* ENERGY THERAPIES: [+] * Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies [+] * Biofield:
Energy Therapies focus either on energy fields originating within the body (biofields) or those from other sources (electromagnetic fields). Biofield therapies are intended to affect the energy fields, whose existence is not yet experimentally proven, that surround and penetrate the human body. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields.
Examples include: Qi gong, Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. Qi gong is a component of traditional oriental medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of vital energy (qi) in the body, to improve blood circulation, and to enhance immune function. Reiki, the Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy, is based on the belief that by channeling spiritual energy through the practitioner the spirit is healed, and it in turn heals the physical body. Therapeutic Touch is derived from the ancient technique of "laying-on of hands" and is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient's recovery and that healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance. By passing their hands over the patient, these healers identify energy imbalances. Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating current or direct current fields, to, for example, treat asthma or cancer, or manage pain and migraine headaches.
* Veritable Energies: Employ mechanical vibrations (such as sound) and electromagnetic forces, including visible light, magnetism, monochromatic radiation (such as laser beams), and rays from other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. They involve the use of specific, measurable wavelengths and frequencies to treat patients.
* Putative Energy Fields (also called biofields): Have defied measurement to date by reproducible methods. Therapies involving putative energy fields are based on the concept that human beings are infused with a subtle form of energy.
* Veritable Energy Medicine:
Employ mechanical vibrations (such as sound) and electromagnetic radiation: including visible light, and wavelengths from other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. They involve the use of specific, measurable wavelengths and frequencies to treat patients. Many of the body’s electrical systems and electromagnetic fields are well-known, readily verified, and a focus of established interventions. The application of lasers and magnetic pulsation, for instance, can be described in terms of specific, measurable wavelengths and frequencies that have been found to be therapeutic. For example, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), uses veritable energy (magnetic fields) to stimulate that brain through the skull. TMS may have therapeutic applications, but these have not yet been scientifically verified. Other therapies based on veritable energy (such as magnetic therapy) remain controversial and enjoy little mainstream support.
* Veritable Energy Therapies:
There are many well-established uses for the application of measurable energy fields to diagnose or treat diseases: electromagnetic fields in magnetic resonance imaging, cardiac pacemakers, radiation therapy, ultraviolet light for psoriasis, laser keratoplasty, and more. There are many other claimed uses as well. The ability to deliver quantifiable amounts of energies across the electromagnetic spectrum is an advantage to studies of their mechanisms and clinical effects. For example, both static and pulsating electromagnetic therapies have been employed.
* Putative Energy Fields involving Energy Medicine:
Is based on the supposition that illness results from disturbances in (undetectable or unquantifiable) energies and energy fields and can be addressed via interventions into those energies and energy fields. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) states that "putative energy fields (also called biofields) have defied measurement to date by reproducible methods". No plausible biophysical basis for these fields has been proposed, and neither the fields themselves nor their purported therapeutic effects have been convincingly demonstrated; as such, it is essentially faith healing and therapies based on putative energy are among the most controversial.
* These postulated energies: Are claimed to be of a more subtle nature and have not been directly measured by reproducible methods. Healing Touch, Reiki, and qi gong, for instance, purportedly influence subtle energies in ways that have not been detected by mechanical devices, and their reported therapeutic actions are not well-understood within conventional paradigms. Some practitioners of these methods, however, claim that they "can work with this subtle energy, see it with their own eyes, and use it to effect changes in the physical body and influence health."
* The practice of putative energy medicine dates back at least 5,000 years: A mummified body from around 3000 B.C. had tattoos on exactly the points that are indicated in Traditional Chinese Medicine for treating the kind of lumbar spine arthritis revealed by an x-ray analysis of the body. Meanwhile, the term "energy medicine" has been in general use since the founding of the non-profit International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies and Energy Medicine in the 1980s and was further defined by two books, each titled Energy Medicine, one which is a guide for practitioners and one which surveys existing research evidence.
* Examples of practices involving putative energy fields include: * Reiki and Johrei, both of Japanese origin * Qi gong, a Chinese practice * Healing Touch, in which the therapist is purported to identify imbalances and correct a client's energy by passing his or her hands over the patient * Prayer specifically for health purposes such as intercessory prayer, in which a person intercedes through prayer on behalf of another.
* The concept: That sickness and disease arise from imbalances in the vital energy field of the body has led to many forms of therapy. In TCM, a series of approaches are taken to rectify the flow of qi, such as herbal medicine, acupuncture (and its various versions), qi gong, diet, and behavior changes.
* In the aggregate: These approaches are among the most controversial of CAM practices because neither the external energy fields nor their therapeutic effects have been demonstrated convincingly by any biophysical means. Yet, Energy Medicine is gaining popularity in the American marketplace and has become a subject of investigations at some academic medical centers. A recent National Center for Health Statistics survey indicated that approximately 1 percent of the participants had used Reiki, 0.5 percent had used Qi Gong, 4.6 percent had used some kind of healing ritual, and approximately 30 percent had had others pray for their health.
* Practitioners of Energy Medicine: Believe that illness results from disturbances of these subtle energies (the biofield An energy field that is proposed to surround and flow throughout the human body and play a role in health. Biofields have not been measured by conventional instruments. Reiki and qi gong are examples of therapies that involve biofields.). For example, more than 2,000 years ago, Asian practitioners postulated that the flow and balance of life energies are necessary for maintaining health and described tools to restore them. Herbal medicine, acupunctureA family of procedures that originated in traditional Chinese medicine.
* Acupuncture: Is the stimulation of specific points on the body by a variety of techniques, including the insertion of thin metal needles though the skin. It is intended to remove blockages in the flow of qi and restore and maintain health., acupressureA type of acupuncture that stimulates specific points on the body using pressure applied by the hands., moxibustionIn traditional Chinese medicine, the use of heat from burning the herb moxa on or near the skin at an acupuncture point. Intended to stimulate the flow of qi and restore health., and cupping, for example, are all believed to act by correcting imbalances in the internal biofield, such as by restoring the flow of qi through meridians to reinstate health. Some therapists are believed to emit or transmit the vital energy (external qi) to a recipient to restore health.
* Alternative Therapies that involve the use of purported energy fields: There are two types: Biofield Therapies and Bioelectromagnetic-Based Therapies:
* Biofield Therapies:
Biofield Therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include Qi Gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch.
* Energy Medicine * Attunement (Reiki) * Aura-Soma * Bach flower remedies * Bowen Technique * Breathwork * Charmstone * Chromotherapy * Cymatic therapy * Electroacupuncture according to Voll * Electromagnetic therapy * Emotional Freedom Techniques * Energy (spirituality) * Energy field disturbance * Geopathic theory * Holotropic Breathwork * Horstmann technique * House healing * Immortality Device * Katsugen undo * Magnet therapy * Massage * Meditation therapy * Nishi Shiki * Polarity therapy * QT Inc. * Quantum-Touch * Radionics * Reiki * Reiki Initiation * Reiki Jin Kei Do * Seichim * Seitai * Sonopuncture * Tapas Acupressure Technique * Therapeutic touch * Timeline of Reiki history * Vibrational Medicine
* Acupuncture: Of these approaches, acupuncture is the most prominent therapy to promote qi flow along the meridians. Acupuncture has been extensively studied and has been shown to be effective in treating some conditions, particularly certain forms of pain.1 However, its mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. The main threads of research on acupuncture have shown regional effects on neurotransmitter expression, but have not validated the existence of an "energy" per se.
* Qi Gong: Qi gong, another energy modality that purportedly can restore health, is practiced widely in the clinics and hospitals of China. Most of the reports were published as abstracts in Chinese, which makes accessing the information difficult. But Sancier has collected more than 2,000 records in his qi gong database which indicates that qi gong has extensive health benefits on conditions ranging from blood pressure to asthma. The reported studies, however, are largely anecdotal case series and not randomized controlled trials. Few studies have been conducted outside China and reported in peer-reviewed journals in English. There have been no large clinical trials.
* Whole Medical Systems: Although modalities such as acupuncture and qi gong have been studied separately, TCM uses combinations of treatments (e.g., herbs, acupuncture, and qi gong) in practice. Similarly, Ayurvedic medicine uses combinations of herbal medicine, yoga, meditation, and other approaches to restore vital energy, particularly at the chakra energy centers. (For more information on TCM and Ayurvedic medicine, see NCCAM's backgrounder
* Homeopathy: One Western approach with implications for energy medicine is homeopathy. Homeopaths believe that their remedies mobilize the body's vital force to orchestrate coordinated healing responses throughout the organism. The body translates the information on the vital force into local physical changes that lead to recovery from acute and chronic diseases. Homeopaths use their assessment of the deficits in vital force to guide dose (potency) selection and treatment pace, and to judge the likely clinical course and prognosis. Homeopathic medicine is based on the principle of similars, and remedies are often prescribed in high dilutions. In most cases, the dilution may not contain any molecules of the original agents at all. As a consequence, homoeopathic remedies, at least when applied in high dilutions, cannot act by pharmacological means. Theories for a potential mechanism of action invoke the homeopathic solution, therefore, postulating that information is stored in the dilution process by physical means. Other than a study reported by the Benveniste laboratory and other smaller studies, this hypothesis has not been supported by scientific research. There have been numerous clinical studies of homeopathic approaches, but systematic reviews point out the overall poor quality and inconsistency of these studies.
