The Human Energy System & its Role In Health

As living beings, people have energy. Or they are energized or energetic. We talk about the energy states of ourselves & others often, although we might not realize we do. Consider these examples:

Hes a "relaxed" kind of guy... Shes pretty "high energy... They are always so "restless"... She's a very "calm" person... They seem so "stressed out"... Hes "cool as a cucumber"... I feel so "nervous"... You look "tired out"... He's just overflowing with "enthusiasm"... I'm bursting with "joy"...

These and other such thoughts and sayings tell us we are aware of, and react or respond to our own and others' energy states and processes. If you think about this you may realize that we are affected by our energy every instant of our lives. Further, we affect our energy states and processes continually by our thoughts, actions, emotions and beliefs. Thus it seems that our energy states and processes play a major role in our lives - perhaps even a dominant one. This being the case, it might benefit us to know as much as we can about our energy system. Some things about it we might want to consider could be: 1. What is it? 2. How does it work? 3. Is it an integral part of us or a "peripheral"? 4. Does it follow the same "laws" in everybody? 5. Is our energy system intelligent? 6. Can it learn or be trained? 7. Can it adapt to changes in our environment? 8. If it can, are there limits to this adaptability? 9. Does it interact with other parts / aspects of our being? 10. Can it be separated from these aspects? 11. Does it make sense to even consider it separate from the rest of our being? 12. Does it affect our lives, and if so, how and what areas and aspects specifically? 13. Is our energy system conscious?

These are just a few of the things we might like to explore in regards to the body energy system. In this upcoming series of articles, I'll be exploring these questions and others. Today I will talk about the 6th question in the list: Can the human energy system learn or be trained? This may seem like an unusual place to begin the discussion. Consider this. If the energy system is not able to learn it will be pointless to consider it as a "healing mind" tool. However, if the energy system can learn and be trained, then it may be possible for people to influence their energy for improving health. There exist many practices which claim to influence the human energy system, including yoga (especially kundalini yoga), qigong, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), TFT (Thought Freedom Technique) and heart math to name a few. Various methods are used by these practices to interact with the bodys energy, and attempt to influence it by removing blockages which interfere with its smooth flow. Methods for increasing the strength or amount of energy flowing are also used. Anecdotal accounts by users of these various methods indicate that people seem to feel better and healthier when they practise regularly. For those people this may be enough "proof" to keep up with their practice. Others may want more "scientific" validation. I am not going to cite any studies here. You can search with Google for specific research results. Generally what has been found through the research varies with the method being tested. Research on yoga generally has found indications of health benefits with regular practise. However, it is noted that more extensive studies are needed. Studies have found evidence that EFT is effective for different conditions including fears, phobias & traumatic life events. Qigong has been researched and found to be effective in relieving and sometimes eliminating health problems in humans. Neurofeedback methods, including the LENS Technique and brainwave entrainment, have been shown to effectively treat depression, autism, ADD and other mental health problems. Through neurofeedback and brainwave entrainment (BWE) the ability of the brain to self regulate is enhanced.

As the health of the person is directly affected by the regulation of bodily systems and functions by the brain, any enhancements to this regulatory ability should result in health improvements. Qigong, EFT and yoga all affect the body's energy system and have been shown to benefit the health of practitioners. Through my personal experience with brainwave entrainment over a period of ten years, I know that it affects the body energy system. I have found that BWE enhances the flow of energy and often eliminates blockages in the energy system. Many of the beneficial effects of these methods on the energy system often remain even if the methods are discontinued. Thus, for example, phobias cured via EFT remain cured whether or not EFT continues to be practised. People effectively treated for ADHD with neurofeedback remain "cured" without having to continue with neurofeedback. So by using these and other methods, the body's energy system begins to function at new and "healthier" levels; essentially it has learned and been trained to respond in new ways. To your good health, Michael Seelye