Hoʻoponopono: Meaning, History, the Four Phrases and What Research Shows

Hoʻoponopono is often shared online as a four-line forgiveness prayer, but it began as a Native Hawaiian family process for setting relationships right. This article traces where the practice came from, how it changed in the 20th century, and how to use the modern version respectfully. It also shows what research says about forgiveness, and where the evidence stops.

What does hoʻoponopono mean?

The word builds on pono, a central Hawaiian value. Hawaiian dictionaries define pono as what is right, just and proper. It can also mean being in a state of balance and well-being.

Hoʻoponopono is the causative form. It means to put in order, set right or correct, and also to settle a dispute. You will see it spelled “ho’oponopono” or “hooponopono” online. The mark after the first “o” is the ʻokina, a glottal stop that counts as a consonant in Hawaiian.

Mary Kawena Pukui was one of the most respected scholars of Hawaiian culture. She described hoʻoponopono as restoring and maintaining good relationships within the family, and with the spiritual powers the family honored. That definition is the anchor for everything else in this article.

Traditional hoʻoponopono: a Hawaiian family process

In traditional Hawaiian thought, illness and misfortune could follow from wrongdoing, broken kapu (sacred rules) or tangled family grievances. Healing those relationships was seen as part of healing the person. Hoʻoponopono was the structured way a family did that work together.

A respected senior family member, or sometimes a kahuna (expert or priest), led the gathering. Pukui recorded the practice in her writing with E. S. Craighill Handy on Hawaiian family life in Kaʻū. She later described it in Nānā i ke Kumu (Look to the Source), written with E. W. Haertig and Catherine Lee. Pukui said she had taken part in hoʻoponopono for 47 years, and its core was always the same: examining one’s own heart and forgiving.

The stages of the traditional process

Researcher E. Victoria Shook documented the process in her 1986 book on contemporary uses of hoʻoponopono. The stages below follow the summary published by HAWAIʻI Magazine, based on her work.

Three features stand out. It was communal, not solitary. It required honest, face-to-face confession and, where needed, making amends. And a skilled leader kept the process safe, stopping it when emotions ran too hot. A single session could run long, and some problems took several meetings.

[PHOTO: An outdoor gathering table set for a shared family meal, with no people identifiable. Avoid staged “Hawaiian” props or sacred objects.]

Revival in the late 20th century

Hoʻoponopono saw renewed interest from the late 20th century onward. Shook’s research documented its adaptation for family therapy, social work and community programs in Hawaiʻi. HAWAIʻI Magazine reports that Aunty Malia Craver, a respected practitioner, spoke about it at the United Nations in 2000 as a method of peacemaking.

The Hawaiian values behind the practice

Hoʻoponopono makes more sense alongside a few related Hawaiian words. Each is rich, and these short glosses only point toward their meaning.

Seen together, they explain the practice’s logic. Each family member takes up their kuleana, the group acts with aloha, and the aim is to return the ʻohana to a state of pono.

How hoʻoponopono changed: from family circle to four phrases

The version most people meet online today came through two further steps. Each moved further from the family process.

Morrnah Simeona’s self-help adaptation

Morrnah Nalamaku Simeona (1913 to 1992) was a Hawaiian healer recognized as a Living Treasure of Hawaiʻi in 1983. From 1976 she taught a modified, individual form of hoʻoponopono. It blended Hawaiian ideas with prayer to a Divine Creator, and with concepts of karma and reincarnation. Her Christian upbringing and her interest in Asian traditions and Edgar Cayce also shaped it.

Her method was designed for a person to practice alone, using a set sequence of steps. Some Hawaiian traditionalists criticized the changes. Her organization, Pacifica Seminars, still teaches the method, mainly in Europe.

Hew Len, “Zero Limits” and the four phrases

Ihaleakala Hew Len studied with Simeona from 1982 and taught alongside her until her death. He emphasized the idea of taking “100% responsibility” for everything one experiences. The 2007 book Zero Limits, written with marketer Joe Vitale, brought his teaching to a mass audience.

The four-phrase mantra now known worldwide is linked to Hew Len’s teaching as presented in that book. Simeona’s own method did not rely on mantras. So the famous “I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you” is a recent, modern addition. It is not the traditional Hawaiian process.