* Therapeutic Touch and Related Practices: Numerous other practices have evolved over the years to promote or maintain the balance of vital energy fields in the body. Examples of these modalities include Therapeutic Touch, healing touch, Reiki, Johrei, vortex healing, and polarity therapy. All these modalities involve movement of the practitioner's hands over the patient's body to become attuned to the condition of the patient, with the idea that by so doing, the practitioner is able to strengthen and reorient the patient's energies. Many small studies of Therapeutic Touch have suggested its effectiveness in a wide variety of conditions, including wound healing, osteoarthritis, migraine headaches, and anxiety in burn patients. In a recent meta-analysis of 11 controlled Therapeutic Touch studies, 7 controlled studies had positive outcomes, and 3 showed no effect; in one study, the control group healed faster than the Therapeutic Touch group. Similarly, Reiki and Johrei practitioners claim that the therapies boost the body's immune system, enhance the body's ability to heal itself, and are beneficial for a wide range of problems, such as stress-related conditions, allergies, heart conditions, high blood pressure, and chronic pain. However, there has been little rigorous scientific research. Overall, these therapies have impressive anecdotal evidence, but none has been proven scientifically to be effective.
* Distant Healing: Proponents of energy field therapies also claim that some of these therapies can act across long distances. For example, the long-distance effects of external qi gong have been studied in China and summarized in the book Scientific Qigong Exploration, which has been translated into English. The studies reported various healing cases and described the nature of qi as bidirectional, multifunctional, adaptable to targets, and capable of effects over long distances. But none of these claims has been independently verified. Another form of distant healing is intercessory prayer, in which a person prays for the healing of another person who is a great distance away, with or without that person's knowledge. Review of eight nonrandomized and nine randomized clinical trials published between 2000 and 2002 showed that the majority of the more rigorous trials do not support the hypothesis that distant intercessory prayer has specific therapeutic effects.
* Bioelectromagnetic-Based Therapies:
Involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields: Such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields. There are many well-established uses for the application of measurable energy fields to diagnose or treat diseases: electromagnetic fields in magnetic resonance imaging, cardiac pacemakers, radiation therapy, ultraviolet light for psoriasis, laser keratoplasty, and more. There are many other claimed uses as well. The ability to deliver quantifiable amounts of energies across the electromagnetic spectrum is an advantage to studies of their mechanisms and clinical effects. For example, both static and pulsating electromagnetic therapies have been employed.
* Some proponents of electromagnetic therapy: Believe that "harmful electromagnetic fields" might "disrupt the body's chemical makeup resulting in disease and illness." The University of California Medical Centre, Moore Cancer Centre, offers alternative therapies for cancer patients. However, it clearly states on its website that to their knowledge "there is no scientific evidence available that any electromagnetic therapies work.
* Electromagnetic Field: Is a physical field produced by electrically charged objects. It affects the behaviour of charged objects in the vicinity of the field. The electromagnetic field extends indefinitely throughout space and describes the electromagnetic interaction. It is one of the four fundamental forces of nature (the others are gravitation, the weak interaction, and the strong interaction). The field can be viewed as the combination of an electric field and a magnetic field. The electric field is produced by stationary charges, and the magnetic field by moving charges (currents); these two are often described as the sources of the field. The way in which charges and currents interact with the electromagnetic field is described by Maxwell's equations and the Lorentz Force Law. From a classical point of view, the electromagnetic field can be regarded as a smooth, continuous field, propagated in a wavelike manner, whereas from a quantum mechanical point of view, the field can be viewed as being composed of photons.
* Electromotive Force or (potential): Of a body is the work done in joules to bring a unit electric charge from infinity to the body. Electromotive force is a term used to characterize electrical devices, such as voltaic cells, thermoelectric devices, electrical generators and transformers, and even resistors.
* Electromagnetic (EM) Radiation: Also called light even though it is not always visible, is a self-propagating wave in space with electric and magnetic components. These components oscillate at right angles to each other and to the direction of propagation, and are in phase with each other. Electromagnetic radiation is classified into types according to the frequency of the wave: these types include, in order of increasing frequency, radio waves, microwaves, terahertz radiation, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays.
* Electromagnetic Therapy: Is a form of alternative medicine which claims to treat disease by applying electromagnetic energy to the body. It is labelled pseudoscientific by most modern medical researchers. A related alternative treatment, magnet therapy, uses the application of static (non-varying) magnetic fields and is similarly labelled as pseudoscience.
* Magnet Therapy: Magnetotherapy: Magnotherapy: Is an alternative medicine involving the use of static magnetic fields. Practitioners claim that subjecting certain parts of the body to magnetic fields produced by permanent, typically NdFeB magnets has beneficial health effects. Magnetotherapy is considered pseudoscientific by its critics.
* Magnet Therapy, Magnetic Therapy: Static magnets have been used for centuries in efforts to relieve pain or to obtain other alleged benefits (e.g., increased energy). Numerous anecdotal reports have indicated that individuals have experienced significant, and at times dramatic, relief of pain after the application of static magnets over a painful area. Although the literature on the biological effects of magnetic fields is growing, there is a paucity of data from well-structured, clinically sound studies. However, there is growing evidence that magnetic fields can influence physiological processes. It has recently been shown that static magnetic fields affect the microvasculature of skeletal muscle. Microvessels that are initially dilated respond to a magnetic field by constricting, and microvessels that are initially constricted respond by dilating. These results suggest that static magnetic fields may have a beneficial role in treating edema or ischemic conditions, but there is no proof that they do.
* A number of vendors make unsupported claims about: * magnet therapy by using pseudoscientific and new-age language. Such claims are criticized by skeptics. Most criticisms include: * The typical magnet used produces insufficient magnetic field to have any effect on muscle tissue, bones, blood vessels, or organs. * Some manufacturers claim that the magnets help to circulate the blood by interacting with the iron in hemoglobin, a major component of red blood cells. However in its ionised form, iron is not ferromagnetic and would not be subject to magnetic attraction, save for magnetohydrodynamic forces due to its charge. * Others claim that the magnets can restore the body's theorized "electromagnetic energy balance", but no such balance is medically recognized. * There are claims that the south pole of a magnet acts differently on the body than the north pole. * Many of the websites that provide information and resources promoting the benefits of magnetic therapy belong to individuals and companies that profit from the sale of magnetic therapy products.
* Pulsating Electromagnetic Therapy: Has been in use for the past 40 years. A well-recognized and standard use is to enhance the healing of nonunion fractures. It also has been claimed that this therapy is effective in treating osteoarthritis, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, and sleep disorders. Some animal and cell culture studies have been conducted to elucidate the basic mechanism of the pulsating electromagnetic therapy effect, such as cell proliferation and cell-surface binding for growth factors. However, detailed data on the mechanisms of action are still lacking.
* Millimeter Wave Therapy: Low-power millimeter wave (MW) irradiation elicits biological effects, and clinicians in Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe have used it in past decades to treat a variety of conditions, ranging from skin diseases and wound healing to various types of cancer, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular diseases, and psychiatric illnesses. In spite of an increasing number of in vivo and in vitro studies, the nature of MW action is not well understood. It has been shown, for example, that MW irradiation can augment T-cell mediated immunity in vitro. However, the mechanisms by which MW irradiation enhances T-cell functions are not known. Some studies indicate that pretreating mice with naloxone may block the hypoalgesic and antipruritic effects of MW irradiation, suggesting that endogenous opioids are involved in MW therapy-induced hypoalgesia. Theoretical and experimental data show that nearly all the MW energy is absorbed in the superficial layers of skin, but it is not clear how the energy absorbed by keratinocytes, the main constituents of epidermis, is transmitted to elicit the therapeutic effect.10 It is also unclear whether MW yields clinical effects beyond a placebo response.
* Sound Energy Therapy: Sound energy therapy, sometimes referred to as vibrational or frequency therapy, includes music therapy as well as wind chime and tuning fork therapy. The presumptive basis of its effect is that specific sound frequencies resonate with specific organs of the body to heal and support the body. Music therapy has been the most studied among these interventions, with studies dating back to the 1920s, when it was reported that music affected blood pressure. Other studies have suggested that music can help reduce pain and anxiety. Music and imagery, alone and in combination, have been used to entrain mood states, reduce acute or chronic pain, and alter certain biochemicals, such as plasma beta-endorphin levels. These uses of energy fields truly overlap with the domain of mind-body medicine. (For more information, see NCCAM's backgrounder "Mind-Body Medicine: An Overview.")
* Light Therapy: Light therapy is the use of natural or artificial light to treat various ailments, but unproven uses of light extend to lasers, colors, and monochromatic lights. High-intensity light therapy has been documented to be useful for seasonal affective disorder, with less evidence for its usefulness in the treatment of more general forms of depression and sleep disorders. Hormonal changes have been detected after treatment. Although low-level laser therapy is claimed to be useful for relieving pain, reducing inflammation, and helping to heal wounds, strong scientific proof of these effects is still needed.
* Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): Is a noninvasive method to excite neurons in the brain: weak electric currents are induced in the tissue by rapidly changing magnetic fields (electromagnetic induction). This way, brain activity can be triggered with minimal discomfort, and the functionality of the circuitry and connectivity of the brain can be studied.
* Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Is known as rTMS and can produce longer lasting changes. Numerous small-scale pilot studies have shown it could be a treatment tool for various neurological conditions (e.g. migraine, stroke, Parkinsons Disease, dystonia, tinnitus) and psychiatric conditions (e.g. clinical depression, auditory hallucinations).
* 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.
