Let’s talk about Energy!
We all experience energy in our daily lives. Found in many different forms; chemical energy, electrical energy, heat (thermal energy), light (radiant energy), mechanical energy, and nuclear energy. We have all heard of wind energy, solar energy. We are aware of when our devices need charging. We pay electric bills, gas bills, internet bills. We witness lightning storms, windmills, and watermills. These phenomena are commonplace, yet when we broach the subject of Human Energy, the topic can evoke a vague esotericism that feels removed from our personal experience. But we all experience human energy every day. Sometimes in the form of sexual energy, emotional energy, lethargy and lack of energy or restless abundant energy! We have all experienced the intensity of the passing of a family member or falling in love. These are some of the most potent forces that we experience in our daily lives. These phenomena are real and concrete examples of Human Energy. Learning to listen to and understand our energy systems is essential to leading a healthy, balanced, and joyful life.
A little inquiry and research reveal numerous connections between recent scientific discoveries and the history of ancient knowledge and wisdom regarding the Human Energy Field and the Chakra System. Barbara Ann Brennan is one of the foremost researchers and observers of the Chakra System and the Human Energy Field. She has an extensive spiritual and scientific background, and her ability to move between these modalities makes her a pioneer in bridging the gap between these seemingly polar perspectives. She carries an advanced degree in atmospheric physics and worked as a research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Her work investigates the intersections between ancient traditions and scientific research and discovery. Her books “Hand of Light,” “Light Emerging,” and “Core Star Healing” are extensively researched and offer specific, valuable insight into the functioning of the Chakras and the Human Energy System.
Studies of Human Energy exist in many ancient traditions, including the ancient Hindu Vedic texts, the Theosophists, the Rosicrucians, The Native American Medicine People, the Tibetan and Indian Buddhists, Japanese Zen Buddhists. Traditional Chinese Medicine’s understanding of meridians and acupuncture date as far back as 3,000 years. The Chinese tradition refers to universal energy as Ch’i. All matter, animate and inanimate, is composed of and filled with this universal energy consisting of two opposite forces, yin, and yang. When yin and yang are balanced, the body’s systems function, and we experience health and wellness. Pre-Vedic Indian knowledge of the Chakras and traditional Yoga practices date as far back as 5,000 years (Brennan). In the ancient Indian spiritual tradition, they speak of universal energy called “Prana,” the source and breath of all life. Yogis practice cultivating this universal energy through breathing techniques, meditation, and physical exercises. Mirroring this, we observe the word “spirit” take its root from the Latin word “spiritus,” which means breath. From the same root comes the word “aspiration,” which can mean the act of breathing or something that one sets as a goal or aim. The Sanskrit word Chakra translates to “wheel “or “disk.” In yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda, this term refers to wheels of energy throughout the body. There are seven main chakras, which align the spine, starting from the base of the spine through to the crown of the head. These swirling wheels of energy correspond to massive nerve centers in the body. Each of the seven main chakras contains bundles of nerves and major organs and our psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being (Vaughn).
Everything alive pulsates with energy, and all of this energy contains information. Practitioners of Energy Healing believe that the Human Energy Field contains and reflects each person’s personality, emotions, and experiences, positive and negative. Caroline Myss, Ph.D., is a pioneer in the field of Energy Medicine. She is an internationally acclaimed medical intuitive and uses the Human Energy Field to help medical doctors diagnose and make treatment plans. Through her work, she has discovered how emotional forces affect our body’s biological tissues. She has seen recurring psychosomatic connections between individuals and their illnesses. The pathways of our personal narrative create the trajectory of health or disease or, as Myss puts it, “Your biography becomes your biology.”
Neurobiologist Dr. Candace Pert has proved that our emotions reside physically in our bodies and interact with our cells and tissues. Our thoughts trigger our emotional responses, and these neuropeptides are the chemicals triggered by emotions and are or our thoughts transformed into matter (Myss). Numerous studies show that stress impairs the functioning of the immune systems(Edlin & Golanty). This evidence of the mind-body connection is an essential puzzle piece. We begin to gather a complete holistic picture of our health and understand how human energy operates. These concepts may seem lofty, esoteric, and removed from any practical application to their daily lives for many people today. Let’s explore the intersection between these ancient traditions and scientific research.
