Energy in spirituality, refers to a widespread belief in an interpersonal forces that are not recognized by scientists engaged in physical sciences. Believers consider spiritual energy to be of a different type than those known to science, and therapies involved are often classed as alternative medicine. Various ideas pertaining to spiritual energy have been postulated in various cultures, prominent amongst them are: Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... Physical science is the branch of science including chemistry and physics, usually contrasted with the social sciences and sometimes including and sometimes contrasted with natural or biological science. ... It has been suggested that Complementary and Alternative Medicine be merged into this article or section. ...

• the Christian idea of the soul or spirit
• The traditional Chinese qi
• The Indian Chakra, Shakti or Kundalini
• The Japanese idea of Reiki
• The New Age/paranormal aura
• The "orgone energy" of Wilhelm Reich
• The morphogenetic fields of biologist Rupert Sheldrake
• The Odic force of chemist Carl von Reichenbach
• biofields
• The Islamic way of "Ruqeeyah"

This vital energy or life force is known under different names in different cultures, such as qi in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), ki in the Japanese Kampo system, doshas in Ayurvedic medicine, and elsewhere as prana, etheric energy, fohat, orgone, odic force, mana, and homeopathic resonance. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Christianity. ... The soul, acording to many religious and philosophical traditions, is a self-aware ethereal substance particular to a unique living being. ... The English word spirit comes from the Latin spiritus, meaning breath. ... For other uses, see QI (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Kundalini (, IAST: ) is a Sanskrit word meaning either coiled up or coiling like a snake. ... It has been suggested that Dos Rios Reiki be merged into this article or section. ... New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ... Paranormal is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of reported anomalous phenomena. ... For other uses, see Aura. ... Dr. Wilhelm Reich Wilhelm Reich (March 24, 1897–November 3, 1957) was an Austrian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, who was trained in Vienna by Sigmund Freud. ... Dr. Wilhelm Reich Wilhelm Reich (March 24, 1897–November 3, 1957) was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, and a member of Sigmund Freuds inner circle. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Morphic field. ... Rupert Sheldrake Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, born 28th June 1942 [1] is a British biologist and author. ... Also called Od [õd] and Odyle, Odic Force is the 19th century name given to a hypothetical vital energy or life force that proponents say permeates all living plants, animals, and humans. ... Carl Ludwig von Reichenbach Baron Dr. Carl (Karl) Ludwig von Reichenbach (full name: Karl Ludwig Freiherr von Reichenbach) (February 12, 1788, Stuttgart - January 19, 1869, Leipzig, Germany) was a notable chemist, geologist, metallurgist, naturalist, industrialist and philosopher, a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Sciences, and considered one of... The theory developed in 1994 that humans have a field external from their bodies that strongly affects actions and feelings. ... Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, [1] is a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical forces a doctrine that the processes of life are not explicable by the laws of physics and chemistry alone and that life... The term life force or lifeforce can refer to: The soul, spirit, or other vitalistic energy. ... For other uses, see QI (disambiguation). ... Traditional Chinese medicine shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. ... Kampō (or Kanpō , 漢方) medicine is the Japanese study and adaptation of Chinese medicine. ... One of three bodily humors that make up ones constitution. ... Ayurveda (आयुर्वेद Sanskrit: ayu—life; veda—knowledge of) or ayurvedic medicine is a more than 2,000 year old comprehensive system of medicine based on a holistic approach rooted in Vedic culture. ... Prana (, IAST: ) is a Sanskrit word meaning breath and refers to a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and vital energy in natural processes of the universe. ... The etheric body, ether-body, æther body, or vital body is one of the subtle bodies in esoteric philosophies, in some religious teachings and in New Age thought. ... Orgone energy is a concept of a universal life energy that physician and psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich said he had discovered in the late 1930s. ... Also called Od [õd] and Odyle, Odic Force is the 19th century name given to a hypothetical vital energy or life force that proponents say permeates all living plants, animals, and humans. ... Mana is a traditional term that refers to a concept among the speakers of Oceanic languages, including Melanesians, Polynesians, and Micronesians. ... Homeopathy (also spelled homœopathy or homoeopathy), from the Greek words homoios (similar) and pathos (suffering), is a controversial system of alternative medicine involving the use of remedies without chemically active ingredients. ...