* Energy Medicine: Is a comprehensive term for practices that include, but are not limited to:
* Acupuncture and Acupressure * Alex Chiu * Antoine Priore * Applied Kinesiology * Bioelectricity * Bioelectromagnetics * Blood Electrification * Chromotherapy * Electrical devices in Alternative Medicine * Electroacupuncture according to Voll * Electromagnetic radiation and health * Electromagnetism * Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) * Energy Medicine * Energy Psychology * Flexner Report * Franz Mesmer * Georges Lakhovsky * Healing Touch * Homeopathy * Hulda Regehr Clark * Intercessory Prayer * Intuitive Medicine * Emotional Freedom Techniques * Energy Psychology * Healing Touch * Homeopathy * Ionized Bracelet * Intercessory Prayer * Intuitive Medicine * Johrei * Laser Therapy * Light Therapy * Magnetic Therapy * NAET (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique)* Nikola Tesla * Philadelphia Experiment * Project Rainbow * Pseudoscience * Radionics * Magnet therapy * Quackery * Qi Gong * Reiki * Royal Rife * Qi * Orgone * The Body Electric * Therapeutic Touch * Wilhelm Reich
* Energy Therapies:
Energy Therapies focus either on energy fields originating within the body (biofields) or those from other sources (electromagnetic fields). Biofield Therapies are intended to affect the energy fields, whose existence is not yet experimentally proven, that surround and penetrate the human body. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include Qi gong, Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. Qi gong is a component of traditional oriental medicine that combines movement, meditation, and regulation of breathing to enhance the flow of vital energy (Qi) in the body, to improve blood circulation, and to enhance immune function. Reiki, the Japanese word representing Universal Life Energy, is based on the belief that by channeling spiritual energy through the practitioner the spirit is healed, and it in turn heals the physical body. Therapeutic Touch is derived from the ancient technique of "laying-on of hands" and is based on the premise that it is the healing force of the therapist that affects the patient's recovery and that healing is promoted when the body's energies are in balance. By passing their hands over the patient, these healers identify energy imbalances. Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating current or direct current fields, to, for example, treat asthma or cancer, or manage pain and migraine headaches.
* Energy Therapy: Is a comprehensive term for practices that include, but are not limited to:
* Aether or quintessence in Alchemy * Aura in Parapsychology, Spirituality, and New Age * Biofield in New Age * Chakra in Hinduism, Tantra, New Age, and Ayurveda * Doshas in Ayurveda * Fohat in Theosophy * Homeopathic Resonance in Homeopathy * L-field of Harold Saxton Burr * Holy Spirit in some branches of Christianity * Kundalini in Hinduism, Yoga, and New Age * Magical energy in various systems * Mana in Oceanic cultures * Mbec in Ghedee * Morphogenetic field of biologist Rupert Sheldrake * Odic Force of chemist Carl von Reichenbach * Orgone Energy of Wilhelm Reich * Prana in Ayurveda and Yoga * Putative Energy * Qi or Ch'i or Ki in several Asian cultures, especially Chinese * Ruqeeyah is Islam * Shakti in Hinduism * Silap Inua in Inuit mythology * Vital Energy.
* Premise of Energy Therapies: The various approaches known collectively as "Energy Therapies" vary widely in philosophy, approach, and origin, ranging from the ancient practice of acupuncture to the ultra-modern system of Quantum-Touch. All, however, are predicated on the existence of some form of putative energy which has to date defied measurement by reproducible means. This vital energy is called variously Qi, Prana, Orgone Energy, subtle energy, or sundry other names according to the precise nature of the corresponding therapy. The ways in which this energy is used, modified, or manipulated to effect healing also varies by modality. For example, acupressure involves manual stimulation to unblock meridians, and in Therapeutic Touch the practitioner's hands are immersed in the patient's energy field to effect rebalancing without making physical contact.
* Thus far: Electromagnetic energy: Has been demonstrated and postulated to be the energy between bioenergy healers and patients. However, the exact nature of this energy is not clear. Among the range of ideas emerging in this field is the theory of a Russian researcher who recently hypothesized that "torsion fields" exist and that they can be propagated through space at no less than 109 times the speed of light in vacuum; that they convey information without transmitting energy; and that they are not required to obey the superposition principle. There are other extraordinary claims and observations recorded in the literature. For example, one report claimed that accomplished meditators were able to imprint their intentions on electrical devices (IIED), which when placed in a room for 3 months, would elicit these intentions, such as changes in pH and temperature, in the room even when the IIED was removed from the room. Another claim is that water will crystallize into different forms and appearances under the influence of written intentions or types of music. For research, questions remain about which of the above theories and approaches can be and should be addressed using existing technologies, and how.
* There has always been an interest in: Detecting and describing the physical properties of putative energy fields. Kirlian photography, aura imaging, and gas discharge visualization are approaches for which dramatic and unique differences before and after therapeutic energy attunements or treatments have been claimed. However, it is not clear what is being detected or photographed. Early results demonstrated that gamma radiation levels markedly decreased during therapy sessions in 100 percent of subjects and at every body site tested, regardless of which therapist performed the treatment. Recently replicated studies identified statistically significant decreases in gamma rays emitted from patients during alternative healing sessions with trained practitioners. It has been hypothesized that the body's primary gamma emitter, potassium-40 (K40), represents a "self-regulation" of energy within the body and the surrounding electromagnetic field. The body's energy adjustment may result, in part, from the increased electromagnetic fields surrounding the hands of the healers.
* Furthermore: An extremely sensitive magnetometer called a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) has been claimed to measure large frequency-pulsing biomagnetic fields emanating from the hands of Therapeutic Touch practitioners during therapy. In one study, a simple magnetometer measured and quantified similar frequency-pulsing biomagnetic fields from the hands of meditators and practitioners of yoga and qi gong. These fields were 1,000 times greater than the strongest human biomagnetic field and were in the same frequency range as those being tested in medical research laboratories for use in speeding the healing process of certain biological tissues. This range is low energy and extremely low frequency, spanning from 2 Hz to 50 Hz. However, there are considerable technical problems in such research. For example, SQUID measurement must be conducted under a special shielded environment, and the connection between electromagnetic field increases and observed healing benefits reported in the current literature is missing.
* Spiritual Energy:
Is often equated with empirically understood forces. For example, some believers in the "aura" equate it with electromagnetism, claims that have not been supported by experiment. Believers support their claims by arguing that electromagnetic fields are used in standard medical procedures, such as radiation therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation and magnetic resonance imaging. However, these techniques involve the use of large electrical and electronic devices to manipulate electric and magnetic fields and the physiological mechanisms by which these techniques affect the body are well-understood, quantified and have been supported by repeated experimentation. Scientists therefore dispute the claim that the body's electromagnetic fields can be affected by touch or psychic intervention in any clinically useful sense.
The confusion results from a disagreement over what constitutes "energy." Proponents of energy therapies argue that all matter is also energy. Scientists do not dispute this fact as first proposed by Albert Einstein in his theory of relativity. Where scientists and energy therapists come into conflict is with the idea that some energies are not measurable and can be manipulated psychically or unaided by technology. In order to distinguish between the energy used in techniques such as MRI and TMS (electromagnetism) and other unquantifiable "energy," the NIH has proposed the distinction between veritable (measurable) and putative (unmeasurable) energy. Some alternative therapies, such as electromagnetic therapy, use veritable energy, but make claims that are not supported by evidence.
* Vital Energy:
Is believed to flow throughout the material human body, but it has not been unequivocally measured by means of conventional instrumentation. Nonetheless, therapists claim that they can work with this subtle energy, see it with their own eyes, and use it to effect changes in the physical body and influence health.
This Vital Energy or Life Force is known under different names in different cultures, such as qiIn traditional Chinese medicine, the vital energy or life force proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin and yang. in traditional Chinese medicine A whole medical system that originated in China. It is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Practices such as herbs, meditation, massage, and acupuncture seek to aid healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi. (TCM), ki in the Japanese Kampo system, doshas in Ayurvedic medicine. A whole medical system that originated in India. It aims to integrate the body, mind, and spirit to prevent and treat disease. Therapies used include herbs, massage, and yoga., and elsewhere as prana, etheric energy, fohat, orgone, odic force, mana, and homeopathic resonance.
* Energy Body: * The consciousness in charge of regeneration and repair of our body and energy anatomy: The Energy Body interfaces between the conscious and the unconscious mind. Energy Channels includes the meridians, grounding cord and hara line. These channels exist for energy to circulate through the body as well as ground our physical and emotional bodies to the Earth. Energy Field: the electromagnetic field that is created by the body and sits 3-5 feet around us. It is a protection element for our body systems. Energy Healing: Working with the organizing forces that create and infuse matter. (See Auras)
* Subtle Energy redirects here: For the mystical concept of psychospiritual bodies overlaying the physical body, see Subtle body.
* Whole Medical Systems and Energy Medicine: Although modalities such as acupuncture and qi gong have been studied separately, TCM uses combinations of treatments (e.g., herbs, acupuncture, and qi gong) in practice. Similarly, Ayurvedic medicine uses combinations of herbal medicine, yoga, meditation, and other approaches to restore vital energy, particularly at the chakra energy centers. (For more information on TCM and Ayurvedic medicine, see NCCAM's backgrounder "Whole Medical Systems: An Overview."
* Other than a study reported by the Benveniste laboratory and other smaller studies:This hypothesis has not been supported by scientific research. There have been numerous clinical studies of homeopathic approaches, but systematic reviews point out the overall poor quality and inconsistency of these studies.
* Similarly, Reiki and Johrei practitioners claim: That the therapies boost the body's immune system, enhance the body's ability to heal itself, and are beneficial for a wide range of problems, such as stress-related conditions, allergies, heart conditions, high blood pressure, and chronic pain. However, there has been little rigorous scientific research. Overall, these therapies have impressive anecdotal evidence, but none has been proven scientifically to be effective. edit Distant Healing Proponents of energy field therapies also claim that some of these therapies can act across long distances. For example, the long-distance effects of external qi gong have been studied in China and summarized in the book Scientific Qigong Exploration, which has been translated into English.
