Energy (esotericism)

This article is about spiritual energy. For other uses, see Energy (disambiguation).
"Subtle energy" redirects here. For the mystical concept of psychospiritual bodies overlaying the physical body, see Subtle body.

The term energy is used by writers and practitioners of various esoteric forms of spirituality and alternative medicine to refer to a variety of phenomena.[1][2] There is no scientific evidence for the existence of such energy.[1][2][3]

Therapies that purport to use, modify, or manipulate unknown energies are thus among the most contentious of all complementary and alternative medicines. Claims related to energy therapies are most often anecdotal (from single stories), rather than being based on repeatable empirical evidence.[3][4][5]

History and scientific criticism

Concepts such as "life force" and "élan vital" emerged from the debate over vitalism in the early 20th century and later inspired thinkers in the modern New Age movement.[1][2]

As biologists studied embryology and developmental biology, particularly before the discovery of genes, a variety of organisational forces were posited to account for their observations. German biologist Hans Driesch (1867–1941), proposed entelechy, an energy which he believed controlled organic processes.[6] However such ideas are discredited and modern science has all but abandoned the attempt to associate additional energetic properties with life.[6]

According to Brian Dunning, the scientific term energy is, in fact, misused in the context of spirituality and alternative medicine:

That's all that energy is: a measurement of work capability. But in popular culture, 'energy' has somehow become a noun. "Energy" is often spoken of as if it is a thing unto itself, like a region of glowing power, that can be contained and used. Here's a good test. When you hear the word "energy" used, substitute the phrase "measurable work capability." Does the usage still make sense? Remember, energy itself is not the thing being measured: energy is the measurement of work performed or of potential... Thus, this New Age concept of the body having an "energy field" is fatally doomed. There is no such thing as an energy field; they are two unrelated concepts.[7]

Despite this, spiritual writers and thinkers have maintained ideas about energy and continue to promote them either as useful allegories or as fact.[8] The field of "energy medicine" purports to manipulate energy, but there is no credible evidence to support this.[3]

The concept of "qi" (energy) appears throughout traditional East Asian culture, such as in the art of feng shui and Chinese martial arts.[9] Qi philosophy also includes the notion of "negative qi", typically understood as introducing negative moods like outright fear or more moderate expressions like social anxiety or awkwardness.[10] Deflecting this negative qi through geomancy is a preoccupation in feng shui.[11] The traditional explanation of acupuncture states that it works by manipulating the circulation of qi through a network of meridians.[12]

The idea that some kind of "negative energy" is responsible for creating or attracting ghosts or demons appears in contemporary paranormal culture and beliefs as exemplified in the TV shows Paranormal State and Ghost Hunters.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Energy Fields of Life". Colorado.edu. 1999-03-25. Retrieved 2016-05-19.
  2. 1 2 3 Smith, Jonathan C. (2010). Pseudoscience and Extraordinary Claims of the Paranormal: A Critical Thinker's Toolkit. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 268–274. ISBN 978-1-4051-8122-8.
  3. 1 2 3 "energy - (according to New Age thinking) - The Skeptic's Dictionary". Skepdic.com. 2011-12-19. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  4. ↑ "Some Notes on Wilhelm Reich, M.D". Quackwatch.org. 2002-02-15. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  5. ↑ "Reiki". Ncahf.org. 2000-12-01. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  6. 1 2 "Vitalism". Mechanism.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  7. ↑ Brian Dunning. "Your Body's Alleged Energy Fields". Skeptoid.com. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  8. ↑ Jonas, WB; Crawford, CC (March 2003). "Science and spiritual healing: a critical review of spiritual healing, "energy" medicine, and intentionality". Altern Ther Health Med. 9 (2): 56–61. PMID 12652884.
  9. ↑ Latham, Kevin (2007). Pop Culture China!: Media, Arts, and Lifestyle. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 285. ISBN 978-1-85109-582-7.
  10. ↑ Bryan W. Van Norden (March 2011). Introduction to Classical Chinese Philosophy. Hackett Publishing. p. 98. ISBN 1-60384-615-8.
  11. ↑ George Leonard (1998). Asian Pacific American Heritage: A Companion to Literature and Arts. Taylor & Francis. p. 204. ISBN 978-0-203-34459-0.
  12. ↑ Lawson-Wood, Denis; Lawson-Wood, Joyce (1983). Acupuncture Handbook. Health Science Press. p. 133.
  13. ↑ Fahy, Thomas (2010). The Philosophy of Horror. Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky. p. 77. ISBN 0-8131-2573-1.
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