Quantum Touch is an energy healing method created by Richard Gordon that uses breathing, body awareness and a light hand placement to raise and share life-force energy. Gordon says he learned the core breathing and body-awareness skills in 1978, and the method has no attunements, symbols or set hand positions. It is taught in levels, and the second level adds a no-touch approach. This guide explains how a session works, how it differs from Reiki, what the evidence looks like and how people train.
Key Takeaways
- What it is: a breath and body-awareness method for working with life-force energy, created by Richard Gordon.
- How it works: you breathe in a steady pattern, build awareness in your body, and let your hands rest on or near the person, often sandwiching the area.
- Versus Reiki: no attunements, no symbols and no set hand positions; the practitioner keeps up breathing exercises through the whole session.
- Training: taught in Level 1 and Level 2, with an instructor program for those who want to teach.
- Evidence: the strongest claims come from the founder and practitioners; independent controlled studies are limited, so treat it as supportive, not as medical care.
What Is Quantum Touch?
Quantum Touch (often written Quantum-Touch) is a form of energy healing. Its founder, Richard Gordon, describes it as a way to amplify life-force energy, which many traditions call chi or prana, so the body can support its own healing. If that term is new, our page on life force energy explains the idea.
The method rests on two skills: a steady breathing practice and a trained awareness of sensation in the body. Practitioners say that when they hold a strong, steady energy, the person receiving a session tends to match it through resonance and entrainment. In Gordon’s words, the practitioner is not drained, because the other person rises to meet them. That is a founder’s description of how it works, and it is worth keeping in mind as you read on.
Who Created Quantum Touch?
Richard Gordon is the author of the book Quantum-Touch: The Power to Heal and the founder of the Quantum-Touch organization. He has written that he learned breathing and body-awareness techniques to speed healing in the summer of 1978, and that in 2007 he found a way to work without touching the person. His organization reports more than 1,000 certified practitioners in over 50 countries.
Alex Ferrari sat down with him on the Next Level Soul podcast, and you can hear his own account in Quantum Energy Healing Techniques with Richard Gordon. He describes the method as simple enough that most people can learn the basics.
Quantum Touch at a Glance
| Question | Quick answer |
|---|---|
| Founder | Richard Gordon |
| Core tools | Breathing, body awareness, intention, light hand placement |
| Attunements or symbols | None |
| Set hand positions | None; hands are placed where the person needs support |
| Levels | Level 1, Level 2 and an instructor program |
| Session length | As short as 10 to 15 minutes, up to about 75 minutes |
| Touch | Light touch at Level 1; a no-touch approach is taught at Level 2 |
| Best-known book | Quantum-Touch: The Power to Heal (North Atlantic Books) |
How Does a Quantum Touch Session Work?
A session is quiet and unhurried. You stay clothed and sit or lie down comfortably. The practitioner places their hands lightly on or near the area that needs attention, often holding the hands on either side of it in what practitioners call a sandwich. Then they keep breathing and holding awareness for the length of the session, which can run from a quarter of an hour to over an hour.
The practitioner’s own breath is the engine. A common practice is a simple counted breath, in for four and out for four, held steadily while they notice sensation in their body and in their hands. This is why people with a meditation or breathing practice background often find the method familiar. You can also use it on yourself, which is a large part of its appeal.
Level 1 and Level 2: What Do You Learn?
Level 1 teaches the foundation: the breathing patterns, body-awareness exercises and how to place your hands. It is designed so that you can start using it on yourself, friends and family soon after the workshop.
Level 2 builds on that. According to Gordon, it brings the heart center into the work and teaches a faster, no-touch way of working with the energy field. This is the level where his most striking claims live, so approach them as his reported experience. If you want context on heart-centered energy work, see our guide to the chakras.
Quantum Touch vs Reiki
The two are often compared, and the differences are practical. Reiki traditionally uses attunements, symbols and recognized hand positions, and it has no central certifying body. Quantum Touch uses none of those. Instead the practitioner works the breathing and awareness exercises the whole time, and the hands go where the person needs support. Both are gentle and both happen clothed.
If you want the wider map, our overview of energy healing practices places each method side by side.
Can You Do It at a Distance or on Yourself?
Yes to both, according to the method’s teachers. Self-use is a core part of Level 1, and Gordon’s book includes a section on distance healing. People who practice it describe sending energy by intention while holding the breathing pattern. If you are curious about the larger question of whether intention can reach across space, our page on quantum physics and spirituality explores where science and consciousness meet.