* The studies reported various healing cases and described the nature of qi as bidirectional: Multifunctional, adaptable to targets, and capable of effects over long distances. But none of these claims has been independently verified. Another form of distant healing is intercessory prayer, in which a person prays for the healing of another person who is a great distance away, with or without that person's knowledge. Review of eight nonrandomized and nine randomized clinical trials published between 2000 and 2002 showed that the majority of the more rigorous trials do not support the hypothesis that distant intercessory prayer has specific therapeutic effects. Physical Properties of Putative Energy Fields There has always been an interest in detecting and describing the physical properties of putative energy fields.
* Kirlian photography, aura imaging, and gas discharge visualization: Are approaches for which dramatic and unique differences before and after therapeutic energy attunements or treatments have been claimed. However, it is not clear what is being detected or photographed. Early results demonstrated that gamma radiation levels markedly decreased during therapy sessions in 100 percent of subjects and at every body site tested, regardless of which therapist performed the treatment. Recently replicated studies identified statistically significant decreases in gamma rays emitted from patients during alternative healing sessions with trained practitioners. It has been hypothesized that the body's primary gamma emitter, potassium-40 (K40), represents a "self-regulation" of energy within the body and the surrounding electromagnetic field.
* The body's energy adjustment may result, in part: from the increased electromagnetic fields surrounding the hands of the healers. Furthermore, an extremely sensitive magnetometer called a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) has been claimed to measure large frequency-pulsing biomagnetic fields emanating from the hands of Therapeutic Touch practitioners during therapy.
* In one study, A simple magnetometer measured and quantified similar frequency-pulsing biomagnetic fields from the hands of meditators and practitioners of yoga and qi gong. These fields were 1,000 times greater than the strongest human biomagnetic field and were in the same frequency range as those being tested in medical research laboratories for use in speeding the healing process of certain biological tissues. This range is low energy and extremely low frequency, spanning from 2 Hz to 50 Hz. However, there are considerable technical problems in such research. For example, SQUID measurement must be conducted under a special shielded environment, and the connection between electromagnetic field increases and observed healing benefits reported in the current literature is missing.
* Other studies of putative energies suggested: that energy fields from one person can overlap and interact with energy fields of other people. For example, when individuals touch, one person's electrocardiographic signal is registered in the other person's electroencephalogram (EEG) and elsewhere on the other person's body. In addition, one individual's cardiac signal can be registered in another's EEG recording when two people sit quietly opposite one another. Additional Theories Thus far, electromagnetic energy has been demonstrated and postulated to be the energy between bioenergy healers and patients. However, the exact nature of this energy is not clear. Among the range of ideas emerging in this field is the theory of a Russian researcher who recently hypothesized that "torsion fields" exist and that they can be propagated through space at no less than 109 times the speed of light in vacuum; that they convey information without transmitting energy; and that they are not required to obey the superposition principle.
* There are other extraordinary claims and observations recorded in the literature: For example, one report claimed that accomplished meditators were able to imprint their intentions on electrical devices (IIED), which when placed in a room for 3 months, would elicit these intentions, such as changes in pH and temperature, in the room even when the IIED was removed from the room. Another claim is that water will crystallize into different forms and appearances under the influence of written intentions or types of music. For research, questions remain about which of the above theories and approaches can be and should be addressed using existing technologies, and how.
* Pages in category "Energy Therapies" There are pages in this section of this category.
* Acutonics: Is a trademarked name for the same procedure. Any sound-emitting device can be used in sonopuncture. The most commonly used device is the tuning fork. Tuning forks are traditionally used to help tune musical instruments. The tuning forks used in sonopuncture are more typically ones that are made specifically for this purpose. Tuning forks made for sonopuncture are said to be tuned according to the physics and harmonics of our solar system, with the goal of harmonizing a person thereby to supposed subtle energies of the universe, rather than to an arbitrary scale. Sonopuncturists claim that it can be used the same way as acupuncture if it is applied by a trained professional who understands the principles of TCM.
* Aromatherapy: Is the treatment or prevention of disease by use of essential oils. Two basic mechanisms are offered to explain the purported effects. One is the influence of aroma on the brain, especially the limbic system through the olfactory system. The other is the direct pharmacological effects of the essential oils. While precise knowledge of the synergy between the body and aromatic oils is often claimed by aromatherapists, the efficacy of aromatherapy remains to be proven. However, some preliminary clinical studies show positive effects. In the English-speaking world, practitioners tend to emphasize the use of oils in massage. Aromatherapy tends to be regarded as a complementary modality at best and a pseudoscientific fraud at worst.
* Attunement in Reiki: Is an initiation claimed to open up crown, heart, and palm chakras to allow what are called "universal life energies" (ki) to flow through a human. It is usually delivered in person by a Reiki Master to open a student to become an established Reiki healer. Many believe that only a Reiki Master can give Reiki attunements. Reiki attunements are intended to open and expand the ki-holding capacity or the Hara line and clear energy blockages. They are said to open a channel for the Reiki energy to flow from practitioner to client. The attunement process is unique to Reiki and distinguishes it from other types of hands-on healing systems.
* Commonly there are three levels of attunement for initiation in advanced stages: These are first, second and third (or Master) level. Upon completing the Master level, the student becomes a teacher and may attune others. There are variations[clarify] on this structure including the number of levels and the time requirements in advancing from level to level. The process There are varying forms of preparation for attunements which may include diet, meditations, clothing, or aura clearing,[clarify] for example. During attunement Reiki symbols are placed into the crown, heart, and/or palm chakras depending on the type of attunement to be given. The symbols are drawn in the air above the Crown chakra and ki energy is said to be transferred to the studet.
* Aura-Soma: Is a method of energy therapy based on colour and several forms of divination, devised by British pharmacist and chiropodist Vicky Wall. It shares similarities with other systems such as tarot, the I Ching and the Kabbalah, and many of the concepts from Jungian psychology and studies of mythology have also been related to the system. The central idea of Aura-Soma is that colour is a unifying universal language which relates to all other theologies and schools of psychology. The practice is centered around bottles known as "equilibrium bottles", which are made from equal amounts of two liquids, usually of two different colours the bottom half a fusion of water and herbs, and the top half essential oils and both made with crystal energies.
* There are currently 107 equilibrium bottles: With more being added on an infrequent basis. These bottles are selected by the client undergoing the therapy, and practitioners attach great spiritual significance and psychological connotations to colour combinations chosen by an individual, as each bottle represents a different series of symbolic emotional, mental and spiritual attributes. Aura-Soma practitioners regard their practice as a "non-intrusive soul therapy", and claim that the Aura-Soma products are intended to facilitate spiritual growth and consciousness, and are not intended to be used to diagnose or cure any physical illness or disease. The bottle system is governed by a central company called Aura-Soma Products LTD and the term "Aura-Soma" is a registered trademark of that company. It is currently managed by Mike Booth.
* Bach Flower Remedies: Are dilutions of flower material developed by Edward Bach, an English physician and homeopath, in the 1930s. The remedies are used primarily for emotional and spiritual conditions, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, insomnia and stress. The remedies contain a very small amount of flower material in a 50:50 solution of water and brandy. Because the remedies are extremely dilute they do not have a characteristic scent or taste of the plant. Vendors state that the remedies contain something called the "energetic signature" of the flower, and that this can be transmitted to the user. Controlled clinical studies of the remedies have generally found the flower remedies to be no more effective than a placebo.
* The Bowen Technique: Is one version of a group of technical interpretations of the work of Australian self-proclaimed osteopath Tom Bowen (1916–1982) known as Bowen Therapy, which is a holistic system of healing. The Bowen Technique was limited to Australia until 1986, when it was named, and introduced to other countries by Oswald Rentsch, who observed Bowen at work one morning a week for two years. It has since been developed and furthered by many others and is now one of the nine therapies involved in the move towards voluntary self regulation in the United Kingdom. The three other surviving students of Tom Bowen Keith Davis, Kevin Ryan and Romney Smeeton have methodologies that vary significantly from the way Oswald Rentsch teaches the technique. Dr Kevin Ryan teaches his interpretation of the Bowen Technique to osteopathic students at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.
* Breathwork: The term breathwork refers to many forms of conscious alteration of breathing, such as hyperventilation or connecting the inhale and exhale, when used within psychotherapy or meditation. Proponents believe the technique may be used to attain alternate states of consciousness, and that sustained practice of breathwork techniques may result in spiritual or psychological benefits.
* Breathwork has been used: As a label for yogic Pranayama and Tibetan Tantric Tummo, traditional spiritual practices from which the modern Western therapies most probably derive. Occasional use of the term Breathwork to describe Buddhist Anapanasati, “mindfulness of breathing” or "conscious breathing" appears to be misleading, because the meditator breathes naturally, without attempting to change the length or depth of the breath, simply observing it. This too can be debated as some practitioner would contend that whenever attention is focused, the object of attention changes, in this case breathing typically becomes longer, deeper and more relaxed.
* While using movement, Tai Chi and Qigong: Also make conscious use of the breath. When the modern breath-oriented therapies were first developed in the 1970s, they were often, as well as the previous spiritual and therapeutic history of breathwork, influenced by ideas from psychotherapy or the human potential movement. Leonard Orr and Stanislav Grof are two practitioners from whose work many of the more recently created types of breathwork have derived the basis of their techniques.