Premise of Energy Therapies

Though there are varying approaches, energy therapies are typically based on the premise that--on a fundamental level--everything in the universe is made of energy. From this perspective, human beings are also fundamentally energy. Around the world, from ancient times to modern day, techniques have developed which focus on healing at this energy level.

Various forms of mysticism often associate "bad energy" with disease, and "good energy" and healing powers. Most theories involve the ability to actively influence one's energy. For example, acupuncture purports to have beneficial effects on the human body by manipulating its natural flow of energy. Reiki is a similar procedure in Japanese culture which involves the qi (ki) and the laying of hands. Other methods like Yuen and the Berkeley Psychic Institute methodologies purport to involve train in the transmission of energetic force without physical contact, and have trained many students in these methods. Different theories hold different judgements on the ability of plants or animals to hold energy forces. Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an... Acupuncture (from Lat. ... It has been suggested that Dos Rios Reiki be merged into this article or section. ... Japanese culture and language Japans isolation until the arrival of the Black Ships and the Meiji era produced a culture distinctively different from any other, and echoes of this uniqueness persist today. ...

Theories of spiritual energy are not validated by the scientific method, thus are dismissed as non-empirical beliefs by the scientific community. Theories of spiritual energy are often felt to be pseudoscience) Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena and acquiring new knowledge, as well as for correcting and integrating previous knowledge. ... The scientific community consists of the interactions and relationships of scientists. ... Phrenology is regarded today as a classic example of pseudoscience. ...

Current schools and practices

Energy psychology includes a collection of diverse techniques aimed at healing emotional distress such as trauma, phobias and anxiety; cognitive distress, such as limiting beliefs; physical distress, such as head injury, heart rhythm asynchrony, neurological imbalances, biochemical imbalances and structural imbalances; and spiritual distress, such as existential issues, fears and limiting spiritual beliefs. Some techniques under the umbrella of energy psychology include: Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event. ... Biochemistry is the chemistry of life. ... Existentialism is a philosophical movement that deals with human freedom. ...

• Touch for Health
• Total Body Modification
• Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique
• Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
• The ZPoint Process for Instant Emotional Healing
• Radiant Energies Balancing (REB)
• Tapas Acupressure Technique
• Neuro-Emotional Technique
• Educational Kinesiology (and Brain Gym)
• Thought Energy Synchronization Therapy
• Energy Diagnostic and Treatment Methods (EDxTM)
• Energy Consciousness Therapy (ECT)
• Be Set Free Fast (BSFF)
• Energy Center
• Healing touch
• Therapeutic touch
• Energy Medicine
• EmoTrance
• PSYCH-K
• Zensight
• Closed-Circuit Circulation & the Vibrational State

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a controversial psychotherapeutic tool that intends to relieve many psychological conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, stress, addictions and phobias. ... Tapas Acupressure Technique (TAT) is an acupressure technique used by practicioners to attain a feeling of relaxation and empowerment. ... Kinesiology is the scientific study of human movement. ... Therapeutic touch (TT) is a mostly secular variant of faith healing, started by Dolores Krieger in the early 1970s. ...

Scientific validation

Claims related to energy therapies are most often dubbed as anecdotal, rather than empirical, evidence. The history of such claims about spiritual energy (most often dubbed as pseudoscientific) is long. Many people have attempted to gain credibility by associating with forms of energy that were poorly understood by scientists. In the 1800s, electricity and magnetism were in the "borderlands" of science and the subject of considerable electrical quackery. In the 2000s, quantum mechanics and grand unification theory provide similar opportunities for empirical claims of spiritual energy being physically manifest. Anecdotal evidence is an informal account of evidence in the form of an anecdote, or hearsay. ... Empirical is an adjective often used in conjunction with science, both the natural and social sciences, which means an observation or experiment based upon experience that is capable of being verified or disproved. ... Electricity has long been thought to be an elemental life-force. ... Fig. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Unified field theory. ...

