Energy healing - not just quackery?
Energy healing — it’s one of the most controversial alternative mind-body therapies on the market. The application is mysterious. The science is sketchy. And, the proof ? Well, it’s largely. . . invisible!
Yet more and more, people are turning to subtle biofield energy-based therapies. And we’re seeing celebrities and personal development gurus, elite athletes, business owners, parents and even medical doctors trying their hand at it. Many are raving about the benefits, some of which are reported to include better moods, improved sleep, reduced anxiety, greater emotional regulation and pain relief. And the industry is exploding. So much so that the Global Wellness Summit identified energy medicine as a serious field of study and key global trend in 2020.
But what on earth is it? And is there any credible evidence to suggest the efficacy of different modalities in managing stress, anxiety or other psychosomatic disorders? Well, energy healing has been around for thousands of years. Modern approaches are generally rooted in eastern spiritual philosophy (Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism) and traditional shamanism (practised in many cultures around the world).
Generally speaking, energy healing is focused on the subtle bioenergetic field around and within the body. The basic premise is that psychological stress, negative beliefs and emotions, as well as the impact of physical disease build up in the body. And this is thought to create an energetic blockage that inhibits the natural flow of life force energy. These blockages, if left untreated, can lead to further psycho-spiritual stress and disease.
Modalities such as reiki, pranic healing, kinesiology and Traditional Chinese Medicine — including acupuncture and acupressure — are commonly known. They involve the laying of hands on the body, distance-based hands-off techniques, biofeedback muscle testing, as well as stimulating precise locations with pressure or needles. Sounds intriguing, right?
But due to a lack of regulation and limited scientific studies to back up many practitioner claims, the field is teeming with quackery. Many sacred traditional healing practices have also been corrupted by various forms of nouveau religiosity and spiritual occultism.
Though electromagnetic energy fields aren’t foreign concepts in Western medicine, Electrocardiograms (ECG) and electroencephalograms (EEG) detect the energetic function of the heart and brain, the two biggest electromagnetic fields in the human body.
Holistic therapies supporting spiritual and emotional wellbeing are often provided in cancer support centres, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and palliative care settings in Australia — both Fiona Stanley and Sir Charles Gairdner Hospitals offer energy modalities for cancer patients. Furthermore, it’s estimated two-thirds of Australians seek out complementary therapies. And an extension of the cancer support programs is warranted for other patient cohorts who are vulnerable to immense stress. Given the rise in popularity, funding for energy medicine research is growing, particularly in the US.
As such, more quantifiable evidence for the efficacy of such treatments will no doubt ensue. Science, medicine and technology are not static — just like us they are always evolving. More mysteries will be revealed as we develop new instruments and ways of detecting and measuring energy fields. We will also learn more about the nature of reality and the human body as quantum science, biophysics and psycho-neurobiology advance.
But an energy healer is not a heart surgeon — the two are obviously realms apart — and any alternative therapy is not a replacement for evidence-based medical interventions, though energy healing has a role to play as a complementary approach to stress management. As with any trend, it’s wise to keep an open mind but use your better judgment. And always be conscious of who, and what, you let influence your state of being.
This article was first published in The West Australian in Renée Gardiner’s weekly column in Agenda, 24 April 2021.