* Charmstone: Is a mineral specimen that certain people believe has healing, mystical or paranormal powers. This belief has been part of several indigenous cultures for centuries, e.g., cintamani. The mineral specimen may either be naturally occurring or honed from a natural stone; in some cases, the specimen may be entirely manufactured as in the case of certain Mayan pottery finds. For example, the Miwok and Pomo tribes of Northern California have left thousands of charmstones in the bed of Tolay Lake in Sonoma County.
* Charmstones are evidenced: by the Shalagram and lingam in the Hindu tradition and by maban in the indigenous Australian tradition. Jigme Lingpa in the Vajrayana tradition wrote a treatise on charmestone usage which Namkhai Norbu mentions. Charmstones were used in prehistoric Native American cermonies for broader spiritual purposes including securing of productive harvests. Today it is becoming popular among certain countercultures within Western society such as the new age movement, but is regarded as baseless by scientists and medical professionals.
* Chromotherapy: Sometimes called color therapy or colorology, is an alternative medicine method. It is claimed that a therapist trained in chromotherapy can use color and light to balance energy wherever a person's body be lacking, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental. Chromotherapists claim a scientific basis for their practice, proposing that colors bring about emotional reactions in people, but is labelled pseudoscience by its critics.
* A standard method of diagnosis is the use of "Luscher’s color test"Developed by Max Luscher (*1923) in the early 1900s. When performing chromotherapy, color and light is applied to specific areas and acupoints on the body. Because colors get associated with both positive and negative effects in color therapy, specific colors and accurate amounts of color are deemed to be critical in healing. Some of the tools used for applying colors are gemstones, candles, wands, prisms, colored fabrics, bath treatments, and colored glasses or lenses. Therapeutic color can be administered in a number of ways, but is often combined with hydrotherapy and aromatherapy in an attempt to heighten the therapeutic effect.
* Cymatic Therapy: Is a controversial complementary medical technique using acoustic waves which was developed in the 1960s by Sir Peter Guy Manners, MD, DO, PhD. It is based on the assumption that human cells, organs, and tissues have each a natural resonant frequency which changes when perturbed by illness. Cymatic therapists apply different audible frequencies and combinations of sound waves which they claim entrain malfunctioning components back to their healthy vibratory state and promote natural healing. The operational principle of cymatic therapy is out of step with mainstream scientific thought, and it is viewed with skepticism by most medical doctors. Cymatic Therapy is operationally, historically, and philosophically distinct from the many medical uses of ultrasound and from the more mainstream practice of music therapy.
* Electroacupuncture according to Voll (EAV): Also known as electrodermal screening (EDS), bioelectric functions diagnosis (BFD), bioresonance therapy (BRT), meridian stress assessment (MSA), or bio-energy regulatory technique (BER), is a controversial alternative medicine method of using electrodiagnostic devices to diagnose and treat "energy imbalance" often using homeopathic products, first used by Reinhold Voll by combining acupuncture with a galvanometer in 1958. It is not used in conventional medical treatments and has no scientific basis.
* Electromagnetic Therapy: Is a form of alternative medicine which claims to treat disease by applying electromagnetic energy to the body. It is labelled pseudoscientific by most modern medical researchers. A related alternative treatment, magnet therapy, uses the application of static (non-varying) magnetic fields and is similarly labelled as pseudoscience.
* Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): Is a psychotherapeutic tool based on a theory that negative emotions are caused by disturbances in the body's energy field and that tapping on the meridians while thinking of a negative emotion alters the body's energy field, restoring it to "balance." There are two studies which appear to show positive outcomes from use of the technique, but another study has suggested that it is indistinguishable from the placebo effect. Critics have described the theory behind EFT as pseudoscientific and have suggested that its utility stems from its more traditional cognitive components, such as distraction from negative thoughts, rather than from manipulation of energy meridians.
* Energy Field Disturbance: Is a nursing diagnosis listed by NANDA (North American Nursing Diagnosis Association) that is rooted in alternative medicine. According to NANDA, energy field disturbance is defined as the disruption of the flow of energy, or aura, surrounding a person's being that results in a disharmony of the body, mind, and/or spirit
* Geopathic Theory: More commonly known as geopathic stress, is the belief that negative energies, or ‘"harmful earth rays", emanate from the earth and cause discomfort and ill health to those living above. These energies are sometimes described as etheric in nature, while others maintain that electromagnetic fields are created by the distortion of the earth's vibration via subterranean running water, certain mineral concentrations, fault lines, underground cavities, and radiation sources. These negative energies are said to result in "geopathically stressed locations," which are thought by geopathy adherents to weaken the immune system and thus make one more susceptible to illness. Geopathic stress has been described as a pseudoscience by those skeptical of the concept.
* Holotropic Breathwork: Is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by Stanislav Grof, M.D., Ph.D. and Christina Grof, believed to allow access to nonordinary states of consciousness. Holotropic Breathing has some similarities to rebirthing, but was developed independently. Holotropic Breathwork is used by practitioners as an approach to self-exploration and healing that integrates insights from modern consciousness research, anthropology, various depth psychologies, transpersonal psychology, Eastern spiritual practices, and mystical traditions of the world.
* The name Holotropic means: moving toward wholeness (from the Greek "holos" = whole and "trepein"=moving in the direction of something). The method comprises five elements: group process, intensified breathing (so-called hyperventilation), evocative music, focused body work, and expressive drawing. The method's general effect is a non-specific amplification of a person's psychic process, which facilitates the psyche's natural capacity for healing.
* Holotropic Breathwork: Is usually done in groups, although individual sessions are done. Within the groups, people work in pairs and alternate in the roles of experiencer ("breather") and "sitter". The sitter's primary responsibility is to focus compassionate attention on the breather. Secondarily, the sitter is available to assist the breather, but not to interfere or interrupt the process. The same is true for trained facilitators, who are available as helpers if necessary.
* Originally developed as an adjunct to LSD psychotherapy: Holotropic Breathwork is an autonomous psychotherapeutic practice which, nevertheless, retains many of the clinical precautionary measures that were implemented in the medical use of LSD. "Holotropic Breathwork" is a trademark.
* The Horstmann Technique: Is a highly effective energy based body work therapy wich can be easily learned and practiced. The underlying philosophy is that connective tissue store blocked energy from things like unresolved emotional issues. Unaddressed issues may lodge in the sacrum (lower back), neck, shoulders, and feet. Which may affect joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves. And in turn may cause pain and stress. The practical technique works by initially balancing the "energy field" and then holding on special energy points while mobilising limbs.
* House Healings also known as house blessings and house clearings: Are rituals intended to clear a physical place of negative energies or "evil spirits". According to believers of parapsychology, a house healing entails a clairvoyant identifying energy patterns in a house or other physical structure and neutralizing them, allowing the energy of the house to align with present time vibrations. Some believers say house healings ease transitions into a new home and can cleanse a haunted house of ghost activity.
* House healings are not only parapsychology related. (They take place in Christian, American Indian, and Pagan religions. Wiccans use a many stepped ceremony calling for herbs and the elements in order to banish unwanted spirits. House blessings are as old as Christianity, and in Catholicism, the ritual takes the form of a prayer; the practice also has a history in Eastern Orthodox and Episcopal churches. Several common superstitions in regards to house-cleaning include using a new broom for the first floor sweeping and bringing water from one's old house.
* Initiation Reiki: Ascensive Reiki: Is a form of energy transfer[clarify] used to pass energetic habilities from master to disciple.
* Initiation Reiki: Is known to be used in gnostic or mystery schools in order to amplify a students Aura matching his teacher energetic habilities for some minutes. It is used so that the student can feel in his own body the proper frequence to be achieved. The technique is one of the final steps in first initiation degree and it's practice seems only to be effective during a deep meditative state. Ascensive Reiki is also used in common reiki sesions in order to transfer "Healing Energy".
* The main difference is that during this particular practice: The Qi is transferred from the master to the student from the Reiki Master Aura and not from the Qi divine source. Known Experiences Many who have been in a Reiki session for first time, have felt the wellness of the technique blowing away all skeptic believes. However Initiation Reiki is different. It involves large amounts of Qi Energy to be transferred all of a sudden to the Aura of the student. Known pysical symptoms are sweating, visual and hearing distortions and insomnia.
* The Initiative Process Initiative Reiki: Used in gnostic schools is only one technique of initiation. To achieve this state in which the student will obtain a disciple grade, several inner growth practices are mandatory. The system is believed to be regulated by universal laws that cannot be bent. Because of this, the student must transform itself by: Dimminishing EGO, eliminating "Personal Importance", generating a circle of trust and becoming fearless.
* This last is considered to be the most difficult of all because the student must be able to control basic instinctive functions: In order to achieve the loosing of fear itself, the student is encouraged to understand that the way of the universe and Karmic Rules govern everything that surrounds us. EGO itself is understood to be immersed in a hypnotic state in which the subject believes he has control over the universe. Students with humble character that keep and develop universal values over any cultural contamination and selected to be disciples.
According to the NCCAM, Integrative Medicine is healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind, and spirit), including all aspects of lifestyle.
* Integrative Medicine: Combines treatments from conventional medicine and CAM for which there is some high-quality evidence of safety and effectiveness. The biggest proponent of integrative medicine has been attributed to Andrew T. Weil M.D., who founded the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in 1994 based on a phrase coined by Elson Haas, MD.
* It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies: Both conventional and alternative. The principles of integrative medicine: A partnership between patient and practitioner in the healing process Appropriate use of conventional and alternative methods to facilitate the body's innate healing response Consideration of all factors that influence health, wellness and disease, including mind, spirit and community as well as body A philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically Recognition that good medicine should be based in good science, be inquiry driven, and be open to new paradigms Use of natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible Use of the broader concepts of promotion of health and the prevention of illness as well as the treatment of disease Training of practitioners to be models of health and healing, committed to the process of self-exploration and self-development.
