Energy (esotericism)

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Photo by Victor Rocha
Photo by Victor Rocha
"Subtle energy" redirects here. For the mystical concept of psychospiritual bodies overlaying the physical body, see Subtle body.

The term Energy has been widely adopted into the fields of spirituality, complementary medicine [1][2]etc. to refer to a variety of forces, known and unknown, measurable and immeasurable, actual and putative, physical and spiritual, often, though not always, conceived as "fields" or subtle forms surrounding the earth or any living thing, supposed to be directly perceptible and accessible to the human mind as "rays", "fields" or "vibrations".[3]

In many cases "energy" is conceived of as a universal life force: to this extent "spiritual energy" theories resemble scientific vitalism[4] and may even invoke the Luminiferous Ether of Victorian physics.[5] Additionally, or alternatively, such notions are often aligned with or derived from conceptions found in other cultures, such as the Chinese idea of Qi and the Prana of the Upanisads.[6] Many such ideas arise from the primitive idea of life as breath - a relationship implicit also in the word "spirit".

Such a usage is already evident in William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1793);

"Energy is the only life and is from the Body and Reason is the bound or outward circumference of Energy. Energy is Eternal Delight." [7]

Blake's alignment of energy with affective emotion is noteworthy, for it depicts energy as the psychic continuum that unites body and mind, thus reflecting Plato's celebrated tripartite division of the human psyche into the appetitive, the spirited and the rational.[8] This integration of "energy" into systematic esoteric expositions of the universe and/or the human psyche is frequently found combined, as in Kundalini and Theosophy, into an account of a heirarchy of "inner planes" or "subtle bodies".

It will be evident from the above that such an idea of energy, to the extent that it is expressed with rational rigour, may draw upon comparative religion, biology, physics, medicine or even all at once. Moreover, the status of any such idea may generally be assumed to be a matter of controversy. Further, many themes commonly discussed under this rubric are elaborated in Wikipedia in their own articles. All this being the case, these present remarks can be and need be no more than tentative. It is therefore intended that a list of such articles be compiled here, divided into general headings and commented upon only sufficiently to aid, hopefully, a primary orientation in this far-reaching matter.

Contents

[edit] Bio-energy and field theories of evolution and development in modern western thought

The success of the scientific Enlightenment's treatment of energy in natural science quickly led to attempts to study the energies of life, a process which at first derived much strength from Luigi Galvani's neurological discoveries. Some, like Mesmer, identified these energies with electromagnetism, others continued to assume that living organisms were constituted of special materials subject to special forces - a view which became known as vitalism.

As microbiologists studied embryology and developmental biology, particularly before the discovery of the genes, a variety of organisational forces were posited to account for the observations. From the time of Driesch, however, the importance of "energy-fields" began to wane and the proposed forces became more mind-like.

Sometimes, however, as in the work of Harold Saxton Burr, the electromagnetic fields of organisms have been studied precisely as the hypothetical medium of such organisational "forces".

[edit] Scientific references

[edit] Modern western psychotherapies

[edit] Modern western physiotherapies

Therapies that purport to use, modify, or manipulate unknown energies are among the most controversial of all complementary and alternative medicines.[1] Theories of spiritual energy not validated by the scientific method are usually termed non-empirical beliefs by the scientific community.

The various approaches known collectively as "energy therapies" vary widely in philosophy, approach, and origin. Many therapies are predicated, as regards the given explanation for their supposed efficacy, on some form of energy unknown to current science: in this case the given energy is sometimes referred to as putative energy.[1] Conversely "Spiritual energy" may also be equated with empirically understood forces, for example, some equate the aura with electromagnetism. Such energies are termed "veritable" as opposed to "putative".

Some alternative therapies, such as electromagnetic therapy, use veritable energy, though they may still make claims that are not supported by evidence. Many claims have been made by associating "spirit" with forms of energy poorly understood at the time. In the 1800s, electricity and magnetism were in the "borderlands" of science and electrical quackery was rife. In the 2000s, quantum mechanics and grand unification theory provide similar opportunities.

The gap between the empirally proven efficacy of some therapies and the lack of empirical physical evidence for the belief-systems that surround them is at present a battleground between sceptics and believers.

[edit] Parapsychology

[edit] Dowsing

[edit] Earth Energy

[edit] Chinese vitalism

Chinese acupuncture theory states that acupuncture's mode of action is by virtue of manipulating the natural flow of Qi energy through hypothesised meridians. To the extent that acupuncture is regarded as efficacious in western medicine, its palliative effects are usually hypothesised to be obtained physiologically by blocking or stimulating nerve cells and causing changes in the perception of pain in the brain.[9] However the idea of Qi is not confined to medicine: it appears, for example, in the art of Feng Shui, in martial arts and spiritual tracts.

[edit] Indian vitalism

[edit] Other Cultures

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c The 'National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (October 13 2006). Energy Medicine Overview.
  2. ^ Kimball C. Atwood (September, 2003). Ongoing Problem with the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Skeptical Inquirer magazine.
  3. ^ e.g. Playfair G.L. and Hill S., "The Cycles of Heaven", Pan Books 1978 p.12 "We discuss the fascinating new concept of man's "energy body" and its radiations, and how it may be interacting with its energetic surroundings.." See also ibid. Ch12 passim.
  4. ^ http://skepdic.com/energy.html
  5. ^ Playfair and Hill op. cit.
  6. ^ http://skepdic.com/energy.html
  7. ^ Milton Klonsky, "William Blake: The Seer and his Visions", Orbis 1977.
  8. ^ Plato, "The Republic", trans. Desmond Lee, Harmondsworth.
  9. ^ Get the Facts, Acupuncture. National Institute of Health. (2006). Retrieved on [[March 2, 2006]].
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