Goloka Reiki Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen / Timelessness

 

Third review - scroll down for earlier

I'm aware of Reiki, but know very little about it. I wondered what the connection is between Reiki and India, and if it has been invoked here because Reiki is practised in India, or if was invoked mainly because this is an incense aimed at the West, and Goloka are following a marketing assumption that folks in the West who buy incense are likely to also be the sort of folks who would be interested in Reiki, or at least would assume it to be an ancient ritual system of meditation. I discovered that the system was created by one individual, Mikao Usui, in Japan during the 1920s, and was then gradually spread by Usui's students, mainly in Japan and America. Usui was interested in the idea of how Jesus and Buddha could heal people by the laying on of hands; and he believed that what they were doing was transferring "life energy" (sometimes called "energy medicine") into the patients/customers. Scientific research has (of course) found no basis for the claims that it works. But if folks believe in it, then some form of "faith healing" can take place. However, there are of course real world dangers involved if folks are entirely relying on any form of faith healing. Folks are free to try whatever non-harmful/safe procedure they wish - however, they should of course continue with recognised scientific methods, especially as - whether they believe it or not - the recognised scientific methods have a much higher recorded incidence of success. And if someone believes in the recognised scientific methods they are even more likely to get better, or, at least, to have a longer and better quality of life. 

Anyway. To get back to my original query - is Reiki performed in India? The answer, at least according to the Reiki organisation, is that interest started in the 1990s, and there are now one million Indians practising it, especially in the Goa area, an area very popular with Western tourists. My loose and ragged conclusion, is that the Reiki theme on this incense is likely aimed more at attracting the interest of Westerners than Indians. I wonder how much, if any, thought has gone into constructing the fragrance in line with the "timelessness" aspect of Reiki? Ho hum. 

The scent on the stick is very pleasant. Very typical of fluffy Bangalore incense, such as Satya,  Vijayshree, Orkay,  etc. There are delightful florals supported by creamy sandalwood. There's honey and vanilla, and the florals tend to point at lavender and lilac with a touch of lotus, though there's also some berry fruits in the mix. It's rather gorgeous. 

On the burn the fragrance is edged a little more toward the sandalwood, though the lighter florals do come into play, albeit softly. There's a general sense of caramel. It's all very pleasant. I suspect this is the same packet I first reviewed back in the summer of 2018, over seven years ago. I'm impressed at how well it stands up. 


Date: Nov 2025   Score: 39 

Second review

I discovered a box containing packs of older incense, some of which was unreviewed, others, such as this, which have been reviewed, but a long time ago. I've enjoyed burning these "vintage" incenses, and renewing acquaintance with some of my favourite incenses from Satya and Goloka, the two most popular and readily available masala incense houses. 

The scent on the stick is luscious. Fluffy and woody and floral with light playful spring flowers - rose, jasmine, daisies. The burn is steady and attractive, leaning more toward the wood than the florals.   

Date: Jan 2024   Score: 39 

First review

This Reiki series is based on the Japanese reiki healing system, which is a form of faith healing or alternative therapy. There are five fragrances in the series - I got this one in a clearance sale for 20p from the UK site Ian Snow,  but they are now all sold out. A Google search for "Goloka Reiki" will show sites all over the world selling the series.

This Hon Sha Ze Sho Nen, which is translated as "Timelessness", is what is called distance healing in reiki. As there is no barrier in reiki - there is no past, present, or future (hence "timelessness"), then healing can be sent across time and space.

The scent is gentle and quite delightful. Hints of dark fruits - plum, fig and blackcurrant, with top notes of green tea, supported by a a clean and refreshing base of sandalwood. This is very attractive incense by one of my favourite and most regarded Indian incense producers. Goloka's incense, for me, is always beautiful, and always gentle, and always unique. And they are a non-profit organisation helping women and children in India. What's not to like?


Date: July 2018   Score: 39

***

Goloka

Reviewed on Rauchfahne