A note on the hospital story

Many websites repeat a story about Hew Len healing a ward of patients at the Hawaiʻi State Hospital through the four phrases alone. We could not find this story documented in peer-reviewed research or published hospital records. Treat it as an inspirational anecdote, not evidence that the practice treats mental illness.

Compiled from Pukui and colleagues, Shook, and published accounts of Simeona’s and Hew Len’s teaching.

The hoʻoponopono prayer: what the four phrases mean

The modern practice repeats four phrases, silently or aloud, while holding a person or situation in mind. Teachers present them in different orders. Each phrase has a simple intention.

In Hew Len’s teaching, the phrases “clean” memories held in the subconscious. That is a belief of this modern school, not a scientific finding. A plainer way to see them is as a short reflection. They move the mind from blame toward responsibility, gratitude and compassion. Repeating a phrase also works like other mantra practices, giving the mind a single point of focus.

Does hoʻoponopono work? What research shows

Two questions need separate answers. Is there research on hoʻoponopono itself? And what does research say about forgiveness practices in general?

Research on hoʻoponopono itself

Direct evidence is very thin. The best-known study is a 2008 doctoral dissertation by Matthew B. James at Walden University. It randomly assigned 79 people to practice an in-mind version of hoʻoponopono or to a control group. The practice group reported a significant drop in unforgiveness.

That is one small study, published as a dissertation rather than in a peer-reviewed journal. It measured self-reported feelings, not health outcomes. The author also runs a business teaching the practice, which is a potential conflict of interest. On its own, it cannot show that hoʻoponopono improves mental or physical health.

Research on forgiveness practices

Forgiveness in general has a much larger research base. Structured programs, usually run by psychologists, guide people through recalling a hurt, building empathy and choosing to let go.

Notice what these programs involve. They are structured, often guided, and focus on a specific hurt. None of them tested the four phrases. It is reasonable to say hoʻoponopono shares some features with these programs. It is not accurate to say research proves hoʻoponopono works.

Mayo Clinic links forgiveness with healthier relationships, less anxiety and stress, and fewer symptoms of depression. Such links come mostly from observational studies. People who forgive more may differ in other ways, so cause and effect are hard to separate. Claims that the phrases lower cortisol, heal the body or attract money are not supported by research.

Why forgiveness practices may help

Psychologists offer a few plausible reasons. Holding a grudge often means replaying the hurt again and again, a habit called rumination. Rumination is linked with low mood and anxiety. A forgiveness practice gives the mind a different response to the memory.

Many programs also build empathy, helping people see the other person as more than the harm they caused. This does not excuse the harm. It can loosen the grip of anger, which is one reason forgiveness programs reduce hostility in trials.

Psychologist Everett Worthington’s REACH model, tested in the 2024 five-country trial, shows what a structured program looks like. Its workbook takes about two to three hours. The five steps, as the trial paper describes them, are:

• Recall the hurt.
• Empathize by putting yourself in the other person’s shoes.
• Altruistic gift: offer forgiveness the other person has not earned.
• Commit to the forgiveness you have experienced.
• Hold on to that forgiveness when old feelings return.

Compare this with the four phrases. Both move from acknowledgment toward release and goodwill. REACH, however, spends far more time on honest recall and empathy. That may be part of why it has measurable results, while the four-phrase version remains untested.

Reflective practices are not risk-free either. NCCIH reports a 2020 review of 83 meditation studies in which about 8% of participants had a negative effect. Anxiety and depression were the most common. Revisiting painful memories can stir up strong feelings, so go gently and stop if it becomes overwhelming.

How to practice the modern hoʻoponopono prayer

If you want to try the four-phrase version as a personal reflection, keep it simple. This is a forgiveness and self-reflection exercise, not a treatment.

1. Choose one situation. Pick a specific, manageable hurt or conflict. Start with something small rather than your deepest wound.
2. Settle your body. Sit comfortably and take a few slow breaths. Our guide to yogic breathing covers gentle techniques.
3. Bring the situation to mind. Picture the person or moment without replaying it in detail.
4. Repeat the four phrases slowly. Say them silently or aloud for a few minutes. Let your attention rest on the meaning of each one.
5. Notice your response. Resistance, sadness or relief are all normal. You do not have to feel forgiveness yet.
6. Close and write one line. Note what you noticed, or one small step you could take in the real relationship.