* Intuitive: Known or perceived by Intuition: directly apprehended ad an intuitive awareness of is sister's feelings knowable by intuition intuitive truths based on or agreeing with intuition intuitive responses makes intuitive sense readily learned or understood software with an intuitive interface knowing or perceiving by intuition: possessing or given to intuition or insight an intuitive mind in·tu·i·tive·ly adverb in·tu·i·tive·ness noun (Merrian Webster) Intuition has many related meanings, usually connected to the meaning "ability to sense or know immediately without reasoning", including:
* Intuition: Is the philosophical method of Henri Bergson. * Intuition (philosophy) * In psychology, intuition may mean: * Intuition (knowledge) understanding without apparent effort, quick and ready insight seemingly independent of previous experiences or empirical knowledge. Intuition is one of the four axes of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, opposite sensing.
* Is a synthesis of: ancient Eastern and alternative medicine health care ideas centered on the concept of a Human Energy Field. Polarity Therapy concepts and methods were developed by Randolph Stone. Using touch, verbal interaction, exercise, nutrition and other methods, Practitioners of Polarity Therapy seek to balance and restore the natural flow of energy which, it is claimed, flows from the universe and into the body through the chakras. The aim is to re-establish "balance" in the central nervous system, and the majority of time is spent focusing on creating a parasympathetic balance. This deep nervous system balancing and unblocking allows a release of stress and permits the body to relax and heal itself naturally. The result is increased energy and vitality. In addition to polarity bodywork, specific polarity yoga exercises, counseling/positive thinking, and nutritional recommendations are used to enhance vitality.
* Intercession, in both Christianity and Islam: Is a prayer to God on behalf of another person. The nature of intercession in Judaism is disputed.
* Katsugen Undo: Regenerating movement exercise, is a Seitai exercise developed by Haruchika Noguchi in which one on purpose lets go of conscious control of the body and allow it to heal itself. Also a manifestation of regenerating movement exists which is spontaneously induced by the body and which is simply called Katsugen. Before consciously inducing Katsugen undo, one has to do two preparatory movements and a method exists for ending katsugen undo. This makes a total of four movements. It is also possible to do mutual katsugen und? by two people.
* Magnetic Devices: Alex Chiu markets plastic magnetic rings which he calls Immortality Devices. He claims that these can arrest and even reverse the aging process, lessen the intensity of most diseases, and lead to physical immortality when worn nightly. Chiu believes that the rings work by increasing the body's "cellular magnetic flux". The rings are worn on the little finger of each hand and must be aligned in a certain direction. Wearing them incorrectly is supposed to reverse their effect, greatly harming the user's health. Chiu provides free directions on how to construct his Immortality Devices.
* The devices consist of an adjustable ring of plastic: (grey or white for normal 1000 gauss [0.1 tesla], black for neodymium at 21,000 gauss [2.1 T]) with teeth. Two magnets are set in each ring, one above and one below the finger, and they are marked on the plastic with a positive and negative sign. His rings come in a cheaper and weaker variety of earth magnet, and neodymium, a superior form which he claims has a much stronger effect on health. Chiu also sells magnetic foot braces, which accompany the rings. Chiu has claimed in the past to be working on a true "heal the handicap" machine, based upon coil magnets, and possibly electromagnetism. In 2006 he abandoned the concept claiming it did more harm than good and developed the alternative Gorgeouspil and Super Chi Flush products.
* Magnet Therapy, Mmagnetic Therapy, Magnetotherapy or Magnotherapy: Is a complimentary and alternative medicine practice involving the use of both static magnetic fields and electromagnets. Magnetotherapy is a convetional medicine practice in the treatment of severe fractures. Practitioners claim that subjecting certain parts of the body to magnetic fields produced by permanent, typically NdFeB magnets has beneficial health effects. Magnetotherapy is considered pseudoscientific by its critics, while long standing research and practice has shown that exposure to static magnetic fields has health benefits, and is useful in the treatment of broken bones. Bassett CA, Mitchell SN, Gaston SR. Pulsing electromagnetic field treatment in ununited fractures and failed arthrodeses. Journal of the American Medical Association.
* Massage: Is the treatment and practice of manipulation of the soft body tissues with physical, functional, i.e. mechanical, medical/therapeutic, and in some cases psychological purposes and goals. The word comes from the French massage "friction of kneading," possibly from Arabic massa "to touch, feel, handle" or from Latin massa "mass, dough". (In distinction the ancient Greek word for massage itself was anatripsis, and the Latin was frictio.)Massage involves acting and manipulating the patient's body with pressure (structured, unstructured, stationary, and/or moving), tension, motion, or vibration done manually or with mechanical aids. Target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as lymphatic vessels, and/or organs of the gastrointestinal system.
* Massage can be applied with: the hands, fingers, elbows, forearm, and feet. There are over eighty different massage modalities. The most cited reasons for introducing massage was patient demand and perceived clinical effectiveness. Peer-reviewed medical research has shown that the benefits of massage include pain relief, reduced trait anxiety and depression, and temporarily reduced blood pressure, heart rate, and state anxiety. Theories behind what massage might do include blocking pain signals to the brain (gate control theory), activating the parasympathetic nervous system which may stimulate the release of endorphins and serotonin, preventing fibrosis or scar tissue, increasing the flow of lymph, and improving sleep but such effects are yet to be supported by well designed clinical studies. Massage can be performed by a professional Massage Practitioner, or by other health care professionals, such as Chiropractors, Osteopaths, Athletic trainers, and/or Physical Therapists.
* Massage Therapists work in hospitals: As allied health professioners, in nursing homes, sports and fitness facilities, spas, beauty salons, cruise ships, private offices, and travel to private residences or businesses. Contraindications to massage include, deep vein thrombosis, bleeding disorders or taking blood thinners such as Warfarin, damaged blood vessels, weakened bones from cancer, osteoporosis, or fractures, and fever.
* In professional settings: Massage involves the client being treated while lying on a massage table, sitting upright in a massage chair, or lying on a pad on the floor. Except for modalities such as Acupressure, Shiatsu, Tui Na, Thai Massage, or Barefoot Deep Tissue, the massage subject is generally unclothed or partially unclothed, also referred to as disrobed, and their body would be "draped" with towels or sheets.
* Meditation: Is one of therapeutic practices in alternative medicine. It is especially good for reducing stress and managing pain. It can slow down the activity of brainwave by calming the mind. On the other hand, the cognitive process of the mind is temporarily stop without interference from outside.
There are three types of technique in meditation:
1) Concentrative meditation 2) Mindfulness meditation 3) Transcendental meditation
* Therapeutic effects of meditation benefit nervous system, digestive system, addictions, immune system, etc.
* Nishi Shiki (Nishi Health System): Consists of health exercises purported to activate certain bodily functions. It has been founded in 1927 by Katsuz? Nishi. Because Katsuzo Nishi was also an aikido teacher at Aikikai Hombu Dojo hence many aikidoka were introduced to the Nishi Health System which resulted in the incorporation of certain exercises, like the fish exercise (kingyo undo,) into aikido and the way aikidoka took care of their health. The organisation around this system is called Nishikai, which helped Koichi Tohei in starting up aikido in Hawaii, which has members of Nishi-kai on all of its islands. The Nishi Health System system is partly incorporated in Genkikai by Masatomi Ikeda.
* Polarity Therapy: Is a "holistic" health system developed by Randolph Stone. Proponents believe that healing can be achieved through manipulation of the complementary (or "polarized," hence the name) forces, known as Yin and Yang. There has been very little research on Polarity therapy specifically, but much research on other, similar energy therapies is applicable to the practice. Polarity therapy claims to work with putative (unmeasurable) energy, therefore it is considered pseudoscientific by critics.
* QT Incorporated: Is the manufacturer of the Q-Ray ionized bracelet. It is headed by the infomercial entrepreneur Que Te "Andrew" Park.
* Quantum-Touch (QT): Is a form of vitalism founded by Richard Gordon combining quantum mysticism with therapeutic touch. Practitioners exercise a hands-on healing system that claims to heal physical and emotional issues by heightening resonance vibrations between the practitioner, the recipient, and a "universal life force energy" (Qi).
* Quantum-Touch differs somewhat from Reiki: In that practitioners are taught specific body awareness and breathing techniques to augment the flow of energy from practitioner to client, though both fall under the broad category of "energy healing" within the realm of Alternative medicine. As with Reiki and other putative energy-based, alternative healing modalities,
* Quantum-Touch faces skepticism: Tithin the mainstream scientific community with regard to claims of its effectiveness. Quantum-Touch has, however, found some acceptance in various circles such as massage therapy and holistic medicine.
* Radionics: Is a body of ideas and practice concerning the concept of subtle energy and its transmission for healing purposes from a practitioner to another person or to any other living thing. Practitioners' thoughts are focused by means of electronic devices of varying complexity during both diagnosis and treatment. Physical proximity is not required, though some unique proxy such as a signature or hair sample is necessary so the operator can "tune in" to the patient. The ideas behind radionics originated in the early 1900s with Albert Abrams (1864-1924). The concept of such fields is not uncommon in alternative medicine, and is also according to its practitioners associated with extrasensory perception (ESP) and dowsing. These fields are not recognized scientifically, and contradict known principles of physics and biology. As a result, Radionics is usually classed as a pseudoscience.