"Spiritual energy" is often equated with empirically understood forces. For example, some believers in the "aura" equate it with electromagnetism, claims that have not yet been supported by experiment. Nevertheless electromagnetic fields are used in standard medical procedures, such as radiation therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and magnetic resonance imaging. Electromagnetism is the physics of the electromagnetic field; a field encompassing all of space which exerts a force on particles that possess the property of electric charge, and is in turn affected by the presence and motion of those particles. ... In the scientific method, an experiment (Latin: ex-+-periri, of (or from) trying), is a set of actions and observations, performed in the context of solving a particular problem or question, to support or falsify a hypothesis or research concerning phenomena. ... Clinac 2100 C100 accelerator Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology, the use of radiation in medical imaging and diagnosis). ... Small TextElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT), also known as electroshock therapy, is a controversial medical treatment involving the induction of a seizure in a patient by passing electricity through the brain. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Followers of scientology believe spiritual energy can be quantified using an e-meter; the legitimacy of such a claim is disputed. The e-meter measures Galvanic skin response. Scientology is a system of beliefs and practices created by American pulp fiction[1][2] and science fiction [3] author L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 as a self-help philosophy. ... An E-Meter is a battery-powered electronic instrument manufactured by the Church of Scientologys Gold Base. ... Galvanic skin response (or GSR), also known as electrodermal response (EDR) or psychogalvanic reflex (PGR), is a method of measuring the electrical resistance of the skin and interpreting it as an image of activity in certain parts of the body. ...

Other proposed treatments, such as magnet therapy are considered ineffective until it is demonstrated that they beat the placebo effect. (see Franz Mesmer) Magnet therapy, or magnetic therapy, or magnotherapy is an alternative medicine claiming that certain medical disorders can be effectively treated by exposure to magnetic fields. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Placebo. ... Franz Anton Mesmer His Grave Franz Anton Mesmer (May 23, 1734 – March 5, 1815) discovered what he called animal magnetism and others often called mesmerism. ...

Several people, for example, the magician James Randi have for many years (as of 2004) offered one million US dollars to any person capable of repeatedly detecting psychic energy fields. No one has demonstrated this ability in a controlled situation. (see The $1 million challenge) James Randi (born August 7, 1928), internationally billed as The Amazing Randi, is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a debunker of pseudoscience. ... James Randi (born Randall James Hamilton Zwinge, August 7, 1928), more often known as The Amazing Randi, is a stage magician, skeptic, and opponent of pseudoscience (including homeopathy). ...

While many energy therapies make no claim of scientific verification, there can be some curious parallels with quantum physics and un-proven, developing fields, like string theory.

See also

• The Force (Star Wars)
• The Celestine Prophecy
• Electrical quackery
• Vitalism - a general term for a force that animates living things.

In the fictional Star Wars universe, The Force is a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power that is the object of the Jedi and Sith monastic orders. ... The Celestine Prophecy is a 1993 novel by James Redfield. ... Electricity has long been thought to be an elemental life-force. ... Vitalism is the doctrine that vital forces are active in living organisms, so that life cannot be explained solely by mechanism. ...

External links

• Chapters 32 & 33 from the book, Memoirs of an Artist as a Masseur, written by Artist Valentino Zubiri What a genuine Filipino Psychic Surgeon's mindset is and his source of his healing energy, when he performs psychic surgery on his patients. Also: http://www.lulu.com/
• http://www.REBprotocol.net
• The ZPoint Process for Instant Emotional Healing
• Association for Meridian Energy Therapies
• Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology
• Skepdic: Energy Healing: Looking in All the Wrong Places