Some people count repetitions on a string of beads. That is optional and adds no special power. The traditional practice also reminds us of something the phrases alone can miss. Real reconciliation often needs an honest conversation, a sincere apology or making amends.

Hoʻoponopono journaling prompts

Writing can make the practice more concrete. These prompts follow the four phrases and borrow the traditional focus on your own part.

The first prompt matters most. Separating what is yours to own from what is not keeps the practice honest. It also protects you from blaming yourself for someone else’s choices.

When the practice may fit, and when it does not

Common mistakes with hoʻoponopono

1. Taking “100% responsibility” literally after abuse. You are not responsible for harm someone else chose to do to you. Self-blame can deepen trauma.
2. Using it to skip real repair. Repeating “I’m sorry” privately is not the same as apologizing to someone you hurt.
3. Forcing forgiveness. Mayo Clinic describes forgiveness as a process. It is not a feeling you can switch on.
4. Confusing forgiveness with reconciliation. You can forgive someone without reconnecting with them, especially if contact is unsafe.
5. Replacing treatment. No evidence shows the phrases treat depression, anxiety or physical illness.
6. Treating the modern version as ancient Hawaiian tradition. The four phrases are a recent adaptation. The traditional practice is a family process.

Practicing with respect for Hawaiian culture

Hoʻoponopono comes from a living Native Hawaiian culture, not a wellness trend. A few habits help honor that.

• Learn the difference between the traditional family process and the modern self-help versions, and say which one you mean.
• Credit Hawaiian sources, such as Mary Kawena Pukui’s writing, rather than only modern bestsellers.
• Be wary of courses that charge high fees for “secret” Hawaiian methods or promise wealth and healing.
• If you want to learn the traditional process, seek out Hawaiian cultural practitioners and organizations based in Hawaiʻi.

To explore other contemplative traditions on this site, browse our mantra and sound articles.

One small step to try this week

Pick one minor, everyday grievance, not your biggest hurt. Spend three minutes with the four phrases, then write one sentence about what you noticed. If the situation involves someone you could safely talk to, let the reflection prepare you for that conversation.

Sources

1. Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian language dictionaries (University of Hawaiʻi), entries for pono and hoʻoponopono. wehe.hilo.hawaii.edu
2. Dekneef M. How hoʻoponopono can bring people together. HAWAIʻI Magazine, November 2016. hawaiimagazine.com
3. Pukui MK, Haertig EW, Lee CA. Nānā i ke Kumu (Look to the Source), Volumes 1 and 2. Queen Liliʻuokalani Children’s Center.
4. Handy ESC, Pukui MK. The Polynesian Family System in Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi. 1958; reprinted by Tuttle, 1972.
5. Shook EV. Hoʻoponopono: Contemporary Uses of a Hawaiian Problem-Solving Process. University of Hawaii Press, 1986.
6. Morrnah Simeona. Wikipedia, citing Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu Star-Bulletin and the Congressional Record (1992). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrnah_Simeona
7. Hoʻoponopono. Wikipedia, citing Pukui, Shook, Simeona (1990) and Vitale and Len (2007). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoʻoponopono
8. Vitale J, Len IH. Zero Limits. John Wiley and Sons, 2007.
9. James MB. Hoʻoponopono: Assessing the effects of a traditional Hawaiian forgiveness technique on unforgiveness. Doctoral dissertation, Walden University, 2008. scholarworks.waldenu.edu
10. Ho MY, Worthington EL Jr, Cowden RG, et al. International REACH forgiveness intervention: a multisite randomised controlled trial. BMJ Public Health, 2024. doaj.org record
11. Akhtar S, Barlow J. Forgiveness therapy for the promotion of mental well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence and Abuse, 2016. ora.ox.ac.uk
12. Vismaya A, Gopi A, Romate J, Rajkumar E. Psychological interventions to promote self-forgiveness: a systematic review. BMC Psychology, 2024; 12: 258. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11084121
13. Mayo Clinic. Forgiveness: Letting go of grudges and bitterness. January 2026. mayoclinic.org
14. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Meditation and Mindfulness: Effectiveness and Safety. nccih.nih.gov