In many ways, we still hold a Newtonian perspective of reality. We understand ourselves, the world, and the universe to consist of separate, solid building blocks; atoms, nuclei, protons, and electrons. Newtonian Mechanics unlocked the secrets of the planet’s motion, and for a long time, physicists believed the universe to be an enormous mechanical machine running under these laws (Brennan). In the early 19th century, scientific discoveries began to unfold that challenged our understanding of a Newtonian universe. Scientists like Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell began to use a field concept and understand that we live in a universe of fields and forces that interact with each other (Brennan). Examples of this playing out in our everyday lives are numerous; the parent who knows when their child is in danger, thinking of someone before and then they call. These are some simple examples of how we are continually affecting each other’s energy fields in the same way that Faraday and Maxwell were researching.
Albert Einstein completely shattered the Newtonian worldview when he published the Special Theory of Relativity. This work is so groundbreaking that we are still reckoning with its implications. We are all familiar with the equation E=mc^2, but few people inquire how this scientific breakthrough could affect their understanding of reality. Well, let’s break it down. In this equation, E signifies energy. M signifies mass. C represents the speed of light. This equation proves that energy and mass are interchangeable. Mass is, in fact, energy, and everything around us is energy, including our bodies. Even the air we breathe has mass! This scientifically proven fact reinforces our understanding of the universal field energy to which we are all connected.
Another wonderful intersection between the ancient wisdom of the Chakra System and Einstein’s research is the phenomena of light. Let us return to our equation E=mc^2 and focus on C, the speed of light. Light is made up of a spectrum of colors that create what we perceive as a rainbow when refracted. Each color in the rainbow corresponds to a different wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum. Red light has the longest wavelength, and violet the shortest. Because of these differences in wavelength, we can differentiate colors. Each of the seven chakras vibrational frequency is of one color of the rainbow, starting with red at the Root Chakra, located at the tailbone, all the way up to the violet Crown Chakra at the top of the head. How poignant that Einstein’s equation for understanding energy includes light. Many ancient traditions referred to the mystical light surrounding angels, saints, and ascended masters. Christian paintings often portray figures surrounded by fields of light or heads circled in halos. The Kabbalah and Jewish mystical Theosophy refer to a sacred astral light. The Old Testament has numerous references to people surrounded in light or light appearing as part of a mystical experience.
The rivalry between spiritualism and science is historic. Some people still believe the creation story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and deny the scientifically proven process of evolution. Is it not possible that we are still catching up to wrap our minds around the mysteries of reality explained by modern science? According to the Theory of Relativity, space is not three-dimensional. Space and Time are, in fact, inextricably interwoven and create a phenomenon called “space-time” (Brennan). If we were to embrace this reality fully, we could no longer frame our understanding and experiences as linear. Our past selves and future selves all exist within this great “space-time” continuum. Scientific discovery leads to evolving modes of thinking, but it takes time to integrate these advances into our worldview. We cannot grasp a reality where Time is not strictly linear. Similarly, some find it difficult to grasp the existence of the Human Energy Field and Chakra System.
Recordings and studies of the Human Energy System exist worldwide, across traditions, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. Although these systems have different vocabularies and look at this phenomena through different cultural lenses, their similarities point to a common phenomenon. Scientific discoveries are continually breaking ground and paving the way to evolve our understanding of reality. At some point in history, we struggled with the idea that the earth was not the center of the universe. It takes time for our understanding to grow, change, and expand to hold space for ideas that can radically change how we relate to ourselves, each other, and the world at large. By looking to science and making an effort to apply scientific principles to our understanding of reality, there comes the point where science and spiritualism are no longer at odds but supporting one another. Keeping our minds open to scientific discoveries is the winding path of discovering the ultimate truth.
I hope this has helped frame some of your own inquiry into Human Energy. Maybe it has cleared up some obscurities or left you with even more questions. Either way, the important thing is to keep active inquiry and exploration. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out via our contact page or leave a comment below. We would love to hear from you!
References:
Brennan, Barbara Ann. Hands of Light: a Guide to Healing through the Human Energy Field: a New Paradigm for the Human Being in Health, Relationship, and Disease. Bantam Books, 1993.
Edlin, Gordon, and Eric Golanty. Health & Wellness. Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2019.
Myss, Caroline M. Anatomy of the Spirit: the Seven Stages of Power and Healing. Harmony Books, 2017.
Vaughan, Rose Erin, MSAc. The Science of Self: Yoga Pathways, Organs and Emotions, Printed by the author.