What Does the Research Say?
Most of the dramatic stories about Quantum Touch, such as rapid changes in structural alignment, come from the founder and from practitioners. We did not find large independent controlled trials that confirm them. The broader field of Reiki-style touch work has been studied for pain, anxiety and depression, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes the evidence as mostly low quality and not clearly showing an effect, with no harmful effects reported.
What people consistently report is simpler: they feel calm, supported and more at ease in their body. That experience is real to them, and a gentle practice built around breath and attention is a reasonable thing to explore. Keep it alongside medical care, never in place of it.
How Do You Learn and Get Certified?
Training is run by the Quantum-Touch organization through live and online workshops. The usual order is Level 1, then Level 2, and then, for those who want to teach, the instructor program. The organization offers practitioner certification, and its own materials report certified practitioners in more than 50 countries. Because requirements and prices change, confirm the current steps on the official Quantum-Touch website before you book.
If you want to try the ideas first, Quantum-Touch: The Power to Heal lays out the principles, the breathing skills and the self-healing practice in a single book.
Is Quantum Touch Safe?
The practice itself is gentle: breathing, attention and light touch. The risk is not the technique but how it is used. A good practitioner never promises a cure, never tells you to stop medication and never replaces a diagnosis. If you have pain or a health concern, see your healthcare provider and share what complementary practices you use. If you are working through something heavier, our guide to healing from trauma spiritually may point you to supports that fit.
Go Deeper on Next Level Soul
- Richard Gordon: Quantum Energy Healing Techniques: the founder in conversation on the Next Level Soul podcast.
- Energy Healing Practices: a wider look at hands-on and distance methods.
- Life Force Energy: the idea underneath this and other energy methods.
- The Chakras: the energy centers Level 2 works with.
- Quantum Physics and Spirituality: how people connect consciousness and physics.
- Meditation Techniques for Beginners: a gentle way to build the stillness this practice needs.
Go Deeper with NLS Mastery: Astral Therapy
Journey into the astral realm for deep healing and remember who you truly are. Mariko Frederick teaches it in Astral Therapy: Journey Into the Higher Realms, part of NLS Mastery. Watch the course preview below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Quantum Touch?
Quantum Touch is an energy healing method created by Richard Gordon. It uses a steady breathing practice, body awareness and a light hand placement to raise and share life-force energy. It has no attunements, symbols or set hand positions.
Who founded Quantum Touch?
Richard Gordon founded it. He wrote the book Quantum-Touch: The Power to Heal and says he learned the core breathing and body-awareness techniques in 1978.
How does a Quantum Touch session work?
You stay clothed and sit or lie down. The practitioner rests their hands lightly on or near the area of focus, often on either side of it, while they keep a steady breathing pattern and body awareness. Sessions can run from about 10 minutes to about 75 minutes.
What is the difference between Quantum Touch and Reiki?
Reiki traditionally uses attunements, symbols and standard hand positions and has no central certifying body. Quantum Touch uses none of those and relies on continuous breathing and body-awareness exercises during the session.
Do you have to be touched in Quantum Touch?
No. Level 1 uses a light touch, and Level 2 teaches a no-touch approach. If you prefer no contact, tell the practitioner before you begin.
Can you do Quantum Touch on yourself?
Yes. Self-use is a core part of the training, and the founder says anyone can learn the basics. A common starting point is a counted breath, four counts in and four out, while you notice sensation in your body.
What are Quantum Touch Level 1 and Level 2?
Level 1 teaches the breathing, body awareness and hand placement. Level 2 builds on it and, according to the founder, adds the heart center and a faster, no-touch way of working. An instructor program is available after that.
How do I get Quantum Touch certification?
Certification is offered through the Quantum-Touch organization after its workshops. Requirements and prices change, so check the official Quantum-Touch website for the current steps before you register.
Is there scientific evidence for Quantum Touch?
The strongest claims come from the founder and practitioners, and we did not find large independent controlled trials confirming them. For related touch-based energy practices such as Reiki, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes the research as mostly low quality and not clearly showing an effect.
Can Quantum Touch replace medical care?
No. Use it alongside care from your healthcare provider, never instead of it. Talk with your provider about any complementary practice you use.
Sources and Further Reading
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