* Reiki: Reiki IPA: Is a form of spiritual practice used as a complementary therapy for the treatment of physical, emotional, and mental diseases. Mikao Usui developed Reiki in the mid 20th century Japan, where he said he received the ability of 'healing without energy depletion' after three weeks of fasting and meditating on Mount Kurama. Practitioners use a technique similar to the laying on of hands, which they say will channel "healing energy" (ki). Practitioners state that energy flows through their palms to bring about healing and that the method can be used for self-treatment as well as treatment of others.
* Reiki Jin Kei Do: Is the name given to a lineage of Reiki. Reiki Jin Kei Do differs from other lineages of Reiki by a strong emphasis placed on spiritual growth through meditation and in energy cultivation by various energy awareness exercises. These are seen as essential to bring the practitioner closer in tune to the Universal Energy Field.
* Seichim also spelt Sekhem, Seichem, SKHM: is a form of energy healing introduced by Patrick Zeigler in 1984. Some claim it originates from Ancient Egypt or Atlantis. Some forms of seichim are similar to Reiki.
* Seitai: (properly ordered body) Technically, it consists in easing the activity of the life force by re-adjusting the physiology of the body. Basic known techniques are katsugen undo Seitai taiso and yuki , which has been founded by Haruchika Noguchi. This is also known as Noguchi Seitai to prevent ambiguity. The term Seitai (or Sei-Tai) was created by Noguchi after the Second World War.
* It represents: Seitai is a Japanese inner art of healing based on the mastery of ki based on re-adjustment techniques applied on a person (Seitai shido or Seitai soho) or on oneself (such as Seitai tais? and katsugen und? for example). It is only known among some of the first generation of practitioners that Seitai arose from an organization created by the government shortly before the Second World War. This organization called Kenko Hojikai had the mission to inventory the knowledges and traditional healing patrimony owned by Japanese healers around the country. Among the people involved was Noguchi. Out of their study arose the a belief that one's internal life force is at the center point of health and well being. The greatest skills of the Kenko Hojikai group was: 1. to recognize that the body has its own pre-existing order, intimately connected to this life force, and to inventory the particularities of a healthy (ordered) body and 2. to elaborate precise techniques that would stimulate this inner life force in a way that forces the body to re-adjust itself from within, rather than using any external means.
* Although the origin of Seitai: finds some connections with different forms of healing schools such as Japanse bone settings ([sekkotsu] and Hone Tsugi) or Chinese medicine known as Kampo (Chinese pharmacopeia), the actual technique of Seitai is in no way similar to any of the above. The name Seitai was created by Noguchi. Before that, it did not exist in any Japanese dictionary. Shortly after the war the Kenko Hojika group split up giving birth to several school of healing arts as Sotai for example. Nevertheless, the larger part of the members followed Noguchi who eventually founded the Seitai Foundation known as Seitai Kyokai.
* Sonopuncture: Is a modern technique said to be based in part on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and in part on New Age style speculation concerning the harmonic properties of outer space. It uses the application of sound signals on acupuncture points. It is a rare system, and isn't used by TCM practitioners in or from China proper. Its efficacy is unproven, and there is no known scientific mechanism for its purported effects. Here is sonopuncture performed on acupoint Kidney 6, using a hand-held tuning fork. Sonopuncture does not involve "puncture." It is also known by the name "phonophorese" which is technically more accurate, but not widely used.
* Tapas Acupressure Technique (or TAT): Is a controversial complementary healing modality promoted to clear negative emotions and past traumas. Though the full technique was invented in 1993 by Tapas Fleming, a licensed acupuncturist in California, TAT incorporates elements of and builds on other acupressure techniques. Like other energy therapies, TAT relies on a putative energy for which no scientific basis has been found and no biophysical means of action determined.
* Invented by Ms. Tapas Fleming: a California licensed acupuncturist in 1993, TAT is marketed as a "leading edge healing technique," and "an easy process for ending traumatic stress, reducing allergic reactions, and freeing yourself of negative beliefs." It is also promoted as a tested treatment for weight loss following research funded by Kaiser Permanente and The National Institutes of Health published a study in the March 2007 Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. The underlying theory is that trauma leads to a blockage of energy. Practitioners of TAT claim that by applying light pressure to four areas (inner corner of both eyes, one-half-inch above the space between the eyebrows, and the back of head) while putting your attention on a series of steps releases the blockage and allows healing. TAT has been taught for over 10 years in courses that earn continuing education units for acupuncturists and therapists.
* Therapeutic Touch (TT): Is described by proponents as "an energy modality which encourages healing". TT practitioners say that by placing their hands near the patient they can detect and manipulate the patient's energy fields, which allows them to assist the natural healing process. There is no scientific evidence to support the claims made by TT; in fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that TT practitioners could not even detect the presence or absence of a hand placed a few inches above theirs when their vision was obstructed. The existence of a "biofield" or "bioenergetic field," a necessary component of TT theory, directly contradicts many principles of modern physics, chemistry, and biology.
* Dora Kunz: theosophy promoter and one-time president of the Theosophical Society of America, and Dolores Krieger, Ph.D., R.N., nursing educator at New York University, developed Therapeutic Touch in the 1970s. Therapeutic Touch has roots in ancient healing practices, although it has no connection with any religious beliefs. Dr. Krieger notes, "A basic recognition upon which Therapeutic Touch was developed initially was exactly that in the final analysis, it is the healee (client) who heals himself. The healer or therapist, in this view, acts as a human energy support system until the healee's own immunological system is robust enough to take over."
* The creation of TT: Occurred as part of a larger movement supported by some within the nursing community away from the scientific method; a movement that embraced anecdotal evidence at the expense of biological plausibility and testable evidence. Other fringe nursing theories that emerged during the 1970s include the Theory of Transpersonal Caring and Health as Expanding Consciousness. The American Holistic Nurses Association endorses TT along with astrology, prayer, psychic surgery, chelation therapy, a potentially deadly treatment approved only for acute heavy metal toxicity but employed by many alternative medicine practitioners, and numerous other "alternative modalities."
* Vibrational Medicine: Is based on the premise that human bodies are made up of inter-connecting fields of energy and that when a human body is not well that it is the result of one or more of these fields of energy being unbalanced and that the re-balancing of these energies will help to re-establish a person's good health. Mainstream physics and biology does not accept that these energy fields exist, and therefore vibrational medicine is generally viewed as pseudoscience.
* Vitalism: as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary: Is 1. a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical forces 2. a doctrine that the processes of life are not explicable by the laws of physics and chemistry alone and that life is in some part self-determining. Where vitalism explicitly invokes a vital principle, that element is often referred to as the "vital spark," "energy" or "élan vital," which some equate with the "soul." Vitalism has a long history in medical philosophies: most traditional healing practices posited that disease was the result of some imbalance in the vital energies which distinguish living from non-living matter. In the Western tradition, associated with Hippocrates, these vital forces were identified as the humours; Eastern traditions posited similar forces such as qi and prana. Vitalistic thinking has also been identified in the naive biological theories of children.
* Vital Energy: Is believed to flow throughout the material human body, but it has not been unequivocally measured by means of conventional instrumentation. Nonetheless, therapists claim that they can work with this subtle energy, see it with their own eyes, and use it to effect changes in the physical body and influence health.
* This Vital Energy or Life Force: Is known under different names in different cultures, such as qiIn traditional Chinese medicine, the vital energy or life force proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin and yang. in traditional Chinese medicine A whole medical system that originated in China. It is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Practices such as herbs, meditation, massage, and acupuncture seek to aid healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi. (TCM), ki in the Japanese Kampo system, doshas in Ayurvedic medicine. A whole medical system that originated in India. It aims to integrate the body, mind, and spirit to prevent and treat disease. Therapies used include herbs, massage, and yoga., and elsewhere as prana, etheric energy, fohat, orgone, odic force, mana, and homeopathic resonance.
* Energetics:
Is the scientific study of energy flows and storages under transformation. Because energy flows at all scales, from the quantum level, to the biosphere and cosmos, energetics is therefore a very broad discipline, encompassing for example thermodynamics, chemistry, biological energetics, biochemistry and ecological energetics. Where each branch of energetics begins and ends is a topic of constant debate. For example, Lehninger contended that when the science of thermodynamics deals with energy exchanges of all types, it can be called energetics.
* In general: Energetics is concerned with seeking principles that accurately describe the useful and non-useful tendencies of energy flows and storages under transformation. 'Principles' are understood here as phenomena which behave like historical invariants under multiple observations. When some critical number of people have observed such invariance, such a principle is usually then given the status of a 'fundamental law' of science. Like in all science, whether or not a theorem or principle is considered a fundamental law appears to depend on how many people agree to such a proposition. The ultimate aim of energetics therefore is the description of fundamental laws. Philosophers of science have held that the fundamental laws of thermodynamics can be treated as the laws of energetics, Through the clarification of these laws energetics aims to produce reliable predictions about energy flow and storage transformations at any scale; nano to macro.
* Energetics has a controversial history: Some authors maintain that the origins of energetics can be found in the work of the ancient Greeks, but that the mathematical formalisation began with the work of Leibniz. Liet.-Col. Richard de Villamil (1928) said that Rankine formulated the Science of Energetics in his paper Outlines of the Science of Energetics published in the Proceedings of the Philosophical Society of Glasgow in 1855. W. Ostwald and E. Mach subsequently developed the study and in the late 1800s energetics was understood to be incompatible with the atomic view of the atom forwarded by Boltzmann's gas theory. Proof of the atom settled the dispute but not without significant damage. In the 1920's Lotka then attempted to build on Boltzmann's views through a mathematical synthesis of energetics with biological evolutionary theory. Lotka proposed that the selective principle of evolution was one which favoured the maximum useful energy flow transformation. This view subsequently influenced the further development of ecological energetics, especially the work of Howard T. Odum.
