ENERGY MEDICINE - DISTANT HEALING
Universe, energy and healing : a bit of theory
Matter is energy
Since the discoveries of classical physics and even more from quantum physics, it's been established as a fact that at the atomic and particle level, all matter in the universe is made of energy. Despite what our restricted human senses seems to show us, the universe and everything it contains is energy. Our body, our psyche, our being, is made from matter, and there is no exception to this rule.
Quantum physics also teaches us that any observer distorts and influences the field of their observations. This is true from the observation of a simple particle by a physician / scientist, and goes on to more complex forms of observations and studies, like for a example, a human group observed by an anthropologist. What is true for a particle is obviously applicable to a complex system composed of millions of particles. All the subtile influences and interactions happening at an energetic level on a individual in our complex world cannot be measured by existing limited senses, and they don't always produce immediate observable results in the matter, but they do exist, and their importance is major cause, as they may affect in a good or bad way, life, health and well being.
Everything in the universe is interaction.
"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of our consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and affections for those closest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion, to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty." Albert Einstein
No doubt, that as well as being a genius and a brilliant scientist, Einstein was also a very intuitive and wise man, with a profound intuition of the mystery of our universe. Whether we like it or not, we are immersed constantly in energetic influences, and we also produice our own energetic ripples by being in contact with the world, its reality, and its matter. That starts with the atmosphere and air we breathe, the food we eat, the social context we live in, the places we go, the people we meet, the relationships we have, and the way we act, etc. We are often not aware of this until it's immediate consequence on the physical world, because our senses and our mind are specialised, and allow us to orient ourselves in the material universe. Effects are often retarded, and this takes a while to show in the matter. From an energy medicine point of view, everything is important and everything is creating conditions for good health or for an unbalanced situation.
Perceiving energy and using it for healing
Energetic and Shamanic healers act on Energy. They focus primarily on energy. The energies they work on are not something observable by a common human eye, and obviously, it looks that what is invisible to an untrained perception, is visible for the energy healer.
In most of the shamanic traditions across the world, the energy healer accesses these forms of perception and techniques, devoting their whole life accumulating and growing their inner energy to be able to act at this level. They also focus upon studying energy and perceving it, practicing and training to get to this point. On top of alliances they make with nature and natural elements to heal (such as plants, sounds, stones, fire, water, etc,..) the main tools that the energy healer use are a form of vision/perception of the energetic field in the human body, and also a form of dowsing and perception that come from their hands. Thanks to these two main tools, they can see and diagnose problems, diseases, injuries , weaknesses , pains, state of imbalance, energetic intrusions, etc in the patient. After perceiving and diagnosing the problems, they can then act to chase, or to take away anything that impedes health, focusing upon the restoration of the enegetical strength and balance. When the balance is recovered, the patient then trigger in themselves the power to heal. In this sense, the energy healer is an intermediary.
Natural gift or learning process ?
According to many traditions, some people are born shamans and with a natural gift to heal. Dowsing is often one manifestation of such a gift, but it's not the only one. To be able to diagnose or to see disease inside the human body without having to submit the patient to tons of exams or x-rays is another such important skill. According to other practices or schools, anyone can access such perceptions and techniques through an appropriate training, but also and often required, is a certain discipline of life, appropriate behaviour, generally openess towards any living being, and a strong ethical background and a willingness to help and heal.
It is in both cases a fact that a special level of energy is required for the medecine man or energy healer to access energetic healing, and it's also a fact that some people possesses naturally more energy than others to access to such healing practices. In any case, these methods or gifts are asleep or latent in many of us, and to reach the goal requires discipline and some sacrifices. In the tradition we follow up closely, purification and ethics are required to be of service, and the medicine man (or medicine womans!) path is a long way leading to an infinite and wonderful reward: the gift that allows us to help people to restore their balance and regain their health.
Chakras, physical body and energy bodies
Out of the energetic center or chakras that are well known and are to be balanced to restore the energetic balance, the energy health carer may adresses different forms of energy in the individual. These forms of energy are usually known as the energy bodies. The first one, and the more obvious is the physical/corporal one where the diseases' or problems' manifestations or symptoms often stand and become visible from the patient. We work on these to ease pain or to take away the part of the illness, disease, discomfort, or problem that has already manifested in the matter and in the body.
Out of this physical and material body, various other energy bodies are being described in the energy medicine for healing purposes, but the main one is commonly named the etheric body. This etheric body stands around the person and is not visible to the common eye, although certain photographic techniques seem to pretend to make it visible (this is still subject to controversy). This energy body has received various names in the different traditions and cultures. (âkâsha in sanskrit), "nutritive soul" or "vegetative soul" (for Aristote), "etheric body" or « sensitive body » ( for Rudolf Steiner), "vital body" (for Max Heindel), ,"vital strenght", jîva (life principle in the indouism)), prânamaya-kosha (vital breathe, in the Vedânta), « vehicle of vitality» (for Crookall) Ka for the egyptians. ). No matter the name one decides to give to this etheric body, it has been described in many traditions and cultures, until very anthic ones and at different period of times in human history,
As mentioned, we work a lot on this etheric body, especially for shamanic purification, as its strength always insures optimal health and energy to the patient. At the opposite end, when a disease or illness has emerged, we always find the root of the problem in various injuries or energetic intrusion at this level. The strength, balance, or the « homogeneity » of this etheric energy body is really essential for the well being and for the health.
See also shamanic health care and energy purification.