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The term "energy" also has a scientific
context, and the scientific foundations of "physical
energy" are often confused or misused to justify a
connection to a scientific basis for physical
manifestations, properties, detectability or sensing
of "psychic energy" and other psychic phenomenon
where no presently known scientific basis exists.
This proposed energy is sometimes conceived of as a
universal life force running within and between all
things, as in some forms of vitalism, doctrines of
subtle bodies or concepts such as qi, prana, or
kundalini.
Spiritual energy is often closely associated with
the metaphor of life as breath - the words 'qi', 'prana',
and 'spirit', for instance, are all related in their
respective languages to the verb 'to breathe'.
Sometimes it is equated with the movement of breath
in the body, sometimes described as visible "auras",
"rays", or "fields" or as audible or tactile
"vibrations". These are often held to be perceptible
to anyone, though this may be held to require
training or sensitization through various practices.
Various distinct cultural and religious traditions
postulate the existence of esoteric energies,
usually as a type of élan vital - an essence which
differentiates living from non-living objects. Older
sources usually associate this kind of energy with
breath: for example qi in Taoist philosophy, prana
in Hindu belief, or the "breath of life" given by
God to Adam in the Abrahamic creation story. Thus
energy became closely associated with concepts of
animating spirits or of the human soul. Some
spiritual practices, such as Qi Gong or traditional
yoga open or increase this innate energy, and the
philosophy behind certain martial arts implies that
these energies can be developed and focused.
In Chinese vitalism, the traditional explanation of
acupuncture states that it works by manipulating the
circulation of qi energy through a network of
meridians. To the extent that acupuncture is
regarded as efficacious in western medicine, its
effects are usually described as palliative and
obtained physiologically by blocking or stimulating
nerve cells and causing changes in the perception of
pain in the brain.[9] However the idea of qi is not
confined to medicine, as it appears throughout
traditional east Asian culture, for example, in the
art of Feng Shui, in Chinese martial arts and
spiritual tracts. |
