers; Seichem usually refers to Kathleen Milner’s Tera Mai Seichem; Sekhem usually refers to Helen Belot’s practice; and SKHM is Patrick Zeigler’s later development. The spellings are not cosmetic. They are labels for different lineages.
Seichim, Seichem, Sekhem, and SKHM: a naming map
| Name | Typical association | What the label usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Seichim | Patrick Zeigler and later Seichim/Seichim Reiki developers | A modern energy practice, often blended with Reiki; pronounced “Say-sheem” in many lineages |
| Seichem | Kathleen Milner’s Tera Mai Seichem | A separate spelling and lineage, not simply a typo for Seichim |
| Sekhem | Helen Belot | A distinct practice that includes the goddess Sekhmet in its symbolism |
| SKHM | Patrick Zeigler’s later development | Zeigler’s own later form, using Egyptian letter equivalents |
The table is a map, not a hierarchy. None of these labels is a protected professional title, and none is a medical qualification. A teacher may use one spelling while blending methods from several lineages, which is why you have to ask what is actually taught rather than relying on the name.
Where Seichim comes from
The most widely repeated origin story comes from Patrick Zeigler. In the late 1970s or around 1980, while travelling in Egypt, he spent a night in the Great Pyramid. He later received Sufi initiation from Osman Brahani in Khartoum and studied Reiki with Barbara Weber Ray in the United States. The name “Seichim” is said to have come through a channeled entity named Marat.
That account is a lineage narrative. It is repeated in Seichim manuals and by practitioners, but it is not a documented historical record in the way that, say, the Usui memorial or the Gakkai’s records can be examined. The story matters because it explains how the practice is transmitted and what it claims to be, not because it proves the energy is ancient.
A Seven Facet Seichim manual that reproduces Zeigler’s account also makes a candid admission: there is no historical evidence that Seichim, or any hands-on healing system, existed in ancient Egypt. It notes that references to “SKHM” in the Egyptian Book of the Dead refer to a place of power the spirit goes after death, not to a healing energy. That is a useful corrective to the common marketing claim that Seichim is an ancient Egyptian secret.
How the systems developed
Zeigler’s original transmission was passed to a small number of people, and different students developed their own systems. T’Om Seaman, Ken Lowry, and Phoenix Summerfield are among the names associated with early Seichim Reiki and Seven Facet Seichim. Their systems used meditations, attunements, and symbols, but they did not all use the same symbols or the same number of levels.
Kathleen Milner’s Tera Mai Seichem is a separate lineage that uses the “Seichem” spelling. Helen Belot’s Sekhem is another distinct practice, with its own symbolism and teaching structure. Patrick Zeigler later developed SKHM, which he has described as his own current practice. These are not four names for one unchanged tradition; they are branches with different teachers and different claims.
The word “Seichim” is also sometimes said to mean compassion in Sanskrit, and some early practitioners associated the energy with Kuan Yin. That association belongs to particular lineages and should not be presented as the original or universal meaning.
What a session or attunement involves
Seichim sessions vary by lineage. A practitioner may use hands-on or hands-off positions, symbols, guided meditation, toning, or a combination. Some systems teach a seven-facet progression; others have fewer levels. Attunements may be in person or distant. The client usually remains clothed, and the session may be framed as healing, spiritual development, or both.
Sekhem sessions may include specific symbols, hand positions, and meditations associated with Helen Belot’s system. The goddess Sekhmet may be invoked in the symbolism. Training and session structure depend on the teacher, and there is no single central authority that governs all Sekhem practitioners.
Because the labels are not standardized, two practitioners offering “Seichim Reiki” may teach quite different things. One may follow a Seven Facet structure; another may blend Seichim with Usui Reiki, Karuna Reiki, or another system. Ask for the actual lineage and syllabus, not just the name.
Is Seichim an ancient Egyptian practice?
The available evidence does not support that claim. The lineage story places Seichim’s origin in the late twentieth century, and even a Seichim manual that reproduces Zeigler’s account says there is no historical evidence of an ancient Egyptian healing system called Seichim. The Egyptian word “sekhem” can mean power or might, and “SKHM” appears in funerary texts, but that is not evidence of a Reiki-like practice.