* De Villamil: Attempted to clarify the scope of energetics with respects to other branches of physics by contriving a system that divides mechanics into two branches; energetics (the science of energy) and "pure", "abstract" or "rigid" dynamics (the science of momentum). According to Villamil energetics can be mathematically characterised by scalar equations, and rigid dynamics by vectorial equations. In this division the dimensions for dynamics are space, time and mass, and for energetics, length, time and mass. This division is made according to fundamental pressuppositions about the properties of bodies which can be expressed according to how one answers to following two questions:
* 1. Are particles rigidly fixed to together * 2. Is there any machinery for stopping moving bodies?
* In Villamil's classification system: Dynamics says yes to 1 and no to 2, whereas energetics says no to 1 and yes to 2. Therefore, Villamil's in system, dynamics assumes that particles are rigidly fixed together and cannot vibrate, and consequently must all be at zero temperature. The conservation of momentum is a consequence of this view, however it is considered valid only in logic and not to be a true representation of the facts. In contrast energetics does not assume that particles are rigidly fixed together, particles are therefore free to vibrate, and consequently can be at non-zero temperatures.
* Principles of Energetics: As a general statement of energy flows under transformation, the principles of energetics include the first four laws of thermodynamics which seek a rigorous description. However the precise place of the laws of thermodynamics within the principles of energetics is a topic currently under debate. If the ecologist Howard T. Odum was right, then the principles of energetics take into consideration a hierarchical ordering of energy forms, which aims to account for the concept of energy quality, and the evolution of the universe. Albert Lehninger called these hierarchical orderings the successive stages in the flow of energy through the biological macrocosm. Odum proposed 3 further energetic principles and one corollary that take energy hierarchy into account. The first four principles of energetics are related to the same numbered laws of thermodynamics, and are expanded upon in that article. The final four principles are taken from the ecological energetics of H.T. Odum.
* Zeroth principle of energetics: If two thermodynamic systems A and B are in thermal equilibrium, and B and C are also in thermal equilibrium, then A and C are in thermal equilibrium.
* First principle of energetics: The increase in the internal energy of a system is equal to the amount of energy added to the system by heating, minus the amount lost in the form of work done by the system on its surroundings.
* Second principle of energetics: The total entropy of any isolated thermodynamic system tends to increase over time, approaching a maximum value.
* Third principle of energetics: As a system approaches absolute zero of temperature all processes cease and the entropy of the system approaches a minimum value or zero for the case of a perfect crystalline substance.
* Fourth principle of energetics: There seem to be two opinions on the fourth principle of energetics:
* Fifth principle of energetics: The energy quality factor increases hierarchically. From studies of ecological food chains, Odum proposed that energy transformations form a hierarchical series measured by Transformity increase. Flows of energy develop hierarchical webs in which inflowing energies interact and are transformed by work processes into energy forms of higher quality that feedback amplifier actions, helping to maximise the power of the system".
* Sixth principle of energetics: Material cycles have hierarchical patterns measured by the emergy/mass ratio that determines its zone and pulse frequency in the energy hierarchy. (Odum 2000, p. 246). M.T. Brown and V. Buranakarn write, "Generally, emergy per mass is a good indicator of recycle-ability, where materials with high emergy per mass are more recyclable".
* Energy quality the contrast between different forms of energy: The different trophic levels in ecological systems and the propensity of energy to convert from one form to another. The concept refers to our empirical experience of the characteristics, or qualia, of different energy forms as they flow and transform. It appeals to our common perception of the heat value, versatility, and environmental performance of different energy forms and the way a small increment in energy flow can sometimes produce a large transformation effect on both energy physical state and energy. For example the transition from a solid state to liquid may only involve a very small addition of energy. Methods of evaluating energy quality are sometimes concerned to develop a system of ranking energy qualities in hierarchical order.
* Since before antiquity: There has been deep philosophical, aesthetic and scientific interest in the contrast of quality with quantity. In some respects the history of modern and postmodern thought can be characterized by the phenomenological approach to these two concepts. A central question has been whether the many different qualitative aspects of the world can be understood in terms of rational quantities, or whether the qualitative and quantitative are irreconcilable: that is, there is no "rational quality", or quale ratio. Many scientists and analytic philosophers say they are not, and therefore consider some qualitative phenomena like, for instance, spirituality, and astrology to be unquantifiable, unanalysable by scientific methods, and therefore ungrounded in physical reality. The notion of energy quality therefore has a tendency to be linked with phenomena many scientists consider unquantifiable, or at least incommunicable, and are consequently dismissed out of hand.
* At the same time: Many people have also recognised qualitative differences in the way things can be done by different entities (both physical and biological). Humans, for example have qualitatively different capacities than many other mammals , due, in part, to their opposable thumb. In the attempt to formalise some of the qualitative differences, entities were grouped according to distinguishing features or capacities. Different schools of thought used different methods to make distinctions. Some people chose taxonomic and genome structure, while others chose energetic function as the basis of classifications. The former are often associated with biology, while the latter with the trophic food chain analysis of ecology. These can be considered attempts to formalise quantitative, scientific studies of the qualitative differences between entities. The efforts were not isolated to biology and ecology, since engineers were also interested in quantifying the amount of work that qualitatively different sources of energy could provide.
* Ohta: According to Ohta the ranking and scientific analysis of energy quality was first proposed in 1851 by William Thomson under the concept of "availability". This concept was continued in Germany by Z. Rant, who developed it under the title, "die Exergie" (the exergy). It was later continued and standardised in Japan. Exergy analysis now forms a common part of many industrial and ecological energy analyses. For example, I.Dincer and Y.A. Cengel state that energy forms of different qualities are now commonly dealt with in steam power engineering industry. Here the "quality index" is the relation of exergy to the energy content (Ibid.). However energy engineers were aware that the notion of heat quality involved the notion of value - for example A. Thumann wrote, "The essential quality of heat is not the amount but rather its 'value'" - which brings into play the question of teleology and wider, or ecological-scale goal functions. In an ecological context S.E. Jorgensen and G.Bendoricchio say that exergy is used as a goal function in ecological models, and expresses energy "with a built-in measure of quality like energy"
* Energy Quality Evaluation Methods: There appear to be two main kinds of methodology used for the calculation of energy quality. These can be classed as either receiver or donor methods. One of the main differences that distinguishes these classes is the assumption of whether energy quality can be upgraded in an energy transformation process.
* Receiver methods: View energy quality as a measure and indicator of the relative ease with which energy converts from one form to another. That is, how much energy is received from a transformation or transfer process. For example, A. Grubler used two types of indicators of energetic quality pars pro toto: the hydrogen/carbon (H/C) ratio, and its inverse, the carbon intensity of energy. Grubler used the latter as an indicator of relative environmental quality. However Ohta says that in multistage industrial conversion systems, such as a hydrogen production system using solar energy, the energy quality is not upgraded.
* Donor methods: View energy quality as a measure of the amount of energy used in an energy transformation, and that goes into sustaining a product or service. That is how much energy is donated to an energy transformation process. These methods are used in ecological physical chemistry, and ecosystem evaluation. From this view, in contrast with that outlined by Ohta, energy quality is upgraded in the multistage trophic conversions of ecological systems. Here, upgraded energy quality has a greater capacity to feedback and control lower grades of energy quality. Donor methods attempt to understand the usefulness of an energetic process by quantifying the extent to which higher quality energy controls lower quality energy.
* Energy Quality in Physical-Chemical Science (direct energy transformations): onstant energy form but variable energy flow. T.Ohta suggested that the concept of energy quality may be more intuitive if one considers examples where the form of energy remains constant but the amount of energy flowing, or transferred is varied. For instance if we consider only the inertial form of energy, then the energy quality of a moving body is higher when it moves with a greater velocity. If we consider only the heat form of energy, then a higher temperature has higher quality. And if we consider only the light form of energy then light with higher frequency has greater quality. All these differences in energy quality are therefore easily measured with the appropriate scientific instrument. Variable energy form, but constant energy flow The situation becomes more complex when the form of energy does not remain constant. In this context Ohta formulated the question of energy quality in terms of the conversion of energy of one form into another, that is the transformation of energy. Here, energy quality is defined by the relative ease with which the energy transforms, from form to form. If energy A is relatively easier to convert to energy B but energy B is relatively harder to convert to energy A, then the quality of energy A is defined as being higher than that of B. The ranking of energy quality is also defined in a similar way.
* Nomenclature: Prior to Ohta's definition above, A.W.Culp produced an energy conversion table describing the different conversions from one energy to another. Culp's treatment made use of a subscript to indicate which energy form is being talked about. Therefore, instead of writing "energy A", like Ohta above, Culp referred to "Je", to specify electrical form of energy, where" J" refers to "energy", and the "e"subscript refers to electrical form of energy. Culps notation anticipated Scienceman's (1997) later maxim that all energy should be specified as form energy with the appropriate subscript.
Resources: (MedTerms): - Medical Dictionary definitions of popular medical terms easily defined on MedTerms. (NCCAM) - The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (Wikipedia): - Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia Main article: Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Energy Therapies. (NIH) - National Institutes of Health. (MWD) - Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (IPL) - Internet Public Library: Health Medical Sciences. (Kofutu's CAM): - Glossary of Spiritual Terms. (Scared Texts) - The Internet Sacred Text Archive. (Search Kofutu)
All Energy-Therapies Web - Reiki All Energy-Therapies Web - Comprehensive FREE resource site for Reiki & other Energy-Therapy disciplines. http://www.aetw.org/
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