This matters for how the practice is marketed. “Ancient Egyptian” is a powerful phrase, and it can make a modern system sound older, more authoritative, or more exotic than it is. A modern origin does not make a spiritual practice worthless. It does mean the history should be described honestly.
Training, credentials, and regulation
Seichim, Seichem, Sekhem, and SKHM have no statutory regulation in the UK or the US. Training is offered through private teachers and lineage organisations, and certificates are private credentials. There is no single national curriculum, no licensing exam, and no government-recognised title.
That makes the teacher’s own lineage and conduct especially important. Ask who trained them, how long the training lasted, what practice or assessment was required, and whether they are insured. A certificate from a weekend course is not the same as years of supervised practice, even if both use the word “master.”
Reiki more broadly has the same regulatory gap. In the UK, a voluntary register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority is a useful check, but Reiki is not a statutorily regulated profession.
What the research shows
There is no reliable clinical evidence that Seichim, Seichem, Sekhem, or SKHM is a treatment for any medical condition. They are spiritual and energy practices, and the published research base is essentially absent. Anecdotes, spontaneous experiences, and practitioner testimony are not clinical trials.
Research on Reiki is broader but still limited. NCCIH’s review does not find a clearly established clinical benefit, and it notes inconsistent results across studies. That does not establish Seichim as effective either; if anything, the evidence for the more widely studied practice is weaker than the marketing suggests.
It is also important not to conflate these systems with Kundalini Reiki or with Kundalini yoga. They share some vocabulary about energy and awakening, but they are different practices with different lineages and different research questions.
Safety and scope
These practices are generally low-risk physically when they remain non-invasive and consensual. The main risks are indirect:
- a teacher may claim that an attunement can diagnose disease or replace medical treatment;
- a practitioner may discourage medical or mental health care;
- intense meditation or energy practices may bring up distressing experiences without adequate support;
- a “master” title may imply clinical competence that the training does not provide.
If you have a history of trauma, dissociation, psychosis, or a serious medical condition, be cautious about intensive energy or meditation practices and discuss them with an appropriate clinician. A practitioner should not promise to “clear” a condition or tell you to stop medication.
Touch should be optional. A hands-off session is a complete session in many lineages, and a practitioner who insists on touch is expressing a preference, not a universal rule.
How to compare teachers
Ask:
- Which spelling and lineage do you teach: Seichim, Seichem, Sekhem, or SKHM?
- Who trained you, and what was the structure and length of that training?
- What levels or facets are included, and what is required between them?
- Do you use symbols, and are they required or optional in your system?
- Is the attunement in person or distant, and what does the student have to do?
- What do you claim the practice can and cannot do?
- Do you have insurance and a complaints process?
A teacher who can answer those questions precisely is more useful than one who uses all the names interchangeably. The differences are the point.
Questions people ask
Are Seichim and Sekhem the same? No. They are related names with different lineage associations. Seichim is usually linked to Patrick Zeigler and later Seichim systems; Sekhem is usually linked to Helen Belot.
Is Seichem a typo for Seichim? No. “Seichem” is commonly associated with Kathleen Milner’s Tera Mai Seichem, a separate lineage.
Is Seichim ancient Egyptian? The historical evidence does not support that claim, and even some lineage manuals acknowledge the lack of evidence. The modern origin story is late twentieth century.
Can Seichim Reiki be learned online? Many teachers offer online courses and distant attunements. Quality varies, and an online certificate is not a clinical qualification.
Does Seichim replace Usui Reiki? No. It is a separate system, and some teachers blend it with Usui Reiki. It does not replace medical care or establish a professional licence.
Sources
- Seven Facet Seichim Master/Teacher Manual, including Patrick Zeigler’s account and the manual’s notes on the lack of ancient Egyptian evidence (lineage text, not independent history).
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Reiki, last updated December 2018.
- NHS, Herbal medicines and complementary therapies, reviewed 1 May 2026.
For the modern system attributed to Ole Gabrielsen, see Kundalini Reiki vs Usui Reiki. For the broader map of Reiki styles, see Different types of Reiki.
Related topic: Reiki healing guides, Heyoka empath, Levels of consciousness, Inspirational quotes, The benefits of Reiki healing.